DEBORAH Conway is hitting the road again with her partner in life and song Willy Zygier.
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Conway and Zygier are on a national tour celebrating the release of their 10th studio album The Words of Men.
Amazingly, it is also the 25th anniversary of their hit album and first musical collaboration Bitch Epic, featuring the top-charting single Alive & Brilliant.
Aptly titled EPIC, the tour takes Conway and Zygier to all states, stopping by the North East (Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre) on Friday, June 14.
Released in February, The Words of Men features songs of personal, cultural and political observation.
Recorded live to capture the chemistry Conway and Zygier share with their band, the album reflects one of the most creative bursts in their 27-year collaboration, covering themes such as relationships to the mysteries and joys of ageing.
Conway said they wanted to make an album that reflected their human concerns.
"We have a very troubled youth; we have a new generation tormented by social media," she said.
"Politically, we're more divided than ever before; there doesn't seem to be a dialogue any more.
"We're all feeling it, it's very extreme. We need to be able to take a deep breath and a step back."
Conway, however, is quick to point out the album is also optimistic and fun.
"A serious record made with fun or a fun record made seriously," Conway said.
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Performing all tracks from The Words of Men, the EPIC tour allows Conway and Zygier to revisit the Aria-winning Bitch Epic.
Written overlooking Coogee Beach and first performed on a stormy day at The Sydney Barracks in 1992, Conway recalls the crowd dancing in plastic ponchos to what would become an unconventional radio hit.
"I still love playing this song (Alive & Brilliant), it has a compelling urgency and fury to it that remains undiminished 26 years after we wrote it," she said.
Conway said while music was everywhere, it was not often people experienced live music.
"In 2019, when music streaming forms the sound track of our lives, the live music experience remains a precious, potentially life-changing event," Conway said.
"Live music is really good for the soul; it's an uplifting and galvanising experience."
Conway and Zygier's daughters, Syd, Hettie and Alma, are on backing vocals for some EPIC shows.
THE LOWDOWN
WHAT: EPIC with Deborah Conway & Willy Zygier, Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre
WHEN: Friday, June 14, 7.30pm
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