Jennifer Hankin
Artist Bio
Soulful vocals caress gentle ukulele, stitched together with lilting flute, creating the sonic pallet of multidisciplinary artist The Emerald Ruby. The brainchild of Newcastle based creative Jen Hankin, The Emerald Ruby is the home of her many artistic pursuits. Her practice of photography, fashion, visual art and video making inform her eclectic approach to music. To her, a song is a sculpture, and it’s her job to give it life.
The Emerald Ruby weaves a delicate musical tapestry from an on-stage forest of flutes and ukuleles. Voice like a siren, intricate melodies sprout from her training as a classical flautist and are gently manicured by her love of Irish folk music and early Jazz.
A rich musical history accompanies The Emerald Ruby through every performance. Her first musical home was the Orchestra, where Shostakovich and Stravinsky informed her understanding of structure and texture. In her teens, she fell for alt metal band System of Down, which combined with her study at University of Newcastle, saw her make the transition from pure classical musician to multi-genre powerhouse.
She has toured and recorded extensively with The Button collective and experimental folk/jazz band Vanishing Shapes. She regularly performs with jazz-rock band Othrship, and Psyc rock band Lachlan X Morris.
The Emerald Ruby has graced the stages of the Melbourne Ukulele Festival, Bulga Beats festival, The Rhythm Hut and Lazybones Lounge. Quotes/Testimonials Bulga Beats Festival “Quirky, smooth, multi-layered goodness. A talent fitting any venue, time or location, a show for your soul.”
Paddock Sessions (Peter C Ross) "Not Jazz, not Folk, not pop and yet all those things. Multi-instrumentalist “The Emerald Ruby” live experience is amazing, quirky and fun, don't miss it.”
Josh Shipton and the Blue Eyed Ravens (Josh Shipton) “I mean when I say she’s great, I mean it. And when I say she’s better than the chicken eating the lizard, which is one of the landmark moments of my life, I mean it.”
Crimes Against Fashion (Troy) “Music flows through Jen when she plays and it makes you feel like you are part of it. Many people can play music to you and you hear it. Jen makes you feel it and you become part of it.”
Kerri Ellis, Former Creative Director at Bucket Lounge - “A starry, starry night was travelled listening to Jen Hankin as The Emerald Ruby at the Bucket Lounge a couple of years back. But the soft velvety sounds were never forgotten.”
Get in touch
Facebook: http://facebook.com/theemeraldrubyblog/
Bandcamp: http://theemeraldruby.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theemeraldruby/
Youtube: http://youtube.com/c/theemeraldruby
