Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje, composer and performer (born Dec. 29th 1973 in Trondheim, Norway), finished composition studies at the Norwegian State Academy of Music in Oslo in 2000. Her compositions have been performed by Oslo Sinfonietta, The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Arve Tellefsen, Cikada and Vertavo string quartets, Quatuor Renoir, ticom, Crash Ensemble, Torben Snekkestad, Spunk, Frode Haltli and Poing among others.
Melbourne-based Laura Jean has been gracing Australian stages for many years. Invitations to share them have come from overseas artists such as Mark Kozelek (ex-Red House Painters) Richard Buckner, M. Ward, Faun Fables, Tuck and Patti, and Australian acts like Augie March, Ben Lee, Claire Bowditch, Machine Translations, Gaslight Radio, and Sarah Blasko. Her first E.P, 'The Hunter's Ode' (2003) was embraced by community radio and street press across the country, as well as Triple J. The title track is apparently still sometimes heard late at night.