LUCIE THORNE


KITTY & FRANK

"Vast and often breathtaking... these songs glow in the smoke of Thorne's incredibly expressive voice" Michael Dwyer, The Age

"So deep, lush and inventive you’re transported to a post-Radiohead rock soundscape" Martin Jones, Rhythms Magazine

"Bold, brave.. potent. Thorne’s a musician who has understood and conveyed desire better than most" Bernard Zuel, Sydney Morning Herald

"One of my favourite songwriters & performers in the known three Universes" Tim Rogers, Double J


Everything Sings Tonight

"exquisitely impressionistic... poetry in motion" **** Rolling Stone Magazine

"There is a quiet, contemplative beauty to Thorne's music. Strong, precise visual images... her rich but never overworked lyrics crackle with poetic intensity. With simplicity and clarity Thorne's music and words cut through [and] she hits that sweet spot" **** Noel Mengel, Courier Mail > read article in full here

"Atmospheric, innovative... brilliance" **** Bernard Zuel, Sydney Morning Herald

"delicate and dark ... [Everything Sings Tonight] seeps into the soul... weaving a bewitching tapestry" Iain Shedden, The Australian

"Thorne conjures a simple narrative flow that, like a Raymond Carver story, transforms everyday life into high art" Dan Bigna, The Canberra Times

"Everything Sings Tonight is all about space and tone and intimacy, elements that are increasingly uncommon in contemporary music." Martin Jones, Rhythms Magazine

"Thorne's music is poetic and poignant, and sounds damn good. Her electric guitar style is textural rather than about riffs. So it's folk only in that she tells bare, intimate stories and is very much a songwriter. The rest is too abstract to be defined as one thing or the other. She is heavily into lyrics and literature and the textures of language. The way all this bumps up against the evocative music she makes is something to behold." Chris Johnston, The Age > read article in full here


Fall To Rise by LOVE OVER GOLD (Lucie Thorne & Pieta Brown)

"Warm, rich, intimate. Their combination takes them somewhere neither has been before. A triumphant alliance." Rhythms Magazine

"Rooted deep within the spacious confines of Americana, it's an album which is a stark as it is beguiling, the vocal harmonies conjured up by the duo magical and haunting. This is a gem." **** Rolling Stone Magazine

"Listening to Fall To Rise is like hearing two souls occupy the same space" The Total Scene, Chicago

"Locates a mood between early Cowboy Junkies and Neil Young at his gentlest. There's a hint of Joni Mitchell in Thorne's voice. Both voices combine beautifully... swooning above the low rumble of an electric guitar" Uncut Magazine, UK

"This is an exquisitely fragile piece of work. There's an easy chemistry in their voices, Thorne's deep and mournful, Brown's a sweeter, higher counterpoint. A country roots gem with sumptuous harmonies... where guitars and voices effortlessly intertwine. Intimate, ethereal... irresistible" **** The Weekend Australian

"...two angelic voices that harmonize beautifully. This is an album for lovers." Alternative Media Group

"Brown's voice is light and just hinting at crumbling; Thorne's is lower and thicker in flow. In this low-lit room their voices speak to each other. The songs walk between country, folk and blues; picking up both a low level spirituality and a clear frankness of humanity." Sydney Morning Herald

"...reminiscent of Emmylou Harris and Gillian Welch...these two beautiful voices have come together to create something which is wonderfully sweet and beguiling. A thing of quiet joy." Readings Monthly

"Teaming up with Australian singer Lucie Thorne, it's like Brown has found her long-lost sister to complete a musical circle. The softness of the way each approaches a song makes a quiet power come alive, and captures all that is good in vocal collaborations. An inspired creation." The Morton Report, USA


Bonfires In Silver City

"Bonfires In Silver City reveals a subtlety and craft that eclipses Thorne's prior work." Martin Jones, Rhythms Magazine

"I've been listening to three great female artists in the last month; the first two, Gillian Welch and Emmylou Harris require little introduction to most, their bodies of work substantial, their standing already verging on legendary. The third is a name lesser known, but her album Bonfires in Silver City is undoubtedly the best of all three. Lucie Thorne is one of our own, and with this album she makes a firm statement that she is one of our finest. World-class." Chris Peken, Alternative Music Group, full review here

"Mitchell fans will sense a resonance of 1976's Hejira, for many her masterpiece, in Bonfires In Silver City. While Hejira's theme of geographical dislocation is missing from Bonfires, perhaps replaced with journeys of the heart, the records are strikingly similar; poetic, introspective works that have a solidity and wholeness." Ian Cuthbertson, The Australian, full article here

"Thorne's powerful intimacy [is] embedded in each song. At times stylistically similar to the late Chris Whitley... Thorne has breathed in love and life and returns both as art. Hers is a poetic gift; Bonfires is a river of sound, its currents best revealed the more deeply you listen." The Age

"Not long ago, I was driving through the Wimmera at night, back roads beyond Horsham. No towns and no lights except the moon and stars. Lucie Thorne was singing in the car; I loved 2009's AMP-nominated Black Across the Field but this year's album is sensational. The songs are small and finely formed in the same way that Gillian Welch's are, the attention to microscopic folk/rock/country detail immense. That night way out west the songs shone out of the dark; it was religious. Great music will do that for you and I give thanks." Chris Johnston, The Melbourne Magazine

"an album of powerful intimacy and poetic deliverance" The Saturday Age, Life & Style Magazine

"Lucie Thorne's 2009 album, Black Across The Field, was my album of the year; it was shortlisted for the prestigious Australian Music Prize and helped her find a new, larger audience. She has a lot to live up to with the follow-up Bonfires in Silver City, but has yet again proven that her songwriting, arranging, guitar playing and singing are, dare I say it - world class. Think an amalgam of Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris and The Cowboy Junkies. She is an artist well worth discovering and I can't think of another Australian artist I would recommend more highly right now." Dave Clark, Readings Monthly

"Somehow both restrained and edgy, Thorne retains her seemingly effortless ability to weave spaciousness into her songs, which makes them all the more enthralling. Bonfires In Silver City is further proof Thorne deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Australia's first ladies of indie singer/songwriter fare" Drum Magazine

"Bonfires In Silver City casts a spell....Lucie's sublime voice has a melting power - breathy, luscious, languid like honey and as striking as the sunrise. The album is one unified gesture of grace and awareness" Marlo Spikin, upstream whispers.com full review here

"Bonfires in Silver City is a great ride... a beautifully subtle album of songwriter-rock presented with faultless production and delivery . Everything sits in its right place and serves nothing but the song, (and) Thorne holds your attention without demanding it, you just want to listen. She elusively conjures a post-60's Joni Mitchell - that deep, rich but definitely feminine voice of hers sits marvelously amongst the songs she's crafted. This lady's got some serious talent." Orange Press, full review here


Black Across The Field

"Without exaggeration Black Across The Field is as good as anything I've heard this year... Growling with warm tube overdrive, stinging like Neil Young... this is a diverse, profound album...with nuances subtle and breathtaking" Martin Jones, Rhythms Magazine

"This is one of the finest female vocal albums released by an Australian in the last few years. The whole album - from her band, to production, to the songs -is first rate [and] will hopefully see her find the larger audience she deserves. Make the effort to seek this fine album out." Readings Monthly

"This gentle chanteuse has delivered quiet perfection. There is such an intensity of feeling here... In mood and approach the closest comparison I can make is with Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball - moody folk, country noir... a collection of stories that speaks small but resonates much bigger. Thorne marks out her space with some fabulous sensuality." Bernard Zuel, Sydney Morning Herald, Album of the Week

"Thorne's songs are exquisite miniatures of distilled emotion, her melodies and harmonies are sublime, and the way she pits grinding guitars against that ethereal, sensual voice is like watching a thunderstorm in the distance. By turns dark and tender, Black Across The Field is a beautiful album." David Curry, The Canberra Times

"This is music that can be tender and taut, full of the subtle nuances of real life as opposed to the black-and-white world of simple pop. There's tough guitar and autumnal shades, haunting slow-mo rock, Neil Young-esque guitar lines...And right up front is a voice with a quality that keeps drawing the listener in." Noel Mengel, Courier Mail. Album of the Week 19th March 2009

"Thorne cuts her own niche from the acoustic masses by specialising in gently percolating nocturnes that could be penned by PJ Harvey after waking in a Tasmanian poppy field. A bright star rising, and one worth all the attention she receives." Andy Hazel, Inpress

"The production of the voice is a giant close-up of delicate emotional expression; every murmur, tongue flick and gentle pulse is significant. Thorne also has a gift for melody and, for the complete trifecta, writes thoughtful, intelligent lyrics that, as with Joni Mitchell, leave you pondering shades of meaning. Thorne's electric guitars paint gorgeous swaths in the stereo field... this is an album that deserves to be widely heard." Ian Cuthbertson, ****, The Australian

"A spellbinding dark-folk storybook" Sarah Howells, Root N All, JMAG

"With the slow burn rock of Sun Kil Moon and the depth of voice of Joni Mitchell, Thorne is insidious in her ability to borrow down into your psyche, drawing you closer...she knows exactly what is required and when." Chris Peken, Alternative Media Group

"the Australian PJ Harvey... possessing the punch of Cat Power, the country-rock hybrid of Emmylou Harris, and the wise words of Joni Mitchell" Kathleen Noonan, The Courier Mail

"Black Across The Field is easily one of the best Australian releases this year. A sweet mix of beauty and power..." Northern Territory News

"The opening track of Black Across The Field, As You Find It, is undoubtedly one of the loveliest songs you'll hear all year. With its brushed drums, cautious electric guitars and mellow piano playing, it's simply beautiful as Thorne's honey-like voice drifts over the top. Thorne is definitely a major talent in Australia's burgeoning folk singer-songwriter scene." Patrick Lang, db magazine

"Dances between alt-folk blues and a PJ Harvey-style drone with production moving into Howling Bells territory at times...This album deserves multiple spins" Rave Magazine

"Lucie Thorne hits the bullseye with album five" Billy Pinnell, ****, MAG


Dutch reviews from 'Black Across The Field's release in the Benelux (through Smoked Recordings / Munich/V2 distribution);

'Meesterwerk Feature Album' review in 'Heaven' Magazine - Nov/Dec 2010.
Album Review by Nobert Tebarts in 'Written In Music' - Sept 2010.
Album Review Jan Willem Broek 'Subjectivisten' - October 2010.
Live Review from Roepaen, Ottersum, by Jan Jannssen, November 2010.


"... If music is her poison, then this album could be considered a Hercules mirror-shield" Album Review by CZB; Romanian Art, Politics and Music site


"... Surprise turned to intense anticipation when Thorne took the stage with legendary drummer Hamish Stuart, a man whose impeccable musical credentials include a long stint as part one of the rhythm section for the late, great Jackie Orszaczky. The critical response to Black Across the Field has been adulatory and justifiably so... she is a rare talent the kind of artist that stands out in the overcrowded field... I found myself drawn in quiet awe to Stuart's sympathetic precision with Thorne's playing... the intense communication between the two musicians pulls the listener into stories told in song..." Live review by Arts Hub from The Clarendon Guest House, Katoomba, 16/04/10, duet show with Hamish Stuart.


"I'm still getting over the show South Coast singer/songwriter Lucie Thorne put on at the Mullumbimby Bowling Club last week. Maybe it's not specifically roots music in style, but in my book there's nothing more 'roots' than someone standing up there and spellbinding an audience with nothing but a guitar and a voice.

Switching between clean and just slightly driven channels on her little Mesa Boogie amp, adding a little colour with a tremelo pedal, Thorne accomplished what all great folk singers have - a genuine conversation/duet with her guitar. Thorne has put so much thought and feel into not only the structure but the tone of her live performance, that you don't miss the lack of a band for a second. And considering Thorne has gun bassist Dave Symes and drummer Hamish Stuart backing her on the new record - and live when they're available - that's a considerable achievement.

A solid crowd gathered at the intimate Bowling Club and hung off every breathy note, every warm ring of her guitar strings. Focusing predominantly on material from her latest album Black Across The Field, Thorne abandoned any premise of a setlist about three-quarters of the way through the show and granted requests or performed whatever popped into her head. It was a demonstration of power through grace and subtlety." Live review from The Mullum Bowlo, 17/06/09; Martin Jones, 'Roots Down', Drum Media:


"Thorne's smoked voice has a languidness and an urgency; ... a pop-folk gentleness but a rock tension. Her voice matches the way the songs simmer before bubbling up into something intense. Those mini explosions may be unexpected, but the strength of her songwriting is in creating a space where you are drawn in and carried on whatever winds prevail." Live review from The Basement 15/04/08; Bernard Zuel, Sydney Morning Herald:


Where Night Birds Call

"Thorne writes some of the most simple and beautiful folk songs you will hear. Where Night Birds Call is filled with stunning sketches of love and loss and small town life." The Age, EG

"Thorne is one member of the elite club of local singer/songwriters - think Holly Throsby, Clare Bowditch - creating sublime folk/pop." The Good Weekend

"The songs on Where Night Birds Call are close enough to touch. Thorne's near-whispered, lovelorn vignettes are startlingly and infinitely believable; spare and skeletal in terms of ideas and arrangements but beautifully lush and textured in their rendering of thematic, tonal and melodic detail. Weary, lovelorn ballads (The Upfield Line, Home Sized Town, Night Drive) are pitched against strikingly pared-back rock (The Movies, Five Years and the sublime self-sung harmonies of Shot in the Dark) with a rare, natural ease." ****, The Age

"Thorne creates an oasis of musical beauty which is completely entrancing ... deceptively simple ... disarmingly sweet ... stunningly beautiful... The guitar tapestry woven by Thorne and Heath Cullen acoustics and muted electrics is a lesson in musical empathy. Where Night Birds Call is every bit as entrancing as its criminally ignored predecessor, The Bud." David Curry, The Canberra Times

"One of Australia's finest soulful songwriters" Beat Magazine

"...Lyrically, Thorne is unabashed in writing about carefully-observed and faithfully documented, or imagined, small-town subjects. This makes for captivating, charming, intensely humane, fragile songs, performed with sublime sensitivity. For those of us who've only just discovered this polished gem has been recording for a good ten years, the poverty of our ignorance is almost too much to bear. Thorne well understands the power, romance and magic that lies in what is simple, everyday and even mundane. That which is right under our nose, but which we can so rarely see, obscured, as it so often is, by the migraine-inducing glare of vacuous celebrity. Lucie, her songs & presentation are a tonic." excerpt from Australian Stage live review, 19/04/08