Loene Carmen (born 1970), better known by stage name Lo Carmen, is an Australian

singer-songwriter A singer-songwriter is a musician who writes, composes, and performs their own musical material, including lyrics and melodies. In the United States, the category is built on the folk- acoustic tradition with a guitar, although this role has ...

, musician, music producer, author and actress with multiple albums in the

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

vein. She records, performs and tours solo or with long time band The Great Beyond, published memoir ''Lovers Dreamers Fighters'' and received Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress nominations for Australian films

The Year My Voice Broke ''The Year My Voice Broke'' is a 1987 Australian coming of age drama film written and directed by John Duigan and starring Noah Taylor, Loene Carmen and Ben Mendelsohn. Set in 1962 in the rural Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, it was the ...

and Tom White. Carmen's eighth solo album, ''Transatlantic Light'' was released in September 2024 on her own label, Chiquita Records, with a limited edition vinyl pressing through Impressed Recordings. Rock critic

Will Hermes Will Hermes (born December 27, 1960, in Jamaica, Queens, New York City) is an American author, broadcaster, journalist and critic who has written extensively about popular music. He is a longtime contributor to ''Rolling Stone'' and to National P ...

described it as 'a holy-glowing dreamscape of smoke-clouded guitars, loping basslines and tantric drums that channel a history of sound recordings, from delta blues to chiaroscuro surf reveries, haunted pop ballads to modern bloodied valentines' in his liner notes.

Lovers Dreamers Fighters Book

''Lovers Dreamers Fighters'' was published by

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

in February 2022, "a memoir of coming-of-age on screen and in song that also pays tribute to the iconic Australian women—writers, rebels, activists and fellow musicians—who lit her way". Author Madeleine Lucas said in their Rushh magazine conversation, "At its heart, I felt like Lovers Dreamers Fighters is really a memoir about work. I appreciated that because creative work, like domestic work, is not seen as labour a lot of the time." Paul Kelly described the book as 'A hard won account of the mess, glory and risk of making art. Lo tells her story by telling the stories of all those who've lit and tended her flame. She knows that worship is at the heart of creation. And she writes like a river.' Carmen calls it ‘more a cultural history than a memoir … It’s more a kind of love letter to all the musicians and women that have inspired me.’. The book features chapters focussed on heroic police corruption whistleblower

Sallie-Anne Huckstepp Sallie-Anne Huckstepp (née Krivoshow, 12 December 1954 – 6 February 1986) was an Australian writer, sex-worker and whistle blower, who was the victim of an underworld homicide. She came to attention in 1981 for speaking out about police ...

(who Carmen portrayed in docudrama Blue Murder, Suzi Sidewinder, who shared her final months living with

AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...

in award winning documentary "Suzi's Story" to help combat fear and ignorance about the disease, trailblazing artists Wendy Saddington,

Robyn Archer Robyn Archer, AO, CdOAL (born 1948) is an Australian singer, writer, stage director, artistic director, and public advocate of the arts, in Australia and internationally. Biography Archer was born Robyn Smith in Prospect, South Australi ...

, Renee Geyer and Carmen's paternal grandmother, who was an unmarried mother and survivor of the

forced adoption Forced adoption refers to the practice of removing children from their biological families and placing them for adoption against the wishes of the parents, often with little or no consent. This practice has historically been a significant issue in v ...

policy, as well as stories about pioneering performers

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. One of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she was known as one of the first country music artists to successfully Cross ...

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian songwriter, singer, poet, and novelist. Themes commonly explored throughout his work include faith and mortality, isolation and depression, betrayal and redemption, soc ...

and

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a m ...

Early life

Carmen was born in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, and raised amongst its 1970s music and art community, which included

Bon Scott Ronald Belford "Bon" Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980) was an Australian singer who was the second lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980. In the July 2004 issue of ''Classic Rock (m ...

and

. She is the daughter of rock-jazz-blues pianist

Peter Head Peter Head (born Peter Beagley), is an Australian rock musician, pianist, and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his work with the progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock mu ...

, member of prog rockers

Headband A headband or hairband is a clothing accessory worn in the hair or around the forehead, usually to hold hair away from the face or eyes. Headbands generally consist of a loop of elastic material or a horseshoe-shaped piece of flexible plast ...

and founder of bohemian country music collective The Mount Lofty Rangers, and Mouse, a textile artist and former film and television seamstress. Older brother Josh Beagley is a guitarist, most notably with funk band Swoop and country funk act Cowboy Simple. She performed her first original song publicly aged 9, accompanied by her father. She told Sunday Life in 2022 'I spent a lot of my childhood sleeping, or reading a book, beneath his piano at gigs I insisted on accompanying him to'. The family moved to Sydney's red light district King's Cross and Carmen attended a small alternative high school, dropping out after completing Year 10. 'From the time I was 13, I was going to see bands three nights a week. I also worked after school in a pizza bar in Kings Cross. I was very independent but I wasn’t wild.' Carmen also worked as secretary for

Vince Lovegrove Vincent James Lovegrove (19 March 1947 – 24 March 2012) was an Australian musician, journalist, music manager, television producer and AIDS awareness pioneer. He was a member of 1960s rock 'n' roll band The Valentines, sharing vocals with B ...

who was then the manager of

The Divinyls Divinyls () were an Australian rock band that were formed in Sydney in 1980. The band primarily consisted of vocalist Chrissy Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. Amphlett garnered widespread attention for performing on stage in a school uni ...

, during school holidays and after leaving school. Carmen's mother made the wedding dress in

Muriel's Wedding ''Muriel's Wedding'' is a 1994 comedy-drama film written and directed by P.J. Hogan. The film, which stars Toni Collette, Bill Hunter and Rachel Griffiths, focuses on the socially awkward Muriel whose ambition is to have a glamorous wedding ...

and

Chrissy Amphlett Christine Joy Amphlett (; 25 October 1959 – 21 April 2013) was an Australian singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the frontwoman of the rock band Divinyls. She was notable for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive hu ...

's iconic costumes. Carmen claims to have attended hundreds of shows by The Divinyls and soul singer Wendy Saddington, who performed in a duo with Carmen's father, Peter Head, from the 1980s until her death in 2013. Carmen cites both Amphlett and Saddington, a close family friend, as major influences. .

Film

Carmen was cast as the "wild and haunted" Freya Olson in

John Duigan John Duigan (born 19 June 1949) is an Australian film director and screenwriter. He is mostly known for his two autobiographical fiction, autobiographical films ''The Year My Voice Broke'' and ''Flirting (film), Flirting'', and the 1994 film ' ...

's ''

'' (1987) after the director met her in the pizza bar where she worked, aged sixteen. Her performance, and that of her co-stars

Noah Taylor Noah George Taylor (born 4 September 1969) is a British born Australian actor. The accolades he has received include nominations for three Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Critics' Choice Award, and four AACTA Awards. He is best known for his ...

and

Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his break-out role in '' The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987). He gained international attention for his starring role in the crime d ...

, was described as "deeply memorable, central characters

hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...

are played by a trio of fine actors in the formative stages of their careers". She was nominated for an

Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Cinema of Australia, Australian film indu ...

Best Actress award for her role as Freya, 'arguably one of Australian cinema's most finely developed female characters, evoking the subtle shades of a burgeoning womanliness.'

calls it 'one of the greatest films I have made'. Other notable roles followed including Australian police corruption whistleblower

in the

docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...

'' Blue Murder'' and Christine in

Alkinos Tsilimidos Alkinos Tsilimidos (born 1966) is an Australian film and theatre director. He has won the Montréal First Film Prize at the Montréal World Film Festival for his 1994 film '' Everynight ... Everynight''. He primarily works as an indie film mak ...

' gritty drama '' Tom White'', for which she also received nominations for

Best Supporting Actress, Film Critics Circle Best Actor – Female 2004 and

IF Awards The IF Awards, formerly known as the Inside Film Awards, Lexus Inside Film Awards, Kodak IF Awards, and Jameson IF Awards, was an annual awards ceremony and broadcast platform for the Australian film industry. Its name derives from its origins at ...

Best Actress 2004. In 2011, director

Kriv Stenders Kriv Stenders is an Australian writer, film producer, and director, best known for his 2011 film '' Red Dog'' (2011) and the 2014 thriller film '' Kill Me Three Times''. His new film '' The Correspondent'', based on a memoir by Australian journ ...

brought Carmen and

together again in Australian film '' Red Dog'', which was described in

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...

as a "warm-hearted and thoroughly entertaining movie". Cinephelia called their pairing as husband and wife outback pub owners who are the first to find Red Dog, 'a special treat'. When asked whether she prefers film or music, Carmen explains 'Making and working on music is my lifeblood and what I do every day but acting is also second nature to me. They are pretty intrinsically linked in my mind – both require commitment to getting a feeling or a character across, they just use different tools.' She also told Russh 'With film, you have no power, you just try your best to make somebody else's vision come to life. With music, I feel like I have all the power and I can just put out what I love'.

Music

In 1991, Carmen formed 12 piece country band, The Honky Tonk Angels, with

Justine Clarke Justine Clarke is an Australian actress, singer, author and television host. Clarke has been acting since the age of seven and has appeared in some of Australia's best-known TV shows. She is best-known for her portrayal as Roo Stewart on the ...

. The band also featured

, Terry Serio, Monica McMahon (aka Miss Monica), and musical director Peter Head. Guest performers included

and

Tex Perkins Gregory Stephen Perkins (born 28 December 1964), better known by his stage name Tex Perkins, is an Australian singer-songwriter who fronted the Australian rock band The Cruel Sea, but has also performed with the Beasts of Bourbon, Thug, Jam ...

. They performed in Sydney and Melbourne, appeared live on The Steve Vizard Show and disbanded in 1992 without recording. Garage band The White Trash Mamas, emerged out of the ashes in 1993, retaining the core axis of Carmen, Clarke and McMahon. They enjoyed a large live following, but attempts at recording, including an unreleased session with

Tony Cohen Anthony Lawrence Cohen (4 June 19572 August 2017) was an Australian music record producer and sound engineer. He worked with Nick Cave's groups the Birthday Party, and then the Bad Seeds from 1979 to 2001. In mid-1986 he followed Cave to Lond ...

, were unsuccessful and the band broke up in 1995. 'Torch rock' 8 piece band Automatic Cherry formed in 1995, with McMahon and Clarke as backing singers, who told Zan Rowe in 2018 'I've had a long musical association with Loene'. The band also featured musicians Jim Bowman (ex

Ed Kuepper Edmund Kuepper (born 20 December 1955) is a German-born Australian guitarist, Singing, vocalist and songwriter. He co-founded the punk band The Saints (Australian band), The Saints in 1973, the experimental post-punk group Laughing Clowns (acti ...

), Jon Schofield (ex Paul Kelly and the Coloured Girls), Cathy Green (X), Peter Head and James Cruickshank ( Cruel Sea). They recorded one album, 'Slow Burner', released in 1997 to excellent critical reviews in local press and disbanded in 1999. Carmen then formed 'slo-mo disco' duo The Charismatics with

Ratcat Ratcat are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney who formed in 1985. The band is fronted by mainstay vocalist and guitarist, Simon Day. Their combination of indie pop song writing and energetic Punk rock, punk-style guitar rock won them fan ...

's Simon Day, where she played bass and sang. They released EP 'Fateful Gaze' in 1999, with an accompanying music video for the title track. Carmen also played guitar in Day's band 51 Monday, along with

Nic Dalton Nicholas James "Nic" Dalton (born 14 November 1964) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and record label owner. He was a member of various Australian bands including, The Plunderers (band), The Plunderers (1984–95), Godstar (band), Godstar ...

and Alison Galloway. They released EP 'The Rorschach Test' also in 1999. In 2000, Carmen formed Slow Hand, an 'obscure country soul covers' band. with Monica McMahon, Peter Head, John Gauci, Paul Dunn and Steve Wood. They performed extensively in Sydney and Melbourne, supported

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are a Rock music, rock band formed in Melbourne in 1983 by lead vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and German guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throug ...

and recorded an album but the recordings were lost and it was never released. Carmen began focusing on a career as a solo singer-songwriter in 2001 and Slow Hand disbanded in 2002 after releasing a live album on CD only. Carmen's bedroom recorded debut solo album '' Born Funky Born Free'' was released in 2001, with contributions from

Simon Day Simon William Day (born 7 June 1962) is an English comedian and actor known for his roles in the sketch show ''The Fast Show'' and the sitcom ''Grass''. Career Day was born in Blackheath, London, and rose to fame as a stand-up comic, winning ...

and

James Cruickshank James George Watson, who performed as James Cruickshank (1962 – 8 October 2015), was an Australian musician. He was the long-term guitarist and keyboardist for indie rock group, the Cruel Sea. As a solo artist he released three albums, ''Hym ...

. Reflecting on the album for

Talkhouse ''Talkhouse'' is a digital media outlet and online magazine created in 2013 by Ian Wheeler and Tim Putnam. Musicians, actors, and filmmakers share their experiences in their respective fields in personal essays, discuss their peers' work in edi ...

in 2022 she said 'The album I ended up making was driven by one-string needly guitar parts played on the Ibanez — which possessed a powerful whammy bar — one-string bass riffs, tinny Casio riffs, and odd sound effects and beats from the drum machine, all fed through delays and reverbs, dub style. The album also had tinges of old school country, soul, and blues, and featured freeform lyrical journeys through imaginary worlds populated by loudspeakers, foxy ladies, horoscopes, dark bedrooms, rivers, shadows, fortune-telling machines, instincts, and destinies.' In 2004, second album, '' Slight Delay'', described as 'a songbook of exquisitely mournful blues elements and intoxicating rock romantics... intimate shimmering confessionals' featuring

Jed Kurzel Jed Danyel Kurzel (born 1976) is an Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist and film composer. He is a founding member of The Mess Hall (from 2001), a blues rock duo. His older brother Justin Kurzel is a film director and screenwriter. Life a ...

and

Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is an English comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ...

was released on Reverberation Records. '' Rock'n'Roll Tears'' was released on Shock Records in 2007, co-written and recorded with

and Sam Worrad. Tracks "Nashville High" and "Rock n Roll Tears" were featured in the Australian series

Love My Way ''Love My Way'' is an Australian television drama series created by John Edwards and Claudia Karvan, which premiered on Fox8 on 22 November 2004, before moving to W. for its second season, and Showtime for its third and final season, conclu ...

. It was described as "impeccably well orchestrated collection of moody, classic rock and roll pieces that highlights Loene's vocal strength and range". Carmen's fourth album ''

It Walks Like Love ''It Walks Like Love'' is the fourth album from Australian singer-songwriter Loene Carmen. It was released on 12 May 2009 on Chiquita Records through Inertia Records in Australia. It was recorded at Big Jesus Burger Studios in Sydney by Burke R ...

'' was released in December 2009. The album was produced with Burke Reid and recorded with musicians from teenage punk band The Scare and long time collaborator Sam Worrad from The Holy Soul on bass. Special guests include Jed Kurzel (

Mess Hall The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...

) on duet "Oh Apollo!", Peter Head on piano with

and daughter

Holiday Sidewinder Holiday Sidewinder Carmen-Sparks is an Australian-born indie pop singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the founding lead singer of Bridezilla (2005–13). After that group disbanded Sidewinder relocated to England to start he ...

also making an appearance on backing vocals. A very limited edition CD only EP ''Hard Candy Christmas'' (2010) released under the name Sweet Carmo featured country classics by artists such as

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

and

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music singer and songwriter, considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Lynn, Wynette helped bring a ...

. who are cited as major influences, alongside

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...

and

. It is no longer available online. After relocating to

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

in 2012 while partner

Aden Young Aden Young (born 30 November 1971) is a Canadian-Australian actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Daniel Holden in the SundanceTV drama '' Rectify'', for which he was twice nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor ...

shot

Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pl ...

television series ''

Rectify ''Rectify'' is an American television drama series exploring the life of a man after he is released from prison after nearly 20 years on death row following a wrongful conviction. It was created by Ray McKinnon and is the first original series ...

'', Carmen wrote and released '' The Peach State'' (2012), a suite of solo country songs, recorded in

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

with long time

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

engineer David Ferguson. '' No Depression'' called it "...stark country-soul and shimmering blues ...a direct line to the heart that showcases her glorious voice." This release also marked the professional name change from Loene Carmen to Lo Carmen. In 2013, Carmen released the album '' The Apple Don't Fall Far from the Tree'', a collaboration with her father

. It was described as "an album high on smoky atmosphere and the ghosts of many a raised glass" and "an endearing mix of country soul and late night jazz". During the subsequent tour, the duo opened for

Kinky Friedman Richard Samet "Kinky" Friedman (November 1, 1944 – June 27, 2024) was an American singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician, and columnist for ''Texas Monthly'', who styled himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Roger ...

and

The Handsome Family The Handsome Family is an American music duo consisting of husband and wife Brett and Rennie Sparks formed in Chicago, Illinois, and as of 2001 based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They are perhaps best known for their song " Far from Any Road" fro ...

. In 2015 she released sixth album '' Everyone You Ever Knew (Is Coming Back To Haunt You)'' that features the title track as a single. The album was self-produced and recorded in Sydney over one day by

Wade Keighran Wade Keighran (born 1 August 1984) is an Australian rock musician, songwriter, audio engineer and record producer currently based in Sydney. He started his career playing guitar in punk band Taking Sides, was the bass player and co-songwriter wi ...

with musicians Ken Gormly from The Cruel Sea, Cec Condon from The

on drums and Sam Worrad on guitar. Global Texan Chronicles called it "shadowy and palpable Lou Reed-esque honky tonk realism with so much rare and raw individuality that it takes you aback at first listen", and described Carmen as "a true storyteller". ''Pan Magazine'' described it as "true to all of Carmen's creations, it's distinguished by her ability to summon a decade-defying sound and wind up in a world of her own making.' The album includes a song written about mysterious Blue Note jazz pianist

Jutta Hipp Jutta Hipp (February 4, 1925 – April 7, 2003) was a jazz pianist and composer. Born in Leipzig during the Weimar Republic, Hipp initially listened to jazz in secret, as it was not approved of by the Nazi authorities. After World War II, she be ...

. Aden Young filmed, directed and edited the videoclip for the single on a farm in Griffin, Georgia. First single "Last Thing I'll Remember" from seventh studio album '' Lovers Dreamers Fighters'' was released on 1 September 2017. ''Glide Magazine'' described it as 'gorgeous twangy pedal steel, sensual vocals, haunting guitar and harmonies, and a drumbeat that conveys a quiet loneliness' A music video for second single "Sometimes Its Hard" (featuring

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Brothers, Palace Son ...

) was released on 26 October 2017. The video was co-directed by

Get Out ''Get Out'' is a 2017 American psychological horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Jordan Peele in his directorial debut. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, Bradley Whitford, Caleb ...

cinematographer Toby Oliver. ''Lovers Dreamers Fighters'' was released on 10 November 2017 to generally positive reviews.

Mick Harvey Michael John Harvey (born 29 August 1958) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The ...

recorded a version of "Nashville High" (co written by Carmen, Sam Worrad and Jed Kurzel) for his 2024 album ''Five Ways to Say Goodbye''. It was singled out as an "album highlight" and "the album's most luminous and upbeat song – though still filled with bittersweet yearning". Carmen's eighth album ''Transatlantic Light'', again recorded with Ken Gormly, Sam Worrad and Cec Condon under the banner The Great Beyond, also featured guest appearances from

Robyn Hitchcock Robyn Rowan Hitchcock (born 3 March 1953) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also plays harmonica, piano, and bass guitar. After leading the Soft Boys in the late 1970s and releasing the ...

and Peter Head, and was released in September 2024. Carmen has toured and opened shows for

Kevin Morby Kevin Robert Morby (born 2 April 1988) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter. A former member of Woods (band), Woods and The Babies, Morby has released seven solo studio albums: ''Harlem River (album), Harlem River'' (2013), ''Still Li ...

Gareth Liddiard Gareth Liddiard is an Australian musician, best known as a founding member of both The Drones and Tropical Fuck Storm. Musically active since 1997, he also released a solo album titled '' Strange Tourist'' in 2010. Early life and education Li ...

( The Drones),

Kim Salmon Kim Leith Salmon (born 24 January 1957) is an Australian rock musician and songwriter from Perth. He has worked in various groups including The Scientists, Beasts of Bourbon, Kim Salmon and the Surrealists, Kim Salmon and the Business, and Darl ...

, Eilen Jewell, Magnolia Electric Company,

, Paul Kelly,

Dirty Three Dirty Three are an Australian instrumental rock band, consisting of Warren Ellis (musician), Warren Ellis (violin, keyboards), Mick Turner (electric guitar, organ and bass) and Jim White (drummer), Jim White (drums), which formed in 1992. Their ...

, Renee Geyer and The Secret Sisters in Australia as well as

and

Beasts of Bourbon Beasts of Bourbon were an Australian blues rock band formed in August 1983, with James Baker on drums (ex-Hoodoo Gurus, The Scientists), Spencer P. Jones on guitar ( The Johnnys), Tex Perkins on vocals (Dum Dums), Kim Salmon on guitar and Bo ...

in Europe. She showcased solo at

SxSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

in 2009 and 2016. Carmen continues to periodically perform shows and release music with her father, who often also guests on her albums. Regarded her eclectic touring style, she explained in a 2010 interview with Mess & Noise "I prefer to have a core band that I can play with but I'm not a machine playing all the time so when I need people I just have to hope they are available. Plus, I like the idea of being like Chuck Berry, just picking up bands in every town or for different gigs. And that way the songs sound different each time too". She records more than performing live, stating "Making albums is the absolute joy of being a musician for me, especially the joy of recording with other people and the surprises of what they bring." None of Carmen's albums have charted.

Personal life

Carmen married actor

Zebulon, Georgia Zebulon is a city in Pike County, Georgia, United States. The population was 1,225 in 2020. The city is the county seat of Pike County. The city and county were named after explorer Zebulon Pike. History Zebulon was incorporated in 1825. The to ...

, in 2014, after a 10-year relationship. They have two sons, Chester (b. 2011) and Dutch (b. 2007). Young directed the music videos for "Everyone You Ever Knew (Is Coming Back To Haunt You)", "Nashville High" and edited Carmen's "Mimic the Rain" clip. Carmen co-composed the score for Young's short film ''The Rose of BaZiz'' (2007) and also appeared in it. Carmen's daughter, pop singer

, was born in 1990, while she was in a relationship with Jeremy SparksThis is not Jeremy Sparks the Retired American Rodeo Clown. ]. Sidewinder's godfather is actor

Other writing

Carmen has written Loose Connections, a weekly newsletter featuring music and culture essays and recommendations since 2021. She has published articles in ''Rolling Stone'' and ''The Guardian'' and essays in ''No Depression'', ''Talkhouse'',''The Big Issue''and ''Neighborhood Paper'' and the anthologies ''Meanjin on Rock 'n' Roll: All Yesterday's Parties,'' and in ''Your Mother Would be Proud: True Tales of Mayhem and Misadventure'' (edited by Jenny Valentish & Tamara Sheward), and contributed to two of the ''Women of Letters'' collections (edited by

Marieke Hardy Marieke Josephine Hardy is an Australian writer, radio and television presenter, television producer and screenwriter, and former television actress. Early life and family Hardy is the granddaughter of Frank Hardy, author of ''Power Without Gl ...

and Michaela McGuire)'.

Discography

Studio albums * '' Born Funky Born Free'' (2002) * '' Slight Delay'' (2004) * '' Rock'n'Roll Tears'' (2007) * ''

'' (2009) * '' Everyone You Ever Knew (Is Coming Back to Haunt You)'' (2015) * '' Lovers Dreamers Fighters'' (2017) * ''Transatlantic Light'' (2022) Collaborative albums * '' The Apple Don't Fall Far from the Tree'' (2013), with

Singles and EPs * '' The Peach State EP'' (2012) * "The Last Thing I'll Remember" (2017) * "Sometimes It's Hard" (featuring

, 2017) * "Half Girl Half Beast" (featuring The Great Beyond, 2023) Other releases * ''Slow Burner'' – Automatic Cherry (1996) * ''Fateful Gaze'' – The Charismatics (1998) * ''Leave It at the Door'' – T: Lo (2010; digital release) * ''Hard Candy Christmas'' – Sweet Carmo (2011; digital release/limited edition of 25) Guest appearances * ''Three Legged Dog'' – Cruel Sea (1994) * ''Gas Food and You'' – The Stepfords (1994) * '' Intoxicated Man'' –

(1995) * '' Pink Elephants'' – Mick Harvey (1997) * ''

Stardust Five Stardust Five is five-piece surf rock and pop music, pop band based in Melbourne, Australia. The members of the band Dan Kelly (musician), Dan Kelly, Paul Kelly (Australian musician), Paul Kelly, Dan Luscombe, Peter Luscombe and Bill MacDonald hav ...

'' –

(2006) * ''Bang!'' – The Wallbangers (2007) * ''Tribute to

Rowland S. Howard Rowland Stuart Howard (24 October 1959 – 30 December 2009) was an Australian rock musician, guitarist and songwriter, best known for his work with the post-punk group The Birthday Party (band), The Birthday Party and his subsequent solo career ...

'' – Various Artists (2007) * '' Devils Elbow'' –

(2007) * ''Damn You, Ra'' – The Holy Soul (2009) * ''

RocKwiz ''RocKwiz'' is an Australian television live music trivia quiz show, focused on rock music and featuring different guest artist musicians who perform live in each episode. The show was co-created by Brian Nankervis, Peter Bain-Hogg, and Ken C ...

Duets: With A Little Help From Our Friends Vol. 4'' – Various Artists (2013) * ''Sunnyholt'' – Perry Keyes (2015)

Selected filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

* "My Friends Call Me Foxy" (2002) * "The Things That Matter" (2004) * "Nashville High" (2006) * "Mimic the Rain" (2009) * "The Peach State" (2012) * "Old Hands" (2013) * "Everyone You Ever Knew (Is Coming Back To Haunt You)" (2015) * "Sometimes Its Hard (feat. Bonnie 'Prince' Billy)" (2017) * "I Just Had To Run" (2024) * "Fix Your Heart Or Die" (2024)

Awards and nominations

* 1987:

Australian Film Institute Awards The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industr ...

nomination for Best Actress (''

'') * 2004: Film Critic's Circle nomination for Best Actor – Female ('' Tom White'') * 2004: Inside Film Award nomination for Best Actress ('' Tom White'') * 2004:

nomination for Best Supporting Actress ('' Tom White'')

References

External links

* *
The Year My Voice Broke Rewatched – The Guardian review

Loene Carmen's Peach State Again

Lovers Dreamers Fighters book review

Lo Carmen feature in Sydney Sentinel

Riveting, terrifying, completely singular: how Chrissy Amphlett changed the game by Lo Carmen in The Guardian

Lo Carmen Liner Notes for Transatlantic Light
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmen, Loene Actresses from Adelaide Australian women singer-songwriters Australian writers Australian film actresses Australian rock singers Australian women rock singers Australian record producers Australian women record producers Australian rock guitarists Australian women guitarists Living people Musicians from Adelaide 20th-century Australian women singers 20th-century Australian musicians 20th-century Australian singer-songwriters 1970 births