During the 80s, vocal duo Vika and Linda Bull spent every waking moment together on a tour bus. Singing back-up for musical icons including Paul Kelly and Joe Camilierri, the Tongan sisters navigated a boys club, arguments, and alcoholism.
Appearing on Mamamia's MID podcast episode about sisters, the singers shared their story - the good, the bad, the ugly.
Hailing from Doncaster in Melbourne, Victoria, Vika and Linda promised their parents they would "stick together" before joining the — notoriously dubbed — 'sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll' music industry.
"We protected one another," Vika told host Holly Wainwright. "If we got in sticky situations, tother one would pull the other one out."
Early days on the road saw some pretty "explosive fights" between the sisters. While Linda was calm, Vika confessed to having a temper.
"It has been difficult because we're so different," Linda said before explaining the challenges of the road. "We're tired; we're not eating properly; we're not sleeping properly; there's a lot of alcohol. Those ingredients together are a bad combination.
"Double that with a hot head and you're going to get a situation where she's going to lose her temper," the younger sister said of Vika. "Sometimes it was warranted and she was expressing what everyone's thinking. But sometimes there's a time and a place for it."
The pervasiveness of drinking was another difficult hurdle for Vika, who succumbed to alcoholism. Three years ago, she gave it up for good.
"It was destroying my life," she said on MID, explaining how it became a "trap" for her while on tour.
"It's addictive and I loved it and I loved the buzz," she said. "The industry I was in, six nights a week, there was a massive rider – wine, beer, scotch, vodka, everything. It just caught up with me.
"I'm so glad that I pulled myself out of it and said 'I'm not going to go down that road'. Singing was more important to me and my family and my daughter; I did it for her. She saw it and the effect that it had on me. I wanted to show her I could do it and come out the other side."
As for how Linda dealt with her sister's addiction, the singer confessed she was "very judgmental" during the early days.
"I would be like, 'Why aren't you in bed at 9 o'clock? We have a show tomorrow," Linda recalled. "'Why are you out partying? We have to sing. This is not just you, it's me as well'.'
"I didn't listen to her," Vika confessed. "I did what I wanted. I was a pain in the arse."
Linda knew that Vika "would hit a point" with her drinking.
"Everyone has to go through rock bottom, and I knew she was going to hit rock bottom, I just didn't want it to be devastating," Linda told Holly. "I wanted her to be alive so that we could continue. And she did it. I'm really proud of her."
Together during the bad times and the good, the sisters acknowledge that they are now "stronger as a unit".
"Some of the things we've been through together could have driven us apart," Linda said. "But for some reason, Vika and I, the good far outweighs the bad and we just really love each other. It's a deep connection. I think if we didn't sing we'd still call each other every day."
Still singing together all these years later, the sisters received their first number one song in their 50s! And have confessed that touring is a lot more fun these days.
To hear all about Vika and Linda's story — including how they dealt with comparisons, pressure to dress a certain way, and Linda's marriage breakdown — listen to the full MID episode above.
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