Linda finds Willie Nelson in the star dust

Linda Bull, one half of famed singing sister duo Vika and Linda, talks Willie Nelson, Chris Wilson and why we’ll miss RocKwiz.

Sime Nugent and Linda Bull for Stardust

Firstly, how bloody good is Willie Nelson?

I love Willie Nelson! I’ve loved him since I was a kid.

I feel like if you don’t like Willie Nelson then you have issues?

I reckon too. That’s definitely true.

Was he a big part of your upbringing?

He was. My parents had very eclectic musical taste, and it was all on vinyl. It was Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Mahalia Jackson – it was quite varied. Willie would come out at special times. Dad loved playing his music when he was feeling nostalgic, and that’s how I was introduced to the music of Willie Nelson.

Willie Nelson performs February 8, 2019 in Los Angeles. Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Was this idea to base a show on Willie’s music something you’ve been kicking around for a while?

No. It was actually Chris Wilson’s idea – my very good buddy who we lost recently (blues legend Wilson passed away last month). He said, ‘Linda, I reckon you could do this’. He believed in me. If it wasn’t for his encouragement I probably wouldn’t have done it.

Willie’s a guy from Texas, I’m a woman from Australia – I didn’t think we had much in common. But Chris said, ‘No, you’ve got a lot in common – you’ve both had a life in music, and I think you would sing Stardust really well’. So here we are.

As you unpacked these songs and learned them were you surprised by how complicated they were? I mean there’s a strong jazz influence running through this music – it’s not straight-ahead country is it?

Oh yeah, it’s tricky. And he makes really difficult songs sound really simple. You just can’t even attempt his vocal style, I would never do that. And his phrasing is just completely offbeat and fantastic, and that’s what makes him. That, and his broad choices.

There’s nothing he wouldn’t tackle, was there?

Nup. That’s another reason I love him, because he’s not a musical snob. I mean, I don’t know him personally but that’s the impression I get…

He seems like a nice bloke …

Very much my kind of guy. Doesn’t mind a laugh, a bit cheeky, but takes his craft very seriously.

So you’re basing the show on Stardust, but you’re bringing in other Willie classics too, aren’t you?

We’re doing On The Road Again, Seven Spanish Angels, Crazy … I mean it’s only an hour and there’s a lot of ground to cover. Thankfully I’ll have Sime Nugent to help me.

Cover Willie Nelson 'Stardust' album.

Tell me why you chose him. I mean, you know basically everyone in Australian music so I imagine you could have called on a lot of people to sing with you …

I’m a big fan of Sime’s voice, number one. And he plays a great guitar. And unbeknownst to me – and I’ve known Sime for years and years – he plays incredible harmonica. He opened for Vika and I here in Melbourne, and he did a couple of Willie covers and I thought, ‘he could do this’. I knew I could sing with him, and that he could play guitar and harmonica and sing lead …

… and build you a couch! (Nugent is a respected furniture maker as well as a musician)

Exactly! And he can write songs. He’s written a couple for Vika and I. Our involvement is deep.

Vika and Linda Bull.

Speaking of Vika, the two of you are very linked as a duo, and very associated with acts like Paul Kelly and Joe Camilleri. How does it feel to step our front by yourself?

It’s nerve-racking! But I always have Chris in the back of my mind saying, ‘You can do this. I know you can’. That gives me a lot of confidence, and I’m doing this show basically for him. That’s a really powerful thing. It’s a stretch for me, but I really like that. That, and to not embarrass Willie.

Of course …

Many of these types of shows are celebrating the work of people who are no longer with us, but Willie’s still here. I don’t want someone to film it and send it to Willie and for him to go, “oh, that sucks”. I want to pay respects to him, and that also spurs me on. He’s a legend so I don’t want to embarrass him.

I recently heard the phrase ‘blood harmony’ for the first time, used to describe the way brothers and sisters and family members can harmonise together in a way that people who didn’t grow up together might find very difficult – would you say that’s a true phenomenon?

Oh yeah, that’s true. I hear Memphis and Maddy Kelly sing with Paul Kelly and Dan Kelly and there is nothing like it. It’s a different sound. It’s taking a breath at the same time, knowing when to stop a note. You can learn it, but unless you’ve grown up together it’s not going to be the same.

On a slightly unrelated topic, how sad is it that they’ve cancelled RocKwiz?

I will miss it. I think it’s a really important show. I mean, how many cooking shows can we have? Why can’t we have shows about music?

And the beauty of RocKwiz was they didn’t just celebrate artists that were well known and had a long career, they were bringing up new artists as well. And we loved it, because not only did we get to sing with our idols we also got to sing with up-and-coming artists who worked their butts off. It’s just a shame that the rest of the country couldn’t see that.

And there was a really smart, kick-arse chick up the front, and then there was Brian and the band! You can’t underestimate that band. Everybody loved playing with them! I think we should start a petition to get RocKwiz back on TV. I reckon a lot of people would sign it.

SEE: Stardust: The Songs of Willie Nelson

Performed by Linda Bull with special guest, Sime Nugent

Fortuna Spiegeltent, Garden of Unearthly Delights, February 25 and 26