The precursor to The Audreys started in Melbourne as a duo consisting of lead singer Taasha Coates and guitarist Tristan Goodall. After dropping out of university in Adelaide, the two moved to Melbourne where they played original pop songs and slowed-down versions of 1980s songs. An impromptu jam session with a bluegrass band inspired them to change direction from pop music to the folk and blues music they preferred, and the two moved back to Adelaide, where they formed The Audreys along with Cameron Goodall and Michael Green. The group self-released the EP You & Steve McQueen in 2005, featuring the singles "Oh Honey" and "You and Steve McQueen".
2006-2009: ''Between Last Night and Us'' & ''When the Flood Comes''
2010-2015: ''Sometimes the Stars'' & ''Til My Tears Roll Away''
Following the departure of Cameron Goodall and Michael Green, Taasha Coates and Tristan Goodall continued as a duo and recorded their third album. The album included work from Tim Rogers, jazz pianist Paul Grabowsky, members of Tripod, and Michael Barker of the John Butler Trio. The duo once again worked under the guidance of producer, engineer and friend Shane O'Mara. In October 2010 The Audreys released their third album, titled Sometimes the Stars, which debuted at #28 on the ARIA charts. Following the release of the album, The Audreys toured throughout Australia in October, November and December 2010. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2011, the group won their third ARIA award for Best Blues and Roots Album. In March 2012, a 3CD box set called Collected was released, featuring the first three studio albums. The digital version included seven bonus tracks, including the song "Train Wreck Blues", which was released as a single. In March 2014, the group released their fourth album 'Til My Tears Roll Away, which peaked at number 32 on the ARIA Charts. The album was preceded by the lead single "My Darlin' Girl" in January 2014. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2014, the band were again nominated for Best Blues and Roots Album.
2016-present: solo work and marriage
In 2016, Taasha Coates released her first solo recordTaasha Coates and her Melancholy Sweethearts through ABC Music and produced by fellow Australian, producer Shane Nicholson. The first single and video for the album was "This House Is Gonna Burn", a song about domestic violence. Overall the record has a harder edge than most of the material Taasha penned in her band The Audreys, though the artistic and thematic through lines are quite clear. Songs from the album are featured prominently in the ABC miniseries Pulse. In 2017 Taasha married Ray Flowers, whom she met while attending the Americana Music Conference in Nashville, Tennessee in 2016. They now live in Adelaide, Australia. Tristan resides in Melbourne, and The Audreys still play often around Australia.
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. The Audreys have been nominated for four awards and have won three.
