Penny Flanagan is an Australian singer songwriter who has received much critical acclaim for the quality of her songwriting and the strength of her live performances. Variously compared to Neil Finn and Joni Mitchell she has built a devoted local following that has allowed her to record and sell her music independently with wide success. Penny started her professional music career at 19, as one half of a much-loved folk-acoustic pop duo, called Club Hoy (two girls with acoustic guitars.) The focus was on female harmonies, strong melodies and thoughtful lyrics. Club Hoy released three EPs and one album and fast became Australia’s most widely lauded, 'next big things,’ consistently playing to sold out audience all over the country. After three intense, successful years, Club Hoy split up and Penny continued recording and performing on her own. In 1994, after building successfully on Club Hoy’s fan base through strong live performances, Penny released her debut album Bravado through major label, Regular/Festival which charted in the Australian Top 100 at 68. The first single, “Lap it Up,” became a turntable hit on the national independent radio network JJJ and was included in that year’s Hottest 100 compilation, appearing alongside singles by international acts such as Pearl Jam, Counting Crows and The Cranberries. In 1996 Penny extricated herself from her major label deal and began to release her music independently, creating her own label, Penny Dreadful Records. Her first independent release, an acoustic live recording, 'Seven Flights Up,’ was compared favourably to Joni Mitchell. Penny has continued to tour and sell her music independently ever since. If you like Joni Mitchell, Jewel, Shawn Colvin and Ani Difranco, and you’re looking for a new CD to play on a slow, dreamy Sunday morning, give Seven Flights Up a try. If you're still unsure, here's what the Australian press had to say about it on its release: "Seven Flights up is the most chilled, mature and organic work to date from this Sydney-based singer/songwriter... a new work that reaches for the sky." Juice -Feb 1997 "Penny Flanagan proves that less really can be more on this understated acoustic gem... Moving from folk.. through languid, jazzy folk a la Joni Mitchell to the sure-fire pop of Inseparable and Common Heart, Flanagan proves that not every female vocalist needs to resort to bizarre phrasing to be heard above the crowd." The Australian, 22/10/96 "Fresh, seamless music of the highest calibre. 8/10." Sunday Telegraph, 3/11/96