Juliane Gardner started her life in Brooklyn New York, however, when she was four her father decided to move them out of the big borough back to the coast of Maine, it was then that a country girl was born.

"My father's love of jazz would be my first major influence," Juliane recounts. "We used to spend countless hours playing along to the records from the Be-Bop era. It was common for me to hear the greats from Thelonious Monk to Dexter Gordon every day blasting from the living room stereo, these sounds became part of me."

Spending her youth growing up in a small community, she had the opportunity to join Cold Comfort Productions, a local summer stock theatre company that focused on musicals. By the age of nine, Juliane was featured in vocal solos. After being involved with the group for eight years, in classics such as Oliver, Oklahoma, and the Sound of Music, she was hooked and has loved performing ever since.
"When I look back, I was strongly influenced by the contemporary pop/rock singers during my teens like Prince, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, The Smiths, and Peter Gabriel. However, while in a vocal jazz program in college, my jazz roots resurfaced. I became very interested in singing jazz, some of my favorite vocalists were and still are: Carmen MacRae, Johnny Hartman, Lambert Hendricks and Ross, Ray Charles, Etta James, and of course Ella Fitzgerald."

"I think the two worlds of jazz and folk merged for me though when I started listening to Joni Mitchell. I'll never forget where I was when I heard her version of "Good bye Pork Pie Hat" (sung by Joni with lyrics she had written); it changed my whole outlook on what it meant to be a vocalist. All these new possibilities were open to me in terms of self-expression; here's a folk singer capturing her take on what it was like to be an Afro-American sax player (Lester Young) during the 1940's and 50's, as she puts it, '...A bright star in a Dark Age, when the band stand had a thousand ways of refusing a black man admission, black musician...' I heard this and was moved to tears. It would be years before I started playing the guitar and creating my own songs, but the seeds were planted that night."

Through out her college years Juliane joined and formed many groups, She fronted everything from Top 40 bands to Jazz Trios before shifting her focus to her own song writing. "I remember I was working in a bakery with my friend Kelly, (the inspiration behind If I Could), who would bring music in for us. Before I knew it, I was listening to folks like, Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, Patty Larkin, and Ani Difranco, it was that summer a friend lent me his guitar, I guess the rest is history".

"I remember I couldn't believe my ears when I heard Ani's music and Jeff's voice, I was instantly impressed with Ani's ability to put words together and started keeping a song journal. Whenever an idea popped into my head I wrote it down, sometimes I'd use it. Probably the biggest turning point was on a bus trip across country when I had many hours to capture my observations in lyrics. For me the motivation behind writing is truth telling and not being afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve."
Here are some highlights since Packsaddle Road was recorded...

In September 2002, three of Juliane's songs from her upcoming CD were used as part of the soundtrack in a four part MPBS series called "School Zones."

In the fall of 2003, "Accompany," an independent film company from New Hampshire used one of Julie's songs "Time of Day" in their documentary on Castine. "It was so interesting for me to see the images and hear my songs supporting them, I hope to be involved with more projects like this in the future," she says.

January 23rd 2004, Juliane had the opportunity to open for Chris Smither, a nationally known folk/blues artist. "It was such a positive experience, and a night I'll never forget," she says.

March 2004, Juliane was given an "Honor Award" from the "Great American Songwriting Contest" for her song, "Sugar Grove" and placed as a semi-finalist in the contest for her work.

In May 2004, she organized a successful benefit called "Songwriters in the Round," an evening of song performed by four Maine songwriters, and a fiber art exhibit, "Embedded Quilts;" all the proceeds raised were given to a Maine Peace and Justice organization.

June 2005, 2007, Juliane was selected to be involved with The Cassandra Project held in Portland Me, a weekend filled with new works by Maine women in the performing arts.

July-Oct 2005, summer passed too quickly gigging with an old friend and phenomenal singer/guitarist, Willy Kelly. It was just what the doctor ordered...lots of Blues...it's easy to become addicted to the sound of the pedal steel.

July-Dec 2005, in collaboration with Carolyn Coe of Peninsula Peace and Justice, Juliane organized "Musical Chairs Coffee House and Open Mic", where amateurs and professionals shared their love of song and poetry. Musical Chairs will Kick off a new season... summer 2006.

November 9th 2005, Juliane was asked to open for legendary songwriter Jesse Winchester, a performer known for intelligent lyrics and smooth guitar arrangements. Yet another great experience to perform for a receptive audience.

January 2006, Juliane picked up her guitar and hit the road to Europe for five months to see new places and visit friends and family. In nine countries she played for friends and strangers from train stations to living rooms. A favorite memory was in Lithuania around the dining room table at a friend's house teaching twelve Lithuanians the words and melody to the spiritual, "I'll Fly Away."

Spring 2007, "Save the Wild Lands", a fundraiser organized by local singer Shawn Mercer, gave Juliane the opportunity to sing in one of her favorite venues while helping to raise money for one of her beloved hiking spots, Great Pond Mountain.

Summer & Fall 2007, This summer, catch Juliane singing the jazz standards she grew up listening to, accompanied by David Clarke and Christoper Poulin every Friday night at Stella's Jazz Club in Castine.

Currently, 2007-2008, Juliane is back in the studio with the help of some favorite local musicians working on songs for her sophmore CD "Look Inside" to be released by the summer.

These days you can hear cuts from Juliane's self-released debut CD, "Packsaddle Road" on WERU FM 89.9 (a community radio station in Orland, Maine and streaming live on the web), and other stations throughout New England. If you're not hearing it, call and request it!