Alanna Cherote - Paper Flower [CD]

Alanna Cherote comes from one of those large musical families that are rare to find these days. She is the eldest of 5 children and grew up surrounded by music and musical instruments. Raised in a family of diverse cultures; her father is Lebanese and her mother is of Irish/Welsh descent, Alanna inherited a passion for the eclectic at an early age - an element that runs through her work as both a songwriter and a vocalist. Growing up in a house with 4 younger siblings, Alanna needed an "escape" and her's was music. At home she would search through hundreds of her parents' records, listening to the craftsmanship of early Paul McCartney material and the likes of Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. She was also inspired by African/American jazz and blues, and it was Alanna's mother who introduced her to female artists like Patsy Cline and Janis Joplin, which left an indelible impression on her. "When I heard Janis Joplin sing for the very first time, I knew that a little bit of my destiny had changed. I always dreamt about searching deep within myself as a writer, to find that connection that I had seen between Janis and her fans," says Alanna. By the age of 14, Alanna started writing her own songs and recorded her first solo EP at the ripe old age of 16. a few years later, Lamar Lowder (co-founder of Australian industrial band JERK) hooked up with Alanna in Sydney for some writing and recording sessions. With Lowder's hard-rock background and Alanna's softer songwriting style, it seemed an unlikely combination at first, but the clash of musical tastes melded together and the result was the pop song "Shakin' Sweat" which was nominated at the Music Oz Awards for Best Song of the Year. With her confidence boosted, Alanna then self-penned the four-track EP, 2008's 'Universal Need'. She then embarked upon her own tour, performing in England, Holland, Germany, France, Spain, and Africa. At each tour stop she won over new fans and received glowing reviews. After her tour Alanna continued with her writing and the occasional live performance at clubs in and around Sydney. All of Alanna's hard work is now ready to pay off with the release of her debut full-length album. 'Paper Flower' features 14 beautiful songs influenced by contemporary artists such as Sheryl Crow, Bon Iver, Ron Sexsmith, Feist and Brandy Carlisle. The album was co-produced with Australian producer Chris Vallejo (Empire of the Sun/Katie.