Bart Helm - guitar, piano
Born: November 27th in Oak Park, IL

What's he listening to? (as of February 23rd)
Current 93 - Soft Black Stars
Low - I Could Live In Hope
 

J. DeWolfe - drums, percussion
Born: May 23rd in Columbus, OH

What's he listening to? (as of April 16th)
Richard Butler - Richard Butler
Backworld - Good Infection
Michael Cashmore - Sleep London
My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
Jesu - Lifeline
Alcest - Souvenirs d'un autre monde

A Brief History of Audra

Born under the gray skies of Chicago, brothers Bret and Bart Helm were exposed to music at an early age by their father, a Frank Sinatra connoisseur.  Digging through his record collection, the Helm brothers listened to the talents of Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline.  Starting off on organ when they were kids was just the beginning; it wasn’t until their teenage years when the Helms’ spark for music really began to burn. Influences like U2, The Smiths and the Cure gave them the inspiration to write songs of their own.

After a move to Mesa, Arizona, Bret and Bart put all of their energy into the guitar and bass in the tiny room they shared – the beginning of Audra.  Through lots of hard work and determination, Audra moved out of the bedroom and onto the stages of several clubs across the Phoenix area. 

In 2002, luck dropped one of the valley’s best drummers, J. DeWolfe, into Audra’s hands.  A recent transplant from the rich musical scene in Lincoln/Omaha, J. filled in the vacancy on drums.  Now a power trio, Audra’s sharp, intense stage presence and well-crafted songs never fail to mesmerize a crowd. 

Television / Film / Radio / Club

• Independent Film Channel - Unstuffed Lullaby (2007) - Directed by Larry Lee (1 song)
  MTV - The Real World Season 09: New Orleans (6 songs)
• MTV - The Real World Season 12: Las Vegas (1 song)
• MTV - The Real World: 10th Anniversary Special (4 songs)
• Jerome (2004) - Directed by Brad Hanna (4 songs)
• This Corrosion (2003) - Directed by Mitch McCabe (1 song)
• Audra's music has been played on radio in all major U.S. cities, Canada, Germany, France, etc
• Audra's music has been played in clubs across the U.S., Japan, Europe, Australia etc.
• Updated Club/Radio Playlist - click here

Milestones

• AFI singer, Davey Havok, picks Audra’s ‘Going to the Theatre’ as one of the Ten Best Albums of 2002
• Alternative Press Magazine puts Audra in the Top Ten of current darkwave scene (2003)
• Gothic Beauty Magazine nominates Audra as band of the year, top 5 along with Type O Negative (2003)
• Audra's second CD 'Going To The Theatre' available on iTunes (2004)
• Full Page features in Arizona Republic’s The Rep and Mesa Tribune’s Get Out Magazine (2004)
• Horror author Caitlin R. Kiernan picks Audra’s debut album in her Top Ten for 2000, along with The Cure, Bjork, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, PJ Harvey and Patti Smith. (2001)
• Full Page features in the Phoenix New Times, Arizona Republic’s The Rep and The Mesa Tribune’s Get Out Magazine (2000)
• Best of Phoenix New Times Showcase (2000)

Bands played with...
Concrete Blonde, The Mission UK, New Model Army, Gene Loves Jezebel, Human Drama, ex-Christian Death member Gitane DeMone, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Lycia, Sheep On Drugs, Test Dept, Birmingham Six, Steve Roach and many others.

Album Reviews
Audra has received excellent reviews in Alternative Press Magazine, All Music Guide, Outburn, Losing Today, Phoenix New Times, Germany’s Zillo Magazine, Arizona Republic, Mesa Tribune, etc.

Want to know more?
Visit the Official Audra FAQ here