Abi Tucker

Abi Tucker
Born
Abigail Anne Tucker

(1973-01-22) 22 January 1973 (age 51)
Australia
Occupation(s)Television and film actress, singer-songwriter
Years active1994−present
Known forHeartbreak High, The Secret Life of Us, McLeod's Daughters, The Wog Boy
PartnerChris Rochester
Children2

Abigail Anne "Abi" Tucker (born 22 January 1973) is an Australian singer-songwriter and actress. She has had roles in television series-telemovies in Heartbreak High[1] (1994-1995), Water Rats[2] (1999), Wildside[3] (1999), The Secret Life of Us[4] (2001-2003), My Husband, my Killer[5] (2001), McLeod's Daughters[6] (2007-2009), Giggle and Hoot (2010) ABC's Play School (2006-2010); and in films The New Girlfriend (original title: Envy)[7] (1996), Angst[8] (2000) and The Wog Boy[9] (2000). Her theatre credits include The Vagina Monologues (2000), Everything's F***ed workshop (2003), The Music and Lyrics of Sean Peter (2003), Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson (2005), Poor Boy – Music of Tim Finn (2010) and Bell Shakespeare's As You Like It (2015).[10]

Career

Abigail Anne Tucker came to public attention as a singer on the Australian program, New Faces in the early 1990s and in 1994 landed a role in the Australian TV series Heartbreak High in which she also contributed to the series music soundtrack. Tucker recorded her first EP of original music in 1994 called, "Breathe In'which was produced by Dorian West and released through Shock Records, before moving to the UK.

During an extended stay in London, Tucker teamed up with musician/songwriter Davi Taylor to form 'grunge rock' band 'Bully'. The pair recorded an unreleased EP of songs at AIR studios with producer, Eric Rosse before relations at EMI Records folded and Tucker returned to Australia to work on acclaimed series, Wildside.

Films Angst and The Wog Boy followed, as well as roles in Water Rats, My Husband, My Killer and Envy, plus a stage production of The Vagina Monologues, during which time Tucker continued to write and record music. Tucker contributed two tracks to the soundtrack of Angst. She then landed the role of Miranda Lang in the series, The Secret Life of Us and appeared on the music soundtrack with two of her own tracks and another track written by Don Walker which she performed called, "Everybody". During almost three series of The Secret Life of Us, Tucker performed guest vocals on various albums: White Noise by Alpinestars, AM PM by Endorphin, and a remix of her track "Move You" was released by the Wicked Beat Sound System.

She contributed backing vocals to some songs on David McCormack's debut solo album, Candy in 2002. Tucker also wrote the majority of her album, Dreamworld, which was co-produced by producers including Bob Scott, Sean Peter, Daniel Denholm and Phillip Buckle and mixed by Bob Scott. Dreamworld was released in 2003 through Shock Records.

Tucker followed the release by an extensive tour throughout Australia with guitarist / producer Sydney Green.

In 2005, Tucker was offered a role at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London in a play by Chris England called Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson taking her back to the UK. The play also went to the Edinburgh Festival in 2006.

After landing the role of Grace McLeod in McLeod's Daughters in 2007, Tucker moved to Adelaide where she finished writing and recording her second album, One December Moon. She also performed in a number of the songs featured in the series.

In 2008, One December Moon was released through MGM Records and Edel Records in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, followed by an Australian tour. Tucker then went back to Europe to perform as support for Melanie Safka throughout Germany on her 'Working Legends' tour.

In 2010, Tucker appeared in the MTC / STC production of Matt Cameron's Poor Boy alongside Guy Pearce (MTC season) and Matt Newton (STC Season). The same year she scored a presenters role on ABC's Play School and also toured extensively with the show throughout Australia.

In 2012, Tucker briefly puppeteered and voiced the character of Hootabelle on Giggle and Hoot while continuing to write and record material for her third album. In 2013, Tucker met guitarist / songwriter Julian Curwin and together they began work on a side project of songs and formed the duo The Falling Seeds.

Tucker performed the roles of Amiens and Audrey in Bell Shakespeare's As You Like It in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. She returned to Sydney and the Falling Seeds' debut album was launched on 28 May 2015 and released digitally through noisehive.com.

Personal life

Tucker has two daughters, Hazel (2014) and Pepper (2015) with partner Chris Rochester.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Envy Lissa Feature film
2000 The Wog Boy Annie O'Brien Feature film
Angst May Feature film
2001 My Husband, My Killer Michelle TV movie
2003 Love Bytes Bea TV movie

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1994-1995 Heartbreak High Jodie Cooper TV series, 64 episodes
1996 Water Rats Amy Collins TV series, episode: "Quad Squad"
1998 Wildside Kate Holbeck TV series, episode: "1.40"
2001-2003 The Secret Life of Us Miranda Lang TV series, 55 episodes
2001 National Geographic Presents Narrator/Presenter Documentary
2007-2009 McLeod's Daughters Grace Kingston McLeod TV series, 45 episodes
2010–present Play School Presenter TV series
2010 Cops L.A.C. Nina Blunt / Amanda Hodge TV series, episode: "Blood Types"
2012 Giggle and Hoot Hootabelle (puppeteer / voice) TV series

Theatre

Year Title Role Notes
2000 The Vagina Monologues
2003 Everything's F***ed workshop
2003 Suitcase - Music and Lyrics of Sean Peter
2005–06 Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson Lena Menier Chocolate Factory & Edinburgh Festival
2010 Poor Boy - Music of Tim Finn Claire STC / MTC
2015 As You Like It Amiens / Audrey Bell Shakespeare

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album details
1995 Breathe In
  • First studio EP
  • Label: Shock Records
2003 Dreamworld
  • First studio album
  • Release date: 2003
  • Label: Kellet Street Records
2008 One December Moon
  • Second studio album
  • Release date: September 2008
  • Label: Kellet Street Records
2015 The Falling Seeds
  • Collaboration with Julian Curwin
  • Third studio album
  • Label: Digital Downloads - Noisehive.com
2020 Who Do You Really Know?
  • Release date: January 2020

Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
AUS
[11]
"Everybody" 2001 78 The Secret Life of Us

References

  • Big Magazine – EMAP early – mid-1990s
  • [1] - 'One December Moon' Album interview
  • [2] - 'McLeod's Daughters' interview
  • [3] - Abi Tucker & Rachael Coopes on the Today Show
  1. ^ "Heartbreak High on iMDb". iMDb.
  2. ^ "Water Rats on iMDb". iMDb.
  3. ^ "Wildside on iMDb". iMDb.
  4. ^ "The Secret Life of Us on iMDb". iMDb.
  5. ^ "My Husband My Killer on iMDb". iMDb.
  6. ^ "McLeod's Daughters on iMDb". iMDb.
  7. ^ "Envy on iMDb". iMDb.
  8. ^ "Angst on iMDb". iMDb.
  9. ^ "The Wog Boy on iMDb". iMDb.
  10. ^ "Review of Bell Shakespeare's As you Like It 2015 in Sydney Morning Herald". Sydney Morning Herald. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  11. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 285.