Bertie Blackman

Beatrice "Bertie" Blackman (born 1982)[1][2] is an Independent Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist. She rose to fame in 2004 with her debut album Headway, which came after years of prolific performances around Sydney's inner-city venues, where she developed a dedicated following.[3]

Bertie Blackman
Blackman at the 2012 APRA Music Awards
Background information
Born1982 (age 40–41)[1][2]
OriginSydney, Australia
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
  • producer
Instrument(s)
  • Rhythm guitar
  • electric guitar
  • singing
Years active2003–present
Labels
Websitebertieblackman.com

Early life and influences

Bertie is the daughter of late, renowned Australian artist Charles Blackman, and grew up in the eastern Sydney suburbs of Bondi and Paddington. She attended International Grammar School in Ultimo. She began playing African percussion at the age of twelve and guitar at the age of fifteen.

Career achievements
Blackman playing at the Parklife Festival (2009)

Bertie appeared on the Australian music scene in 2004 with the single "Favourite Jeans," taken from her debut album, Headway, (2004) a folk-inspired acoustic album featuring musicians Cameron Deyell, Laurence Pike, and Cameron Undy, and was co-produced by Richard Belkner. This album established her as an Australian headliner alongside contemporaries Something for Kate, Ben Lee and Alex Lloyd. She wrote music for Australian films, including the title track to the 2008 production Hey, Hey, It's Esther Blueburger which saw her collaborate with prodigious Australian producer Paul Mac.[4]

After forming a new band with Neal Sutherland, Evan Mannell and Cameron Deyell, she made her second album Black (2006) and received positive reviews and high rotation on Triple J[5] and demonstrated Blackman's move away from folk music to a focus on rock. This album was produced by well-known Australian producer, Paul McKercher (Augie March, Little Birdy)[6]

In 2008, Bertie signed with newly formed Australian management company Forum 5 and began working on her third studio album, Secrets and Lies, which was recorded between Sydney and Melbourne. Musicians involved included Neal Sutherland, Evan Mannell and Ben Hauptmann, with producers Lee Groves (Goldfrapp, Gwen Stefani) and Francois Tetaz (Architecture in Helsinki, Gotye)[7]

Her first single from the album, "Heart," was released on 10 April 2009.[8] The song was added on high rotation on Australian radio station Triple J and nationwide on commercial radio network Nova as well as on regional and community stations across the country.[9] Altogether, "Heart" was the 4th most added song on radio in the week of its release, and entered the Australian radio airplay charts at No. 67.[10]

The album Secrets and Lies was the Triple J Feature Album for the week commencing 27 April 2009[11] Secrets and Lies entered the ARIA album charts at No. 72 and peaked at No. 49.[12]

At the AIR Awards of 2009, Bertie Blackman received four nominations for 'Best Independent Single or EP', 'Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year', 'Best Independent Album' and 'Best Independent Artist', winning 'Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year'.[13][14]

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, Blackman won the ARIA Award for Best Independent Release. In 2010, she released as a single a cover version of "Peek-a-Boo" from Siouxsie and the Banshees.

She has a son, Rumi, born in 2019. In 2022 she published a memoir, Bohemian Negligence, about her childhood experiences growing up with her father Charles Blackman, the Australian artist.

Session and touring members
  • Laurence Pike – drums, percussion, vibraphone (2004–05)
  • Cameron Undy – electric bass, double bass, bass (2004–05)
  • Cameron Deyell – lead guitar, electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, grand piano, wurlitzer organ (2004–07)
  • Clayton Doley – hammond organ, wurlitzer organ (2004)
  • Calvin Turner – bass (2005)
  • Neal Sutherland – bass, keyboards, synthesizer (2005–09)
  • Evan Mannell – drums (2005–09)
  • Ben Hauptmann – string arrangement (2009)
  • Andrew Hines (2009)
  • Anthea Caddy (2009)
  • Gareth Skinner (2009)
  • James Ware (2009)
  • Josie de Sousa (2009)
  • Lewie Day (2009)
  • Manny Bourakis (2009)
  • Michael Iveson – drums, percussion, scissors, claps, toy drum kit, snare drum (2009–12)
  • Rachel Easton (2009)
  • Stephanie Zarka (2009)
  • Tim Harvey (2009)
  • Sam Lawrence (2009)
  • François Tétaz – organ, piano, glockenspiel, tack piano, elka organ, violin, moog, xylophone, castanets, wurlitzer organ, drums, claps, percussion, steel drum, vibraphone, harp, strings, woodwind, synthesizer (2012)
  • Luke Hodgson – bass, scissors, claps (2012)
  • Ken Yuguchi – guitar, electric guitar (2012)
  • Tom Spender – saxophone, alto saxophone, whistling, harmonica (2012)
  • Adam Simmons – saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, contralto clarinet (2012)
  • Kram – acoustic guitar, guitar (2012)
  • Sophia Brous – vocals (2012)
  • Andy Stewart – guitar, difficult omnichord (2012)
  • James Wilkinson – trombone, euphonium (2012)
  • Kirk Pengilly – saxophone (2014)


Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
AUS
[15]
Headway
  • Released: 16 August 2004[16]
  • Label: Bertie Blackman (BB3)
  • Format: CD
 —
Black
  • Released: 16 September 2006[17]
  • Label: Bertie Blackman (BB7)
  • Format: CD, digital download
 —
Secrets and Lies
  • Released: 27 April 2009[18]
  • Label: Forum 5 (F5-BB09)
  • Format: CD, digital download
 49
Pope Innocent X 54
The Dash
  • Released: 31 October 2014[20]
  • Label: Outpost, Warner
  • Format: CD, LP, digital download
 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Extended plays
Title Album details
Blue Sky Pueblo
  • Released: November 2002[21]
  • Label: Bertie Blackman (AU) (BB1)
  • Format: CD
Town of Sky EP
  • Released: 18 March 2009
  • Label: EQ
  • Format: Digital download
The Remixes
  • Released: 5 July 2011 (AU)[22]
  • Label: Full Tilt
  • Format: Digital download

Remix albums
Title Album details
B-Sides – Secrets and Lies Remixed
  • Released: 16 April 2010[23]
  • Label: Forum 5
  • Format: Digital download

Singles
Title Year Peak chart
positions		 Album
AUS
[24]		 JJJ
100[25]
"Criminal of Desire" 2003 — — Blue Sky Pueblo
"Favourite Jeans" 2004 — — Headway
"You Kill Me" 2005 — — Black
"Television" — —
"Hold Me Close" 2006 — —
"Fast Bitch" 2007 — —
"Heart" 2009 99 120 Secrets and Lies
"Thump" — 93
"Byrds of Prey" — 71
"Black Cats"[26] — 184
"Peek-a-Boo"
(Siouxsie and the Banshees cover)		 2010 92 171 —
"Mercy Killer"[27] 2012 — — Pope Innocent X
"Boy"[28] — —
"Run for Your Life"[29] 2014 — — The Dash
"Kingdom of Alone"[30] — —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Title Year Peak chart
positions		 Album
AUS
[24][31]
"Young & Dumb"
(Chance Waters featuring Bertie Blackman)		 2012 91 Infinity
"Karmageddon Undone"
(Abbe May featuring Bertie Blackman)[32]		 2014 — non-album single
"This Game"
(Odd Mob featuring Bertie Blackman)[33]		 2015 — Diverse Universe
"Long Loud Hours"
(Urthboy featuring Bertie Blackman)		 2015 95 The Past Beats Inside Me Like a Second Heartbeat

Promotional singles
Title Year Album
"War of One"[34] 2014 The Dash

Guest appearances
List of guest appearances, with primary artist(s), year released, and album name shown
Title Year Album Notes
"Don't You Ever"
(The Tongue featuring Bertie Blackman)[35]		 2006 Bad Education
"The Futurist"
(Something for Kate featuring Bertie Blackman)[36]		 2007 The Murmur Years – The Best of Something for Kate 1996 – 2007 Backing vocals
"The Only One"
(Paul Mac featuring Bertie Blackman)[37]		 2008 Hey Hey It's Esther Blueburger – Original Soundtrack
"Town of Sorrow"
(Mic Newman Remix)[38]		 One Love – Mobile Disco 2009
"In the Air Tonight"
(Phil Collins cover)[39]		 2009 Triple J: Like a Version Five
"Heart"
(Live at The Hi-Fi Brisbane 14 August 2009)[40]		 2010 The Hi-Fi Live Highlights
"Peekaboo"
(Marco Del Horno Remix)[41]		 Bullet Train Volume One
"Gold Dust Woman"
(Fleetwood Mac cover)[42]		 2011 When I First Met Your Ma
"Do You Love Me?"
(featuring Muscles; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover)[43]		 2012 Straight to You – triple j's Tribute to Nick Cave
"The Mercy Seat"
(Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover)[43]
"Chasing Stars"
(Alice Ivy featuring Bertie Blackman)[44]		 2018 I'm Dreaming Guest vocals
"Sweetest Love"
(Alice Ivy featuring Montaigne and Bertie Blackman)[45]		 2020 Don't Sleep
"Gold"
Alice Ivy featuring Bertie Blackman)[46]

Music videos
Title Year Director(s)
"Favourite Jeans" 2004
"You Kill Me" 2005 Simon Wright[47]
"Television" 2006 Clemens Habicht[48]
"Fast Bitch" 2007 Beth Halon[49]
"Thump" (Viral video)[50] 2009
"Heart" Danielle Zorbas[51]
"Thump" Don Cameron[52]
"Byrds of Prey" Marc Furmie[53]
"Black Cats" 2010 Miland Suman and Richard Thomas[54]
"Peek-a-Boo" Jonathon Lim and Andrew Smith[55]
"Mercy Killer" 2012 Chino Moya[56]
"Boy" Quan Yeomans[57]
"Stella" Andrew Kavanagh[58]
"Run for Your Life" 2014 Timothy Nash and Lucas Crandles[59]
"Kingdom of Alone" Nick Waterman[60]
"Strangers in a Moment" 2015 Radioactive Gigantism Films[61]
Title Year Director(s)
"The Only One" (Paul Mac featuring Bertie Blackman) 2008
"Young & Dumb" (Chance Waters featuring Bertie Blackman) 2012 Craig Foster[62]

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
AIR Awards of 2009[63][64] herself Best Independent Artist Nominated
Breakthrough Independent Artist Won
Secrets and Lies Breakthrough Independent Album Nominated
"Heart" Best Independent Single/EP Nominated

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Secrets and Lies Best Independent Release Won

Australian Music Prize

The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. The commenced in 2005.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009[65] Secrets and Lies Australian Music Prize Nominated

J Award

The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.

Year Nominee / work Award Result
J Awards of 2009 Secrets and Lies Australian Album of the Year Nominated
J Awards of 2012[66] Pope Innocent X Australian Album of the Year Nominated
"Boy" Australian Video of the Year Nominated

References
  1. Donovan, Patrick (9 May 2009). "Beating around the brush". The Age. Bertie, now 26
  2. "Urthboy/Bertie Blackman/Mark Seymour". RocKwiz. Season 11. Episode 143. Australia. 22 June 2013. Event occurs at 10:55. Special Broadcasting Service. SBS One. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  3. Waterfront Records – Artist Info
  4. 'The Only One' by Paul Mac and Bertie Blackman on YouTube
  5. JPlay Profile
  6. Bertie Blackman Beat Magazine Review
  7. JPlay Artist Bio
  8. Waterfront Records
  9. "Bertie Blackman Official Myspace". Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  10. Music Network Magazine, Issue: #728/729 March 16/23, 2009
  11. Official Triple J Site Review
  12. "Bertie Blackman – Secrets and Lies". Australian Charts.com. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  13. "2009 Air Awards". AIR. November 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  14. Cashmere, Paul (24 November 2009). "The Drones Take Home The Major Air Award". Undercover.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  15. Peak chart positions for albums in Australia:
  16. "Headway". MGM Distribution. The Groove Merchants. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  17. "Bertie Blackman – Black (CD)". MGM Distribution. The Groove Merchants. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
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  25. "Hottest 100 Archive | triple j". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 20 December 2012.
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  30. Dunn, Matthew (14 August 2014). "City slicker finds new meaning in dust of the rodeo". Townsville Bulletin. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
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