Songbirds (group)

Songbirds
Origin	Australia
Genres	Country music
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	2007–2009, periodically
Labels	EMI Music
Past members	Beccy Cole Gina Jeffreys Sara Storer

Songbirds (sometimes known as "Songbirds of Country") was an Australian country music girl group, formed in 2007 by platinum selling, ARIA Award nominated, and 24 time Golden Guitar winning artists^[1] and good friends Beccy Cole, Gina Jeffreys and Sara Storer. The group released a live DVD in 2009, which peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Top 40 Music DVD chart. The DVD was certified gold.

History

The friendship of Cole and Jeffreys dates back to the 1990s they were bridesmaids for each other.^[2] Cole said (of Gina) "We’ll be friends forever; we know too much. Performing with one of your best friends is such a special feeling."^[3]

Cole, Jeffreys and Storer have appeared in each other's live shows and on recordings throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Songbirds is the brainchild of the girls themselves, where they can share the stage and sing some of their favourite songs.^[4]

Songbirds was announced in early 2007 initially as a four-show tour in NSW,^[5] however it sold out and additional dates added and the trio began touring nationally from July 2007.^[6] with a backing band of Albeck on fiddle; Duncan Toombs and James Gillard on acoustic guitars and backing vocals; Mal Lancaster on drums; and Ian Lees on bass guitar.

Brett Casben of Australian Stage Online compared the three lead vocalists: "Storer is possibly the most visibly disparate of the group bringing to her work a touching lyrical earthiness that reflects a ‘mallee’ heritage ... Cole is the power house of the production and her personal interpretation of the Storer work, 'Buffalo Bill' was a show stopper ... Jeffreys performs in a more reflective style".^[7] Susan Jarvis of Capital News noted that the "friendship between the three girls is very much in evidence" where each "performs some of their songs solo, but the three come and go in a wonderfully fluid and organic way, providing a feeling of warmth and spontaneity".^[8]

The trio toured to sell out crowds throughout 2007 and 2008.^[9] In January 2009, Songbirds recorded a live DVD of their performance. On 29 April 2009 the film premiered in Australian cinemas^[10] and was released commercially in May. The DVD peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Top 40 Music DVD chart in its third week charting and was certified gold. By the end of 2009, the trio had returned to their respective solo careers.

In October 2011, Songbirds were the feature act on a 7-day South Pacific Island cruise.^[11]

Discography

DVD

Year	Title	AUS [12]	Certification
2009	’’You’ve Got a Friend: Live in Concert’’	5	ARIA: Gold[13]

Singles

• "You've Got a Friend" (May 2009)^[14]

Legacy

In 2015 Australian female country singers Amber Lawrence, Aleyce Simmonds and Christie Lamb completed a combined tour called The Girls of Country Tour. The idea referring to the former sellout show of Songbirds.^[15]

References

1. "SONGBIRDS Venue Brothers Leagues Club". Entertainment Cairns. 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
2. "Beccy Cole Sweet Rebecca". Beccy Cole. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
3. "Beccy Cole & Gina Jeffreys". Maning Great Lakes Focus Magazine. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
4. "SONGBIRDS Venue Brothers Leagues Club". Entertainment Cairns. 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
5. Cole, Beccy (2015). Poster Girl (1st ed.). Hachette. p. 238. ISBN 9780733632587.
6. "SONGBIRDS: BECCY COLE, GINA JEFFREYS & SARA STORER in Concert Tickets". 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
7. Casben, Brett (7 October 2007). "The Songbirds". Australian Stage Online. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
8. Jarvis, Susan (May 2009). "True Friendship". Capital News. Rural Press Limited. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
9. "Backstage with the Songbirds". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1 March 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
10. "Songbirds: You've Got a Friend". Regent Cinemas. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
11. "Entertainment on Board". Cruisin Country. 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
12. "The ARIA Report – Issue #10046" (PDF). The ARIA Report. 25 May 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
13. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2009 DVDs". ARIA Charts. 31 December 2009. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
14. "You've got a Friend (live) – single". iTUnes Australia. January 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
15. "AMBER LAWRENCE BRINGS THE GIRLS OF COUNTRY TOUR TO LIZOTTES". Newcastle Live. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2016.