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 also saw her hired as the latest frontperson for funk/dance band Rockmelons. In a frank and unflinching interview, Deni shares exactly what she thought of their collaboration and the hits that ensued. She als ..read more

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 picked to record duet "Communication" with John Farnham. Dannielle, who now goes by her married name DeAndrea, recalls those early stages of her career and what it was like performing with the biggest ..read more

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 ad for Australia's Bicentennial in 1988 and on charity single "You're Not Alone" by Australian Olympians. He was also involved in the early stages of Girlfriend's career as a songwriter. When his own ..read more

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 reaching the top 20, but a dispute over the music video for the latter led to two original members being asked to leave. With replacement members in position, more hits (including "Something That You Said" and "Current Stand") and pla ..read more

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 her music career, Katie explains her motivations for being part of the Popstars girl group and what brought about her decision to leave Bardot during recording for second album Play It Like That. She also discusses the various musical project ..read more

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 during their relatively short career, many of which are recounted in Belinda's book, The Girl In The Band. In this first part of a Bardot special, Belinda joins us to talk about the experience of being in the group and ..read more

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-hop/dance-influenced band also welcomed a series of regular and guest vocalists to their line-up, including John Kenny (the singer of "Rhymes" and "New Groove", among others), Sandi Chick, Peter Blakeley, Wendy Matthe ..read more

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 dance project that mostly remains locked away in the record company vault to that time in the early 2000s when she and musical and life partner Willy Zygier played in fans' lounge rooms, Deborah's story is one with surpris ..read more

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 success took everyone by surprise. She also talks about follow-ups "Sexy (Is The Word)" and "Skin To Skin", recording debut album Fresh and how she juggled her TV work with her music commitments. Melissa opens up about ..read more

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 the roller-coaster ride of her solo career. Commercial triumphs like Brave and Pash are dissected alongside fan favourites like Think About It! and Kensal Road, with Kate recounting behind-the-scenes stories and ..read more