Trailblazer of 'oceanic blues', Karen Lee Andrews first garnered the nation's attention in 2013 when she appeared as a finalist on the second season of 'The Voice'.
Written by Eden Campbell
Monday, 18 November 2019 17:02
Now, she's working her way through a nationwide tour that includes appearances at Woodford Folk Festival and Queenscliff Music Festival.
You'd be forgiven if you haven't heard of the sub-genre 'oceanic blues' before – Karen is somewhat of a pioneer, coining the term herself. “I sing a type of music, oceanic blues, which is more a collage of influences. You know, this heavily American style soul/ blues music, but there's also my Polynesian heritage as well as Australian [background].
"It's more about 'owning it' over this side of the world. That expression is a way for me to connect with listeners. It's a way of saying 'I'm not just one thing'.
“There's a lot of history behind soul and blues music, and to be honest it's not my history. I'm heavily influenced by African American music. Their music and who they are as people – they've given so much joy to the world despite their own oppression. That's their history, and I feel like I don't carry that weight. It's important to identify that. Hopefully, I can be respectful in trying to adapt to their musical style.” finish reading....