naked raven

naked raven - James, Stephanie, Janine - is an enduring musical partnership. Of course, anyone connected to our industry knows when it comes to artistic collaboration, it’s not always clear which relationships will work and for how long. There’s a minefield of layers, risks, opportunities, dreams, hard realities, and phases to navigate. Yet, we’ve continued to converge around life and art for the past 23 years.

Touring as young Aussie musicians back in the early noughties, we built a following of ardent music-loving European fans across prestigious festivals and venues from small jazz clubs to big concert halls. Their silent listening shocked us, their raucous applause shocked us even more - our music felt at home. In 2004, we threw caution to the wind and moved to Berlin. 

After 10 years of high highs and low lows, we decided to take a break. Our day to day lives diverged, we ended up on opposite sides of the world, all started families, and excelled on individual career paths. Yet we stayed in good touch and crossed the ocean for each other through ‘births, deaths, and marriages’, but the unspoken vibe was that naked raven was perhaps a past treasure?

In late 2019, after a significant hiatus, we received an offer out of the blue to return to a beautiful festival in Germany where we’d triumphed in 2003 (we still remember that gig vividly: 3000 people listening intently, a clear starry night, magical music-making).

Of course, it wasn’t to be. We spent the best part of the next three years in one of the world’s most locked down cities. We emerged battered and bruised, the music industry a shadow of itself. But we also emerged galvanised to actively make music together again.

What started as a few songs became an EP then an album. We drew in our favourite top-shelf players, let go of our history, and created freely from the ground up, note by note, idea by idea. Our music has always been and remains handcrafted but what was once fragile, delicate, restrained, and intricate is now layered, self-assured, and mature. Refined, sophisticated, gourmet pop in the hands of virtuoso artists. 

Possessed of a spaciousness that gives the listener time and transports them to a place away from the world and everyday life, the artistry of naked raven is commanding, generous, and moving.