Everyone’s going country – even The Wiggles.
With country music booming (Spotify ranks Australia as the world’s No. 3 market for the genre), the beloved children’s group, and former Rolling Stone AU/NZ cover stars, saddled up for their most ambitious project yet.
For Wiggle Up, Giddy Up!, their new album, they lassoed in some of the biggest names in country – Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, Orville Peck, and even the late Slim Dusty.
“We spent more time on this than any other album,” reveals original Blue Wiggle Anthony Field. “If you say it’s country, it’s got to sound country.”
So, how do you take a group known for skivvies and singalongs and turn them into bona fide country stars? We caught up with Field and new-gen Wiggle Tsehay Hawkins to talk big-name collabs, the challenges of going country, and what it’s like to work with the one and only Dolly Parton.
The Wiggles’ Wiggle Up, Giddy Up! is out now.
Rolling Stone AU/NZ: You’ve gone country for your new album. What sparked the idea?
Anthony Field: I think we’ve always had a bit of country in us. We’ve done all kinds of music over the years and worked with legends like Slim Dusty, John Fogerty, Tim Finn, and John Williamson. When we make an album, we usually have a theme, and someone – I honestly can’t remember who – realised we’d never done a country album. I told them, “Well, we did a spaghetti western back in 2005,” but of course, this generation of kids wouldn’t remember that (laughs).
How did the creative process compare to past albums?
Field: With so many guests on board, we had to get it right. We always put a lot of effort into our albums, but this was a real challenge. If you say it’s country, it has to sound country. And my guitar licks aren’t exactly supremo in the country world. So, you know, we brought in some pros like Lucky Oceans from Asleep at the Wheel who played steel guitar on most of the album, and we had a fiddle player come in.
I’ve listened to country music all my life, so a lot of thought went into this – not just the sound but also the lyrics. Believe it or not, even though our songs are simple, we put so much time into them. Lachy [Gillespie] even wrote a song to pitch to Lainey Wilson, and he was completely stressed about it. It was his whole life for a while there.
Tsehay Hawkins: Yeah, we were filming a TV series at the time, and during every break, Lachy was in the studio tweaking it.
Field: And when Lainey said she wanted to do it, the relief on his face was priceless.
What was it like working with Dolly Parton?
Field: That was all thanks to Natalie Waller from ABC, she’s well-connected in the country world and introduced us to Dolly’s team. I can’t imagine how busy she is, but she still took the time to send us three songs. We were so nervous sending our recordings back, just hoping she’d like them. I produced most of the album, and I was sweating. But then we got word that Dolly loved it.
Hawkins: She’s the queen of country! Just hearing that she was happy with it was absolutely amazing.
Field: Everybody was just amazed with her voice, that we were actually singing with Dolly Parton.
Hawkins: It was wild. In the studio, we’d have her isolated vocals playing back, and it was just her voice – it gave me chills. Even though she wasn’t physically there, it still felt like we were singing with Dolly Parton.
What were Dolly’s songs about?
Field: Mostly friendship. She’s such a brilliant songwriter. Everything she does is just so good.
Another huge name on the album is Orville Peck. How did that happen?
Field: Again, Natalie introduced him to us and obviously, like Dolly, he had to be aware of The Wiggles. We had a Zoom with Orville to introduce ourselves, and we were all so nervous.
Hawkins: Yeah, but he had the best energy and was so down-to-earth. He told us his niece loves The Wiggles, he was like, “I’m the coolest uncle now!” He’s one of the biggest country stars right now, but he was just the nicest guy. We actually met him in person at the GQ Awards recently, and even though we weren’t in Wiggle gear, he came up to us straight away.
You’ve got the legendary Slim Dusty on the album again, after 2020’s “I Love to Have a Dance with Dorothy”. How does it feel knowing a new generation of kids will get to hear his voice?
Field: When we worked on “Dorothy”, Slim’s team was so happy with how we adapted it. And for me personally, Slim Dusty was a huge part of my childhood – my dad was from Cobar in the country, and Slim was everywhere. He’s still a legend, there’s even a statue of him in Tamworth. So for kids who’ve never heard Slim before, getting to experience that iconic voice is pretty special.
Hawkins: Country music is new to me, but even I know Slim Dusty. Hearing his voice on our album is incredible. It’s so cool that kids today get to discover a true Aussie legend.
Do you see this album helping The Wiggles reach new audiences globally, or is it more about the fans you already have?
Field: It’s not our main objective, but we always hope so, and we’d love to play with Dolly, of course. It’s a different world now from when we started – we’re on Sky Channel in the UK, YouTube in the US, and a few other channels internationally. The Wiggles have really grown in the UK recently, and our tour there is almost sold out. Parts of America have sold out, and some parts aren’t as selling as fast, but they’re still selling. This album will give us a bit of impetus, I’m sure.
What’s been the most fun part of promoting this album?
Hawkins: Driving up to Tamworth for the country music festical in the Big Red Ute, which is painted just like the Big Red Car. People wave, take photos… the reaction is huge. We just always have to make sure we don’t go over the speed limit and get fined! (laughs). But honestly, the real Big Red Car was never a problem – it only went five kilometers an hour!
