A Journey Through Aussie Pop

It wasn't a given that Deni Hines would pursue a career a music. Despite her mother, Marcia Hines , being one of the most recognisable pop stars in Australia, Deni had other interests and suffered from performance anxiety in her younger years. But her vocal talent soon got her snapped up as a backing singer for artists like Wa Wa Nee , Peter Blakeley and Kylie Minogue . It was her voice that...

Born to parents who both worked in the entertainment industry, Dannielle Gaha grew up surrounded by singing and dancing, training and helping out at the talent school run by her mother, Janice Breen . She made her first steps into the industry herself by appearing on TV talent contest Star Search , which led to ongoing singing work with judge Glenn Shorrock and, through that, her big break — being...

It was inevitable that singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rick Price would forge a career in the music industry, but rather than jumping at any offer of a record deal that came his way, he took his time to ensure the situation was just right. Before signing to Sony Music and releasing debut album Heaven Knows in 1992, he worked for many years as a session singer, appearing in a national...

In 1983, synthpop bands were big business on the Australian music scene, with Kids In The Kitchen snapped up by Mushroom Records imprint White Label Records. The band's singer, Scott Carne , and drummer, Bruce Curnow , discuss how weekend jam sessions quickly led to gigs and that record company interest. Hits followed, with "Change In Mood" and "Bitter Desire" both reachin...

Despite a background on Melbourne's dance music scene and no intentions of being a pop star, Katie Underwood did just that, becoming one of the most recognisable members of Bardot and given prominent lead vocals on all three singles from the self-titled debut album, "Poison", "I Should've Never Let You Go" and "These Days". In an extensive interview about he...

For Sally Polihronas , the Bardot experience had its ups and downs. On the plus side, being part of the girl group allowed her to really hone her vocal skills — something she wanted to focus on after more than a decade as a dancer and performer in Adelaide — and took her into the studio with producers around the world. She also got to have her "Madonna moment" in the "These Days&quo...

In early 2000, reality TV juggernaut Popstars changed the pop music landscape in Australia forever. Launched by the show, Bardot were an instant phenomenon, shooting to number 1 with debut single "Poison" and their self-titled album. Comprised of Belinda Chapple , Sophie Monk , Sally Polihronas , Katie Underwood and Tiffani Wood , the five-piece girl group encountered ups and downs durin...

From their beginnings holding warehouse parties in Sydney's inner city to their string of chart hits in the late '80s and early '90s, Rockmelons always stood out from the rest of the Australian music scene by championing genres that few others did — and taking them mainstream. Formed by the core trio of Ray Medhurst and brothers Bryon and Jonathon Jones , the funk/soul/R&B/hip-h...

As vocalist of Do-Ré-Mi and as a solo artist, Deborah Conway has received critical acclaim and mainstream success, but in this wide-ranging interview, the singer/songwriter reveals her music career hasn't always been smooth sailing. From the unexpected success of Do-Ré-Mi's debut single for Virgin Records, "Man Overboard" — a song without a chorus — to the detour into a solo da...

A song that was originally intended just to be used in a dream sequence on soap opera E Street became the highest-selling Australian single of 1991 when it was released as the debut for then-teenage actress and singer Melissa Tkautz . That song was "Read My Lips" and in a frank and at times raw interview, Melissa reveals her naivety about the track's sexual overtones and how its suc...

Funk, dance, pop, soul, jazz, rock, musical theatre and, with new album My Life Is A Symphony , orchestral arrangements, Kate Ceberano has covered a lot of musical terrain in her 40-year recording career. In this honest and unflinching chat, the singer/songwriter discusses the pop side of her extensive catalogue of work, starting as singer of '80s band I'm Talking and continuing through...

R&B and funk had been slow to take off in Australia, but when those genres really started to be embraced locally in the mid-'90s, a four-piece boy band from Melbourne were perfectly placed to become this country's pre-eminent vocal harmony group. All four original members of CDB ( Andrew De Silva , Gary and Brad Pinto , and Danny Williams ) join us to talk about how they slogged away...

We continue to follow Ricki-Lee Coulter 's musical journey from when her time at Shock Records came to an end after the disappointing performance of singles "Don't Miss You" and "Hear No, See No, Speak No" and the decision by Ricki to shelve her intended third album. She explains why the choices being made at this stage weren't ones she agreed with and how meetin...

In a career spanning almost 20 years, Ricki-Lee Coulter has gone from the shock of an early elimination in Season 2 of Australian Idol to a prominent presence on the pop culture landscape thanks to her 15 top 50 hit singles, four studio albums, hosting gigs on two of the country's top reality shows (including the 2023 revamp of Idol ) and role as a radio host. In the first part of a two-part...

Between 1980 and 1990, Icehouse racked up 13 top 20 hits across six studio albums and cracked both the US and the UK top 20 at different points, Initially known as Flowers, the band fronted by Iva Davies were at the forefront of new wave music in Australia, with their sound ranging from atmospheric synth ballads to rocky party tunes — and everything in between. In this career-spanning interview, I...

After crossing paths in 1992, singer Tania Doko and musician James Roche realised they shared a creative spark that would quickly evolve into pop/rock duo Bachelor Girl . The pair tell us about the road to getting signed with Ross Fraser and John Farnham 's label, Gotham Records, and how their top 5 debut single, "Buses And Trains" was part of that journey. Tania and James reflect o...

They ruled radio and the charts in the mid-2000s, but when Rogue Traders started out, they were a very different proposition than the dance/rock hybrid that scored a string of hit singles a few years later. DJ/producer James Ash recalls the band's evolution from releasing disco-inspired club tracks to edgy, sample-laden anthems like "One Of My Kind" and "Voodoo Child". Rec...

The Chantoozies had enjoyed an amazing run from their inception to the release of their debut album, but behind the hit singles and high rotation music videos, tensions were simmering. A split down gender lines developed — a situation that was exacerbated by a relentless touring schedule and some members not feeling they had enough say. The band members talk candidly about their disagreements and...

What had started out as a bunch of girlfriends catching up for drinks and a bit of a sing-along turned into one of Australia's biggest pop groups of the late '80s and early '90s. In the first episode of a two-part special, singers Ally Fowler , Tottie Goldsmith , Angie Arnott (née La Bozzetta) and Eve von Bibra , as well as musicians Brett Goldsmith , Scott Griffiths and David Reyne...

Born in the UK, raised on the Gold Coast and discovered on Australian TV performing Bobby Brown songs, teenager Peter Andre was snapped up by Molly Meldrum for his record label, Melodian. After a couple of years' development, which included a songwriting trip to the UK to work with Phil Harding and Ian Curnow at PWL, the diehard Michael Jackson fan released his first single in 1992. But it wa...

DJ, remixer, songwriter, producer... Peewee Ferris has done it all. Australia's original superstar DJ shares his story of how his love for music led him into a career behind the decks and in the studio — and how being one step ahead when it came to dance music meant he was the go-to guy to bring new sounds and trends to the mainstream. From remixing acts like Jenny Morris , Boom Crash Opera a...

She's called Australia home for four decades and become one of this country's most beloved singer/songwriters, with three wins for Best Female Artist at the ARIA Awards in the '90s. Originally from Canada, Wendy Matthews cut her teeth as a session singer and backing vocalist before stepping into the spotlight with a series of increasingly high profile projects, culminating in Absent...

As Darren Hayes prepares to release his fifth studio album, Homosexual , he talks about how he moved away from being signed to a major label to emerge as an independent artist firmly in control of his career. That began with 2004's The Tension And The Spark , a synth-based album on which he grappled with his sexuality. While success continued in Australia and the UK, his relationship with Son...

Since 1996, Darren Hayes has released some of Australia's most loved pop music, both as half of Savage Garden and as a solo artist. In the first episode of a two-part special, we look at Darren's time alongside Daniel Jones in Savage Garden and hear from the singer about the two albums they released together ( Savage Garden and Affirmation ), how the duo exploded both locally and interna...

She was one of Australia's most recognisable and popular personalities in the 1990s — and it all began with singing for Jo Beth Taylor . After starting out in her hometown of Perth on a local TV show, she was snapped up by Molly Meldrum for his label, Melodian Records, shortly after she relocated to Melbourne. Jo Beth tells us about getting eased into the music industry as a backing singer fo...