Fierce vocals from Chloe Beckwith alongside the insatiable 12 fingered Guitar playing and soothing harmonies from Annika Schmarsel birthed Animal Ernest when the girls collaborated in 2010 whilst studying the Certificate IV Course in Music.
Meeting when they joined The Sweethearts; Girl Soul band from Geelong, a first band for both girls, it led to over six years as student-come-teachers of the Sweethearts, tearing up the stage at festivals like Queensclif Music Festival, Boogie 7 Music Festival and Port Fairy Music Festivals, as well as in three overseas tours including Porretta Soul Festival, Montreux Festival and Jazz a Vienne. Leading The Sweethearts, the girls landed two residencies at Cherry Bar in Melbourne, after raking in crowds at Soul a Go Go and winning a place in the heart of PBS Soul DJ and event planner Vince Peach.
After moving on to study Music Industry at RMIT, the girls found Xavier Moore, a bass slaying, drum trouncing, magic man of the stage. Animal Earnest was complete.
Down on the Bellarine Peninsula, where it all started, Animal Ernest was made at gigs like; Queenscliff Music Festival 3 times (Foot in the Door Competition leading to performances), Kids Busking for Kids Charity Festival, the book launch of Holocaust survivor; Halina Hogowska’s autobiography in Brighton, and supporting local acts at Ross Lipson’s private soirees on the Surf Coast. Animal Ernest is also featured on a collaborative album of originals with friends Francesco released 2011 which lead to the girls staring in a 13 part documentary Heart & Soul, seen on ABC3, directed by Kristy Fuller of 1440 Productions in 2013.

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