What Has Deborah Conway Been Up To Lately? OR Which Family Member Was Asked To Not Sing, But Mime, In The Choir? Still Rockin' It

What has Deborah Conway been up to lately? OR Which family member was asked to not sing, but mime, in the choir?

17d ago 29:03

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Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians

A fearless voice, a late-blooming guitarist, and a family-built record that says the quiet part out loud. We welcome Deborah Conway for an unfiltered tour through four decades of songs, risks, and reinvention, from early band days to a duo and marriage with Willy Zygier that has become one of Australia’s most enduring creative partnerships.

Deborah shares how performing grabbed her long before the guitar did, why her father tried to steer her away from rock and roll, and the moment a gold record changed his mind. We dig into the big swings: Rolling Stone acclaim, recording Pete Townshend’s Iron Man, singing Michael Nyman’s Prospero’s Books, and the Patsy Cline stage show that became a vessel for collective grief the day after 9/11.
The heart of the conversation is the new album, Right Wing Propaganda, a raw, two-voices-and-two-guitars statement shaped by lockdowns, culture wars, and the fraying of civil discourse. Deborah explains why they stripped away drums and keys to let lyrics and harmony carry the weight, and how cancel culture pressures artists to self-censor. Their three daughters join with luminous harmonies, turning family into an instrument and memory into melody.

We even laugh through the AI cover art saga: the software nailed Willy at once but struggled to “find” Deborah, a fitting irony for a project about identity, perception, and truth.
You’ll also hear about the Broad concert series, which brought women singer-songwriters across rock, folk, country, and jazz onto one stage, and the recognition that followed—Member of the Order of Australia, the Victorian Music Hall of Fame, and multiple Archibald portrait finals. We close with two live cuts—Always and the title track Right Wing Propaganda—that showcase warmth, edge, and the space where listeners can step in.

Stream the album, grab the vinyl or CD, and share this conversation with someone who still believes songs can make room for disagreement without losing the tune.

What have Deborah Conway and Willy Zygier been up to lately? Let's find out!

Get out when you can, support local music and I'll see you down the front!!
Visit: ThatRadioChick.com.au

Chapters

1. Welcome And Deborah Arrives (00:00:00)

2. Finding Music And The Late Guitar Start (00:01:46)

3. Family Roots And Parental Pushback (00:03:25)

4. Daughters, Training, And Songwriting (00:05:12)

5. Accolades And Work With Pete Townshend (00:07:55)

6. Film, Opera Roles, And Big Collaborations (00:10:35)

7. Meeting Willie And Becoming A Duo (00:12:05)

8. Patsy Cline Show And 9/11 Night (00:15:00)

9. The Broad Project And Women Supporting Women (00:17:25)

10. Honors And Archibald Portraits (00:19:10)

11. New Album Themes: AI, Culture, And Candor (00:21:00)

12. Sparse Recording And Family Harmonies (00:23:10)

13. Vinyl, Where To Get The Album (00:25:00)

14. Live Performances: Always And Title Track (00:26:00)

15. Closing And Support Aussie Music (00:28:50)

169 episodes