Australian folk duo Hussy Hicks is heading back to Mobile, bringing songs from their new album, “On the Boundaries,” to Callaghan’s Irish Social Club on Thursday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m.
The duo, made up of Leesa Gentz and Julz Parker, has spent years building a following along the Gulf Coast, and their connection to the area runs deeper than a typical tour stop. Gentz and Parker previously recorded an entire album, “Lucky Joe’s Wine and Other Tales from Dog River,” with local producer Rick Hirsch at his waterfront Studio H2O, a project inspired directly by their time in the Mobile Bay area.
In a recent interview, Gentz described how Hussy Hicks first started touring outside Australia roughly 12 years ago, with an early trip to the United States doubling as both a tour and an extended road trip. That same sense of adventure, she said, has kept pulling the duo overseas ever since, even as they maintain a busy touring schedule back home.
Gentz credited much of the band’s connection to Mobile to local musician Kristy Lee, who introduced them to the area’s music community years ago. She described the Mobile scene as similar in spirit to the one in their home base along Australia’s Gold Coast — a smaller, tight-knit community built around singer-songwriters and acoustic, roots-leaning music, even as heavier rock and metal acts also come out of both regions.
Working with Hirsch on “Lucky Joe’s Wine” left a lasting impression. Gentz called him one of the most knowledgeable people she’s worked with in the studio, and said the two spent hours playing and talking guitar whenever the band passed through town. Bassist Stan Foster and drummer Greg DeLuca joined that session, along with guest vocalists Eric Erdman, Donna Hall and Kristy Lee. Gentz said having that level of local talent contribute to the record was “mind blowing” for two touring musicians from Australia.
The band’s new record, “On the Boundaries,” marks a deliberate shift for Hussy Hicks. Rather than build songs that could be easily reproduced in a live setting, as they had in the past, Gentz said the duo spent about 12 days in the studio layering vocals, building samples and experimenting with unconventional sounds, including field recordings of birds and frogs gathered while on the road. The album has already won an “Album of the Year” honor in the duo’s home region.
Despite the more produced sound, Gentz said the songs have translated well to live shows, since a strong song holds up even when the studio layers are stripped away. Hussy Hicks plans to spend a few weeks at home in Australia before a six-week tour of Europe, with a return to the studio expected around the end of the year.
Tickets and additional details for the Aug. 16 show at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club, 916 Charleston St. in Mobile, are available by calling 251-433-9374.