Miss Renee Simone

Born of Jamaican heritage in the UK, Miss Renee Simone was bathed and nurtured through childhood in her mother's collection of soul and jazz records: Nina Simone, Randy Crawford and Billie Holiday sang her lullabies imbibing in her the classic diva that resonates so richly through her work today. She was later influenced by latter-day songstresses such as Janet Jackson, Lauryn Hill, Neneh Cherry, India Arie, Erykah Badu, Morcheeba and Massive Attack. Perhaps you haven’t yet heard the voice of Miss Renee Simone but there is no question that this previously hidden treasure in the Australian music scene is finally being unearthed. She is described as “captivating in manner, voice and message” (Rip it up Magazine) “an intoxicating performer” (The Barefoot Review), “a remarkable voice” (Glam Adelaide) and by Angus Stone as having “a voice like tiramisu topped with smooth chocolate sauce.” Miss Renee Simone stepped out as a solo artist in early 2013 with a series of shows at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and was invited to record with a number Australian icons including Xavier Rudd, Angus Stone and Bernard Fanning. On 14 October 2013 she releases her debut solo album, ‘ROAR’ which will establish her as a unique voice to be reckoned with here in Australia. Bernard Fanning (Powderfinger) stated “I heard ‘ROAR’ and was really impressed by the range and quality of the writing, singing and playing. Miss Renee is able to straddle jazzy soul, folk, pop and reggae and make all of the styles her own. A great singer with a very unique style. If honey had a sound it would be the voice of Miss Renee Simone”. 'ROAR' is Miss Renee Simone’s call to arms for women to grant themselves permission to be everything they want to be. She would like to ignite a passion in women, particularly mothers, to rise up and be fabulous now. Conversations with these women inspired more questions which she then shared with friends, fans and family through social media. She spoke with women of all ages and from all walks of life about what makes women strong, what makes women vulnerable and what gives women hope. These anecdotal stories are told throughout the album. ‘You Are Beautiful’ the first single from the album is a tribute to mothers and speaks of the work they do to raise the vibration of the planet one well-loved child at a time. "To be soft and graceful yet being able to ROAR when it's needed, that to me represents feminine strength," she explains. “Women’s stories have a universal theme the world over and across generations. I drew inspiration from the hundreds of women who shared their stories of empowerment and disempowerment with me over a period of 12 months as I wrote the album. Women who have faced extreme adversity and risen to the challenge, women who are still working it out, women who refuse to give up.”