Iconic Aus Book 'Songwriters Speak' Is Finally Back In Print After 15 Years

Songwriters Speak: Conversations About Creating Music is a unique book written by Australian music journalist and public relations worker Debbie Kruger. Released in 2005, Songwriters Speak features interviews with 45 artists who define the music we grew up loving in Australia and New Zealand.

In the book, Kruger interviews the most influential writers on these sides of the pond, including Harry Vanda & George Young, Ross Wilson, John Williamson, Glenn Shorrock, Richard Clapton, Tim Finn, Steve Kipner, Neil Finn, Nick Cave, Christina Amphlett, Paul Kelly, Deborah Conway, Archie Roach, Daniel Johns, Kasey Chambers and more.

Elsewhere, she interviewed key members from legendary bands The Seekers, The Twilights, Masters Apprentices, Axiom, Sherbet, Little River Band, Cold Chisel, Dragon, Sports, Midnight Oil, Mental As Anything, Australian Crawl, Icehouse, INXS, Men At Work, Hunters & Collectors and Savage Garden. 

It's as good as a bible for those who consider music to be their religion. If you care about any music that’s come out of Australia and New Zealand, this book is essential for your collection.

For the first time in 15 years, Songwriters Speak is finally returning to print. Its initial release in 2005 received significant critical acclaim and became a sought-after reference work for other music writers and dedicated fans.

Teaming up with Bouley Bay Books, Kruger elaborates on her aim behind bringing her “buried treasure” back to life in her iconic book’s new foreword, which states that the conversations in Songwriters Speak “stand as meaningful historical testaments to the times they were conducted and unique perspectives on what came before and what was to come later.”

In a statement issued to social media on Friday (26 May), Kruger wrote, “Finally I can announce that Songwriters Speak, originally published in 2005 and out of print for around 15 years, is being re-released on June 1. It is available in paperback and eBook formats and you can already order at your favourite online bookseller.”

Heaping high praise onto Songwriters Speak, Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie said, “It’s nice for the national estate to have such a book in existence”. You can pre-order your copy here.

Take a look at Debbie Kruger in this look back at Thin Lizzy's Rocktober at Sydney Harbour in 1978 to view her expertise in real-time: