The Kate Eve Collective Bio

2008 saw The Kate Eve Collective launch the album, Phenomenology, and since then they have played a bundle of festivals and venues as well as Kate playing a hefty handful of solo and duo gigs around Melbourne, Adelaide, up the East coast and a couple fo sweet shows with Greg Hunt in the 2009 Cygnet Festival in Tasmania.

At the forefront of The Collective sound rides Kate’s vocals and rich acoustic guitar, supporting songs of hope, trust and yearning, evoking a freshness of sincerity and authenticity.

Outstanding provider of foundational rhythm and drive is drummer, Michael Ooi. He is a truly musical drummer, drawing upon jazz influences and the disciplines of The Victorian College of the Arts, and enabling a sensitive, responsive band dynamic. Locking in at the bottom end is John Edgar; a quirky dude playing very tasty bass. John draws on bundles of experience from playing with the likes of The Ploughboys, Sara Storer, Daldirada and Shane Howard - just to mention a few of the multitude.

Daz Leng has arisen from a melting pot of styles and cultures – from Singapore to New Zealand, heavy metal to funk – to become an eclectic and truly exceptional guitarist. A deeply seasoned live and session player, Daz is a brilliant catch for the Kate Eve Collective, as is Greg Hunt. His playing, described as powerful, passionate and sensitive and lending itself perfectly to the Collective style, Greg is a stalwart of the Australian music industry; his extraordinary range of styles can be found on numerous Australian recordings. Greg also appears with Dave Walker’s Blue Moon Lodge and the all-star cast of Ian Bland’s Lamington Drive Orchestra.”

Backing singer, Megan Orrin has the vocal muscle of a blues mama, yet maintains superb subtlety for a broad range of styles from acoustic blends through to electronica and choral. A songwriter and performer in her own right, Megan has performed in various capacities but was recently snatched up greedily by The Collective.

Kate Eve

Kate's Dad played French Horn in various orchestras & theatre bands, played piano and sang (He really wanted to be a musician; but ended up becoming a doctor as well). There are loads of memories around trying to shut out the sound of horn practice. Her Mum always sang. On occassion she sang Kate to sleep with 'Golden Slumbers' (way sweeter than The Beatles) and sang in choirs. In fact, the whole family can sing and harmonise and all have played and dabbled with various instruments, and all love music. Music was a constant – live music A Presence.

Kate learnt piano throughout primary school, made up songs, and like all Australian school kids back then, learnt to play Recorder. Later she went on to play Tenor recorder because it was deeper and richer and bigger, and she even had a go at Oboe for a while. Kate's vocal ability was further developed when she was chosen for various choirs in secondary school. Having let go of recorder, oboe and piano, Kate decided to teach herself guitar, a method which has proven to be both free-ing and frustrating. However, it was this endeavour which sparked her to again compose songs.

At Kate's first public solo performance at 18yrs old, in a coffee shop on Phillip Island, Victoria, she played three original songs, and discovered that the friend who had encouraged and pushed her to perform was right – people did get something from the songs. For a number of years afterwards Kate busked, performed and co-wrote songs with Dean Lombard and they later co-founded Wild Honey with Phil Hudson – an acoustic trio of folky/pop/blues originals

Kate, Dean and Phil all sang, wrote and played guitars, swapping between lead vocals, guitar, bass, harmonicas and percussion, throwing in lots of harmonies and playing wherever they were welcome. When Wild Honey folded, Kate and Dean went on to found Black Sheep with Dave Waterworth – this was another acoustic trio of folky/pop/blues originals, with drums/percussion, guitars; lots of harmonies.

A change of pace and another chapter on, Kate went solo and was offered a residency at Double Dutch Café (now known as Bar 303, Northcote). Within twelve months of making this decision Kate was moving towards recording her first EP with the generous assistance of Dave Waterworth (producer/engineer). Following the release of the EP, Kate Eve & the Moonlighters played various venues across Melbourne & surrounds.

Kate has played for patients and their loved ones while they received treatment in Day Oncology at Austin & Repatriation Medical Centre and for several memorial services for those lost to cancer. Through the hospital connection Kate was invited to play for the National White Wreath Day services in 2001 & 2002 held in Queens Hall, Parliament House, Melbourne. For this occasion she wrote and later recorded “Let Me Weep”.

During recent years Kate has continued perform, compose and record. She has played at seminars held for students in schools around Melbourne, and been a co-conspirator in a collaborative, grassroots CD compilation called 'Unmuzzled'. Her self-titled EP has landed in various places around Australia as well as travelled to some curious, unexpected places such as Uzbekistan and Russia (without web-assistance).

Kate's first album length CD 'PHENOMENOLOGY', is stirring national and global interest.