Women in Docs

Dirty Linen

This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen #133 (December 2007/January 2008).
The full article is in the magazine, available on newsstands, by subscription, and at the Dirty Linen webstore.

Women in Docs

Australian Energy

by Tom Nelligan

It sometimes seems like one of the requirements for a successful career as a singer/songwriter is to lead a sad and troubled life and want to tell the world about it. Some contemporary acoustic songwriters focus so consistently on lost loves, chronic disappointments, and lingering frustrations that their music sounds more akin to self-therapy than entertainment.

And then there's the Australian duo Women in Docs, whose boundless energy, largely upbeat songs, vibrant harmonies, and good-humored stage presence are as bright and sunny as their homeland. Positive, confident, hopeful, and strong, the music doesn't completely ignore the darker moments of life but always suggests that there will be a brighter day. The Brisbane-based Women in Docs are singer/guitarist Roz Pappalardo and singer/bassist Chanel Lucas, who have been playing together since 1998 and who have become a major force in Australia's independent acoustic music scene. They are now touring extensively in North America as well and finding a lot of new fans over here with their catchy songs of life, love, and the lure of the road. An Atlanta stop on last summer's two-month tour of U.S. clubs and festivals provided a chance for a phone conversation about their music.

[cover #133]