CHARLOTTE LE LIEVRE

Described by Dave Ruby Howe from Triple J as 'authentic and tear-soaked alt-country', songwriter Charlotte Le Lievre is renowned for moving audiences with her deeply emotive lyrics and live performances. Drawing on the diverse currents of country music, Le Lievre weaves songs that traverse experiences of grief and outback landscapes. Her voice and songs are equal parts heart wrenching and uplifting, hailing from a vintage era of smoke-filled honky tonk bars or late night fireside jam sessions. Growing up in the working-class suburbs of Newcastle, Le Lievre left home in her late teens & cut her teeth playing music in blockade camps and remote parts of the continent. It was there on the road that she found the music of early country troubadours, like Buddy Williams and Shirley Thoms and developed her own unique sound. Le Lievre is currently based between Naarm and the Far West NSW outback town of Broken Hill. She is also a former community lawyer and soon to be registered nurse.
 

Le Lievre's debut album "Songs from the Barrier Line" was released on vinyl, CD and digitally on 10 March 2023 to widespread acclaim. It debuted at #4 on the ARIA Australian Country Album Charts and #30 on the ARIA Country Album Charts. It also debuted at #3 of the Australian Independent Record Labels Association 100% Independent Album Charts and at #5 on the Independent Label Album Charts. The record further received a coveted spot on the Best Country Music on Bandcamp for March 2023.  Recorded live to tape by engineer Alex Bennett at Sound Recordings on Dja Dja Wurrung in Campbell’s Creek, the album features 10 original songs that take listeners on a journey, as Le Lievre grapples with the existential nature of death and dying, the processing of grief and the healing nature of connection to the unique outback town of Broken Hill, where Le Lievre spent significant time living and creating. The record gives a powerful nod to both classic country and folk traditions, showcasing Le Lievre’s genre-defiant style. The arrangements of the songs draw upon the diverse currents of country music to create sonic mountains and valleys that mirror the outback landscapes of Le Lievre’s mind. The record was produced by Le Lievre in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist and old-time player Jas Bell and old-time fiddler Grace Bigby, who both also played on the record. The album also features Patrick Wilson on drums, Patrick Pheasant on double Bass and backing vocals, Luke Byrnes on electric guitar, long time friend and indie/folk musician Grace Turner on backing vocals and Elwood Sze on banjo. Le Lievre received a Musicworks grant from Creative Victoria to record, mix and master the record.  

Le Lievre is an adept songwriter, with a knack for writing emotionally driven songs based on both her own experiences and historical perspectives. She was listed as a finalist in both the 2021 Darebin Songwriters Award and the 2022 Upstart Songwriters Award for Victorian songwriters and a semi-finalist in the Americana category of the International Songwriting Competition. Le Lievre has commenced work on arrangements for her sophomore album.