Amber Lawrence

Amber Louise Lawrence (born 19 April 1978)[1] is an Australian country music singer-songwriter, with six albums, an EP, including four CMAA Golden Guitar awards.

Amber Lawrence
Amber Lawrence in 2016
Background information
Birth nameAmber Louise Lawrence
Born (1978-04-19) 19 April 1978
Mascot, New South Wales
OriginAustralia
GenresAustralian country music
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
InstrumentsGuitar
Years active1995-present
Websitewww.amberlawrence.com.au

Personal life

Lawrence grew up in the Sydney suburb of Mascot.[2] She attended Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College, Sydney where she completed the Higher School Certificate in 1995, including a place in the Order of Merit List.[3] After graduating from the University of New South Wales with a commerce degree and working for six years as a chartered accountant for Qantas, Lawrence became a full-time musician.[4]

On Christmas Day 2017, Lawrence became engaged to marketer Martin Newman at Coogee Beach[5] and in August 2018, the pair had a son.[6] In May 2019, Lawrence and Newman married in Port Douglas, Queensland.

Music career

She has released a debut EP, I've Got The Blues, and four full-length albums to date: The Mile (2007), When It All Comes Down (2009), 3 (2011), Superheroes (2014), Happy Ever After (2016) and Spark (2019). In addition, Lawrence has released two children's albums, The Kids Gone Country (2016) and Aussie Aussie Christmas (2017), and a collaboration album with fellow Australian country artist, Travis Collins, entilted Our Backyard (2017)..[7]

Lawrence was nominated for "Independent Country Album of the Year" by the Australian Independent Record Labels Association for her debut album, The Mile.[8] In 2008, she was nominated for the Golden Guitar for "Female Artist of the Year" and "New Talent".[4] In 2009, she won the Golden Guitar "People's Choice Award" for "Female Artist of the Year", as well as being nominated for "Female Artist of the Year", "APRA Song of the Year" and "Video Clip of the Year," capping it off with an APRA nomination for "Country Work of the Year" for the single "Good Girls".[9] In 2010, she won "Female Vocalist of the Year" at the Victorian National Country Music Awards, and was nominated for "Best Independent Country Album" at the Independent Music Awards; she also won the new Golden Guitar category of "Horizon Award", while her album When It All Comes Down was nominated three times.[10] In 2012[11] and 2013,[12] Lawrence was again nominated for the Golden Guitar "Female Artist of the Year". In 2014, Lawrence was nominated for "Female Artist of the Year" at the Australian Club Entertainment Awards.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}

In 2015 Lawrence was awarded the Golden Guitar for Best Female Artist of the Year, the Australian Bush Laureate Award for Contemporary Song Lyric of the Year[13] and was nominated for Heritage Song of the Year, both for "The Lifesaver".[14] The song is especially meaningful to her, as it deals with her family's response to her father's stroke.[15] She was also named CMC Music Video Channel's Female Oz Artist of the Year.[16]

Lawrence performing in 2011

She has been nominated in the CMC Top 20 Artists of the Year five years running, and is the winner of six Southern Star Independent Awards, including Independent Album of the Year (twice), APRA/AMCOS Independent Country Music Single of the Year (twice), Independent Artist of the Year, Independent Female Artist of the Year (twice). Fourteen of her singles have either reached #1, top 5 or top 10 on the Country Music Radio Chart and CMC Video Charts.

Lawrence performs over 100 shows per year, including an extensive schools mentor performance programme, having already notched up over 200 performances around the country for kids. Lawrence has performed and is featured at many of the leading country music festivals, such as Gympie Muster, CMC Rocks The Hunter and QLD, Mildura Music Festival, Deni Ute Muster, Caboolture, Mudbulls & Music, Derwent Valley Muster,[17] etc. She has toured with the likes of Lee Kernaghan, The McClymonts,[4] Adam Harvey, Melinda Schneider, Sunny Cowgirls, and Kaylens Rain, and event tours such as Chic Frontier.[4]

Over the years, she has also been a supporter of Australia's military, performing for the troops both abroad and at various events around the country. In 2007, she played in East Timor,[18] and in 2013, she was in the Sinai, entertaining Australian and coalition forces.[19] Her song "Man Across The Street" is about a returned veteran; it resulted in her 2013 Golden Guitar nomination for "Best Female Artist of the Year".[12]

After a chance encounter at an airport in 2017, a unique opportunity presented itself, and Lawrence was invited to perform in New York for an event commemorating the 75th Anniversary Battle of the Coral Sea with the American Association. The audience was made up of surviving war veterans, then-Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnball, then-President of the United States of America, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, among others. Lawrence performed the poingnat, 100 Year Handshake, which she wrote especially for the event with her now-husband Martin Newman.

In 2019, Lawrence was invited to perform as part of Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight, broadcast live annually on Christmas Eve from the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia.

Lawrence is also a mentor to young artists in the Australian Music industry and has provided free entertainment and mentoring in over 300 schools Australia wide, as part of her ‘Be Your Own Superhero’ program.

Lawrence is the face of iHeartRadio Australia Country, hosting the show each week, a guest presenter on Channel 9’s ‘Getaway’ and was the co-host of the CMC Music Awards in 2017 – live on Foxtel, and the 2019 Golden Guitar Awards. Lawrence was also extremely honored to receive an Australia Day Bronze Achievement Award for her contribution to War Veterans and their families, via her work with RSL DefenceCare.

Golden Guitar Award nominations

2008 - The Mile - Female Artist and New Talent
2010 - When It All Comes Down - Female Artist, Apra Song of the Year, Video Clip of the Year
2013 - ‘3’ - Female Artist of the Year
2015 - Superhero - Female Artist of the Year, Heritage Song of the Year
2017 - Happy Ever After - Female Artist, Vocal Collaboration of they Year
2018 - Our Backyard - Apra Song of the Year, Single of the Year, Vocal Collaboration of the Year, Video Clip of the Year, Heritage Song of the Year, Contemporary Country Album of the Year
2020 - Spark - Female Artist of the Year, Contemporary Country Album of the Year, Album of the Year

Discography

Studio albums
List of studio albums, with Australian chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
AUS
[20]
The Mile -
When It All Comes Down
  • Released: August 2009
  • Label: Amber Lawrence, ABC
  • Formats: CD, Digital download
 -
3
  • Released: January 2012
  • Label: Amber Lawrence, ABC
  • Formats: CD, Digital download
 41
Super Heroes
  • Released: September 2014
  • Label: Amber Lawrence, ABC
  • Formats: CD, Digital download
 43
Happy Ever After
  • Released: September 2016
  • Label: Amber Lawrence, ABC
  • Formats: CD, Digital download, streaming
 44
Our Backyard (with Travis Collins)
  • Released: August 2017
  • Label: ABC, UMA
  • Formats: CD, Digital download, streaming
 40
Aussie Aussie Christmas
  • Released: November 2017
  • Label: ABC
  • Formats: CD, Digital download, streaming
 -
Spark
  • Released: June 2019
  • Label: Amber Lawrence, ABC
  • Formats: CD, Digital download, streaming
 13

Live albums
List of live albums, with selected details
Title Album details
Hometown Girl
  • Released: October 2015
  • Label: Amber Lawrence, ABC
  • Formats: CD, Digital download

Extended plays
List of EP albums, with selected details
Title EP details
I've Got the Blues
  • Released: 2006
  • Label: Amber Lawrence
  • Formats: CD, Digital download

Singles
Title Year Notes
"I've Got the Blues"[21]
"Things That Bring Me Down" Topped the CMC Top 30 countdown[22]
"Gonna Fly" Ranked second for at least two weeks in the Country Tracks Top 30 singles chart[23]
"Good Girls" #1 in the Country Tracks Top 50 Singles Chart for five weeks and ranked in the top 30 for 20 weeks[24]
"The Mile" From The Mile album
Dedicated to teenage apprentice jockey Sam McRae, who died in a horse racing accident[25]
"Don't Do Lonely Well" Part of "a string of number one hits," along with "Wrecking Ball" (below),[26] climbing to the top of the Country Tracks Top 30 on 7 November 2009[27]
"Wrecking Ball"
"Women Like Me (Don't Like Girls Like You)"
"Always Kiss Me Goodnight" From When It All Comes Down
Reached and held the #1 spot on the Country Tracks Top 30 singles chart in July 2011[28]
"Everybody's a Mess" Rose to #4 on the Country Tracks Top 30 at the end of February 2011[29]
"Man Across the Street"
"Try" Named the official anthem of the Special Olympics Australia Junior Games[30]
"Pretty Little Liar" From 3
Climbed to the #5 spot on the Country Tracks Top 30 in December 2013[31]
"Superhero" Debuted at #3 on the ARIA country chart in September 2014[32]
"Lifesaver" From Superheroes

Music videos
Year Video
2006 "The Lonely Road"
"I've Got the Blues"
2008 "Good Girls"
"The Mile"
2009 "Don't Do Lonely Well"
"Wrecking Ball"
2010 "Women Like Me Don't Like Girls Like You"
2011 "Always Kiss Me Goodnight"
"Everybody's A Mess"
2012 "The Man Across The Street"
"Try"
2014 "Superhero"
"The Lifesaver"
2015 "I Will Love You"
"Honeysuckle"
2016 "My Grandma"
"The Kid's Gone Country"
"My Big Mack Truck"
"Happy Ever After"
"Cheers to the Girls"
2017 "The Lucky One"
"Our Backyard"
gollark: Ah, right.
gollark: Yes.
gollark: What do you mean "300+ ID"?
gollark: What?
gollark: The accuracy isn't brilliant, but it works.

References
  1. "Amber Lawrence". rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  2. "Interview: Amber Lawrence". countrymusicchannel.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 September 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  3. "1995 Higher School Certificate Order of Merit List". boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  4. "Amber Lawrence". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (abc.net.au). 9 June 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2011.
  5. "Country music star engaged to Tinder boyfriend". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. 17 February 2018.
  6. Leeson, Josh (9 June 2018). "Mum's the word". Newcastle Herald.
  7. "Amber Lawrence: Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  8. "AIR Awards 2009 nominations". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 October 2009. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  9. "2009 APRA Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  10. "Amber Lawrence on the road". ABC Country, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation digital radio station. 10 February 2010. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  11. Jennifer Ingall (22 January 2013). "Could it be gold for Amber Lawrence?". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  12. "41st CMAA Award Finalists Announced". ABC Country. 13 November 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  13. "Australian Bush Laureate Awards 2015 winners". Australian Bush Laureate Awards. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  14. "2015 Golden Guitar Finalists!". Toyota Country Music Festival: Tamworth 2015. 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  15. "Country singer Amber Lawrence to walk in Stride for Stroke at South Maroubra in honour of her father". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  16. "Fans Dub Adam Brand Australian Country Artist Of The Year". themusic.com. 13 March 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  17. "New Norfolk NEWS: Earlybird offer on country muster". newsnn.net. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  18. "From Little Pattie to the Screaming Jets a tradition continues" (PDF). Platypus Magazine. Australian Federal Police (97): 30–31. December 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  19. "Amber Lawrence is busy with music and mates". Northern Daily Leader. 22 January 2014.
  20. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
  21. "Amber Lawrence extends some live music love to Far North Queensland, including Cairns, Innisfail and Malanda". The Cairns Post. 27 October 2014. She kicks off at Cazalys ... playing music from Superheroes plus some old favourites, including her breakthrough hit Iíve Got The Blues.
  22. "Performer - Amber Lawrence". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 January 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  23. "News Archives: February 2008". Country Music Bulletin (countrymusicbulletin.com.au). Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  24. "News Archives: December 2008". Country Music Bulletin. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  25. "Sam's song hits a sad note". The Daily Telegraph. 18 September 2008.
  26. Kelly Fuller (21 September 2012). "The Journey: Amber Lawrence". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  27. "Chart Update - Amber at Number One". Country Music Bulletin. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  28. "News Archive ... July 2011". Country Music Bulletin. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  29. "Australian Country Music News - February 2012". Country Music Bulletin. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  30. "Amber Lawrence's 'Try' will be official anthem of the Special Olympics Australia Junior Games". The Courier-Mail. 25 September 2012.
  31. "Australian Country Music News Archive December, 2013". Country Music Bulletin. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  32. "Golden Guitar award winner Amber Lawrence heads for the Hunter Valley and the Campfire Music Festival". The Daily Telegraph. 27 February 2015.
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