ERIC BAZILIAN (THE HOOTERS) & TANIA DOKO (BACHELOR GIRL)
International artists/songwriters Eric Bazilian & Tania Doko share more than artistry, song writing and live performing in common – they are forever bonded by their Scandinavian ‘second home’ – Sweden. Both ex pats who married Swedes, their cathartic, creative friendship was born in Stockholm; navigating long, dark winters and making songs together was their refuge and happy place. Although living mostly in their respective home countries today, they stay connected through music, storytelling and of course, Sweden.
And since Eric wants to visit down under, they’re hitting the road together!
It’s been almost 40 years since Eric toured Australia with U.S hit makers The Hooters, fronting his band to the present day, enjoying sell out tours in Europe and the US. Equally as impressive is Eric’s extraordinary accomplishments as a songwriter, musician and producer – including writing the three-time Grammy nominated “One Of Us”, creating the unforgettable guitar parts to Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” & “Time After Time”, popular releases with Robbie Williams, Billie Myers and cowriting/producing the Double Platinum follow up to Amanda Marshall’s massively successful debut album.
The parallel with Tania Doko is uncanny. Also lead singer of much-loved Bachelor Girl (“Buses & Trains”, the most played Australian composition on Australian radio over the last 25 years), the band still boasts frequent bookings on the Australian festival circuit, sharing bills with heavyweights as John Farnham, Icehouse, and Simple Minds. As a songwriter Tania has made an indelible mark on the contemporary music scene, having co penned Tina
Arena’s recent album, as well has contributing to hit records for the Veronica’s, Sheppard, and Taylor Dayne. 2023 saw Tania release her solo EP “The Beauty’s in the Broken” to critical and audience acclaim, the first hypnotic single “Harder Now” taking out a US song writing award.
As the original artists and writers, Eric and Tania will bring you their iconic songs you love and share the fascinating stories behind them. Sprinkled into their live sets, will be more recent creations they cooked up together from dark basements in their near North Pole home of Stockholm.
To celebrate the tour, Eric and Tania have combined vocal forces on a unique arrangement of “One of Us”, produced by Eric. It will be the lead track from their forthcoming album, also titled “HERS, HIS & OURS”, and will consist of original composition demos Eric and Tania created in Stockholm, Sweden between 2011-2019.
“To quote PRINCE himself, ‘One of Us’ is one of those songs I wish I wrote. I couldn’t agree more with the artist formerly known as… This mind blowing, insatiable international smash jolted me for a six in every way when it first burst into our eardrums. Then to meet and befriend the genius mind and beautiful heart that is Eric in Sweden 2011, write tunes together for outside artists for 10 years, and now to tour in Oz together and release his big song ‘baby’ with him and so many of those gems we co-wrote, well, worlds are colliding in the best of ways. It’s simply awesome.” – Tania Doko.
I’ve always wanted to hear Tania sing my ‘One of Us’, and so when the opportunity came along to use the vocals of the iconic Ladysmith Black Mambazo I recorded a little while ago, and combining them with Tania and I for a fresh ‘worldly’ take on my song, it was one too irresistible to refuse. I truly can’t wait to tour with my good friend Tania – it’s been a near 40 year wait visiting Australia and these shows will be special.” – Eric Bazilian