''Modern Fables'' is the debut solo album by New Zealand singer-songwriter

Julia Deans Julia Mary Deans (born 27 August 1974) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer of rock band Fur Patrol. Banshee Reel In the early '90s, Deans joined Wellington-based Celtic rock band Banshee Reel. The group releas ...

, former front-woman of the rock band

Fur Patrol Fur Patrol were a New Zealand rock band, which formed in Wellington in May 1996 by Andrew Bain on bass guitar, Simon Braxton on drums, Julia Deans on lead vocals and guitar, and Steve Wells on lead guitar. Their debut studio album, '' Pet'' (Se ...

. Released by Tardus Records in 2010, the pop and folk album peaked at no. 12 in the New Zealand charts.Deans, alone, gets intimate
''Otago Daily Times''. Retrieved October 26, 2020.Modern Fables by Julia Deans
''Spotify''. Retrieved October 26, 2020.JULIA DEANS ANNOUNCES MODERN FABLES TOUR
''New Zealand Music Commission''. Retrieved October 26, 2020. Three singles were released from the album: "A New Dialogue," "The Wish You Wish You Had," and the title track "Modern Fables."Julia Deans
''Audioculture''. Retrieved October 26, 2020.

Development

Deans had been heading in a new musical direction distinct from Fur Patrol's original rock sound for numerous years prior to the recording and release of the album, which was exhibited in the band's final few releases, such as "Hand on an Anchor" from 2007's ''The Long Distance Runner EP''. After the band fell apart, she originally contemplated quitting music entirely, though encouragement from friends and family as well as her record company motivated her to create a solo album. ''Modern Fables'' was recorded in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, and

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

. All of the songs on the album were written by Deans, including "Little Survivor," which was penned during her time in Fur Patrol but never ended up on an album of the band's. Numerous notable New Zealand musicians contributed to the album, including Karl Kippenberger of

Shihad Shihad were a Rock music, rock band formed in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1988. The band consisted of founders Tom Larkin (musician), Tom Larkin (drums, backing vocals, samplers), Phil Knight (lead guitar, synthesiser, backing vocals) and Jon To ...

, Aaron Tokona of Weta, and Dino Karlis of Dimmer.

Release and promotion

''Modern Fables'' received positive reviews upon its release. In a review for the ''Rotorua Daily Post'', Tony Nielsen rated the album 4.5 out of 5, referring to Deans' voice as "amazing, from soft and fragile to high energy, but always driven by great melodies" and describing her as "exceptionally strong" lyrically.Album review: Modern Fables - Julia Deans
''Rotorua Daily Post''. Retrieved October 26, 2020. ''The New Zealand Herald'' gave the album a slightly lower rating, rating it 3 out of 5; although it criticizes some aspects of the tracks "Friend" and "Run," the review nonetheless notes that the album is an "impressive solo outing" and that "Deans' striking out alone might just be the making of her."Album Review: Julia Deans Modern Fables
''The New Zealand Herald''. Retrieved October 26, 2020. Deans embarked on a small New Zealand tour to promote the album, playing in Christchurch,

Port Chalmers Port Chalmers () is a town serving as the main port of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. Port Chalmers lies ten kilometres inside Otago Harbour, some 15 kilometres northeast of Dunedin's city centre. History Early Māori settlement The or ...

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

, and

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

in August 2010.

Track listing

Source: Spotify.

Charts

References

{{Authority control 2010 debut albums Pop albums by New Zealand artists Folk albums by New Zealand artists