PopTarts Turns 6

Female pop artists band together

'PopTarts' - a Sydney-based collective of hundreds of independent original female pop music artists - is celebrating its sixth birthday with a showcase of six of the best 'Tarts acts at The Basement nightclub on July 18.

'PopTarts 6' will feature performances from PopTarts' founder and local music artist Amanda Easton as well as Robyn Loau, Evelyn Duprai, Yolanda Thomas, Jo Elms and Snez.

The birthday event will celebrate six years of PopTarts which, since July 2001, has included more than 500 local and touring artists at almost 300 regular showcase nights at Annandale's Empire Hotel. Other PopTarts events have included 'Tarts on Tour' interstate shows and 'Tarts for Timor' charity gigs.

While Pop Idols fight it out on our television sets, these fully-financed artists are also using PopTarts to follow a more independent path to pop success and to share career opportunities and support.

In an era where live music struggles to keep its foothold in Sydney, the regular weekly Inner-West PopTarts events have been a welcome support to the local music community.

"It's not easy being an independent pop artist, going up against acts with major record company budgets and resources and not everybody wants to go on Australian Idol! Being part of PopTarts is one way we can help forge a career in this competitive industry," said PopTarts' organiser Amanda Easton.

"There seems to be a bottomless supply of amazing independent pop artists in Sydney - people who drop in to check out our showcases are always astounded at the quality of the acts," she said.

PopTarts has now also reached Melbourne, with the recent launch of 'PopTarts South' at the city's EuroTrash Bar, in what is set to become a regular weekly event.

Sydney's PopTarts is now looking for a new Sydney base, while its original home, the Annandale's Empire Hotel, undergoes major renovations.

'PopTarts 6' will be held at The Basement in Reiby Place, Circular Quay from 8:30pm (doors at 7:30pm). Tickets will be $18 plus booking fee from the Basement on (02) 9251-2797 or at www.thebasement.com.au, or Moshtix outlets.

www.amandaeaston.com

PopTarts 6 Artist Biographies

PopTarts 6 is 6 very different female singers - among Sydney's best - performing their original pop music to celebrate 6 years of the well-loved PopTarts music showcases. Starting at 8:30pm: Evelyn Duprai + Jo Elms + Robyn Loau + Amanda Easton + Snez + Yolanda Thomas

Evelyn Duprai (8:30pm): Her lush smoky voice weaves together jazz, soul, blues and funk in songs presenting her personal uplifting messages. As a soloist as well as lead singer for Sydney based band "The Eon Beats Project" (EBP) she has performed in venues such as The Sydney Opera House, and to tens of thousands of people at Homebush Olympic Park. She's been compared to India Arie and as a songwriter, Evelyn is also a former Musicoz Awards nominee, having previously been nominated as one of the top 5 finalists in Australia for the RnB category. Evelyn is currently writing and recording with EBP on their 4th album. This incredible soulful singer is also writing some new material with Joseph Calderazzo who will perform with her tonight.

Jo Elms (9:00 pm): Jazz-inspired sensual pop music with a voice that soars, then surprises you when it growls with emotion. She's already had a number 5 single on the New Zealand charts but now Australia is very excited to claim her. Since returning from performing in China in early January Jo's performances have seen her grace local, interstate & international stages including her impressive Taronga Zoo Twilight Series concerts. She's performing with the hugely respected Sam MacNally on keys tonight and it was these two who recently performed at the Java International Jazz festival alongside Chaka Khan, Jamie Cullum and Level 42.

Robyn Loau (9:30pm): She's back with sophisticated, brutally honest pop with a cutting edge sound and many stories to tell. Her sultry new single, 'She Devil' is already turning heads at radio and TV, showcasing Robyn's spine-tingling, emotive vocals. Australians of all ages will be familiar with Robyn's face and voice through her past work, and her latest incarnation is set to cement her reputation as a world class performer. As lead singer of the pre-Spice Girls pop group 'Girlfriend', Robyn enjoyed #1 chart success across Australia and Asia with the band's debut album breaking sales records here and abroad. In a 4-star review from Rolling Stone Magazine, her first solo album 'Malaria' featuring hit single 'Sick with Love' was described as 'a wickedly classy solo debut'.

Amanda Easton (10:00pm): Sexy, chilled electronic pop tailor-made for a red velvet-type smoky nightclub. The flame-haired 'Queen of Tarts' has released a new album 'Chanteuse' of songs of lust, love lost and love found. This follows her self-titled debut which delivered two Top 10 indie chart (AIR chart) tunes and radio play nation-wide. The more emotional, mature second album still features the contagious pop we've come to expect from Amanda, but this time it's more theatrical with a tinge of blues and jazz. Resonant double-bass and muted trumpets sit alongside electronic loops and electric guitars showcasing Amanda's rich vocals with a dark glamour reminiscent of the tragic torch song singer.

Snez (10:30pm) After hearing the music and after seeing Snez live, three words will come to mind: sensuous, soulful and songs....great songs. Tunes that are jazzy and smooth as silk and stay with you long after she's left the stage. Snez has a formidable talent as a songstress and as an interpreter of both her own songs and other classic songs. Her performances are compelling. SNEZ is currently performing throughout Sydney with her band, a tasty line up of musicians: Stewart Peters (Snez's co-writer and producer), Chris Mearns and Justin Heazlewood.

Yolanda Thomas (11:00pm): She's famous for a fiery onstage energy that almost knocks an audience off its feet. Songs of heartache and passion take you on a rollercoaster journey and have helped make her an award winning songwriter, recently winning 2 L.A Music Awards - SingerSongwriter and Female Vocalist of the year. Performing her brand of "cheeky poprock" at legendary venues such as Arlene's Grocery & CBGB's in New York and The Knitting Factory in L.A, she has also worked as a backing vocalist for Wendy Matthews and Powderfinger. Watch her perform 'Lock Up Your Sons' and believe that you might just have to!