Audra Mae Butts (born February 20, 1984) is an American singer and songwriter from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since arriving in California in 2007, she has signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell, and sang Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" on the television series Sons of Anarchy. In 2009, she signed to Los Angeles–based indie label SideOneDummy Records.
Career
Early life and family Audra Mae was born in Oklahoma to Christopher Butts and Alondra Lynn Havens. Her parents later divorced. She has a younger sister Amanda (born 1986), and a younger half-brother Youssef (born 2000) from her mother's second marriage.
She is the great-great-niece of Judy Garland, and a great-granddaughter of Garland's sister, Dorothy Virginia Gumm, making her a first cousin twice removed of Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft.
2009: Haunt EP She released a digital EP Haunt on October 20, 2009, and then went on the road as part of Chuck Ragan's Revival Tour. That year, Audra also wrote a song for Britain's Got Talent runner up Susan Boyle's début album. "Who I Was Born to Be" was the only original track on Susan Boyle's chart-topping, 9 million- selling I Dreamed a Dream album. Audra Mae has performed as a member of The Upright Cabaret.
2010–2012: The Happiest Lamb and Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound The Happiest Lamb was released on May 18, 2010. The album was recorded with her friends including stand-up bassist Joe Ginsberg, guitarist Jarrad Kritzstein, pianist Frank Pedano and drummer Kiel Feher, who have played live with her in a series of residencies around the L.A. area. Together with Ferras Alqaisi she wrote "Good News", which was one of the songs that competed in Unser Song für Deutschland, the German selection process to select the song that Lena Meyer-Landrut will sing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. "Good News" also serves as the title track of Meyer-Landrut's eponymous 2011 album.
Audra Mae and the Almighty Sound was released on February 13, 2012. The album featured main and background vocals, percussion, production and composition work from Mae and also credited many other artists, including up-right bassist Joe Ginsberg, electric and rhythm guitarist Jarrad Kritzstein and organ and piano playing by Frank Pedano.NDR: Eurovis<ion: Wer sind Songschreiber? In 2012, her cover of Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again" was featured in two episodes of The Good Wife, "Another Ham Sandwich" and "Live from Damascus." She also is featured on Flo Rida's track, "Run," with Redfoo of LMFAO, and on All American Rejects "Kids in the Street" released March 2012.
Since 2013 Mae provided background vocals for The All-American Rejects (who also originated in Oklahoma) in their fourth studio album, Kids in the Street. She can be heard in "Fast & Slow", "Kids in the Street", and "Beekeeper's Daughter" In 2013, she was featured in 3 Avicii songs that were featured on his album True. The songs are "Addicted to You", "Shame on Me", and "Long Road To Hell". Avicii announced that "Addicted to You" would receive a full single release on April 7, 2014. She is featured in one of Jon Bellion's songs called "Luxury," which was released on September 2, 2014. Mae also co-wrote the songs "Somebody Loves Somebody" and "Breakaway" for Celine Dion, which were featured on Dion's album Loved Me Back to Life.
American country artist Miranda Lambert recorded Mae's "Little Red Wagon" for her 2014 album, Platinum, and released it as the album's third single in January 2015. It became a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at number 5. In 2015 she teamed up with Avicii once again to sing the cover by Avicii of "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone.
In February 2018, Mae released the album Love, Audra Mae, called "a love letter to the music of her ancestry, the loyal fans who've touched her heart and the enchantments of romances never forgotten."
On December 5, 2019, Mae performed songs she created with EDM artist Avicii at the Avicii Tribute Concert for Mental Health. All proceeds from this concert contributed to the Tim Bergling Foundation.
Audra Mae is one of the featured vocalists on the collection The Songs of Bacharach and Costello, singing several songs written jointly by Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello.
Toured with
2009 – Chuck Ragan 2009 – Kevin Seconds 2009 – Frank Turner 2009 – Jim Ward 2010 – Good Old War 2010 – Stephen Kellogg 2011 – Nick 13 2011 – Lucero 2012 – Matt Nathanson 2012 – The All-American Rejects 2012 – Cory Branan
Discography
Studio albums Title Details The Happiest Lamb Released: May 18, 2010 Label: SideOneDummy Records Format: Digital download, CD Audra Mae and The Almighty Sound Released: February 13, 2012 Label: SideOneDummy Records Format: Digital download, CD Love, Audra Mae Released: February 20, 2018 Label: Audra Mae Records Format: Digital download, CD
Extended plays Title Details Haunt Released: October 20, 2009 Label: SideOneDummy Records Format: Digital download
Singles
As featured artist Single Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album AUSPeak positions in Australia: For "Addicted to You": AUTPeak positions in Austria: For "Addicted to You": DENPeak positions in Denmark: For "Addicted to You": FRAPeak positions in France: For "Addicted to You": GERPeak positions in Germany: For "Addicted to You": NLPeak positions in the Netherlands: For "Addicted to You": NZPeak positions in New Zealand: For "Addicted to You": SWEPeak positions in Sweden: For "Addicted to You": SWIPeak positions in Switzerland: For "Addicted to You": UKPeak positions for the featured singles in the UK: For "Addicted to You": "Addicted to You"(Avicii featuring Audra Mae) 2014 5 3 40 10 6 5 27 11 5 14 GLF: 3× Platinum ARIA: 4× Platinum BPI: Platinum BVMI: 3× Gold IFPI AUT: Gold True
Guest vocals Year Title Album Artist2011"Come Around" "Valentine"Covering GroundChuck Ragan 2011 "Forever Young"Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1-4Audra Mae and the Forest Rangers "Everyday People" "The Unclouded Day" "We Are Not Broken"Same Something DifferentJake Walden "For Alice" 2012 "Run"Wild OnesFlo Rida feat. Redfoo "Beekeeper's Daughter"Kids in the Street The All-American Rejects "Kids in the Street" "Fast & Slow" 2013 "How I Feel"The Perfect 10Flo Rida "Addicted to You"TrueAvicii "Shame On Me" "Long Road To Hell" 2014 "Tree"Idris Elba Presents mi MandelaIdris Elba "Luxury"The DefinitionJon Bellion 2015 "Feeling Good"Feeling GoodAvicii "Shotgun" Non-album singleSean McConnell "I Got You"Love & The Death of DamnationThe White Buffalo"The Future"White Lies & MelodiesMustered Courage 2016 "He Is The Same"(featuring Audra Mae)The Human ConditionJon Bellion 2019 "Heavy With Hoping"Good FaithMadeon
Songwriting credits Title Year Artist(s) Album Written with"Who I Was Born to Be" 2009 Susan Boyle I Dreamed a Dream Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren"State of Mind" 2010 Zascha Moktan State of Mind "Sing You Home"2011 Xenia Sing You Home Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren"Contact High"Allen StoneAllen Stone Allen Stone, Andrew Rose"Sleep" Allen Stone, Andrew Rose"Good News" Lena Meyer-Landrut Good News Ferras Alqaisi"I'm Not Coming Home"2012 Julian Ovenden If You Stay Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren"Break Away" Ivy Quainoo Ivy Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren"Dear John"2013 Zak Waters Lip Service Zak Waters, Jarrad Kritzstein"Shame on Me"AviciiTrue Avicii, Arash Pournouri, Sterling Fox"Long Road to Hell" Avicii, Arash Pournouri, Alex Seaver"Somebody Loves Somebody" Celine Dion Loved Me Back to Life Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren"Little Red Wagon"2014 Miranda Lambert Platinum Joe Ginsberg"Said and Done" Zak Waters Now // Later Zak Waters, Jarrad Kritzstein"Heartbeat Song"2015 Kelly Clarkson Piece by Piece Kara DioGuardi, Jason Evigan, Mitch Allan"Eyes Wide Open"Sabrina CarpenterEyes Wide Open Jerrod Bettis, Meghan Kabir"Two Young Hearts" Ben Berger, Ryan McMahon"On Fire" Stefanie Heinzmann Chance of Rain Joacim Persson, Johan Alkenäs, Niclas Molinder"Woman (Oh Mama)" Joy Williams Venus Joy Williams, Matt Morris"Ossigeno" Francesco Sarcina Femmina Ermal Meta, Kevin Kadish, Nick Monson"Can't Take Back the Bullet" Hey Violet I Can Feel It Casey Moreta, Chris Sernell, Jason Blume, Miranda Miller, Nia Lovelis, Rena Lovelis"Water"PentatonixPentatonix Kevin Olusola, Kirstin Maldonado"Take Me Home" Kevin Olusola, Kirstin Maldonado"Light in the Hallway" Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi"Even Angels Cry" Reece Mastin Change Colours Reece Mastin, Michael Paynter, Michael Delorenzis"Rebel Hearts" Hilary Duff Breathe In. Breathe Out. Hilary Duff, Christopher J. Baran, Skyler Stonestreet, Kara DioGuardi"Shotgun"Christina Aguilera Christina Aguilera, Sean McConnell"The Real Thing" Jackie Tohn"What If It's You"Nashville Cast The Music of Nashville: Season 4, Volume 1 Lily Elise, Scott Effman"Swept Away"2016 The Music of Nashville: Season 4, Volume 2 Jarrod Gorbel, Blake Sennett"Running with the Wild Things" Against the Current In Our Bones Chrissy Costanza, Dan Gow, Will Ferri, Tom Schleiter"Ugly" Fantasia The Definition Of... Nicolle Galyon"Like Lightning" Idina Menzel Idina Idina Menzel, Eric Rosse"Drivin' Around"2017 Little Big Town The Breaker Kameron Alexander, David Embree, Todd Spadafore"Honest" The Chainsmokers Memories...Do Not Open Andrew Taggart, Sean Douglas"Didn't I" Kelly Clarkson Meaning of Life Andre Davidson, Sean Davidson, Katie Pearlman"Fall in Line"2018 Christina Aguilera Liberation Christina Aguilera, Jon Bellion, Mark Williams, Raul Cubina, Jonny Simpson"Power" Joy Crookes Influence Joy Crookes, Alex Hope"New"2019 Ben Platt Sing to Me Instead Ben Platt, Andrew Wells"Language" Tori Kelly Inspired by True Events Tori Kelly, Justin Tranter"Heavy with Hoping" Madeon Good Faith Madeon"These Wings" Claire Richards My Wildest Dreams Johan Fransson, Tim Larsson, Tobias Lundgren"Do or Die"2020 Wild Rivers Songs to Break Up to Khalid Yassein"Stone Cold"Kree HarrisonChosen Family Tree Hailey Whitters, Skylar Wilson"Chosen Family Tree" Kree Harrison, Fancy Hagood, Skylar Wilson"Just Like a River Does" Birdy Piano Sketches Birdy, Sam Ellis"Pick Up Your Feelings"2021 Jazmine Sullivan Heaux Tales Jazmine Sullivan, Denisia "Blu June" Andrews, Brittany "Chi" Coney, Kyle Coleman, Michael Holmes"Dead Man Runnin"2022Seulgi28 ReasonsYaakov "Yash" Gruzman, Shaun Frank
References
External links Audra Mae Official Website, sold Audra Mae on Myspace Sideonedummy Records Signs Audra Mae Audra Mae on Facebook Audra Mae – Rock The Vote