In the few years they’ve been together Hussy Hicks have racked up a remarkable list of festivals, venues and dedicated fans across the globe, and they’ve done it all with a couple of instruments and a passionate desire to share their songs with the world.
Julz Parker is regarded as one of her country’s finest guitarists and has traded finger-style, flamenco, gypsy and Arabic licks with everyone from street performers to Phil and Tommy Emmanuel, John Jorgenson, Lulo Reinhardt and Joe Robinson.
Leesa Gentz is most recognised for her soaring vocals and joyful, endearing stage presence, and she has been steadily earning respect as one of the most captivating vocalists in her field.
Conforming to a genre is not the girls’ strongpoint; however, their musical approach has seen them welcomed into the roots, folk, blues, country and world music circuits, and with a broad range of influences they are rapidly gathering the attention of a wide spectrum of music lovers.
The comings and goings of these local troubadours have become so frequent that their upcoming Europe tour is barely even newsworthy. In fact we were almost going to let their departure go entirely un-celebrated until the girls realised that while extensively traipsing the rest country they’d neglected to put on a local CD release party for their latest album The London Sessions.
The album was officially released in May and has been receiving brilliant reviews from critics and fans alike. As suggested by its title, The London Sessions was recorded in London with a hot-shot band and brings out a more experimental side of the Hussy Hicks’ signature folk/roots sound.
For their Eltham gig, the girls have also enlisted the talents of their mates The Starboard Cannons, who will certainly delight crowds with a live set that moves through super-fast, bluegrass terrain, across the realm of the sparse and haunting folk ballad and head first into full-blown, beer-spilling, shout-along sea shanty territory.
With their highly celebrated debut album, Somebody’s Opus, a reputation for captivating live performances and rapidly increasing legion of loyal fans, Starboard Cannons remain focused on what is most important to them: having a great time!
Hussy Hicks and Starboard Cannons in concert Saturday July 20 at 6pm at the Eltham Hall, 5 Mayfield St, Eltham.
