Alanna and Alicia Egan with Amy Bennett - 'Funny she's so much like me'

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Clifton Hill Hotel Nov 2009 photo : Hang Le

January 2012
We got a wonderful new year surprise ~ an Arts Victoria Touring Grant!!We'll be kicking it off with a short tour of SA, our first time there. Later in the month we'll be playing at Cobargo Folk Festival and a little further down the track we'll be off to Fairbridge WA with lots more TBA. Had an amazing 2011 ~ took our music to lots of new places. We loved playing at several smaller interstate folk festivals such as Music at the Creek (Major's Creek NSW) and the Tablelands FF in Yungaburra Far North QLD, both very friendly and great fun and it was lovely to visit two such beautiful areas. We also loved returning to Maldon FF and then playing at the inaugural Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival in our home town.Fantastic to see a festival with such a great line up happening in Bendigo and hope it's the first of many. We've met some terrific people along the way ~ thanks everyone for the support!

NSW/ACT TOUR

May, 2011
We're just back from our NSW /ACT Tour which included the National Folk Festival ~ what a brilliant place to play with the best audiences you could wish for!! Welcome to all the new peeps we met at the festival and during our tour, who joined our mailing list. We played two shows at the lovely Flute'n'Fiddle venue and one at the equally lovely Troubadour, and of course the Joni show which filled the Coorong.
If you're looking for something exciting to do next Easter, mark the festival on your calendar ~ so friendly, great vibe, diverse music, delicious food, and if you like to dance, it's fantastic. (Think we could do with some swing dance lessons but it was fun trying!)
Really had fun on our ACT/NSW tour with gigs in Canberra, Newcastle, Gosford and Sydney with a little bit of down time at Ettalong Beach. Thanks heaps to everyone who came to our gigs and special thanks to our amazing band ~ Andy Baylor on fiddle and guitar, Damien Neil on guitar and Mark Elton on double bass at the Nash, and on the road, Damo again and a big welcome to Bridget Graham who played violin and piano with us for the first time.You'll be seeing lots more of Bridget.

THE JONI PROJECT

The beautiful album 'festival folk sing Joni Mitchell' is now available. We can mail you a copy if you send $28 to Maudee Egan, 63 Russell St, Bendigo 3550 ~ that covers postage & packaging as well. Artists featured include Kavisha Mazzella, Kristina Olsen, Chris While, Julie Matthews, Ruth Bourke, Kate Fagan, Ange Takats, Akasa, The Spooky Men's Chorale, Liz Frencham and more.....and us of course. The album was reviewed in last month's Trad and Now magazine by John Tilbrook ~ 'a diverse group of highly talented musicians pay worthy tribute to the divine Joni ......a brave, exhilarating and successful tribute......performers have sought to interpret rather than imitate her.'

REVIEWS of 'TWO in a BOOK'

Sunday Herald Sun May,2010

Review by Anna Rodway

Folk/Jazz ****
Alanna & Alicia’s playfully witty ‘Two in a Book’ is the second outing for the Melbourne twins. They spin heartfelt lyrics with toe tapping tunes such as ‘When You Come Back’ with a truthful earnestness. There is an honest and unaffected beauty about their folk – jazz style and sweet, harmonious vocals. ‘Big White Dressses’ speaks of ‘Rathdowne St cafes’ and St Vincent’s Hospital, adding to the album a relatable and quaint charm. ‘Little Bitter Song’ is an amusing glimpse into the frenzied world of songwriting and “All I Want’ is a different take on Joni Mitchell’s tune. Each ditty is masterfully composed, with Amy Bennett’s haunting violin making an aesthetically pleasing album. File Between : The Waifs, The Indigo Girls

Review by Tony Hillier ~

RHYTHMS MAGAZINE May, 2010

ALANNA & ALICIA

‘Two in a Book’

Alanna & Alicia Egan are singing twin siblings from Melbourne who twist folk, ragtime, blues, jazz and other roots styles into their own deliciously idiosyncratic and saucy songs. Two in a Book offers some wry and frank – if sometimes verbose – observations on love and life, from a twenties to thirties demograpghic. That their originals sit comfortably beside an interesting interpretation of Joni Mitchell’s ‘All I Want’ – the set’s sole cover – is testimony to the quality and quirky nature of their words and melodies. Their lyrics are delivered with verve and the kind of close harmonies you’d expect of sisters, to consummate backing from the likes of guitarists Andy and Peter Baylor and multi instrumentalist Amy Bennett (piano, viola and violin).

We recently played at the Melbourne Folk Club.
We loved the receptive audience, the space and the excellent sound.

Here's a review of our performance from Mel Robertson from the club.
Last Saturday was an outstanding success for the club with a full house for the Alanna and Alicia Egan Band.

Review

Alanna and Alicia Egan Band

I had only listened to their “myspace” after being told about the band by a friend, and I could see they were good but had never heard them live. (That shows you I don’t get out much) On the strength of this I booked them.
Was I in for a pleasant surprise! The songs were well crafted by Alanna and Alicia and when you hear them live, the quality shines through.
Their performance was wonderful and the ease with which they sang their songs told me there was a special bond between the girls.
Amy Bennett was great with the three-part harmonies and also fiddle and piano, and Liam O’Connell played very nice guitar.

They were cheeky, adventurous, funny and commanding.
They are a joy and a must see for anyone who thinks, listens, laughs and sings.
Mel Robertson The Melbourne Folk Club May, 2009

We have some songs up on triplejunearthed and two of them are inside the Indie top 30.

We would love you to have a listen and rate them. www.triplejunearthed.com/alannaandaliciaeganband

Photo:
Taken at the Clifton Hill Hotel 2009 by Hang Le

Photo: Clifton Hill Hotel by Hang Le 2009

See and hear songs from our new album at:

www.myspace.com/alannaandaliciaeganband

www.facebook.com/alannaandaliciaegan

www.reverbnation.com/alannaaliciaegan

GIGS COMING UP

Saturday, January 28th @ 7pm 'Summer Starry Nights' The Observatory, Ballarat, with solo violinist, Reuben Morgan and guitar/flute instrumental duo Gemini. www.observatoryballarat.org
Friday, February 10th @ 8pm SA Folk Centre, Prospect Town Hall,126 Prospect Rd, Prospect. Adelaide
Saturday, February 11th @ 8pm The Singing Gallery,McLaren Vale, SA
Sunday, February 12th, 1pm Harmony Workshop, 2.30pm The Courthouse Cultural Centre, Auburn, Clare Valley, SA
Friday, February 24th - 26th Cobargo Folk Festival, NSW
Friday, April 13th - 15th Fairbridge Folk Festival, WA
Friday, April 27th the Merry Muse, Canberra
Saturday, April 28th house concert, Cadgee, NSW
Friday, July 6th, The Front, Canberra
Saturday, July 7th, The Shack, Narabeen, Sydney

We had a great time chatting to the Coodabeens and singing live to air on their show 'Saturday Soiree'. You can hear it at : www.abc.net.au/coodabeens/saturday_soiree/xml

Our new album 'Two in a book' is available online through Vitamin Records. Just click on the link:

Two In A Book

FESTIVALS WE'VE PLAYED

Port Fairy Folk Festival 2010,2008,2006
The National Folk Festival, Canberra 2010,2011
Woodford Folk Festival 2010
Brunswick Music festival 2010
Tablelands Folk Festival, Yungaburra, Qld 2011
Music at the Creek, Majors Creek NSW 2011
Gorgeous Voices, Bendigo 2010
Newstead Live 2010
The Basin 2010,2009,2008,2007
Troubadour Weekend, Campaspe Downes 2010
Darebin Music Feast 2011,2010,2009,2008,2007,
Maldon Folk Festival 2011,2008
Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival 2011
Melodica. Melbourne 2006,2010