George

Innovative, state-of-the-art Australian music of the last five-plus years (Regurgitator, Custard, Powderfinger, Savage Garden) seems to originate from Brisbane. Groove-based atmospheric pop/rock group George added their name to that list with a series of varied EPs and singles over the course of two years leading up to the release of a debut album in March 2002. By then the band had achieved such a following the album entered the national chart at No.1.

Diversity is the key to George. At the forefront are the Noonan siblings, Katie and Tyrone. The pair share vocal duties and along with guitarist Nick Stewart, much of the song writing credits, brother and sister coming at the music from completely different musical points of view, both as singers and musicians. Katie studied jazz and the Brisbane Conservatorium, with brother Ty, then a journalist, played in a string of Brisbane bands before spending two years in Dublin. His first band was called the Sadistic Teddy Boys, playing obscure Models covers. Both Kate and Ty are multi-instrumentalists.

 George was originally formed in 1996 "by accident", as a jazz/rock ensemble. Guitarist Nick Stewart had entered a university band competition, without actually having a band. It was necessary to quickly form one, which he did, with twin brother Jim and friends, including the Noonans. They ended up winning the state finals of that band competition. It took a few years for that original 12-piece to transform into the 5-piece George which would start their recording career. In 1998 Jim Stewart left for an acting career and was replaced by drummer Geoff Green. In 2000 bassist Paulie Bromley, well know on the Brisbane scene as having played with Regurgitator's Quan Yeomans in Zooerastia and seminal Brisbane "scene" band Pangaea, completed the line-up. Early lyrics were often penned in collaboration with local poets Martin Challis or Craig Carlton.

Essentially a live band, following three successful EPs and well received singles, the band and producer David Nicholas (known for his work with Ash, Pulp, Elton John and Inxs) determined to capture that live essence in the studio. The 'Polyserena' album was started in a studio that enabled George to record live, and completed in a mobile studio. All but one of the vocal track tracks on the album are the first take. The one exception is 'Truth', which they felt could do with a re-take. In the end the finished vocal on that track was recorded with Katie not realizing the microphone was on.

'Polyserena' became one of Australia's top selling albums of 2002. In April 2003 Katie Noonan and Nick Stewart released an album with splinter group Elixir.

The band entered into a hiatus to concentrate on individual projects, regrouping to play a final show, on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House on 21 January 2005.

Katie Noonan released her first solo album 'Skin' in 2007