Music Is A Heart's Degree
by Jane Canaway
Community News
As a teenager, Deborah Hocking was always drawn to the ideals of an alternative musical life.
She began writing songs at 14, scrawling lyrics in her spare time and learning to strum the guitar.
Her first foray into the music scene came a few years later when she joined a local band called Stigma.
"It was a good rough-and-ready garage sort of start to things," Ms Hocking said. "It was fun, original stuff."
Ms Hocking moved on from the band soon after, seeking a greater musical challenge with melodic pop outfit Way of Sorrows.
"There was a lot more intricate bass playing and harmonies."
After playing the circuit for a year, Ms Hocking left the band to pursue a psychology degree.
Even though she was still writing songs, she now admits that taking the degree was the wrong decision.
"I wish now I hadn’t done it for so long. But because I was still writing songs I think I was subconsciously developing that. It was sort of an introspective time."
In 1996, during the fourth year of her degree, Ms Hocking finally realized that the lure of music was just too strong.
"I said to myself 'God, why am I dong this [psychology degree]?'. From that moment, I resolved to come back and do my own music. I realised I just couldn’t deny myself of it; it’s not healthy for me." While going solo sparked a new-found freedom, there were also pitfalls in finding the right musicians to play with.
"Nothing gelled. Things just weren’t working out."
That all changed in 2003, with the birth of the Deborah Hocking Band, with herself on vocals and guitar, John Dynon plying upright and electric bass and Matt Rose on drums and percussion.
"It’s full steam ahead now. We’re trying to find our sound as three musos with the same vision."
Ms Hocking said she was now glad to be fronting her own band, taking inspiration from such groups as the popular Tiddas, who have now disbanded.
"I saw them a lot of times live. These three women playing their own instruments and singing their own songs was great.
"It was quite affirming. I said to myself ‘you can do this’. I really want to take on board the way they engaged with their audience." She said playing in a band was a lot more fun [than playing solo].
"It’s a lot more sociable. It’s nice to share the experience."
"We’re trying to develop our audience at the moment."
Last January, the band released a five-track EP titled Left to Spare, and are now writing songs, planning a regional tour and working on a new LP.