AMY JONES
Amy Jones, known commonly under her moniker Rat Child, has almost two decades of experience working in her various artistic capacities as a proudly-independent self-produced musician (songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, producer), a community artist, actor, facilitator, host and curator.
Graduating from VCA’s Dramatic Bachelor program in 2012, rather than turning her attentions on the theatre as she was trained for, she instead took the skill base acquired and applied it to the art of storytelling through music. The result has been moving audiences in her live shows for the better part of the last decade as Rat Child, her acting training allowing her access to the endearing and connected performance style she is known for.
As a community artist she works currently with Somebody’s Daughter Theatre Company creating musical theatre with incarcerated women at the Dame Phillis Frost Centre. She was a lead facilitator at ‘Wild At Heart Community Arts' providing mentorship to a talented group of songwriters in South Melbourne with a lived experience of mental illness and disability.
In 2023 Amy co-produced St.Kilda elder bluesman Eddie Ink's sophomore album 'Daydream At Nighttime' which was nominated for a Music Victoria Award for Best Blues Work. She has also worked in film & television, theatre, has composed musical scoring for a short film and is collaborating internationally on new music.
She is a mother of two remarkable children which informs her life, arts and community practise in every way. She considers herself an artist, activist and mother who is compassion-driven, trauma-aware and community-oriented. She is also an avid skateboarder and proud tree hugger.
RAT CHILD
Powerful soul vocals and rallying live performances are combined with a knack for earnest storytelling inspired by the traditions of blues, folk and jazz - and the timeless protest music embedded within them.
The 2022 release of Rat Child’s debut album, ‘My Morning and Afternoon’s Work’ was met with local and international acclaim, with global disc discjockeys describing the work as “stunning”, “groundbreaking” and hailing Rat Child a “new musical diamond”.
Locally, she’s been described as “a precious piece of the Naarm soul music jigsaw puzzle” by PBS.FM’s Mike Gurrieri (Mystic Brew) and simply a “legend of an artist” by Mr Josh Teskey (The Teskey Brothers). The album was listed in PBS’s weekly top ten.
With her live band she has performed at Strawberry Fields, Party in The Paddock, Happy Wanderer Festival, The Town Festival and Brunswick Music Festival and has shared the stage with The Teskey Brothers, So.Crates, Allysha Joy (30/70) and Jace XL and Lilly Allen.
Themes of truth, humility, forgiveness, accountability, self-reflection, community, love and compassion are littered throughout her writing and are ever present in her moving church-like live performances.
