Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, acoustic and electric bass player, vocalist and composer Vanessa McGowan grew up playing in the local jazz scene and studied jazz bass at Auckland University. She performed throughout Auckland and NZ in various groups including the Caitlin Smith band and the Rodger Fox Big Band and studied with prominent local bassist Alberto Santerelli.
After meeting Los Angeles based bassist Tom Warrington through Rodger Fox, Vanessa was offered a scholarship and left NZ in 2005 to study for a Masters of Music, Jazz Performance Bass at UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada with Tom as her tutor.
Upon completing the Masters she reconnected with fellow New Zealand Cy Winstanley and moved to London when she graduated from UNLV in 2007. Guitarist, singer and songwriter Winstanley encouraged her to sing backing vocals on his original songs, revealed to her the simple beauty of a country 2-feel, and country pop band Her Make Believe Band was born.
Performing as a duo, Cy and Vanessa present Cy’s songs in their rawest form, with just acoustic guitar, double bass and two voices. With voices described as “love letters between Amy Mann and a slip-sliding Paul Simon” they evoke the work of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings in their musical connection and full sound belying the duo’s size.
In April 2010 Her Make Believe Band toured New Zealand for the first time, introducing their home audience to the duo’s unique blend of country/folk/pop. Touring for the second time in February 2011 allowed HMBB to further build their home fanbase and a live review of the Lyttelton performance described the duo as “silky… grounded, heartfelt songwriting… one of those melting experiences you get with good live blues/folk music”.
Though new to singing, backing vocals soon proved to be not enough for this burgeoning songstress and now she sings lead with her own group, performing original acoustic music inspired by her love of jazz, country and folk.
Vanessa is currently working on original material for her debut album and Her Make Believe Band’s debut album is out now and available through itunes, Rough Trade London, CD Baby, Amplifier NZ and direct from Old Oak Music.
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Additional Information
While completing a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance Bass at Auckland University Vanessa performed and toured New Zealand with local and international artists including the late Michael Brecker (saxophone), Diane Schuur (vocals), Bill Cunliffe (piano) and Steve Smith (drums).
While at UNLV she won the International Association of Jazz Education Sisters In Jazz competition. She performed with them under the direction of Ingrid Jensen in New York in January 2007 at the IAJE Conference and again in May 2007 at the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. In July 2007 the group toured in Costa Rica, performing around the country and as part of the Costa Rica International Jazz Festival.
Vanessa has also performed with Chris Potter (Saxophone), Bob Sheppard (Woodwind), Joe La Barbera (Drums), Ruth Brown (Vocals), Marlena Shaw (Vocals) and Bobby Shew (Trumpet).