Tara Simmons

Infobox musical artist
Name = Tara Simmons

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Img_capt = Photo by Ricky Sullivan - [http://www.rickysullivan.com.au www.rickysullivan.com.au]
Background = solo_singer
Origin = flagicon|AUS Brisbane, Australia
Born = birth date and age|1984|03|22
Genre = Folk
Pop
Alternative
Rock
Electronica
Years_active = 2006–present
Label = Independent
URL = [http://www.tarasimmons.com/ Official website]

Tara Simmons (born 22 March 1984) is a musician residing in Brisbane, Australia. Simmons is proficient in voice, keys and sometimes cello and is known for her use of bedroom, bathroom and kitchen items to sample extra sounds for her recordings.

Tara Simmons is currently managed by Ben Preece.

History

Showing musical promise from a very early age, Tara began to play piano at the age of three and the cello at the age of eight, dabbling in songwriting along the way. Vocal lessons soon followed and she attended a performing arts school that taught her music technology and performance. She then went on to study at university in both production and songwriting at the Queensland University of Technology.

Career

In 2005, Simmons began recording her self-financed, self-produced seven track debut EP "Pendulum" but quickly shelved it, thinking it wasn't good enough. She eventually sent a copy to Caroline Tran at Australian radio station Triple J radio who took a liking to its lead single 'Everybody Loves You' and played it a number of times. The song also went on to be a finalist at the Q Song Awards 2006 and selected as a feature song for Triple J OzMusic Month. She eventually realized the EP's potential and it was released in August 2006.

Immediately returning to the studio, this time with her cellist Briony Luttrell, Simmons began recording songs for her four track second EP "All The Amendments". By the time it was released in February 2007, Simmons had garnered the attention of community and national radio and played as support for My Latest Novel and Home Video.

Triple J radio once again played an important part of the promotion of "All The Amendments", playing the EP's lead single 'The Recycling Bin Song'.

In October 2007, Tara had the 11 tracks from her two previous EPs remastered and repackaged onto a single disc compilation entitled "EPilation", a term Tara herself created meaning "EP compilation."

Also in October 2007, Tara began work on songs for her debut album with co-producer Briony Luttrell. Recording in the apartment they share, Tara and Briony begain work on a track called 'You And Me', which is commonly referred to as "that song with the three cellos" when they perform it live.

In August 2008, a new song from Tara's recent recording sessions called "Shake" was nominated for a Q Song Award in the Pop Category.

Band Members

On stage, Simmons plays with a unique configuration of band including:
*Tara Simmons: vocals, keys, laptap, cello
*Briony Luttrell: cello
*Sophie Adamus: cello
*Chris O'Neill: drums
*Robert Davidson: double bass

Discography

EPs

Compilations

oundtrack Appearances

*"All My Friends Are Leaving Brisbane" (2007)::Track: "Everybody Loves You"

Compilation Appearances

*"Songs Of Applewood" (2007) ::Track: "Go And Stop" with Guy Webster

External links

* [http://www.tarasimmons.com Tara Simmons official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/tarasimmonsmusic Tara Simmons @ MySpace.com]
* [http://www.sonicbids.com/tarasimmons Tara Simmons @ Sonic Bids]
* [http://www.ravemagazine.com.au/content/view/2441/30/ Interview with Rave Magazine February 2007]
* [http://www.timeoff.com.au/index1.php?area=Archive&pg=42&subarea=4816&sel=4816&showcontent=4816 Interview with Time Off magazine February 2007]
* [http://www.timeoff.com.au/index1.php?area=Archive&pg=42&subarea=188&sel=4159&showcontent=4159 Review of "Pendulum" in Time Off magazine November 2006]
* [http://www.ravemagazine.com.au/content/view/3336/181/ Review of "All The Amendments" in Rave magazine February 2007]
* [http://www.brispop.com/index.cfm?action=dsp_bio&artistID=779 Tara Simmons on Brispop.com]
* [http://www.timeoff.com.au/index1.php?area=Interviews&pg=38&subarea=6760&sel=6760 Interview In Time Off October 2007]