Sonar Sessions - Monique Clare + Isabel Rumble

Sonar Sessions is a monthly Sunday evening event, showcasing artists in the genres of world, jazz, soul, acoustic & folk. Each Sonar Session will present a carefully curated lineup of live acts showcasing established artists alongside emerging local talent.

Wielding a cello, powerhouse vocals and magnetic onstage energy, Monique Clare is a multi award-winning songwriter who’s deeply personal storytelling and arresting authenticity has elicited cathartic tears and laughter from audiences around the world. Her intrepid career has ranged from teaching music in war-torn Afghanistan to playing cello with Eminem to a crowd of 80,000 people, touring her acclaimed album ‘Sight’ to festivals across Europe and leading hikers up mountainsides for sunrise concerts. With an innovative style that shatters preconceptions of cello playing, a disarmingly candid stage presence and a smile as wide as the Cheshire cat's, her live show is offbeat and impactful.

Featured on the ABC Radio National Music Show, her 2022 debut album ‘Sight’ took out contemporary album and song of the year at the Australian Folk Music Awards and Queensland Music Awards respectively. Her trailblazing style has earned a growing list of accolades: she won a Danny award for her 2024 performance at Celtic Connections in Scotland, was nominated for the 2023 National Live Music Awards, and was named the 2017 Young Artist of the Year by Folk Alliance Australia.

"A stellar performer with unbounding energy...she has a powerful presence that draws you in and makes you want to hear more.” - Christine White, New Orleans Jazz Festival

“She is a must see” – Heidi Pritchard, National Folk Festival

“A force to be reckoned with” - Playlist Play

“Mesmerising” – GC News

Indie-folk songstress, Isabel Rumble, crafts intimate, earth-rooted songs that speak directly to the heart.

Hailing from a walnut farm in the southern valleys of NSW, Australia, her music draws on the folk-music-rich community that nurtured her earliest musical endeavours. She weaves warm acoustic textures, poetic storytelling, and a “voice like honey” (ABC Country) to create listening spaces that captivate and heal.

October 2025 saw the release of Isabel’s second full-length album, Hold Everything Lightly, followed by a nationwide Australian tour. The album has had extensive national radio play, online features, and been warmly received across the country in intimate candlelit listening rooms and iconic full-band venues alike.

Isabel’s Folk Alliance Australia–nominated debut album Bird Be Brave (2023) and 2024 Water Wings EP led to tours across Australia, Europe, and the UK, and major festivals including Port Fairy Folk Festival. She has performed in unique spaces around the world from house concerts in India to mountaintop venues in the Austrian Alps.