Sarah Jean embodies the same kind of rawness as her major influences from post punk—like Joe Strummer from the Clash and Robert Smith from The Cure—and adds a heady, almost classical, refinement inspired by her prog rock idols. She’s gone from playing in the official Australian Deep Purple Tribute band, playing the role of Jon Lord—a mean feat—to materializing her eclectic musical inspirations in her original material. The latest incarnation of that is her current band, aptly entitled Sarah Jean. They’ve released their debut album Looking Over My Shoulder which is 10 songs, every one of them featuring her unique approach to song writing and her killer talent on the keys. Not to be outdone by the star of the show, her band is truly an integral element to the project, offering Sarah Jean a soulful sonic backdrop to counteract her more cerebral approach. Check out the band’s Bandcamp page to get an idea of what they’re all about. Songs like “Take Your Coat”, “Something Else”, and “Lose My Smile” offer the perfect summation of the soulful-cerebral contrast. Sarah Jean has already played at tons of local Melbourne venues, but she can’t wait to lug her keys on stage at The Espy on Saturday, May 10th where Sarah Jean will have the chance to battle it out along with five other local acts in round one of Emergenza Festival Australia. If she could play Jon Lord on stage, we think she’s got this one covered. More details on the show here.