Following the hugely successful debut of the Underscore project back in May this year, we are delighted to present the next instalment. Underscore #2, the Spring edition!

UNDERSCORE is a genre-bending, genre-blending musical and literary salon, blurring the lines between music and storytelling; song and recitation as these acclaimed writers perform excerpts of their work over a lush electro-acoustic soundscape provided by the Idiomatics, combining synths, samples, keys, electronica, trombone, sax, flute and occasional whistling.

"There’s a special kind of intimacy here. A superbly focused and talented band with the unique combination of traditional and modern instruments (and musical styles) cradling each piece and giving it different shapes and textures.” Stage Whispers, Adelaide June 2023

The stories, prose and poetic musings of these acclaimed writers are bookmarked by songs from the band, featuring Sally Ford’s own wryly-observed lyrics of life, love and lived experience, an entrancing sonic landscape to accompany the readings:

APPEARING …

JENNIFER DOWN: Miles Franklin Award-winning author, essayist and reviewer.

JANE CLIFTON: Writer, actor, singer, poet, painter and very civil celebrant.

NEIL THOMAS: Artist, restless iconoclast

SALLY FORD: Vocals, flutes, alto sax

PATRICK CRONIN: Sequences, samples, synth, valve trombone, whistling.

MICHAEL HAVIR: keyboard, electronic FX

SALLY FORD AND THE IDIOMATICS fuse their rich musical provenance, from latin to film music via ska and funk to create uplifting groove-drenched sounds, drawing on the performers’ respective backgrounds with ARIA-winning Melbourne Ska Orchestra, the Spaghetti Western Orchestra, Texicali Rose, Dr Hernández, Yothu Yindi and The Black Sorrows.