Singer Katie Noonan has just announced a massive national tour, and its all to celebrate the landmark Grace album by the late Jeff Buckley.
The five-time ARIA award-winning artist will embark on a 20-date headline tour across Australia that incudes shows in Western Australia.
Perth, Adelaide, Launceston, Hobart, Geelong, Ballarat, Warragul, Wangaratta, Albury, Canberra, Brisbane, Birtinya, Noosa, Gold Coast, Bendigo, Traralgon, Melbourne, Thirroul, Sydney and Newcastle are all on Noonan’s itinerary.
Katie Noonan has produced 29 albums throughout her career, with seven times platinum record sales under her belt and 29 ARIA award nominations that span diverse genres.
She first introduced her unique adaptation of Jeff Buckley’s Grace live, recently performing an incredible five sold-out nights at Sydney Festival. Praise from fans and critics came pouring in for the singer-songwriter’s ability to maintain the qualities of the traditional tracks while adding her unique flair and tone to curate a memorable homage to an iconic body of work.
Speaking of Buckley’s landmark album Noonan shared her personal love for the work.
“In 1994, Jeff Buckley’s seminal debut album Grace was released into the world. I was 17 and never had I heard a sound world like this, never had I heard a band that unique and never had I heard a voice that expressive, exploratory and exciting.
“This album is the single biggest influence on my musical journey and was an enormous inspiration for my debut album Polyserena and my 29 subsequent studio albums.
“I was lucky enough to see Jeff live in 1996 and it was honestly a transcendental experience and one of the greatest concerts I will ever see. His integrity, unique sound and achingly honest lyrics have inspired me so deeply, and in the 30th anniversary of the Grace album, I am honoured to present this body of work with some of my favourite musicians and pay homage to a life changing album and a truly once in a lifetime artist.” Noonan said.
Jeff Buckley’s debut album came after he built up a loyal following by performing in bars in New York’s East Village.
He was the son of 60s and 70s musician Tim Buckley, but he only met his father on one occasion. His parents divorced a month before his birth, and the sole meeting would come when Jeff Buckley was eight years old. Tim Buckley died from a heroin overdose the following year, he was 28 years old.
Jeff Buckley’s debut album brough him global acclaim and he toured heavily in 1994, including playing shows in Australia where the album was a big hit on youth radio station Triple J.
Work began on a follow up, which Jeff Buckley planned to title My Sweetheart the Drunk. In NYC he recorded sessions with producer Tom Verlaine. Later he moved to Memphis and continued working on the record making 4-track demos.
On May 29th 1997 he drowned while swimming in the Wolf River, he was 30 years old. The studio recordings and demos were later posthumously released as Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk.
