Leah Cotterell

Love songs and materialism, sex and cynicism, performed at 'Club Swerve' for Toadshow

From 'The Country Swing Saloon' night at Street Arts venue 'The Paint Factory

With Tony Hobb's Bebopera we played multiple residencies and toured to Sydney and Melbourne, with Steve Russell, piano, Peter Walters and Helen Russell, Bass and Ken Eadie, Drums. 'Cotterell has a full, deep, husky and strong voice and a very definite period style.'
(Gail Brennan, Sydney Morning Herald, 1992)

Trying out some R&B Repertoire at the Boundary Hotel, West End

Performing a role for the Queensland Theatre Company's production of Jill Shearer's play. A day off in Julia Creek.

Enjoying ABC airply, this Melbourne studio band recorded two albums of songs by Dave Wayman and Terry Bradford, with vocals by April Ronsisvalle, Yasmin Shoobridge and 'Cotterell, whose superbly smoky, blues-infused voice reminds me at times, of Nina Simone.'
Mike Daly, The Age,1997

'Fine music is being made around the world on any night but it’s hard to believe there was anything, anywhere that could have been better than that emotional performance.'
Noel Mengel, The Courier Mail, 1999

A heartfelt homage to Country and Gospel styles, this group, featuring Jamie Clark and Toby Wren on guitars, Helen Russell, bass and Kym Ambrose drums was the beginning of Leah's songwriting collaborations.

Featured vocalist with Fred Graham, Andrew Heath, Sreve Cook and Claire Fitzpatrick's Traditional Irish band

A creative development with Karen Anderson and Barbara Fordham on the theme of being both singer and mother, a number of the composed songs have gone on to have a long life.

Take two beautiful, deep & expressive Australian voices, combine with good songs selected from spectacularly diverse sources & exclude any "big production" touches. That's the wise recipe behind "FOOLISH THINGS", the highly unusual but delightfully accessible & nicely naked new CD by Brisbane-based duo, LEAH COTTERRELL & HELEN RUSSELL. LEAH sings with her vocal cords. HELEN's primary voice is her double bass (she does sometimes sing harmonies).
Radio National, Daily Planet, 2003

A string of songs reviews including the A'capella 'Hatches, Matches and Despatches' presented at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

Song writing team and long term musical collaborators Jamie Clark and Leah experimented with folk song forms and motifs for their album 'Bottom of the River'

Playing for pleasure at music festivals and local venues, harmony rich interpretations of bluegrass and Gospel repertoires, featuring Pearly Black, vocals, Jamie Clark, guitars, Helen Russell, bass, John Rodgers, violin and vocals, Coojee Timms, guitar and vocals, Kym Ambrose, drums.

This A'cappella Trio has toured extensively for Musica Viva in Schools, include regional and remote communities all over Australia, featuring vocalists, Anje West and Barbara Fordham