Juanita Stein is the lead singer and guitar player for Howling Bells. Born in Melbourne , Australia, she moved to Sydney in her formative years where she was raised in "a very musical, bohemian family". Her mother,Linda Stein is a former stage/TV actress and her father Peter Stein, a very well respected musician who has written songs for the likes of The Blind Boys Of Alabama and various other country/gospel artists. He wrote one of the tracks on Howling Bells first record, I'm Not Afraid. This abundance of music/art seemed an integral part of Juanita's upbringing: "I would rise and sleep to a constant soundtrack of music. All kinds of music. If it had passion, melody and a strong energy you'd hear it blasting from our 4 walls. Our neighbors tried suing us a couple times for noise disturbance....they didn't know how good they had it. 60's and 70's rock, Soul, Jazz, World music, pop, folk, but mainly Bob Dylan and the Beatles. It seeps deeply into your consciousness whether you like it or not."

She completed a Bachelor of Arts at a university in Sydney where she majored in Literature, however, excelled in Theatre Performance and a then newly-added, electronic music course-Cubase101.

"Music, art, fashion, film are my passions in life. As long as I'm perpetually immersed in this universe of expression, then I'm a happy gal!"

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