Vika & Linda have unveiled ‘Bliss’, the third single from their forthcoming album Where Do You Come From?, as the Melbourne duo prepare for their biggest national tour to date and their first predominantly self-written album in three decades.
by Paul Cashmere
Vika & Linda have released ‘Bliss’, the latest preview of their forthcoming album Where Do You Come From?, due on 5 June through Mushroom Music. The song arrives as the sisters prepare to launch a national run of more than 50 dates with their longtime band The Bullettes, a tour that will revisit nearly four decades of music while introducing audiences to what the duo describe as their most personal record to date.
The release of ‘Bliss’ continues a broader narrative around the new album, which marks the first time since 1996’s Princess Tabu that Vika & Linda have issued a body of work built predominantly around original material. Much of the songwriting momentum emerged during the writing of their 2022 memoir No Bull, a process that prompted the sisters to revisit personal experiences around identity, family, ageing and belonging.
In a statement accompanying the release, the duo said the song originated after seeing songwriter Ben Salter perform in Melbourne.
“As huge fans of Ben Salter, we try to catch his gigs whenever he’s in Melbourne,” the sisters said. “It was at a show in St Kilda that we first heard ‘Bliss’ and instantly connected with its message.”
The pair said they approached Salter after the performance to ask permission to record the track, which originally ran just over a minute in length. Their interpretation expands the structure into what they described as “a mantra, a prayer”, repeating the song’s central refrain three times while layering harmonies inspired by the pop arrangements of ABBA.
The accompanying video reunites the sisters with director Kii Belling. Vika & Linda said the production leaned into a playful visual concept featuring skateboarding sequences and “kick-flips”, a contrast to the heavier themes explored elsewhere on the record.
The wider album project centres on the title track ‘Where Do You Come From?’, a song rooted in the sisters’ experiences growing up in suburban Melbourne as children of Tongan heritage. The repeated question, “Where do you really come from?”, became the thematic foundation for the album and a broader reflection on identity in contemporary Australia.
“Where Do You Come From? is a question we have been asked all our lives,” the sisters said earlier this year. “We ask ourselves who are we, where do we fit in, who are we now and where are we going?”
Longtime collaborator Mark Seymour helped shape the title track after Vika brought him early lyric ideas. The result moves between rock, soul and gospel influences while examining race, migration and cultural belonging through a distinctly Australian lens.
Other songs on the album extend those autobiographical themes. ‘Waiting On The Kid’ reflects Linda’s experience as a solo mother, while ‘I Hit Pause’ addresses menopause and sobriety. ‘That’s How I Pray’ turns to the ocean as a source of grounding and spiritual reflection, and ‘Little Baby’ explores ancestry and family connections after a writing retreat in the Whitsundays with Toni Childs.
The record also includes contributions from Ben Salter, Glenn Richards, Helen Shanahan and Cameron Bruce, musicians who have worked across different periods of the sisters’ career.
Vika & Linda occupy a singular place in Australian music history. Across eight studio albums they have moved between gospel, soul, country and rock traditions while becoming two of the country’s most recognisable session and touring vocalists. Their credits extend through recordings and performances with Paul Kelly, Archie Roach, Kasey Chambers, Hunters & Collectors, John Farnham and The Black Sorrows.
The duo achieved a landmark ARIA chart milestone with Akilotoa, becoming the first Australian female duo to secure a number one album. They have also performed for figures including Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama, while continuing their association with SBS television’s RocKwiz and its touring orchestra.
The new album arrives at a time when established Australian artists are increasingly revisiting memoir-driven songwriting and autobiographical work. For Vika & Linda, the project appears less concerned with reinvention than with documentation, placing lived experience at the centre of the songs rather than the supporting role they often occupied during earlier collaborations.
“This isn’t a light or fluffy record,” Vika said. “It’s real life, mistakes, forgiveness and trying to find some peace.”
Linda added: “Every record has mattered, but this time we reached for something deeper.”
Vika & Linda – Where Do You Come From?
Little Baby
Waiting On The Kid
I Hit Pause
Where Do You Come From?
What A Beautiful Thing
That’s How I Pray
Bliss
The Boy With The Broken Wing
The Imp Of The Perverse
Return To The Sea
The Boats
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