Sarah Blasko
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Sarah Elizabeth Blaskow (born 23 September 1976), known professionally as Sarah Blasko, is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. From April 2002, Blasko developed her solo career after fronting
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
-based band, Acquiesce, between the mid-1990s and 2001. She had performed under her then married name, Sarah Semmens, and, after leaving Acquiesce, as Sorija in a briefly existing duo of that name. As a solo artist Blasko has released six studio albums, '' The Overture & the Underscore'' (11 October 2004), '' What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have'' (21 October 2006) – which peaked at No. 7 on the
ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, '' As Day Follows Night'' (10 July 2009) – which reached No. 5, '' I Awake'' (26 October 2012) – which made No. 9, ''
Eternal Return Eternal return (german: Ewige Wiederkunft; also known as eternal recurrence) is a concept that the universe and all existence and energy has been recurring, and will continue to recur in a self similar form an infinite number of times across i ...
'' (6 November 2015), and ''
Depth of Field The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image captured with a camera. Factors affecting depth of field For cameras that can only focus on one object dis ...
'' (23 February 2018). At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2007 The 21st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were held on 28 October 2007 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. Rove McManus was the host of ...
, Blasko won Best Pop Release for her second album. Her third album won the Best Female Artist in
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
and her fourth album was nominated for the same category in
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
. In October 2010 ''As Day Follows Night'' was listed at No. 19 in the book, ''
100 Best Australian Albums 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length&nb ...
''; the authors noted that it "turned on emotional subtlety and instrumental clarity. It sounded like little else in 2009, or most any other year".


Early life

Sarah Blasko is the stage name of Sarah Elizabeth Blaskow who was born on 23 September 1976 and grew up in Sydney. Her family had just returned from French-speaking
Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island o ...
, where both of her parents were Christian
missionaries A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
. Blasko's mother, Ellie (died c. 2000 of
bowel cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...
), was a nurse and her father, Nikolai David Blaskow, is a teacher. Her father is from a Bulgarian-German background. Blasko has an older sister, Kate. Upon their return to Australia, her parents frequently changed denominations including Anglican, Baptist, Uniting, and Charismatic; and settled at a
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestantism, Protestant Charismatic Christianity, Charismatic Christian movementHillsong Church Hillsong Church, commonly known as Hillsong, is a global Evangelical charismatic movement, charismatic Christian megachurch based in Australia. The original church was established in 1983 as Hills Christian Life Centre, in Baulkham Hills, New ...
. Blasko started singing at church. She later recalled " usicwas something I kind of fell into. My sister was always the singer of the family, I wanted to be a vet. I grew up going to church which was often a very musical place". While Blasko was attending high school, she formed a jazz-
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
group with Kate. By the age of 15, Blasko was concerned that she "wouldn't make it" and this was partially influenced by the church's apocalyptic message of the " End of the World" and "Christ's Return". She eventually left the church in her final year of school, declaring that its emphasis on material success "just didn't fit" with her, or her interpretation of the scriptures. However, she has since stated that she still believes in God, despite her perception that such an admission is unpopular in Australia. By the age of 18, she had written her first songs. She had no formal singing lessons until age 19 and she also started playing guitar. At university, Blasko completed a degree in English literature and film.


Acquiesce and Sorija

In the mid-1990s, Blasko joined a Sydney band, Acquiesce, on lead vocals, with founding members Paul Camilleri on guitar, Steve Foxe on violin, Dave Hemmings on drums, Ted Langtree on bass guitar and her sister, Kate Halcrow, on
harmony vocals Vocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are simultaneously sung as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical c ...
. By 1998, tracks were co-written by Blasko and Camilleri, the group recorded an extended play, ''Aa for Acquiesce'', which was released in September, 1999. Also that year, the group won a New South Wales campus band competition and received greater local attention. Dave Cullen (of Brotherhood Lush) replaced Langtree on bass guitar and they released a single, "Breathing In", in November, 2000. Both EP and single were produced by Hugh Wilson (King Luan, Vertigo, Science for Girls, Brooklyn Social, Huboi, The Blue Phoenix). Acquiesce disbanded by January 2001 and Blasko, as Sorija, teamed up with acoustic guitarist, Nick Schneider in a short-lived project, also named Sorija. Blasko remembered that " hingsstarted getting weird with the last band I was in when we ended up going to counselling together! This was about the time that I decided to leave and started working on some solo stuff". As an acoustic pop-electronic duo, they played gigs in Sydney until April 2002. Songs performed by the duo and written by Blasko include, "Be Tonight" and "New Religion"; co-written with Schneider: "Will You Ever Know" and "Your Way"; co-written with Wilson: "Sweet Surrender" and "Follow the Sun".


Solo career


2002-2003: ''Prelusive''

By April 2002, Blasko was performing as a solo artist and, in late September, she released her debut six-track EP '' Prelusive'', all the tracks were previously performed by Sorija. For the EP Blasko provided vocals, guitar and keyboards, and co-produced it with Schneider (also on guitar, keyboards, and flute) and Wilson (also on guitar and keyboards). Other session musicians were Jeff de Arujo on drums and Willem New on bass guitar. Two tracks were solely written by Blasko, two co-written with Schneider and two with Wilson. She launched the EP at The Hopetoun Hotel, and by October the lead track, "Your Way", had been added to national radio station
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...
's play list. She produced the music video for "Your Way", which appeared on
Channel V Channel '' ("V" standing for the letter, not the Roman numeral "5") is a Chinese and former Asian pay television musical network originally launched by Star TV Hong Kong (now Fox Networks Group Asia Pacific). It was part of the unit of Disney ...
and '' rage'' in November. Blasko had released and promoted her material independently, with financial assistance from her then-
manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activitie ...
, Craig New. She explained " wasstarting to get my head around computer home recording ... I decided to put out my own EP independently. Most of it was recorded at home. I was fortunate enough to have JJJ pick up on one of the tracks almost immediately". Blasko signed to Brisbane-based label,
Dew Process Dew Process is an Australian independent record label, based in Brisbane, Queensland, founded and owned by Australian music industry figure Paul Piticco. Operational The label operates in two primary areas: traditional development of Australi ...
, which repackaged and re-released ''Prelusive'' in March 2003. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2003 The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards) were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome. The ceremony aired on Network Ten. Awards ''Winners highlighted in bold, with n ...
she received her first nomination: as Best Female Artist for her work on ''Prelusive'' and "Your Way".


2004-2005: ''The Overture & the Underscore''

On 11 October 2004, Blasko released her debut studio album, '' The Overture & the Underscore'', which had been recorded in Hollywood at the studio of engineer
Wally Gagel Wally Gagel is an American, multi platinum, award-winning record producer, audio engineer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. His current work with Blondfire, Zella Day, Best Coast, Hunter Hunted, The Mowglis and Redlight King has garne ...
during the first half of the year. She co-produced the album with Gagel and fellow songwriter Robert F. Cranny. Gagel engineered and mixed the album, with assistance from Bruce MacFarlane.
Joey Waronker Jon Joseph Waronker (born May 20, 1969) is an American drummer and music producer. He is best known as a regular drummer of both Beck and R.E.M., and as member of the experimental rock bands Atoms for Peace and Ultraísta. Background Waronker ...
(
Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
,
Atoms for Peace "Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953. The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...
) played drums and percussion on all songs, while Cranny played various instruments on the album. Blasko recalled: "I stayed in a backpackers hostel right near Hollywood Boulevard and worked on the album six days a week for two months ... I really wanted there to be something pretty classic about it. I was honestly surprised by what a 'complete' record it sounded to me when I stepped away from it". The album peaked in the Top 40 on the
ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
. It was reviewed by
Bernard Zuel Bernard Zuel is an Australian music journalist. Zuel wrote for Fairfax Media newspapers ''The Age'' and ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' since 1992. He became their senior music writer and reviewer. Zuel is a judge of the Australian Music Prize a ...
of ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'', who felt "Blasko works in the territory where
Ed Harcourt Edward Henry Richard Harcourt-Smith (born 14 August 1977) is an English singer-songwriter. To date, he has released six studio albums, two EPs, and thirteen singles. His debut album, ''Here Be Monsters'', was nominated for the 2001 Mercury Priz ...
and
Fiona Apple Fiona Apple McAfee-Maggart (born September 13, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter. She has released five albums from 1996 to 2020, which have all reached the top 20 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Apple has received numerous awards an ...
shine, taking some of the new acoustic framework (think
Turin Brakes Turin Brakes are an English band, comprising original duo of Olly Knights and Gale Paridjanian, and long-term collaborators Rob Allum and Eddie Myer. They had a UK top 5 hit in 2003 with their song "Painkiller (Summer Rain)". Since starting ou ...
) and some of the folk-meets-electronica stuff that came out in the post- Portishead years and applies them to straightforward pop songs".
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
's Tammy La Gorce finds Blasko is "an entrancing artist who sings exceptionally well but is bent on making you guess what brews within her heart rather than pouring it out to you". Triple J declared it the Feature Album of the Week because it is "a beautiful encapsulation of her life and influences and a showcase for her truly amazing voice". Three music videos were produced for album tracks: "Don't U Eva", "Always Worth It" and "Perfect Now". Her debut EP and album were focused around acoustic guitar and utilised both live and programmed drums. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2005 The 19th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) were held on 23 October 2005 at the Sydney Superdome at the Sydney Olympic Park complex, thus continuing the pre ...
, Blasko received four nominations: Album of the Year, Best Female Artist, Breakthrough Artist – Album, and Best Pop Release. By 2008 ''The Overture & the Underscore'' received platinum accreditation by ARIA for
shipment Freight transport, also referred as ''Freight Forwarding'', is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ext ...
of over 70,000 copies.


2006-2007: ''What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have''

Blasko spent April 2006 recording her second album, '' What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have'', in
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, New Zealand at Roundhead Studio, which is owned by
Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Later ban ...
front man,
Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...
. She co-produced the album with Cranny and
Jim Moginie James Moginie (born 18 May 1956) is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he is a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter. Career In addition to Midnight Oil, Moginie has work ...
(ex-
Midnight Oil Midnight Oil (known informally as "The Oils") are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett (vocals, harmonica), Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie (guitar, keyboard) and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by ...
); which featured musical contributions from Dave Symes, de Araujo, Moginie and Cranny, and was mixed by
Victor Van Vugt Victor Van Vugt is a music producer, mixer and engineer. An Australian based in New York, he has had a long association with the careers of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Beth Orton. He has also worked with the likes of P.J. Harvey, Depeche Mo ...
. All the tracks were co-written by Blasko with Cranny. The album was released in Australia on 21 October, which debuted at No. 7 on the ARIA Albums Charts, and in 2008 it received platinum accreditation. Zuel felt the album "doesn't sound like a 15-year-old's choice. It is darker and more subdued than her debut, which sold to teens and adults and marked Blasko as an intriguing rising star; the second album is liberally spotted with regrets, plans for reconciliations and a quest to make sense of life". Susan Frances at AbsolutePunk.net rates the musicianship and production higher than Blasko's vocals, where " heis made up to sound more impressive than she actually is on the album ...
he has He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
a limited range so the tunes have a mundane drone. Her vocal melodies transform the girl next door to a femme fatale figure which may explain why so many of those radiant reviews for her album come from male writers". Frances summarises the album as "pleasant and relates to people who are going through a loss or a low point in their lives ... tailored for those going through woeful moods". The first radio-only single released from the album was " xplain on 11 September, with a music video previously viewable at her official website. Other videos were provided for her next single, "Always on this Line", and for "Planet New Year". "Always on this Line" was listed at No. 58 and " xplain at No. 79 on Triple J's Hottest 100 for 2006. In October 2006 Blasko showcased tracks from her second album with an appearance at the Legs 11 concert, a breast cancer benefit, which included
Tex Perkins Gregory Stephen Perkins (born 28 December 1964), better known by his stage name Tex Perkins, is an Australian singer-songwriter who fronted the Australian rock band The Cruel Sea, but has also performed with the Beasts of Bourbon, Thug, James B ...
and Tim Rogers playing with the
Sydney Youth Orchestra Sydney Youth Orchestras (SYO) provides a pathway for hundreds of young musicians from beginner to pre-professional to connect, create and champion orchestral music. Musicians are welcome to audition annually and are placed in orchestras and ens ...
. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2007 The 21st Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were held on 28 October 2007 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. Rove McManus was the host of ...
Blasko won her first trophy: Best Pop Release; she was also nominated for Best Female Artist, Best Cover Art (with Sharon Chai); and
Paul McKercher Paul McKercher is an Australian record producer, audio engineer, sound mixer and multi-instrumentalist. He has received five ARIA Artisan Awards and has produced over 50 albums. McKercher has worked with Australian artists Josh Pyke, Ber ...
was nominated for Engineer of the Year for the album.


2008-2009: ''As Day Follows Night''

In 2008, Blasko co-composed the score, with Stefan Gregory (
sound design Sound design is the art and practice of creating sound tracks for a variety of needs. It involves specifying, acquiring or creating auditory elements using audio production techniques and tools. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including ...
er), for Bell Shakespeare's production of ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'', which ran from June to August. Diana Simmonds of Stage Noise was disappointed by an aspect of the opening night " ss successful on opening night at least were the songs which open and then punctuate the action, composed and performed by lasko Her face mike and/or the sound balance muddied the lyrics and the one thing you need in Shakespeare is to hear the words". Whereas Helen Barry of Australian Stage felt Blasko was "truly sublime ... r musical accompaniments add a layer of melancholy rapture to the performance which goes to the heart of Hamlet's grief, anger and loss. Ingeniously, Blasko is incorporated into the production itself as one of the players, which creates a seamless quality to her musical interludes". While working on the ''Hamlet'' score, Blasko also began composing for her third studio album, '' As Day Follows Night''. She had written all the tracks on her own – except "Over & Over", which was co-written with
David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
– without input from long term co-writer and co-producer, Cranny. From late January 2009 Blasko recorded it in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, Sweden, and blogged on her official site about her experiences. She decided to record in a simpler and more straight forward manner – without electric guitars and keyboards. The album was produced by Bjorn Yttling (of
Peter Bjorn and John Peter Bjorn and John are a Swedish indie pop/rock band formed in Stockholm in 1999, named after the first names of the band's members: Peter Morén (vocals, guitar and harmonica), Björn Yttling (bass guitar, keyboards and vocals) and John Eriks ...
) and was released in Australia on 10 July, peaking at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart. It appeared in the Top 100 on European albums charts:
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
,
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,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, and
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. Jason Treuen described the album for ''Rolling Stone'' as "a bold step in erjourney as an artist and one that strips off the layers of her previous work to expose both her startling talent and her most naked emotions and fears". Adam Greenberg for Allmusic felt it followed "a more piano-driven path. The result is a surprising one. ervoice is at once fragile and careful, holding a lot of breathy similarities to contemporary female singer/songwriters (including Feist and Sara Bareilles), while the music incorporates many contemporary touches from the meeting points between electronica and folk. Though there are pieces of tinkling, lilting modernity throughout, there are also massive throwbacks to sounds that, in today's world, are seemingly lost and gone". The lead single, "All I Want", appeared ahead of the album in May but did not reach the Australian top 50. Its third single, "We Won't Run", peaked at No. 44 on the ARIA Singles Chart, and No. 21 on the Belgian Ultratip Chart. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2009 The 23rd Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) took place on 26 November 2009 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. The ceremony was telecast o ...
Blasko won her second trophy: Best Female Artist; her album was also nominated for Album of the Year, Best Pop Release, and Best Cover Art (with Sharon Chai); while "All I Want" was nominated for Best Video – directed by Head Pictures, Damon Escott, Stephen Lance. By the end of the year the album had received platinum accreditation. In October 2010 it was listed at No. 19 in the book, ''
100 Best Australian Albums 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length&nb ...
''; the authors noted that it "turned on emotional subtlety and instrumental clarity. It sounded like little else in 2009, or most any other year". In July 2009 Blasko had also released a live album, ''Live at the Forum'', which had been recorded during a performance at the Melbourne venue, Forum Theatre. During mid-2010 she repackaged ''As Day Follows Night'' with ''Live at the Forum'' for a 2× CD album. Nick Mason of The Dwarf website felt that although " he live discshowcases without doubt a faithful recreation of her latest work", it was "a fairly flimsy bonus to an album that can easily stand alone in its brilliance".


2010-2011: ''Seeker Lover Keeper''

During August 2010, Blasko recorded an album, ''
Seeker Lover Keeper Seeker Lover Keeper is an Australian indie rock music supergroup formed by Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby in August 2010. The trio each have separate solo careers as singer-songwriters. The group's first album, which was self-ti ...
'', in New York for the group of the same name with fellow founding members and Australian singer-songwriters,
Sally Seltmann Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military *Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting nam ...
and
Holly Throsby Holly Sarah Throsby (born 28 December 1978) is an Australian musician and novelist. As a solo artist Throsby has issued six albums. She was nominated for an ARIA Award for Best Female Artist in 2006 for '' Under the Town''; and in the same cate ...
. The group's debut album peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA Albums Charts in June 2011, Blasko's highest chart entry. The trio embarked on a national tour to promote the album in June and July that year. Of the album's 12 tracks each of the artists had an equal share of four tracks, however Blasko takes lead vocal on five tracks including "Rely on Me" written by Throsby, Blasko described "I was reluctant to do it but the girls kept asking me. I couldn't hear myself singing that one until Holly made me do it. I enjoyed it because the song has real generosity to it". Greenberg felt Blasko's lead vocals were on the "most memorable tracks, using her signature form of lilting power". By year's end all three artists had returned to their respective solo careers.


2012-2014: ''I Awake''

On 26 October 2012 Blasko issued her fourth studio album, '' I Awake'', which reached No. 9 on the ARIA Albums Chart. To start recording tracks she had travelled first to Sweden earlier in the year and then in May went on to
Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
where she was backed by the
Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra Bulgarian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Bulgaria * Bulgarians, a South Slavic ethnic group * Bulgarian language, a Slavic language * Bulgarian alphabet * A citizen of Bulgaria, see Demographics of Bulgaria * Bul ...
with strings arranged by Nicholas Wales. Blasko produced the album on her own as her preferred choice, Yttling, was unavailable. Beat Magazine's Chris Girdler noted " thas a completely different feel to 'Seeker Lover Keeper''... ndis an insular, soul-searching piece that gets its balance from Blasko's gorgeous vocal guiding us through the trials and tribulations, as well as a sympathetic symphonic instrumentation". Craig Mathieson at ''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' noted her last two albums were "starkly personal song cycles, staffed by jazz-inflected rhythms, sparsely exotic textures and a relentless sense of an artist getting to grips with her life. But if the previous record embraced solitude as a means of self-control, then the new one tackles coming to grips with the outside world". To promote the album, in February the next year, she toured every Australian state: where she invited the local capital city orchestra to accompany her on stage. At the
ARIA Music Awards of 2013 The 27th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) were a series of award ceremonies which included the 2013 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA Hall of Fame Awards, ARIA Fin ...
Blasko was nominated for Best Female Artist and Best Contemporary Adult Album.


2015-2016: ''Eternal Return''

In 2015, Blasko collaborated with Nick Wales, a Sydney-based composer, to co-create the soundtrack for ''Emergence'', a theatre dance performance. The album of the same name was issued in May 2015 by Blasko and Wales. In August 2015 Blasko announced that her fifth studio album, ''
Eternal Return Eternal return (german: Ewige Wiederkunft; also known as eternal recurrence) is a concept that the universe and all existence and energy has been recurring, and will continue to recur in a self similar form an infinite number of times across i ...
'', was due for release in November with a preview in September–October at the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
. On 6 November 2015 Eternal Return was released. The album debuted on the Australian ARIA charts at #6. In the same week of Eternal Return's release Blasko announced a tour in support of the album that would take place in April 2016. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2016 Blasko was nominated for Best Female Artist and won for Best Adult Alternative Album.


2017-present: ''Depth of Field''

On 10 November 2017, Blasko announced her sixth studio album called, ''
Depth of Field The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image captured with a camera. Factors affecting depth of field For cameras that can only focus on one object dis ...
''. This came with the announcement of the first single from the album "Phantom" and accompanying video directed by Mclean Stephenson. Much of ''
Depth of Field The depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest and the furthest objects that are in acceptably sharp focus in an image captured with a camera. Factors affecting depth of field For cameras that can only focus on one object dis ...
'' was written and recorded during a two-week artist residency at Campbelltown Arts Centre in Sydney, Australia, alongside long time collaborator Nick Wales, David Hunt, and Ben Fletcher. The album was released on 23 February 2018. During the writing and recording process of ''Depth of Field'', film maker Brendan Fletcher filmed the process and turned the footage into an upcoming documentary called ''Blasko'', Narrated by Blasko herself, the documentary is an intimate portrait of the artist as she composes the new album. The documentary aired on 14 November 2017 on the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
.


Touring

Sarah Blasko has toured extensively in Australia, as well as the US, Canada, UK and Ireland. Although the exact configuration varies, she performs with a five or six piece band usually consisting of drums, electric and synth bass, acoustic and electric guitar plus keyboards and various samplers/ effects units. Due to the breadth of arrangement most of the touring musicians are multi-instrumentalists. She also performed in a duo with Cranny accompanying on guitar and keyboards. In both formats, Blasko plays acoustic guitar and occasional keyboards. She has toured with folk/roots artists such as
Ray LaMontagne Raymond Charles Jack LaMontagne (; born June 18, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. LaMontagne has released eight studio albums: ''Trouble'', ''Till the Sun Turns Black'', '' Gossip in the Grain'', '' God Willin' & the Creek Don ...
and played outdoor rock festivals. In March 2005 she appeared at the
South by Southwest South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in m ...
festival where she wanted to "give some people who don't have a clue who you are, or those who have maybe heard a little about you, the chance to see what you do with their own eyes & ears. More than anything, you've just got to be yourself". Blasko has toured the UK and Ireland with
Tom McRae Jeremy Thomas McRae Blackall (born 19 March 1969), better known by his stage name Tom McRae, is an English singer-songwriter. Career The son of two Church of England vicars, McRae sang in the church choir and as a teen experimented with his m ...
, and US and Canada with Ray LaMontagne,
James Blunt James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After l ...
and Martha Wainwright. She has played at
Woodford Folk Festival The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music and cultural festival held near the semi-rural town of Woodford, north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural events of its type in Australia. Every year ap ...
, The Falls Festival, Homebake,
Splendour in the Grass Splendour in the Grass (commonly referred to as Splendour) is an annual Australian music festival held at the North Byron Parklands in Yelgun, New South Wales. Since its inauguration, the festival has also been held in various locations near ...
, Festival of the Sun,
WOMADelaide WOMADelaide is an annual four-day festival of Music, Arts and Dance, which was first held in 1992 in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia. One of many WOMAD festivals held around the world, it is a four-day event that presents a diverse select ...
festival and in 2006 joined the national
Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typically in January of eac ...
tour. In March 2007 Blasko performed a special concert in Perth, Western Australia in the Octagon Theatre of the University of Western Australia. Blasko supported by a string quartet and a local guitarist. In January 2009, Blasko played to thousands at the Southbound festival in Busselton, Western Australia. In May 2010, Sarah Blasko toured the UK supporting
The Temper Trap The Temper Trap are an Australian indie rock band formed in 2005 by Dougy Mandagi, Jonathon Aherne, and Toby Dundas. In 2008, the group relocated from Melbourne to London. The band released their debut album '' Conditions'' in June 2009 to favou ...
. Later that year she also toured through the rest of Europe. In 2012, Blasko performed with
Snow Patrol Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish–Scottish Rock music, rock band formed in 1994 in Dundee, Scotland. They consist of Gary Lightbody (vocals, guitar), Nathan Connolly (guitar, backing vocals), Paul Wilson (musician), Paul Wilson (bass guitar, ...
at their acoustic shows in Melbourne (30 September) and Sydney (1 October). She joined lead singer Gary Lightbody for the duet "Set Fire to the Third Bar". During 2013 Blasko toured Australia, in February she was supported by a different state symphony orchestra at each capital city, as well as her regular backing band: Ben Fletcher (ex-
Bluebottle Kiss Bluebottle Kiss, sometimes known as BBK, are an Australian indie rock band formed in Sydney in 1993 by mainstay member Jamie Hutchings on guitar and vocals. The band issued six albums, ''Higher Up the Firetrails'' (1995), ''Fear of Girls'' (1 ...
, The Devoted Few) on guitar and other instruments; David Hunt on piano and
ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
; Fredrik Rundqvist on drums; and David Symes on bass guitar. By July she was touring with her backing band and Fletcher was also her support act. In 2015, at her preview show of ''
Eternal Return Eternal return (german: Ewige Wiederkunft; also known as eternal recurrence) is a concept that the universe and all existence and energy has been recurring, and will continue to recur in a self similar form an infinite number of times across i ...
'', Blasko introduced an entirely new backing band. She was joined by Lawrence Pike on drums, Donny Benet on bass, Sarah Belkner on keys, autoharp and backing vocals, Neil Sutherland on keyboards and synthesizer and David Hunt on guitar and keyboards. In 2017, Blasko embarked on an extensive tour around metro and regional areas of Australia, performing solo to audiences. Blasko states that she "hopes to reimagine material from all of my albums and premiere some new songs as well," and that it "feels like the right time to challenge myself, take the leap and finally do some headline shows on my own."


Personal life

Blasko married Cameron Semmens in 1998. Semmens is a performance poet and, in the latter years of being a member of Acquiesce, Blasko performed under her married name, "Sarah Semmens". Blasko and Cameron each had a complementary Shinto tattoo on their respective shoulders. The marriage lasted three years; Blasko told Zuel in 2006 that she had "an early unsuccessful marriage". Album notes for Blasko's debut solo EP, ''Prelusive'', acknowledge Cameron as her muse. From early 2004 Blasko worked with fellow musician, co-composer, and co-producer Robert F. Cranny, including on her first two albums. Prior to her third album being recorded in January 2009 their creative and personal relationship "had ended some time back." She appeared at a breast cancer benefit concert in October 2006 as "
ther Ther may refer to: *''Thér.'', taxonomic author abbreviation of Irénée Thériot (1859–1947), French bryologist * Agroha Mound, archaeological site in Agroha, Hisar district, India *Therapy *Therapeutic drugs See also *''Ther Thiruvizha ''T ...
forms of cancer have affected my family, and I have friends whose families have been impacted by breast cancer. It made sense to me to play at such an event". Blasko has vintage taste in clothes, music, and art; in 2009 she revealed in a ''Rolling Stone Australia'' interview: "I like things that are old and have been lived in. It probably started as a kid when my family shopped at Vinnies because we hardly had any money. I like things that stand the test of time". Blasko gave birth to a son in July 2015, with her partner Dave Miller.


Discography

* '' The Overture & the Underscore'' (2004) * '' What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have'' (2006) * '' As Day Follows Night'' (2009) * '' I Awake'' (2012) * ''
Eternal Return Eternal return (german: Ewige Wiederkunft; also known as eternal recurrence) is a concept that the universe and all existence and energy has been recurring, and will continue to recur in a self similar form an infinite number of times across i ...
'' (2015)


See also

*
Seeker Lover Keeper Seeker Lover Keeper is an Australian indie rock music supergroup formed by Sarah Blasko, Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby in August 2010. The trio each have separate solo careers as singer-songwriters. The group's first album, which was self-ti ...


Awards and nominations


APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the
Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwr ...
to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually. ! , - , rowspan="2",
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
, "All I Want" , rowspan="2", Song of the Year , , , - , "We Won't Run" , , , - , 2014 , "God Fearing" (Sarah Blasko and The Slavey Folklore Quartet) , Song of the Year , ,


ARIA awards

Blasko has won three
Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA) Music Awards from 19 nominations. , - , 2003 , , '' Prelusive'' , , Best Female Artist , , , - , rowspan="4",
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, , rowspan="4", '' The Overture & the Underscore'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , , Best Female Artist , , , - , , Best Pop Release , , , - , , Breakthrough Artist – Album , , , - , rowspan="4", 2007 , , rowspan="2", '' What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have'' , , Best Female Artist , , , - , , Best Pop Release , , , - , , Sharon Chai, Sarah Blasko – '' What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have'' , , Best Cover Art , , , - , , Paul McKercher – '' What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have'' , , Engineer of the Year , , , - , rowspan="5",
2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...
, , rowspan="3", '' As Day Follows Night'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , , Best Female Artist , , , - , , Best Pop Release , , , - , , Sharon Chai – '' As Day Follows Night'' , , Best Cover Art , , , - , , Head Pictures, Damon Escott, Stephen Lance – "All I Want" , , Best Video , , , - , rowspan="1",
2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...
Search Results 'Sarah Blasko

Retrieved 15 November 2017.
, , rowspan="1", Krozm (Chris Hill, Ewan Macleod and Lachlan Dickie) - "Bird On A Wire" , , Best Video , , , - , rowspan="2",
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
, , rowspan="2", '' I Awake'' , , Best Female Artist , , , - , , ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album, Best Adult Contemporary Album , , , - , rowspan="2",
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, , rowspan="2", ''
Eternal Return Eternal return (german: Ewige Wiederkunft; also known as eternal recurrence) is a concept that the universe and all existence and energy has been recurring, and will continue to recur in a self similar form an infinite number of times across i ...
'' , , Best Female Artist , , , - , , Best Adult Alternative Album , ,


Australian Music Prize

The
Australian Music Prize The Australian Music Prize (often shortened to the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The award was made by Australian Music Pri ...
(the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The commenced in 2005. , - , 2006 , ''What the Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have'' , Australian Music Prize , , - , 2009 , ''As Day Follows Night'' , Australian Music Prize , , - , 2015 , ''Eternal Return'' , Australian Music Prize , , -


Australian Women in Music Awards

The
Australian Women in Music Awards Australian Women in Music Awards (commonly known informally as AWMA) is an annual awards ceremony and conference celebrating the contributions of women in all areas of the Australian music industry. The two-day program includes forums, a show ...
is an annual event that celebrates outstanding women in the
Australian Music Industry Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...
who have made significant and lasting contributions in their chosen field. They commenced in 2018. , - , 2018 , Sarah Blasko , Songwriter Award ,


EG Awards / Music Victoria Awards

The EG Awards (known as ''Music Victoria Awards'' since 2013) are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2006. , - ,
EG Awards of 2009 The EG Awards of 2009 are the fourth Annual The Age EG (Entertainment Guide) Awards and took place at the Prince of Wales on Friday 20 November 2009. Hall of Fame inductees Painters and Dockers *The Painters and Dockers formed in 1982 for a ...
, Sarah Blasko , Best Female , , -


J Awards

The
J Awards The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J and which are judged by the music and on-air teams from radio stations Triple J, ...
are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
's youth-focused radio station
Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...
. They commenced in 2005. , - ,
J Award of 2006 The J Award of 2006 is the second annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station ...
, ''What the Sea Wants, the Sea Will Have'' , Australian Album of the Year , , - ,
J Awards of 2009 The J Award of 2009 is the fifth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station i ...
, ''As Day Follows Night'' , Australian Album of the Year , , - ,
J Awards of 2012 The J Award of 2012 is the eighth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. The announcement comes at the culmination of Ausmusic Month (November). For the fifth year, three aw ...
, ''I Awake'' , Australian Album of the Year ,


Other awards


References


External links

*
Interview from Fasterlouder
2004
Radio Interview. Nov 2006
3SYN 90.7FM Melbourne, Australia
Sirens of Song: Sarah Blasko
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blasko, Sarah 1976 births Living people ARIA Award winners Australian women singer-songwriters Australian indie rock musicians Australian indie pop musicians Australian multi-instrumentalists Australian people of Bulgarian descent Australian people of German descent Singers from Sydney 21st-century Australian singers 21st-century Australian women singers