Solo singer ... Jo Lawry steps out from behind the backing mic to take the spotlight with Taking Pictures. Picture: John Appleyard Source: News Limited
WHEN she is not singing on arena stages for Sting, you can find Australian musician Jo Lawry in an intimate club performing her own tunes.
Lawry has been a backing vocalist and violinist for the British superstar for the past six years, and was one of the singers featured on the Oscar and Grammy-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom.
When she knew she was heading home for a tour with her boss and Paul Simon, Lawry secured a release for her solo album Taking Pictures and booked a few shows to launch it.
The boss showed up at her Bennetts Lane gig in Melbourne last week and joined her onstage to perform Impossible, their duet from her record.
Lawry, who now lives in New York, said Sting had constantly offered to be a backing vocalist on her record when he found out she was recording.
Generous boss ... Sting duets with Lawry on Impossible from her new solo record Taking Pictures. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied
“It was so lovely he offered to do it and kept offering, saying ‘it could just be oohs and aahs, if that doesn’t mess with your Brooklyn cool’,” she said, laughing.
“I didn’t realise he was serious! He’s such a generous boss.”
The classically trained singer had fantasised about singing with Sting when she was a teenager harmonising to her brother's Police records.
But the role of backing vocalist wasn’t a career goal when she left Australia to pursue her music ambitions.
“I wasn’t following that path but I got my dream job,” she said.
“It’s been my one backing singer gig and I’m not your typical backing singer.”
Dream job ... Lawry used to sing along to her brother’s Police records as a teenager. Picture: John Appleyard Source: News Limited
She cites the Rolling Stones legendary backing vocalist Lisa Fischer, and the star of 20 Feet From Stardom, as the queen of that club.
“My only other experience of doing a backing vocalist session was, thank goodness, with Lisa Fischer so I just followed her lead,” he said.
Lawry’s own music is more in the vein of Katie Noonan and Kate Miller-Heidke and she credits Sting for encouraging her to continue to work on her own music.
“He told me he would love to see me get to the point where he would have to sack me for my own good,” she said.
Lawry will be back on stage with Sting tonight at the Qantas Credit Union Arena and perform her own show at Camelot Lounge in Marrickville on Sunday.
