Australian singer and songwriter Clairanne Browne broke through as the bold, fun-loving frontperson of Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes, a high-powered retro-soul act that released the acclaimed Baby Caught the Bus in 2011. Following collaborations with RuPaul and Paul Kelly, and a U.S. tour with the Rackettes, Browne met Amanda Warner (aka MNDR), a songwriter, producer, and recording artist known most for her contribution to Mark Ronson's "Bang Bang Bang." Browne and Warner, as well as a number of fellow songwriters contacted by the latter, worked on Pool in Los Angeles. Released on Vanguard in 2016, it included some material that was squarely retro-soul but widened the stylistic scope to include late-'70s disco-funk and contemporary pop. ~ Andy Kellman