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Kate Miller-Heidke
Australian Musician
Kate Miller-Heidke is returning home and is planning to
do her first Australian tour since 2009. Kate has been
overseas for three years and plans to release her third
studio album early 2012.
Kate Miller-Heidke
is known for her remarkable angelic
voice, but she has a delightful devilish side to her and her
wicked sense of humour. This quirkish combo comes out when
she’s performs her crowd favourite, Australian Idol a
musical spoof about the singing competition show. Fans
can enjoy this performance on her Little Eve Live
DVD. Another crowd favourite is her take on
the John Farnham classic, You’re the Voice which
includes her comic acknowledge to Farnham during her
performance of the song.
“I think
he [John Farnham] knows about it [Kate’s version] because we
are assigned to the same records label. But I am not sure.
I have never met him so I don’t know. I know the producer of
Whispering Jack has heard it, Ross Fraser. He is
actually the man that found the song to give to John
Farnham”.
The
audience is not the only ones that have fun. Kate thrives on
live performances.
“For me,
live performances are where it is at. There is a special
energy you can capture live that you can never capture in a
studio recording – two different artistic mediums. |
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As a child, Kate
grew up in a musical household. She remembers, “singing before [she]
could speak.” She loved the theatre and musicals like, Annie
and the Sound of Music. Her mother was a ballet dancer and
encouraged Kate to learn violin which Kate hated at the time. Kate
was always involved in music in some way because it deeply resonated
in her and she continued developing as a musician and performer.
In her late
teens, she immersed into the Indie Music Scene in Brisbane. She
joined her first band and went through a few performance
“incarnations”. Kate joined Pete Murray’s band and says with a
mischievous grin that she was “fired”. She decided to form her own
band and gigged around Brisbane.
“[There was]
never a conscious moment when I thought I would give it a go. It
just kind of happened. Something I just gravitated towards and I
loved playing with other musicians.”
The move to go
out on her own and on her own terms has been a great decision for
Kate. In 2007, she was nomination for her first Aria and she also
performed on the night;
“[It was an]
honour to be there and do a song… A good night.”
Kate’s
performance and singing style has also been compared to Kate Bush;
“A lot of people
say the Kate Bush thing as we both kind of have high voices. But I
haven’t listened to Kate Bush that much, but have listened to Cindy
[Lauper] a lot, and she definitely has influenced me and I like her
a lot”.
Little wonder why
Kate was asked to open for Cindy Lauper at the Perth leg of Lauper’s international tour.
“At the end of
her [Cindy Lauper’s] show, just before she did her encore, she came
over and asked, ‘Wasn’t it you who opened for us tonight?’ She got
me and Nicole, one of the girls in my band, to join her and we sang
Girls Just Want To Have Fun. An outdoor concert in Perth in
front of about 10,000 people with Cindy Lauper, I would say that
definitely was a highlight.”
Some of Kate’s
favourite Australian artists include Chrissie Amphlett of the
Divinyls. Kate performed a show with Chrissie a couple of years
ago. She also admires Deborah Conway music which had a strong
influence on the development of Kate’s own music. She was a big
mentor, particularly when Kate was younger. Annie Hart is another
favourite performer on Kate’s list.
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Kate
Miller-Heidke has developed her own distinctive style that
highlights her brilliant operatic voice with contemporary
music, irreverent humour, charm and sound musical talents.
This artistic lady is making waves within the Australian
music scene, so even though we may not ever see her on
Australian Idol, it is certain we will be graced with more
of this talented young performer!
Charities/Non profit support
“I like
all the charities that have to do with the environment. I
am an advocate for
Earth Hour and
I also
support
Amnesty International.”
Sony
Music Entertainment Australia released a special benefit
compilation CD "FLOOD RELIEF - Artists
For The Flood Appeal" for those affected by the
floods earlier this year.
Kate's track
Our Song
from her album
Curiouser, is track 16 on the
Flood Relief – Artist For The Flood Appeal album.
More information on Kate
Miller-Heidke go to her website at
www.katemillerheidke.com
Associated articles:
2008
Bluesfest Bryon Bay
Pig City
Article and photos by Chrissy
Layton, AusNotebook Music & Creative 1/10/2011 |
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