Take 5 with Vika & Linda
Vika and Linda Bull are national treasures. From their early days singing backing vocals with Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows to breaking out on their own with acclaimed records, they're part of the very fabric of Australian music, and they do it all in harmony. Their voices have soundtracked decades of Australian life, but it's the story behind those voices that makes them extraordinary. Growing up in the Melbourne suburb of Doncaster, they lived between two worlds: ordinary suburban school life during the week, and the rich, Tongan culture of their mother's homeland every Sunday at church. It was there, surrounded by four-hour services of soaring Tongan choral singing, that they learned harmony, not through formal lessons, but by feeling the floor vibrate beneath them. Their mother, a Tongan nurse who married an Australian man, taught them their parts at age five: Vika the high, Linda the low. A split that would define their sound for the next four decades. Their career path was never straightforward. They started in their own band before taking a deliberate side step to join The Black Sorrows as backing vocalists; a six-year apprenticeship under Joe Camilleri that taught them everything from studio technique to stagecraft. It was Vika's voice on "Chained to the Wheel" that transformed the song, and the band's fortunes. But eventually, the pull to tell their own stories became too strong. A difficult conversation with Joe, encouragement from Paul Kelly to try writing, and a year of Thursday afternoon songwriting sessions set them on a new path. This year, they released an incredibly personal new album reflecting on identity, culture, and mid-life (Where Do You Come From?). They were also inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, an honour that still bewilders two women who started as "a couple of backing singers." This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe at Bakehouse Studios in Melbourne, a rehearsal room the Bull sisters know intimately. They were warm, funny, and deeply emotional in exploring their extraordinary life across five songs. Vika and Linda Bull's song choices: The Maopa Choir and Band - 'Halleluia Chorus (from The Messiah)' The Rolling Stones - 'Gimme Shelter' Bob Marley and The Wailers - 'Could You Be Loved' The Finn Brothers - 'Edible Flowers' The Staple Singers - 'Respect Yourself' 00:00 Introduction: Vika and Linda Bull, National Treasures 01:55 Childhood in Doncaster: Singing at Church at Five Years Old 04:15 First Song: The Maopa Choir and Band, 'Halleluia Chorus (from The Messiah)' 07:11 Two Worlds: Suburban Doncaster and Tongan Culture 14:15 Visiting Tonga: "One of the Best Times of My Life" 15:51 Second Song: The Rolling Stones, 'Gimme Shelter' 20:58 Chained to the Wheel: Stepping Up in The Black Sorrows 23:21 Leaving The Black Sorrows: "We Gotta Give It a Crack" 27:44 Third Song: Bob Marley and The Wailers, 'Could You Be Loved' 30:48 Paul Kelly: "You Should Try Writing Songs" 35:21 The New Album: "Not Scared Anymore" 37:18 The Memoir: Finding the Confidence to Tell Their Story 38:46 The Punk and the Prefect: "Sisters First, Singer Second" 41:15 Fourth Song: The Finn Brothers, 'Edible Flowers' 45:06 Tim and Neil Finn: Sibling Harmony and Songwriting Lessons 47:23 Final Song: The Staple Singers, 'Respect Yourself' 51:38 ARIA Hall of Fame: "We Never Thought That Would Happen" 54:29 Zan's Wrap-Up: Season 5 Finale This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now. Watch this episode of Take 5 on ABC iview https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe