The almost cinematic aspect of the rise is now oft-cited; how the plucky sisters who had worked as Jillaroos, fruit pickers, roustabouts, cattle ranch hands and even enrolled in a wool classing course, while playing country music at agricultural shows, rodeos, anywhere that would have them, landed themselves in the CMAA College of Country Music in Tamworth and at seminar on marketing and networking conducted by singer Adam Brand early in 2005. How they listened intently, took him at his word and handed over a copy of their independent album of covers and originals, Little Bit Rusty .As Sophie recalls: “I walked up to him and gave him a copy – He looked at it and he was like, oh yeah. He goes ‘I’m going to play it in my ute when I leave here’ and we were like, ‘yeah, right, he’s not going to listen to it’.”
He listened, Compass Brothers Records head Graham Thompson listened and, within what seemed not much more than weeks, chunks of Australia was listening to an album that shot straight to number three on the ARIA Country Charts (with Golden Guitar nominations to follow). There was an instant connection to two gifted creators who, as Susan Jarvis wrote in Capital News, “Have a knack of finding fresh ways of seeing the bush and new approaches to writing and singing about it.” Reviews flowed warm and constant. The Qantas inflight magazine told its international readers: “Australian rather than American accents, catchy tunes, great harmonies, lyrics that make you laugh (“gone like a beer on a Friday night”) and kick-arse rhythms.
Now, with a third album under their collective belt, it would be hard to find an Australian performance and recording act so true to its origins, so intuitively in touch with its audience and so able to meet its needs and desires.
There is nothing quite like the assurance of success – which has come in the shape of two albums that are amongst the very highest-sellers in their label’s catalogue “At the start we weren’t sure if we’d be taken as a joke or seriously” Sophie admits. “We’re a bit different – its a mixture of the traditional, of country rock, comedy and loud drinking songs.” Which is fairly to be expected from a couple of girls who came through adolescence listening to Slim Dusty, John Williamson, Chad Morgan and Johnny Cash on one hand and Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers on the other, and now enjoy the likes of Terri Clark, and Australian peers and comrades – Adam Brand, Lee Kernaghan, Gina Jeffreys, Melinda Schneider and Sara Storer.
That assurance has provided a solid base from which to prepare and offer an ambitious third album – Dust Will Settle. “This is our best yet” enthuses Sophie. “I’m excited and also a little nervous about it. This time around we’ve tried to steer a bit of a different course. Perhaps as we get older the songs are not so lighthearted, they’re more grown up. I hope they realise it’s still us, the same girls.”
Unmistakably so. Certainly the songs are as sprightly, energetic and engaging as those on the first two albums but with a greater depth and diversity. It’s very much a song driven album, with five of them penned by younger sister Celeste. “Celeste has a very exciting future as a writer,” said one recent reviewer and her big sister is not inclined to disagree. “She’s really growing as a writer,” observes an admiring Sophie. “They’re great songs, we were all happy to put them on.” She had begun her own writing odyssey early with some of the originals on Little Bit Rusty written when she was just 15. There’s a telling intuition that comes from “Growing up in the bush – it gives us a connection, we’re one of them.” And as she told Susan Jarvis after the second album Long Five Days in 2006, “We always write from what we know – feelings, experiences, stories we’ve heard – and we record in a way that reflects our live shows.”
Live performances – spirited and seductive – are pivotal to the Sunny Cowgirls sudden, inexorable rise. “We just love playing to huge crowds of country people because we feel right at home and they really relate to our music,” says Sophie. And played to them they have – at the Gympie Muster and two years running at the Deniliquin Ute Muster which they nominate as their prime concert memories. “We get a great reaction all over, and some places stand out, like Mackay and Toowoomba ...... and Mulgildie this little ghost town in Queensland. I suppose our core audience is the B&S Ball and Ute crowd. They’re mostly 18-25 and pretty wild but a lot of older people also come to our shows. So we do an acoustic sit-down set, tell stories.” Stories are drawn from a life that saw them grow up on the Sunninghill farm at Dunkeld in rural Victoria then shifting to Western Australia when Sophie was 12 and Celeste 8. At high school in Perth the sisters stood apart – “We were the only kids wearing Blunnies and stuff” Celeste once related. “We’ve never been into the city culture – it just doesn’t suit us. As soon as school was over we headed back to the bush”.
That’s essentially where they have stayed, spread out on acres with room for their beloved old Holden utes (as the bumper sticker seen on the cover of Little Bit Rusty declared: ‘A Woman’s Place Is In A Ute’). “Living in Tamworth we’re still able to go around the country” says Sophie. “The Central Coast, where a lot of Australian country artists are based, just didn’t work for us. We’ll always be country girls.”
Inspirational, role model ones too. “Young girls come and tell us they want to grow up and drive utes, have dogs, play guitar, sing songs, have lots of fun – just like us. Kids 4-5 know the words to all to our songs. It’s a bit of a worry because there’s a fair few drinking songs. Oh dear!” And now there’s the cheeky Naked, which was inspired by a song Sophie had heard by her old W.A. mate Courtney Murphy, I Think About You Naked. Oh dear, indeed.
Destined for much raucous recycling is anthem-on-the-rise – Live It Loud. “We know that’s going to really go off live” laughs Sophie, “Grog Monster and Dancing On The Darling too.” She nominates the affecting Pink Galah, which arrives at particularly satisfying time in her emotional life, as “the most personal song I’ve ever written. It came to me sitting on the verandah at home one day; I was thinking about how galahs and parrots have a life partner.” The album’s title track also has layers beyond the surface. “It actually refers to depression,” she reveals. “When you grow up in the county you see it around you. The effect of drought on people is not widely understood. But it’s not a depressing song; it’s a song about hope, about coming out the other side of trials because, in time, the dust will settle.”
Rabbit may have an obvious Australian connection but was in fact inspired by the works of a prim Englishwoman born in the century before last. “I’ve always had a thing about foxes and rabbits” details Sophie, “ever since I read the Beatrix Potter books when I as really young. Mr. Todd the fox scared me half to death but I never forgot him.” Celeste was similarly inspired to pen the sweetly serenading Kelpie, which was inspired by a poem she once came across. “Celeste is a mad kelpie lover,” confirms Sophie. ‘She’s always wanted to write a song about a dog and now she has, and it’s a really good one!”
Produced by Graham Thompson, who has one of the country’s best strike rates, Dust Will Settle is an elastic album that rolls out and over you. It concludes with a classic, though underheard, 60s hit that he suggested the girls work up as a duet with their mentor Adam Brand. Someday was a 1966 top ten solo hit by Tony Barber, guitarist for the original hit lineup of Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs (He’d also penned that group’s first hit, Blue Day). It is a rollicking piece they can’t wait to take out on the road. “Someday is a super-fun song to sing,” confirms Sophie. “It’s always hard work but we really look forward to touring – to see what our audience gives back to us. I do find it hard to find time to write on the road, it gets stressful, but once we have the songs done all we want to do is play them to people. We get asked if we’re looking to go overseas and, while I guess I’m curious about Nashville and maybe going there to suss it out, there’s no real urge because the people we play to here can be so incredible.”
What becomes evident, when the Sunny Cowgirls get on a stage, is how much these two sisters (now 21 and 25) spark off each other. “We’re very happy people and we’re best mates - I hope that comes across on the album” says Sophie. “I may be four years older but I’m not the boss. ‘Less is good at giving it back!”
Get on It
The Sunny Cowgirls Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've got the fire burning
See the headlights
Come up the drive they're turning in
And now the party will begin
We've got the ute tray eskis
Filled up with ice and stacked with beer and Bundy
Getting excited cos its time
[Chorus:]
Cause we're gonna gonna gonna gonna gonna get on it
We're rocking out break the drought
And we'll shout about being young and living loud
Gonna gonna gonna gonna gonna get on it
We'll make some noise girls and boys
We'll destroy us
Gonna go off when we get on it
The harsh sun wakes us
Stumble out from our swags
It's time for breakfast
The eggs and bacon's in the pan
And can't forget our morning rum can
Don't have to work till Monday
So we'll recover by the dam all Sunday
We'll drink and talk the time away
[Repeat Chorus:]
Gonna go hard
Gonna get loud
We'll take it to the limit
Dropping our guard
Letting it down
Because we're gonna get on it
[Repeat Chorus:]
Gonna go off when we get on it
Gonna go hard when we get on it
The Sunny Cowgirls' song "Get On It" is an energetic celebration of Australian country life and the freedom of youth. The lyrics describe a party held in the countryside, with friends coming together to enjoy good company, beer, and rum. The first verse sets the scene, with a cold night and a warm fire, and friends arriving in their cars for a night of fun. The second verse describes the aftermath of the party, with the friends recovering by the dam, drinking and talking the day away. The chorus is an upbeat call to action, inviting the listener to join in and "get on it," to make some noise and live life to the fullest.
The lyrics of "Get On It" highlight the importance of socialising and community in rural Australian life, the love of a good party, and the sense of freedom and excitement that comes with youth. The song appeals to country music fans and those who appreciate the simple pleasures of life in the country. The rousing chorus is particularly memorable, encouraging listeners to let loose and have fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Full moon cold night*
The night is bright and chilly, but the atmosphere is lively and energetic.
We've got the fire burning
There is a fire lit, adding warmth to the environment.
See the headlights
A vehicle is approaching.
Come up the drive they're turning in
The vehicle has entered the driveway.
And now the party will begin
The arrival has marked the start of the party.
We've got the ute tray eskis
Coolers filled with drinks are ready and available from the back of the vehicle.
Filled up with ice and stacked with beer and Bundy
The coolers are stocked with cold beverages such as beer and rum.
Getting excited cos its time
Everyone is feeling enthusiastic and looking forward to the festivities.
To blow the roof off this shack of mine
To have a wild and crazy party that would be loud enough to destroy the roof.
[Chorus:]
This is the chorus of the song.
Cause we're gonna gonna gonna gonna gonna get on it
Everyone is excited to start the party and enjoy themselves.
We're rocking out break the drought
Having fun and enjoying themselves in the midst of a long dry spell in their lives.
And we'll shout about being young and living loud
The group intends to celebrate their youth and make the party as loud as possible.
Gonna gonna gonna gonna gonna get on it
Everyone is ready to have a great time.
We'll make some noise girls and boys
Both males and females are expected to participate in the party activities and make some noise.
We'll destroy us
Everyone will let loose and have an amazing time, forgetting about their worries and problems.
Gonna go off when we get on it
The group intends to have a wild and unforgettable time when the party starts.
The harsh sun wakes us
The sun is up, and it is time to start the day.
Stumble out from our swags
Everyone is waking up and getting out of their sleeping arrangements (swags).
It's time for breakfast
It is time to eat the first meal of the day.
The eggs and bacon's in the pan
Breakfast is being cooked, and it includes eggs and bacon.
And can't forget our morning rum can
A small quantity of rum is being consumed as a breakfast drink.
Don't have to work till Monday
Everybody has a leisure day with no work obligation till Monday.
So we'll recover by the dam all Sunday
They plan to spend the entire day relaxing by the dam (small artificial lake).
We'll drink and talk the time away
The group intends to spend quality time together, drinking and chatting.
[Repeat Chorus:]
The chorus repeats itself.
Gonna go hard
The group intends to party hard and have an unforgettable time.
Gonna get loud
The party is going to be noisy and loud.
We'll take it to the limit
The party is going to be epic and unforgettable.
Dropping our guard
Everyone will let go of their inhibitions and enjoy themselves.
Letting it down
Loosening up and enjoying life to the fullest.
Because we're gonna get on it
The group is determined to have a great time and enjoy themselves.
Contributed by Josiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.