When Music & True Stories Collide: Deadly Women via The J Files

When Music & True Stories Collide: Deadly Women via The J Files

Double J’s The J Files taps music history and social commentary—but in one memorable episode titled “Deadly Women”, it takes a dark, compelling turn. Released in July 2017, this feature explores influential records made by Indigenous women across time, framed around the metaphor of deadly as in formidable, powerful voices—not crime. Let’s unpack why that episode matters, and why it resonates for every woman shaping sound today. 

What Was Deadly Women About?

Released as a 19-minute sound-documentary, Deadly Women collected standout tracks from Indigenous artists like Wilma Reading, each embodying resilience, elegance, and rhythmic strength. Reading’s journey—starting singing in Cairns, landing gigs with Duke Ellington, and performing on The Tonight Show—anchors the episode’s theme: these are women whose voices demanded the world notice.

Why That Shape Storytelling with Impact

1. Blending music history with cultural pride
   By centering female Indigenous voices, the episode connects musical legacy with social visibility—an approach that challenges mainstream narratives.

2. Amplifying underrepresented women
   The narratives go beyond pop charts, embracing artists whose significance spans activism, identity, and community influence.

3. Curating creativity with care
   The J Files platform, produced by ABC radio, consistently elevates storytelling with sonic detail—pairing documentary rigor with a listener-first ethos.

Context of Power & Persistence: Indigenous Women in Music

While Deadly Women focused on early pioneers like Wilma Reading, it echoes into today—with artists such as Thelma Plum, Emily Wurramara, Tia Gostelow, and Eleanor Dixon forging paths that interweave culture, emotion, and justice. These modern voices build on a legacy that began decades earlier, and reflect that mirror-shattering power defined by the episode's title.

More from The J Files: The Power of Purpose

Other episodes of The J Files continue this mission:

• Women in Hip Hop (May 2022) explores voices like Sampa The Great, Okenyo, Tkay Maidza, showing hip-hop’s evolution through fierce female perspectives.

• Women in Punk (2016) highlights how punk meant "girls to the front" and broke industry norms using attitude, DIY spirit, and inclusivity.

Each episode celebrates genres shaped—from the ground up—by women and diverse artists challenging norms.

Why It Matters for a Woman-Centric Guitar & Music Platform

• Music is a vehicle for representation
  The stories shared in Deadly Women and other J Files episodes affirm that history is richer when women lead the narrative.

• Guitarers, producers, and creators belong in the spotlight
  Whether you play Takamine acoustics or unique Japanese-strung electrics, your creative voice sparks change—and deserves to be framed with care.

• Connections across artforms matter
  The episode taps art and storytelling to core feminist and Indigenous themes—mirroring your site’s mission to integrate gear, culture, and female identity.

Sample Blog Intro

Empowered Voices, Iconic Songs: Deadly Women (via The J Files)
In July 2017, Double J’s The J Files aired an arresting episode titled “Deadly Women”. Not about crime, but about power—this 19-minute documentary features Indigenous women’s music that broke through barriers, shaped identities, and commands respect. In this blog, we honour those voices, their legacy, and why they matter to all women who pick up an instrument or produce their first track.

How to Build on This Topic in Your Blog

• Feature iconic women like Wilma Reading, Thelma Plum, and Emily Wurramara alongside deeper guitar gear commentary.

• Create playlists mixing songs from the episode with modern Indigenous music or female-led Japanese guitar tracks.

• Lux visuals and personal narratives, reflecting how music and identity intertwine.

• Invite women creators (guitarists, collectors, producers) to share how these stories inspire their sound.

Listen & Learn

• Stream the full Deadly Women episode on [The J Files via ABC Listen]

• Discover related stories on:

  • Women in Hip Hop (feat. Sampa The Great, Tkay Maidza, Okenyo)

  • Women in Punk (inclusive punk pioneers)

Final Note

This is more than music history—it’s cultural reclamation. Deadly Women reminds us that deadly isn’t darkness—it’s damn good. These stories prove that, from Indigenous jazz singers of the 1960s to underground hip-hop producers today, women’s voices shaped—and keep shaping—the soundtrack of Australia.

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/the-j-files/deadly-women/10274488