Jade Aurora MacRae (born 8 December 1979) is an Australian soul singer and the daughter of professional musicians Joy Yates and Dave MacRae. MacRae is best known for her top 40 singles MacRae "So Hot Right Now" and "Superstar", both released in 2005. In 2012, following her marriage to Australian hip hop artist Phrase, MacRae continued her musical career under the new moniker of Dune.[2]

Jade MacRae
MacRae in 2019
MacRae in 2019
Background information
Birth nameJade Aurora MacRae
Born (1979-12-08) 8 December 1979 (age 44)
OriginSydney[1]
GenresSoul
OccupationSinger
InstrumentVocals
Years active2002–present
LabelsSony BMG/Workstation

Biography

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Early years

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Jade Aurora Moana MacRae was born on 8 December 1979 into a musical family. MacRae's mother is respected session vocalist Joy Yates and her pianist father is Dave MacRae.[3] MacRae grew up in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, Australia. The singer commenced learning the piano at the age of three years and the violin at the age of eight. MacRae studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and engaged in musical projects with members of The Sleepy Jackson and Pnau.[4]

After completing her Australian Higher School Certificate, MacRae began singing in a number of entertainment venues as well as singing in a band with Mahalia Barnes and supporting Renée Geyer and Jackie Orszaczky.

Through her association with Mahalia Barnes, MacRae attained further work as a backup singer with Jimmy Barnes[2] and worked as a session musician with Australian electronic acts such as Disco Montego, Endorphin and Pnau.

2004–2006: Jade MacRae

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Early in 2004, German dance producer Ian Pooley recruited MacRae to sing on the track "Heaven", together with Danni'elle Gaha. The song featured on the German dance charts.[5]

MacRae signed a record contract with Michael Hegarty of Workstation Records and worked with a number of producers throughout 2004. In October 2004, MacRae released her debut solo single "You Make Me Weak" which peaked at number 46 on the ARIA Charts.

In February 2005, MacRae released "So Hot Right Now" which debuted and peaked at number 18 on the ARIA Charts. In September 2005, MacRae released her debut self-titled album which peaked at number 61 on the ARIA Charts. The album's third single "Superstar" peaked at number 32 on the ARIA Charts.

MacRae performed the Australian national anthem "Advance Australia Fair" at the World Cup qualifying match, between Australia and Uruguay, at Sydney's Stadium Australia venue.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2006, MacRae's was nominated for two ARIA Award nominations; ARIA Award for Best Urban Album and ARIA Award for Best Female Artist.[6]

2007–2011: Get Me Home

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MacRae in 2009

In 2007, MacRae performed an hour-long set prior to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC)'s third and fourth Asian Cup quarter final matches in Sydney, Australia. The 2007 Asian Cup was the first time that Australia participated in the competition.[7]

In mid-2007, MacRae toured Australia as part of the Broad show, performing alongside Deborah Conway, New Buffalo, Anne McCue, and Abbe May.[8]

In September 2007, MacRae released "In the Basement", the lead single from her second studio album. The song peaked at number 60 on the ARIA Chart. After several delays, MacRae's second album Get Me Home was released in October 2008, together with the album's second single "I Wanna Be in Love". The album failed to enter any music charts. In a 2012 interview MacRae confessed that the lack of the success of the album impacted her confidence. MacRae said she was "shell-shocked after that didn't work out. It was a hard thing to recover from."[2]

2012–2017: Dune

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In 2012, MacRae contributed vocals to the soundtrack of the Australian film The Sapphires (alongside Jessica Mauboy and Lou Bennett, Juanita Tippens and Darren Percival),[9] in addition to the fourth album of Australian artist Kevin Mitchell (recording under his "Bob Evans" pseudonym), Familiar Stranger.[10]

In September 2012 MacRae assumed a new musical pseudonym Dune saying "The music I'm making is definitely more alternative, so I thought it needed its name, its identity and personality".[2] In July 2012, Dune released the song "Shoestring"[11] together with a music video.[12]

Dune released the EP Oh Innocence on 14 March 2013,[13] and MacRae revealed the Dune recordings were self-funded, self-produced, and self-released. MacRae's live band for the Dune project consists of a bassist and drummer, Luke Hodgson and Leigh Fisher (both from the band Gypsy and the Cat), and the group was invited to play at the 2013 Great Escape Festival held annually in Brighton, UK.[4]

In 2013 in an interview with the Time Out media group, MacRae provided an insight into the response from fans of her previous work under the "Jade MacRae" title "I think some people are quite disappointed in the new direction – some people on the urban scene can be quite staunch ... It's amazing how short people's memories are although. A lot of the people I deal with in media have no recollection of me ... There's no culture these days in the mainstream really – the idea of discovering an artist, getting all their albums, and getting obsessed with them is dying out. It still exists to some extent in indie bands and left-of-center music."[4]

2018–present: Handle Me with Care

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In 2018 MacRae announced she had returned to the studio and was working on a new album. The album was released on 12 June 2020 under the title Handle Me with Care. It was proceeded by the singles "Up Above Your Head", "I Choose Love" and "Midnight Air". Jade is also a longtime backing vocalist in the Joe Bonamassa band, which tours the world extensively.

Other media

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Jade MacRae in 2019

MacRae signed on to participate in the Australian celebrity television singing show, It Takes Two in 2006, and was partnered with Australian cricket player Michael Bevan—the pair was eliminated on 2 July 2006. MacRae returned to It Takes Two in May 2007, and was partnered with Home and Away's Bobby Morley (Morley appeared in the music video for MacRae's song "In The Basement" later that year[14]). Morley and MacRae were eliminated on 12 June 2007.[citation needed] In 2008, MacRae returned to the television show for a third time, and was partnered with actor Paul O'Brien—the pair were eliminated in the eighth week of the season.[citation needed]

MacRae briefly acted in the co-host role for Sydney's Edge 96.1 radio station, and appeared several times on the Australian musical comedy/quiz shows Spicks And Specks and RocKwiz.

Personal life

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In August 2011, MacRae married hip hop artist Phrase, based in Melbourne, Australia, after dating since 2008.[15][16]

Discography

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Albums

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List of studio albums, with selected chart positions
Title Details Peak chart positions
AUS
[17]
Jade MacRae
  • Released: September 2005
  • Label: Workstation (501009-2)
61
Get Me Home
  • Released: October 2008
  • Label: Workstation (301343-2)
Handle Me with Care
  • Released: 12 June 2020
  • Label: Jade MacRae

Extended plays

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List of extended plays
Title Details
Oh Innocence
  • Released: 14 March 2013

Singles

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List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
AUS
[17]
"Heaven"
(Ian Pooley featuring Jade and Danielle)
2004 Non-album single
"You Make Me Weak" 46 Jade Macrae
"So Hot Right Now" 2005 18
"Superstar" 32
"In the Basement" 2007 60 Get Me Home
"I Wanna Be in Love" 2008
"Life"
(Space Invadas featuring Jade MacRae)[18]
2009 Non-album single
"Shoestring"
(credited to Dune)
2012 Oh Innocence
"Oh Innocence"
(credited to Dune)
2013
"Up Above Your Head"[19] 2019 Handle Me with Care
"My Father's House"[20] Non-album single
"I Choose Love"[21] 2020 Handle Me with Care
"Midnight Air"[22]

Awards and nominations

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Award Category About Result
2005
ARIA Awards Best Urban Release "So Hot Right Now" Nominated
POPrepublic.tv IT List Awards Australian Female Herself Nominated
2006
APRA Music Awards Most Performed Urban Work "You Make Me Weak" Nominated
ARIA Awards Best Urban Release Jade MacRae Nominated
ARIA Awards Best Female Artist Herself Nominated
MTV Australia Video Music Awards Best R&B Video "So Hot Right Now" Nominated
POPrepublic.tv IT List Awards Australian Female Herself Won
Urban Music Awards Best R&B Album Jade MacRae Won
Urban Music Awards Best Female Artist Herself Won
2007
APRA Music Awards Most Performed Urban Work "Superstar" Nominated
Urban Music Awards Best Female Artist Herself Won
2008
APRA Music Awards Urban Work of the Year "In the Basement" Won[23]

References

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  1. ^ "So hot right now". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 August 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d David (1 September 2012). "Interview Feature: Jade Macrae reinvents herself as Dune". Feed Limmy. Archived from the original on 23 November 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  3. ^ Browne, Sally (5 August 2007). "Broadly talented". The Sunday Mail (Qld).
  4. ^ a b c Jenny Valentish (21 February 2013). "Dune: Oh Innocence launch tour". Time Out Melbourne. Time Out Group Ltd. Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  5. ^ "Jade Mac-Rae". Girl.com.au. Girl.com.au & Femail.com.au. 1997–2014. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Winners By Year". ARIA Awards – United By Music. Australian Recording Industry Association. 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  7. ^ Ben Willing (5 July 2007). "Asian Cup preview". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  8. ^ Kane Adrian (19 August 2007). "Broad 2007". Australian Stage. Australian Stage Online. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  9. ^ Andrew Tijs (10 July 2012). "The Sapphires' Soundtrack Songs Announced". noise11. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  10. ^ Simon Collins (15 March 2013). "The perfect stranger". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  11. ^ "Dune releases Debut single Shoestring". AAA Backstage. 2012. Archived from the original on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  12. ^ ThisIsDune (5 July 2012). "Dune – Shoestring (Official Video)" (Video upload). Google, Inc. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2013 – via YouTube.
  13. ^ "Oh Innocence Dune". iTunes Preview. Apple, Inc. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  14. ^ singerboy94 (1 February 2008). "Jade Macrae-In The Basement" (Video upload). Google, Inc. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2013 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ Christie Eliezer (11 November 2010). "Industrial Strength: November 11". The Music Network. Peer Group Media. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  16. ^ Nils Hay (22 August 2011). "Phrase Trusting in Babylon". The Brag. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  17. ^ a b Peaks in Australia:
    • All except noted: "Discography Jade MacRae". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
    • Jade MacRae and "In the Basement": Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 173.
  18. ^ "Space Invadas Announce Debut Performance First and Only Shows For 2009". MusicFeeds. November 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Up Above Your Head - single". Apple Music. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  20. ^ "My Father's House - single". Apple Music. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  21. ^ "I Choose Love - single". Apple Music. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  22. ^ "Midnight Air - single". Apple Music. 22 May 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  23. ^ "2008 Winners – APRA Music Awards". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
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