Stories of Ghosts
February 2013
Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier will release their brand new album, ‘Stories of Ghosts’ on February 15 and to celebrate their eighth release they will embark on their first national tour in three years.
Building on the acoustic instrumentation of 2010’s acclaimed, ‘Half Man Half Woman’, the new album is an unbeliever’s examination of Old Testament themes from a Jewish perspective, exploring the connections between ancient practice and modern life. Centred on themes of vengeance, forgiveness, grief and acceptance, Conway and Zygier have created a sound that veers from delicate and melancholy to savage and fierce on ‘Stories of Ghosts’.
According to Conway, the album’s theme was inspired by both her and partner Zygier’s Jewish upbringing – taking traditional teachings then unpicking them and applying them to a modern context.
“The world seems to be fascinated and enthralled by these old ideas of obeying god and doing everything he tells you to do,” Conway says. “It just seems like a good time to have a talk. I mean, god in the Old Testament is not necessarily the kind, thoughtful, turn-the-other cheek sort of god like the one in the New Testament. He was much more vengeful and punished not only you, but your children and their children’s children and so on. These themes really interest me and Willy because we were both brought up in a Jewish community and we both went to Sunday School and learnt about this stuff.”
Conway claims that the songs on ‘Stories of Ghosts’ really come into context in light of some recent events. Taking fifth track, ‘Third Time Down’, as a case in point, she explains how last month’s Queensland floods are very much an example of the story she and Zygier are trying to tell on the album…
“That ties into the ‘vengeful god’ thing that we are talking about,” she says. “I mean, it’s happened to them again. It’s very sad that these people have gone to a lot of trouble to put their houses on stilts and on higher ground and it’s all just under floodwaters again. We live in a world where we are tiny things compared to the force of nature and human beings need to understand that type of battle is beyond us. Still, we can use ingenuity to rise above these things but it’s hard.”
Zygier agrees with Conway that ‘Third Time Down’ eerily reflects the recent natural disaster.
“What a shocking thing to happen all over again! The devastation to their lives and having to start all over again – it’s such a horrible thing. Of course, there is just no making sense of it, it’s as simple as acknowledging that shit happens. As human beings, though, we try to make sense out of our lives and try to get some idea of what’s going on, we need a sense of control. The songs on this album are exactly about that. The last verse in ‘Third Time Down’ is about the flood in Queensland, about that devastation, it’s about choosing what to do in the face of something that hard and making the decision to just let go of everything.”
There isn’t much Zygier and Conway don’t agree on – ever since they first crossed paths during Conway’s ‘String Of Pearls’ national tour in 1991, the two have gone on to form a highly successful collaborative project, with eight records now under their belt as well as three children. According to Conway, the biggest challenge has been knowing when to call it a day when it comes to music and songwriting.
“That’s the biggest challenge – stopping ourselves from working and making sure we take the time out to have fun. The temptation to let work eat away at your down time is always there.”
Zygier describes the pair’s working relationship as a very emotional affair.
“Well, songwriting is such a personal thing to undertake with anybody anyway, so for me, I prefer to do that with someone that knows me very well and that I know very well. There is a basis of trust and respect there from the start. Making music with someone is kind of like an emotional undressing, so who better to do that with?”
‘Stories of Ghosts’ is out on February 15 through MGM.
Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier play at Wesley Anne, Northcote on March 1; Caravan Club, Oakleigh on March 2; and Flying Saucer Club on March 31.
Photo by: Garth Oriander & Sweet Creative
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