THE Weeping Willows aren't ones to write about politics, particularly the contemporary kind.
Married couple Laura Coates and Andrew Wrigglesworth are more interested in the traditions of Americana music - the blues, bluegrass and gothic country - and the foundations and mythologies built by legendary figures like Robert Johnson.
Coates describes The Weeping Willows' new single Black Crow as a tale of judgement. "The black crow is watching the protagonist, having done some dirty deeds, and the protagonist forever feeling like he's being watched," she says. "In the end he does get his comeuppance."
Does that sound familiar? Former Federal government staffer Brittany Higgins' sexual assault allegations inside Parliament House have unleashed a tidal wave of anger about the mistreatment of women in Australia, particularly in politics, and the judgement has been swift.
"Absolutely, it was timely," Coates says of Black Crow's relevance to current news.
"But once again, like our last song Wheels Won't Roll that we released in the year when our wheels weren't rolling, we didn't mean it to happen. It just happened that way."
Black Crow, along with last year's singles Wheels Won't Roll and the instrumental Prelude, were recorded in late 2019 in Los Angeles by producer Ryan Freeland (Justin Townes Earle, Bonnie Raitt). Freeland also produced the duo's four-time Golden Guitar-nominated second album Before The Darkness Comes A-Callin' in 2016.
"He specialises in Americana, typically stripped-back Americana like we do without any drums or electric instruments, so he really gets that sound," Coates says. "So we're really grateful we got to do that before we were locked down."
Due to the lack of US touring opportunities, album No.3 won't be released until 2022.
Thankfully for the first time in a year The Weeping Willows' diary is brimming with gigs. The Black Crow single tour kicked off on Friday in their native Melbourne and will keep the duo on the road through to May.
I'm hoping we can get our sea legs back.
Laura Coates
"I think I counted we did four shows in nine months, so I'm hoping we can get our sea legs back," Coates says.
"We refer to it as being gig fit because there is an energy outlay to doing shows and the rhythm and momentum of it. Normally we feel like we're getting on bit of a run though.
"We're well-rehearsed and tight, but not being on the road sometimes it takes a while. We've been rehearsing really really hard to make sure we put on a good show for this first tour back."
Coates and Wrigglesworth fared better than many of their peers during the pandemic and Melbourne's arduous lockdowns.
Wrigglesworth continued working remotely as a guitar teacher, while Coates maintained her role in school admin.
The single Prelude also won Instrumental of the Year at the Golden Guitars in January, The Weeping Willows' first award after a series of nominations. The song was inspired by Wrigglesworth's childhood love of guitar maestro Tommy Emmanuel.
"Having released that single in the middle of Melbourne lockdown it was so nice to have something shiny at the end of a very dark tunnel," Coates says.
The Golden Guitar trophy was a deserved honour for The Weeping Willows after more than a decade of producing brooding gothic country, which has established a reliable fan base in Australia and the US.
The pair met 13 years ago at a Lachlan Bryan & The Wildes gig.
"I was dragged along to that gig and thought, 'Gosh that guitarist is cute', and I struck up a conversation with Andrew and hit it off," Coates says.
Once they were an item Coates joined The Wildes as a backing vocalist before they formed The Weeping Willows as a side project. The blossoming love affair led to a wedding three years ago and a honeymoon playing an American folk festival.
"We're both pretty placid, mellow people and we'd been together 10 years before we got married," Coates says of the dynamic of being married bandmates.
"Nothing has really changed. We're lucky that we're neurotic about different things, so we can help each other out."
The Weeping Willows headline the first Americana Fest at The Cabin Collective in Maitland on April 10.
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