Katie has now released her debut album “Ain’t Nobody’s Baby” (through MGM and iTunes) which features a selection of jazz standards and original songs, plus an exclusive jazz-infused recording of her classic dance hit ‘Beautiful’.
Katie Underwood started her professional career in Australia in the year 2000 as a member of the pop group Bardot. The band was launched on the hugely successful TV program ‘Popstars’. Bardot achieved massive success in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, with more than double-platinum sales for their debut album and singles. Katie left the group in 2001.
In 2002 Katie returned to the music scene with Australian dance act Disco Montego. Together they had a HUGE hit with the song ‘Beautiful’. The song was certified GOLD, peaked at No. 9 on the ARIA pop charts and held the no 1 spot on the ARIA Club chart for 12 weeks. Katie won an APRA award for ‘Beautiful’ in 2003. Katie’s association with Disco Montego continued with the follow up single ‘Magic’ which also featured on their Top 20 album, ‘Disco Montego’. Katie’s first solo single ‘Danger’ earned her another APRA nomination in 2004. Katie’s song writing skills were again highlighted when her song Pop Trash, was released by South African and Serbian Idol winners in 2005 and 2006. More recently Katie co-wrote with T-Funk on track ‘Be Together’, which was released by Ministry of Sound in June 2006 and yet again, went to No. 1 on the ARIA club chart.
Katie’s career propelled her into television, working as a presenter in the Channel 7 series Undercover Angels as well as performing at numerous public, TV and charity events over the years. These include Carols in the Domain, Rumba, Fashion Rocks, Style Aid and Pride (Perth) to name a few. Her more recent appearances include a headline performance at the Opening of Melbourne’s Midsumma Carnival in and SleazeBall in Sydney in 2006. Katie won the Rainbow Award for Best Live Performance in 2006.
Her first venture into theatre production was the comedy/burlesque musical, Dark Angels, in Melbourne in 2007, for which she also wrote 3 songs and starred in the lead role. Dolls, Doves and a Diva, was her next cabaret venture, produced for the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2008. She also starred in a successful season of David Tydd’s musical Valentino in 2009, alongside her fellow Bardot band mate Tiffani Wood and music industry legend, Normie Rowe.
Amazingly it has been 10 years since the first Australian reality television program, Popstars, launched the career of Katie Underwood and brought her into the homes of 2.5 million fans across the country. Since that illustrious beginning, Katie has continued to develop her impressive range of talents. From humble beginnings as a member of multi-platinum, award winning pop-group Bardot, Katie has gone from strength to strength with a career that boasts nominations for 2 ARIA awards (best video and best dance release) and 2 APRA awards (Beautiful and her solo single Danger), winning the APRA in 2003 for her best dance release, Beautiful. Both of her Dance releases, Beautiful and Be Together reached # 1 on the ARIA Club Chart.
Returning to our television screens to perform good deeds for those in need, Katie appeared as a presenter for Channel 7 on Undercover Angels and was also as a three-time guest presenter on Channel 10’s The Panel. Showcasing her flair for musical theatre, Katie then hit the stage and starred in productions such as Dark Angels, for which she also wrote three songs, in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. Moving onto producing, Katie then produced her own cabaret show, Dolls, Doves & a Diva, for the 2008 Melbourne Comedy Festival. Katie has also won the Rainbow Award for Best Live Performance in 2006 for the Opening of the Midsumma Carnival in Melbourne and was the headline act at Sydney’s SleazeBall in the same year.
With numerous performances under her belt, such as TV and charity events like Carols in the Domain, Rumba, Fashion Rocks, Style Aid and Pride (Perth), Katie holds being selected to sing a jazz number for former president Bill Clinton at “A Night in New Orleans with Bill Clinton” at the Sydney Convention Centre as one of the highlights of her career.
Now Katie is reveling in her long-time love of jazz, swing and blues, with her debut jazz album, Ain’t Nobody’s Baby currently available at JB Hifi and on iTunes. The album features a selection of jazz sounds and original songs together with an exclusive jazz-infused recording of her classic dance hit Beautiful. These days, Katie performs mostly at select private and corporate functions, recently capturing an Adelaide audience alongside Tim Sexton’s 26-piece orchestra.
This year has brought a together a culmination of her talents over the last 10 years with the formation of a new studio production house, STARKRAFT. Alongside renowned DJ/Producer Mark John (Disco Montego, Black Dogs, Quazimodo), Producer/Engineer Danny Dharumasena (1200 Techniques, Rockmelons) and prolific Singer/songwriter Gary Pinto (co-writes with Guy Sebastian, Anthony Callea, Christine Anu, Jimmy Barnes, Jade McRae, Taylor Dane), she is surrounded by the very best of Australian talent that will quickly see STARKRAFT become one of the premier music production houses in Australia. As a co-writer, vocal coach and producer in the StarKraft team, Katie is now well equipped to nurture new and emerging Australian talent and make music industry dreams come true.
AWARDS / NOMINATIONS
ARIA nomination – Best Pop release & Best Video in 2002 – ‘Beautiful’
APRA AWARD – Most Played Dance Release in 2002 – ‘Beautiful’
APRA Nomination – Most played dance release in 2003 – ‘Danger’
Rainbow AWARD – Best Live Performance in 2006
MAJOR MUSIC PERFORMANCES & EVENTS
ARIA Awards – with BARDOT, 2000
‘Tour De Force’ with the Australian Army Band, East Timor 2001
RUMBA Festival 2002 – Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
Pride Festival – Perth 2002
‘A Night in New Orleans’ with Bill Clinton – featured Jazz vocal performance at Sydney Convention Centre 2002
L’Oreal Colour Trophy Awards
Carols in the Domain – 2001 & 2003
STYLEAID – Perth 2003
Fashion Rocks @ Crown Casino 2004
NRL Grand Final – performance with Christine Anu & Caroline O’Connor – 2004/2005
Foxtel’s 10th Birthday Celebrations – ‘Lady Marmalade’ with Christine & Caroline – 2005
Opening of Midsumma Carnival @ Federation Square, Melb 2006
Equal Love Rally, Fed Sq Melb 2008 (jazz)
GAYDAY, Brisbane – 2009
Pride Festival, Melbourne (jazz) – 2009
Bankstown City Christmas Carols, Sydney 2010 (jazz)
MUSICALS
Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat – MS Society, Adelaide – 2005 (Lead role as the Narrator)
Dark Angels – a cabaret/burlesque musical @ Ondergronds, Melbourne – 2007
Dolls, Doves & A Diva (cabaret/comedy) Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Trades Hall – 2008
Valentino – The Musical, Sydney – 2009 (Lead role – Betsy)
TELEVISION
Popstars – member of the pop-group Bardot (Ch 7), 2000
Geoffrey Robertson’s Hypothetical – guest panelist (Ch 7), 2000
The Panel – 2 x guest panelist (Ch 10), 2001 – 2003
The Panel – interview and performance of “Beautiful”, 2002
Good Morning Australia (Ch 10), 2004
Dancing with the Stars – guest singer, 2004
Spicks & Specks – guest panelist (ABC), 2005
Friday Night Games (Ch 10), 2006
Australia’s Brainiest Musician, 2006
The Morning Show with David & Kim, 2009
RADIO
Co-host with Andy & Adrian, Thursday Breakfast show on JOYFM, 2009/2010
Co-host with Jo Lanning, Friday Express on JOYFM, 2010
FILM
Nice/Hot – Short Film (Natalie) – 2009
Submerge – DJ/ hot girl (featured extra) – yet to be released
CORPORATE
Ellis St, Melbourne (private function/cabaret) – 2008
Camp Quality Fundraiser – Chandon Supper Club (jazz) – 2009
Crown Oaks, Melbourne (pop / jazz) – 2009
Crown New Years Eve spectacular (jazz/blues) – 2009
Chique Events, EXTRAVAGENT @ Crown (pop/dance) – 2010
Back in Black @ Adelaide Entertainment Centre (jazz orchestra) – 2011
MC
Hyundai – Getz pre-launch sales conference, Port Douglas – 2002
MUSIC RELEASED
Bardot – Debut album, 2000
‘Beautiful’ & ‘Magic’ – Disco Montego album, 2002
‘Danger’ – dance single, 2003
‘Be Together’ (with T-Funk) – dance single, 2006
‘Ain’t Nobody’s Baby’ – debut jazz album, 2009
NIGHTCLUBS & PUBLIC VENUES
Academy – Canberra
Family – Brisbane
Eve – Melbourne
The Market – Melbourne
One Love @ The Prince, Melbourne
PACHA @ Family – Brisbane
Platinum – Gold Coast
Velvet – Cairns
UN – Sydney
D & D Ball – Canberra
D & D Winterball – Melbourne
Metro – Fremantle
The Perth Cup – Perth
Seven – Melbourne
The Roxy – Parramatta
SleazeBall (Headline performer) – Sydney
Candylips @ ARC – Sydney
Harbourside – Fremantle
Discovery – Darwin
Rapture – Adelaide
King St Hotel – Newcastle
Q Bar – Melbourne
Pinkalicious – Melbourne
Priscilla’s – jazz band residency – Melbourne
The Sloaney Pony – Jazz band residency – Melbourne
The Laird – 30th Birthday – Melbourne
Lagerfield Bar @ Crown – Melbourne (jazz)
Rock the Boats – Melbourne (jazz)
The Promethean, Adelaide – Jazz Tour
The Vanguard, Sydney – Jazz Tour
Red Bennies, Melbourne – Jazz Tour
