SameSame.com.au ~ Inside Out Australia

Kate Miller-Heidke’s been around for years, but it wasn’t until 2006 that she hit the big time with her album Little Eve. It spawned songs like Words and Make It Last and went gold, earning her four ARIA nominations for her efforts. Now she’s back with a new sound and a new album, Curiouser, a project she approached with pop music in mind.

“For the first time I really had a vision going into this album – it wasn’t like picking the best 11 or 12 songs from my back catalogue which is what happened with Little Eve,” said Kate. “I didn’t want to go back and record all the songs that weren’t good enough for the first album. Something that was in me felt like it was time to make a pop record. My collaborator Keir Nuttall and I talked about it, and we talked a lot about Queen and about Cyndi Lauper and the Divinyls, and those kind of bands that make incredibly dynamic, theatrical music that also has a lot of heart – so that was the grand scheme behind the new album.”

And dynamic and theatrical the album is, with catchy melodies and quirky lyrics – even a booty-swinging tune about a booty that just won’t swing!

“There’s always been that element of humour that runs through my songs. I loved musical theatre as a kid and used to watch Annie and The Sound of Music on repeat and I think that still informs my song writing to this day. It was really important to me that that humour came across on Curiouser, and not in an irritating way which could be dangerous.”

Kate says that was the reason she wanted Mickey Petralia to produce the album.”He has this sound that is really fresh and has this ability to bring out the character in the music. He has that sparkly touch.”

Bringing out the characters that live within us is something she’s explored with this album too. Using the imagery of a dollhouse with different characters residing inside each room, Kate has embraced facets of herself that she wouldn’t be able to in real life.

“I definitely feel like a different person on stage – I think that’s one of the perks of being a musician – you get to explore another side of yourself. I’m pretty shy and slightly reclusive offstage but when I get onstage, I like to have a sense of the ridiculous.

“The dollhouse imagery was a lovely way to show that each song is its own universe. It was a neat way of expressing that and it’s a great visual hook, as soon as the idea was brought up, I loved it!”

Something else she loved was being onstage with Cyndi Lauper earlier this year singing Girls Just Wanna Have Fun in front of 10,000 people.

“She’s always been a hero of mine and it was one of the most surreal moments of my life to date. It was very inspiring to watch her work her magic on stage, she’s such an incredible performer. She puts so much heart into what she does and her voice is just a miracle. I definitely feel like I took that experience into the recording of Curiouser.”

Right from the start Kate has been compared with other female singer/songwriters such as Kate Bush and Tori Amos both of who have large gay fan bases, a comparison she puts down to the honesty in all of their work.

“I think maybe it’s the theatrical aspect, that whole soul bearing aspect of song writing. It’s very intimate and if people feel some kind of connection to that, if they’re vulnerable in some way and they sense that vulnerability in a musician then they feel that connection with them. And of course, there’s the fact that gay people just have great taste in music,” she adds with a smile.

“There’s nothing that quite compares with that feeling of writing and finishing a song. That feeling of channelling something and being the vehicle for something. That all comes close to a sort of out of body experience, it’s awesome. Performing live I have to say too, when we have a good gig, is similar to being on a very good drug, just feeling totally and utterly in the moment, it’s like meditation.”

Her albums may get her ARIA nominations but her live performances are where she really blossoms and what keeps the fans coming back for more. Not only does she regularly re-invent her own tracks, but she likes to slip in the occasional cover to keep the crowd on their toes too.

“It is fun putting an unexpected cover into a live set. We’ve done Psycho Killer and at the moment, my band and I are doing You’re The Voice by John Farnham mashed up with Queen… Toxic by Britney Spears. I’m thinking about a new cover for this tour, I’m thinking a might want to dip my toes into some Dolly Parton, maybe 9 To 5 – but we’ll see…”

Kate Miller-Heidke’s Curiouser is out now through Sony BMG. She’s also touring nationally. Dates are as follows:

Sat Nov 15 – The Governor Hindmarsh, Adelaide
Tickets: $23 + Booking Fee (Door $30 if available)
Ph: 08 8340 0744 or go to www.moshtix.com.au.

Thurs Nov 20 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Tickets: Pre Sold $27 + Booking Fee (Door $35 if available)
Ph: 132 849 or go to www.ticketek.com.au

Sat 22 Nov – The Metro, Sydney
Licensed / All Ages
Tickets: $20 + Booking Fee (Door $30 if available)
Ph: 02 9550 3666 or go to www.metrotheatre.com.au

Sat Nov 29 – Escape Festival, Kings Park, Perth
Go to www.mellenevents.com.

Special guests at all shows (except Perth) The Boat People.