Christina Crofts

BIOGRAPHY
CHRISTINA CROFTS
As one of seven children, Christina learned early in life to ‘paddle her own canoe’. Affected by music from an early age, by the time she reached her early teenage years, Christina knew her ‘passion’ was to play guitar (although it would be sometime before circumstances would allow her to really embark on this journey). She persuaded her mother to buy a cheap electric guitar and practice amp and she taught herself basic chords by playing along with her favourite records and by observing guitar players on TV. That was the extent of her playing until her somewhat restless family decided to move from Brisbane to Sydney in the early 1980’s, causing her to follow, and where she met Steve Crofts, who, impressed by Christina’s natural ‘feel’ and passion for guitar, offered to give her guitar lessons.
From this time on, Christina auditioned for and played in many cover and original bands over the years, whilst working full time to maintain stability for herself and her son who she was raising alone. Having a broad love of musical styles from rock to blues, country rock and classical, Christina has developed a distinctive style and sound based in the tradition of the 70’s blues/rock greats!
In the mid 90’s Christina formed and fronted her own band ‘Croftstown Traffic’ – initially a three piece blues/rock cover band (becoming a 4 piece band in 1999 with the addition of Steve Crofts also on guitar). The band enjoyed several years of successful gigging in and around Sydney with some of the high points being an appearance on the first ‘Australian Blues Festival’ in 1997; ‘The Great Southern Blues & Roots’ festival in 2000 and a support with legendary Aussie blues band ‘Chain’ and culminating in the release of a debut CD in January 2006 - Croftstown “Unboogie” which still continues to receive great reviews and radio play the world over and a track from which (Gonna Find A Way) received a Top 5 nomination in the Musicoz Awards in 2006 in the blues category.
Described by those who know her as spirited, passionate, funny and just a little reckless, these traits are readily identified in her music and when added to a wealth of life experiences there is no escaping the raw honesty and humour which leaps out of the songs. “I like music to portray excitement and spontaneity and a lot of my music is along the theme of ‘reckless abandon” for example ‘Fine Set of Wheels” is about a girl who goes looking for her wayward man, becomes distracted by a ‘muscle car’ gets revenge on him instead by buying it and taking off on the highway” and other songs like 'Midnight Train' which is about a young man who jumps aboard a freight train to escape an unhappy situation" says Christina.
Armed as always, with her artillery of ‘battled scarred old Strats; a bottleneck she fashioned from a Tia Maria bottle; one of meanest Vox AC30’s on the planet; sassy vocals and fresh new material currently being recorded - Christina has launched her solo career!
Reviews etc:
CD review “Unboogie’
‘There are very few women in the world let alone in Australia who have not only taken up hard blues guitar, but play with as much verve, conviction and sheer sassiness as any of the big name ‘guitar heroes’……Here in Sydney Christina Crofts has been carving it with the best of them for a decade or so!.........The power in a record like this is in those soaring, shimmering, beckoning, aching, feisty, celebratory richocheting guitars, the natural medium of the players. That’s where you hear the power of love musical and otherwise.
Michael Smith
Drum Media March 7th 2006
Guitarfest 2007 guitar battle
“Second prize went to Christina Crofts who pulled off some searing, dirty rockin’ blues on a couple of battle scarred vintage Strats”
Australian Guitar Magazine - Volume 63