- Juliet Turner -

Season of the Hurricane

 

Juliet Turner stumbled into making music. She was given a guitar for her fifteenth birthday and met a poet who told her to start writing her own songs. In 1996 whilst at university in Glasgow, she was offered the chance to record those songs in a little studio called “Heaven” with small independent label “Sticky Music”. The result was “Let’s Hear it for Pizza”. People are still buying the album years later for songs such as “Pizza and Wine”, “Beyond the Backyard” and “Indian Summer”. It is a rough and ready album with some gorgeous lyrics. Innocent yet a little twisted.

Juliet moved to Dublin to finish her degree and to start playing live shows. Word travels swiftly on the Dublin music scene and soon Juliet was opening shows in the city for international artists such as Bob Dylan, Gabrielle, Natalie Merchant, Sting, U2 and Brian Adams and was touring with Joan Armatrading, Brian Kennedy, Ron Sexsmith and Roger McGuinn.

In 2000 Juliet set up her own label “Hear This! Records” with her manager Derek Nally. She released her second album “Burn the Black Suit” on the label and it went double platinum in Ireland. This album, produced by Gerard Kiely, was a little more ambitious – “pop veering into darker territory” as one reviewer put it. It gave the world three catchy pop tunes – “Dr Fell”, “Take the Money and Run” and “Burn the Black Suit”. Also the haunting “Belfast Central” and the duet with Brian Kennedy on “I hope that I don’t fall in love with you”, written by Tom Waits. This album was recently voted one of the top 100 Irish albums of all time by Hot Press Music Magazine Readers. Number 51.

“Season of the Hurricane” was released in Feb 2004 and went platinum in Ireland in June of the same year. This offered the radio hit “Everything Beautiful is Burning” and went to No. 8 in the Irish album charts. It also found itself nestling at no. 5 in the Amazon internet charts between Norah Jones and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Less immediate than the previous album with smoother production values, Turner’s music became even more difficult to categorize and her subject matter more intriguing. The stand out track on this album is the starkly beautiful “No Good in this Goodbye”.

“There was no love as ordinary as ours.
We walked hand in hand through this work day world.
And the swiftness of your leaving caught me by surprise.
There is no good in this goodbye”.

Turner’s live shows should be experienced. She is a quiet, relaxed performer with a wicked sense of humor. Her voice is unusually clear and sweet and her between song anecdotes are amusing, eccentric and off-the-cuff. Prepare to be drawn in and bowled over.

In Feb 2005 Juliet picked up an Irish Meteor Music Award for best Irish Female Performer, alongside artists such as Paddy Casey, PJ Harvey and Snow Patrol. She has recently signed a distribution deal with Valley in America and is working on her fourth studio album.

Order Online at Amazon - CLICK HERE.

VISIT HER WEB SITE
www.JulietTurner.com

Published: Capital Celtic Network
Year Written: 2005

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Many musical artists and groups are active in their communities. Some perform before faithful fans on a regular schedule each week or weekend. They are independent musicians as compared to those music industry big names. We often think of the big name groups because we are exposed to the marketing blitz. I have had the opportunity to hear a number of independent performers with Capital Celtic. Some are just starting out and are perhaps a little rough around the edges and some are so outstanding I wonder why they have not entered into the "Big Time" music industry. Perhaps you have experienced the same? Perhaps you know of a new artist or group that you believe has talent that would be enjoyed by others? If so send me a CD and Bio and we will feature them on The Capital Celtic Network. - EEHealy