Twas a cold, dark winter. Susan and Catherine had landed in swinging London with a bass, a guitar and a broken PC. They had been writing songs since they were nine and thought it was about time someone other than the magpies outside heard them. Fearing they would be seen by someone they knew in Perth, they took their music to the smokiest pubs / clubs/ cafes and restaurants in London with the odd performance in Scotland and France. They scored a residency at a quaint pub in Islington where many hip tourists, businessmen, anoraks and the occasional film star would pop in. Due to constant confusion over names, the stage name Tall Poppies was formed. Playing mostly originals, the duo decided to write a new song each week to keep their sets fresh.
Susan returned to Perth for a bit. Catherine stayed in London. The twins wrote songs over the phone thousands of km apart. When Catherine returned to Australia they realised they had telepathic capabilities as they had both written the same song at the same time
Meanwhile younger brother Alex had become drum man extraordinaire so the three started jamming and performing together. Oscillating between Blackbird sound studios and their home set up, they recorded their first album, Thursday, a sample of the many songs they have in their ever expanding handbags. They filmed a kooky video for one of the tracks, Time Machine, that has been broadcast nationally and internationally and made it to the finals of the 'Sunscreen' video competition.
Tall Poppies returned to London from Australia surviving an attempted
mugging outside their front door on the night of their arrival.
They have since recorded their second album due to be released in 2012 and have been touring
and recording in the UK, Germany and New York. Now backed by German drummer girl Milena and Irish Violin Maestro
Dairmuid. They play well crafted melodic songs drenched
in dual harmonies, singing stories of the strange and unusual.
"They look super – all legs, knee socks, knowing grins to each other and glossy bobs. They sound even better – inch perfect harmonies, all Tanya Donelly crossed with Barbara Dickson(!), abetted by bass and guitar that is another texture, rather than just an aside." James G, SoundsXP.com
BUY THURSDAY
