Jen Cloher

Jen Cloher is an Australian folk rock singer-songwriter, currently based in Melbourne, Victoria. Originally from Adelaide, Cloher originally moved to Sydney to pursue a degree at NIDA. Following her graduation, Cloher instead decided to begin playing music as opposed to continuing with acting. Her first EP, Permanent Marker, was released via Shiny Records in 2005. Until 2012, this would be the only release baring solely Cloher's name. Her debut album, 2006's Dead Wood Falls, was released under the moniker Jen Cloher & the Endless Sea, a collective of musicians that originally included drummer Jen Sholakis, bassist "Lord" Geoffrey Dunbar, guitarist Michael Hubbard, pianist Ross Calia and violinist Andrea Summer. The album's single, "Better Off Dancing," found itself in high rotation on Triple J; while Cloher herself was nominated for Best Female Artist at the 2006 ARIA Music Awards. Its follow-up, 2009's Hidden Hands, was inspired by Cloher's loss of her mother through Alzheimer's and garnered great critical acclaim. Calia and Summer were replaced by Laura Jean and Biddy Connor, respectively; while also adding guitarist Tom Healy to the line-up. Following a solo tour with Jordie Lane, Cloher once again took an extended hiatus from music. She re-emerged in 2012, releasing a duet with former kid sam frontman Kieran Ryan entitled "Call if You Need Me." It was released in May. In October, Cloher released "Mount Beauty," the first single from her then-yet-to-be-titled third album. It was released as a limited-edition split seven-inch, with the flipside containing Courtney Barnett's song "History Eraser." The month prior, Cloher had recorded a new album at Melbourne's Headgap Studios. Her band consisted of Barnett, Sholakis and bassist Bones Sloane. Rather than retain the Endless Sea moniker, Cloher chose to record and release the album under her own name, technically making it her debut "solo" album. To support the album's release, Cloher began a crowdfunding campaign. With a target of $15,000; the total amount on the closing date of March 26th, 2013 was $16,546. The album, entitled In Blood Memory, was released in late May 2013 via Milk Records. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.