Heidi McDermott is a Melbourne based vocalist with a solid background in a cappella and gospel. With many strings to her bow including a cappella arrangements, choir directing, soloing, and back-up vocals, Heidi has a fine ear for complex harmonies and the pure voice of an angel.
In the early nineties, Heidi was lead vocalist in original rock/pop bands 'the neversaid', Red Emperor, and Alphaville before moving on to study jazz vocals for three years with Don Storace. Heidi co-founded eclectic a cappella group Ghaga, directing the group with her own arrangements of a diverse range of songs including jazz, R&B, and gospel. By the end of the nineties, Heidi was directing the Melbourne Singers of Gospel, a 60 voice gospel choir now led by Phil Heuzenroeder, and was one of the original members of Heart'nSoul, an eleven piece a cappella gospel group including the likes of Tracey Miller and Timothy Slater. Heart'nSoul sang with and supported acts including The Blind Boys of Alabama, Vika and Linda Bull, Venetta Fields, Tony Backhouse just to name a few.
During this time, Heidi spent four years with The Fabulous MockingBirds, a sixties girl group covers band, touring Melbourne, regional Victoria and New South Wales in a wig, false eyelashes and mini skirt, doing corporate functions, parties and RSLs in smoke-free venues for generous amounts of money. Heidi can give you recommendations on the best and worst motels in country Victoria and NSW. Oh, and driving up the Hume Hwy is THE most boring drive of them all!
In early 2004, Heidi joined Tracey Miller and the Sunbeams as a harmony vocalist with Glenn Tanner and Timothy Slater. Together they sing seamless, soaring harmonies to Tracey Miller's bluegrass/country inspired originals (see Tracey's MySpace Music profile) and occasionally forgo the instruments to sing stunning appellation gospel to a hushed audience. The Sunbeams have played all around Melbourne, Perth and Canberra, and supported Rambling Jack Elliot on his tour of Australia in 2004.
Heidi left Heart'nSoul and The MockingBirds halfway through 2004 when she found herself pregnant with twins and just a little over-committed! After giving birth to a healthy girl and boy in November of that year, Heidi was asked to sing with Bob Sedergreen in March. She has written arrangements for a cappella groups, sung with Andy Baylor, was backing vocalist for Betty Harris in September 2005 for the Hurricane Katrina Benefit, and twice again in 2006 at the Prince of Wales Bandroom and the Queenscliff Festival with the ever fabulous Melbourne Soul-Funk Allstars led by Paul Williamson.
