Past Event

Little Wise with James Kenyon

14th Jun 2017

Presenter: The Round Up at Bella
Website: https://www.bellaunion.com.au/event/1095/
Event Duration: 120 minutes

Little Wise is the moniker of Melbourne Folk-Roots and Alt-Country songwriter Sophie Klein. True to her name, this songbird is small in stature, yet shares her wisdom with adoring audiences through masterful storytelling and soul-baring lyrics.

She first picked up a guitar at the age of thirteen and, inspired by independent performers like The Waifs and Ani Difranco, began writing and performing her original songs with a dream of travelling across Australia in a tour van. In 2013 she made it happen, and continues to live the dream as she journeys across the country, building a grass roots fan-base through her honest lyrics and her homage to the great musical road trippers before her.

“Little Wise is destined for big things. Sophie Klein sings with the wisdom of an old soul'’. – Nkechi Anele, Triple J

Little Wise travels on to the rolling rhythm of her music, against a backdrop of storied landscapes, national tour dates and launch shows at Melbourne’s iconic music venues The Northcote Social Club and Bella Union. She has been billed alongside some of Australia’s finest musicians at festivals around the country including Yackandandah, Candelo Village and St Kilda Festival and has cemented her place in Australia’s thriving folk scene, performing in pubs, halls, living rooms, churches and even Laundromats.

James Kenyon is one of Australia’s standout songwriters to emerge in 2016 after the release of his album ‘Imagine you are Driving’.

Produced by Nick Huggins, Imagine you are Driving received four star reviews in both The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Timber & Steel’s calls him ‘Australia’s most underrated songwriter’, while Radio National’s Inside Sleeve said ‘placing him amongst song-writers such as Paul Kelly and Don Walker is no exaggeration.’

Kenyon’s songs evoke the great Australian road trip and traverse love, loss, desperation and redemption, sometimes describing scenes in bright detail, the next moment zooming out to widescreen with broad choruses and walls of harmony.

Kenyon’s music has been described as ‘a burning highway dreamscape of atmospheric energy and composure’, and has one him fans throughout Australia and New Zealand, where he plays music festivals (Swagger, Mullum, Nannup) and tours regularly with classically trained musicians Matt Dixon (pedal steel) and Luke Richardson (double bass).

Kenyon has been shortlisted for the Vanda & Young Song Contest, received a The Age award and supported Marlon Williams, Jordie Lane, Liz Stringer and many others.