To celebrate New Zealand Music Month, The Courier has caught up with some of South Canterbury’s musical maestros to talk about their journeys and experiences with music. In this week’s edition reporter Connor Haley talks with Al and Sheryl Bradley of Double Talk.
Q Where did your love for music first start and who were some early inspirations?
Al: We both had a love of music from a young age — right back to primary school days. I can remember picking up a guitar at school and instantly knowing it was the instrument for me. Luckily, I had a teacher who showed me a few chords, my parents got me lessons, and I’ve never put the guitar down since. My early inspirations were classic guitarists like Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Sheryl: I have sung all my life, I have just loved singing from the time I was a little girl. My parents supported me in every way they could. My musical inspirations were artists like Shania Twain, Linda Ronstadt, and Sheryl Crow.
Q When did you first pick up an instrument and start thinking it was a hobby/interest you wanted to pursue?
Al: I played in bands throughout high school and found my passion through performing and learning from others.
Sheryl: I started performing at competitions, particularly on the country music circuit, where I was lucky enough to win the New Zealand Gold Guitar in 2001 and reach the top 10 in Starmaker in Tamworth the following year. We both knew quite early on that music was something we wanted to pursue seriously.
Q How did Double Talk come about and how did you initially find performing together?
Al: Double Talk came about when I saw a shift in the music scene — more venues were looking for solo and duo acts instead of full bands. I wanted to create a duo that could still bring the energy of a full band to a performance. After hearing Sheryl sing at many country music competitions, I knew she’d be the perfect fit.
Sheryl: At the time, I was living in Kaikōura and Al was based in Timaru, so it took a lot of travel for rehearsals and gigs. But the demand for Double Talk kept growing, which led to me moving to Timaru — and as they say, the rest is history!
Q How have you found being a part of the South Canterbury music scene for so many years?
Being part of the South Canterbury music scene has been a fantastic experience. We’ve seen so many great musicians and bands come and go, and we’ve been lucky to work alongside many talented local performers — especially in backing bands and show bands.
The hospitality scene was really strong when we began, with live music everywhere, nearly every bar in Timaru had entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. You could even time your breaks between sets and pop next door to hear another band playing — it was a vibrant, exciting time for live music.
Q Do you feel there is still support here for local musicians?
We’ve definitely noticed changes over the years. When we were playing the pub and club scene, almost every venue had live music on the weekends. Things have slowed down a bit, but there are still people out there who value live performance.
It’s important that audiences support the venues that are still putting live music on, or else it risks disappearing altogether. As we mainly play private functions now, we do notice we’re travelling a lot more.
For example, last weekend we were in Ashburton for a wedding on Friday night, then Oamaru for a school ball on Saturday, and this weekend we’re off to Fox Glacier for another wedding. It’s a lot — but it’s just what you do when you love entertaining.
Q Anything else you’d like to add about music or your careers?
As Double Talk heads into its 34th year of performing, teaching music has become a really important part of what we do. We’re the current directors of music at Waihi School and run our own music school, Starbound Studios. Sheryl also teaches music at Bluestone School and Craighead.
Being able to share our experience with the next generation is incredibly rewarding. It’s amazing to see young people gain confidence and grow through music, and we feel lucky to be part of that journey. Music has given us so much — friendships, a career, and so many unforgettable moments.
We still love it as much as ever and are committed to keeping the spirit of live music alive wherever we go.
