Penny Ikinger is a renowned fuzz queen, sonic chanteuse and primal mistress of rock hailing from Melbourne. Rarely seen without her iconic guitar, the 'Pennycaster', and with an impressive career spanning several decades, Penny has been a formidable force in the music industry. Penny has had a truly captivating effect amongst her fans and contemporaries alike. The calibre of Penny’s musical peers is evident with contributions from Australia’s favourite rock artists Deniz Tek, Ron Peno, Charlie Owen, Mark Ferrie, Dave Graney and Clare Moore.
Penny's bands are as follows:
Penny’s impressive career started as guitarist in the fabulous Wet Taxis in 1983 - the start of a long and fruitful collaboration with Sydney piano legend Louis Tillett. The Taxis played their own vibrant interpretation of sixties psychedelic punk. They released the album, From The Archives and singles including the sublime "Sailor's Dream" and toured throughout Australia. Following up this success Ikinger continued to play and record with Tillett as he launched his solo career - her spacious guitar behind Tillett's punchy blues and soul offerings displaying her brilliant ability to compliment songwriters. They toured throughout Australia and Europe.
In between dates with Tillett, Penny has lent her sizzling sounds to several acts including Kings of the World (1987) with ex Saint Janine Hall. In 1989 Penny was also part of Louis Tillett & the Aspersion Caste.
Shifting her base from Sydney to Melbourne in 1991, Ikinger joined Red Dress with Cathy Green from Oz punk originals X. They released the album Tight. It wasn't long before the legendary kings of Melbourne rock, the Sacred Cowboys introduced the powerful melodic edge of Ikinger's electric guitar to their mud splattered mayhem (1994). Check out the album 'Things to Come'. Other recording dates followed - including Kim Salmon & the Surrealists' on "You Gotta Let Me Do My Thing" and Tex Perkins' "Far Be It From Me".
Linking up with Caroline Kennedy from The Plums and Deadstar they created Salon Baby in 2000.
In 2001 Penny Ikinger commenced recording her debut solo album Electra. Working on a clash of melody and discordance Ikinger said: "I want it to feel like a Fellini film". In Nov 2001 Penny released her debut solo EP Songs from the Deep to critical acclaim. The three track EP also featured an appearance by long time musical colleague Louis Tillett who contributed piano and deep as the ocean backing vocals on the song "Sponge Diver". This dark and evocative EP received national and international airplay
In May 2002 her video for the song "Kathleen" (from "Songs from the Deep") was a finalist at the 'SoundKilda Film Festival' (Melbourne, Australia). Emerging filmmaker Rachael Lucas captures the essence of Ikinger's unique sound visually in a midday martini of beads, bubbles, fur and fender feedback.
In 2003 Penny launched out on her own and her undeniable solo talents began to be noticed. Penny’s debut album Electra (Career Records, USA/ Bang! Records, Spain) was filled with breathy vocals and sonic guitar exploring the aural landscape where sonic disfigurement entwines with femme fatale pop. Electra was released in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia in September 2003. It scored a rave review from David Fricke, Senior Editor of American Rolling Stone and critics in the USA, Canada and Australia placed Electra in their Top Ten Albums of 2003. Penny toured North America, Canada, Australia and NZ to promote Electra.
In 2005 Penny joined Scientist/Surrealist Kim Salmon's band Salmon as a member of the band's guitar line-up. Her EP Fragile was released in 2009 and promoted by tours of Europe and Australia. In 2010 Penny released her second solo album Penelope on Citadel Records. This release signaled her evolving sound with a style and tempo shift. This album, full of stories of life, love and redemption, is also a collection of three-minute classic pop gems that mix post-punk attack with swingin’ 1960’s attitude and 1970’s guitar experimentation. Penny toured Europe. Australia, NZ and Japan to promote Penelope.
In 2016 Penny was part of Jack Howard’s Epic Brass, on guitar and vocals.
Penny once again teamed up with legendary Radio Birdman guitarist Deniz Tek to produce the much anticipated third solo album Tokyo released in 2018 on Kerosene Records (Japan) and Off The Hip Records (Australia). With the generous help of the Australia-Japan Foundation, the album was recorded in Tokyo and combines Penny’s unique sound with the talent of three of Tokyo’s psychedelic rock icons - Masami Kawaguchi, Louis Inage and Keiichi Sakai. It is a unique artistic collaboration, seldom attempted between these diverse music scenes. The album was launched in Australia and Japan with Penny backed by the Japanese musicians.
Penny Ikinger’s latest album, Travels and Travails, was released as part of Record Store Day 2023. Penny’s experiences, as well as the obstacles and tribulations of being an artist, inspired this mesmerising new body of work covering 20 years of her enthralling solo career. The album is an explorative and raw documentation, and celebration, of Penny’s collaborations with artists from France, Australia, Japan, and the United States. It includes both live and studio recordings, some of which are previously unheard, deep-cut tracks, whilst others are reworkings of songs from her earlier works. She toured Australia and Europe to promote this album and appeared on national television in Spain.
Penny's unique history and music has also been the subject of a documentary titled ‘Electra: The Music of Penny Ikinger‘ (Burlesque Productions). The film featured an interview with Penny, conducted by none other than Chrissy Amphlett of Divinyls. Penny and Chrissy discuss and compare their musical careers, their similar journeys which commenced as pioneer women in the world of Australian pub rock in terms of songwriting, emotion behind the songs, performance, identity, inspiration and credibility in the male dominated world of guitar rock. The documentary was directed by Rachael Lucas and went on to become a finalist in the 2007 St Kilda Film Festival, held in Melbourne, Australia
Penny has played gigs at St Kilda music venues including: The Crystal Ballroom, Prince of Wales Hotel (Prince Bandroom
and Prince upstairs front bar), The Palace, Esplanade Hotel, The Vineyard, George Lane, Inkerman Hotel, St Kilda Bowlo.
