Barb Waters - The Summer Sessions

Over her expansive music career, Barb Waters has received many accolades in Australia, Europe and North America, playing the festival circuit, appearing on TV and Radio, recording and releasing an array of records, and through her enduring song-writing, stand-out guitar playing and vocal style.

Moving from country Victoria to Melbourne in her late teens, Barb was playing cafes and coffee houses, completing a Degree in Performing Arts, before joining rock/pop outfit The Broken Hearts. Barb then joined Billy Baxter’s The Hollowmen and later, Chris Wilson’s Crown of Thorns, before forming roots-rock outfit Barb Waters and the Rough Diamonds. In these bands, Waters played a substantial role as vocalist-guitarist, recording and co-producing several albums and Eps, and playing alongside Crowded House, Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Died Pretty, Paul Kelly, Michelle Shocked and Weddings, Parties, Anything.

Stepping out as front-woman and song-writer, Barb formed Barb Waters and the Rough Diamonds, releasing four albums/Eps, gaining national airplay on Triple J, touring nationally and making an indelible mark in the roots-driven Melbourne music scene. Barb put together three -piece pop/rock outfit Bad Audrey, appearing on ABC TV’s Recovery, and recording several albums of unreleased work.

Signing with Laughing Outlaw Records, Waters began work on her first solo release Til the Morning Comes. The album received national radio coverage, strong press and was voted Album of the Year for 2000 by AusStereo radio presenter Billy Pinnell. Barb Waters and her featured at a range of Festivals and appeared on the ABC’s Studio 54 program.

The follow-up album Rosa Duet received outstanding press and airplay including Roots Album of the Year 2004 Runner up in Rhythms Magazine, and 3RRR’s Brian Wise’s Top Ten albums of the year. Making a big impression in Europe, Rosa Duet was feature album of the week on several Benelux radio stations and spent several months in the Euro-Americana charts, spawning Barb Waters a headline at Borderline in London and another European tour.

With her band The Mothers of Pearl, Barb released Buffalo Mountain Girl - a collection of songs inspired by life growing up in country Victoria, and Produced by Craig Pilkington (Gurrumul/Archie Roach). Boasting ‘delicious string arrangements blended with alt- country instrumentation’ the album gained national radio attention and reviews.

Barb has driven the reformation of Chris Wilson’s Crown of Thorns, released a Bad Audrey album and co- founded the songwriters’ guild Song Foundry. Barb worked with Kerri Simpson, Suzannah Espie and Alison Ferrier to produce Bluebirds, a collaborative album of original and traditional songs, showcased at 2017’s Port Fairy Festival. 2018 saw Barb joining the Archie Roach band playing guitar for the Dancing with My Spirit Archie Roach and Tiddas National Tour.

Most recently, Barb has commenced work on recording new material, continuing to perform live with drummer Chris Tabone, and created and curated a series of shows ‘And Introducing…’ for emerging artists.