30May2000
- AUSTRALIA: School of hard
rocks doing famously <return to top>
By Jacinta Koch.
THE manufactured pop star is not the only trend invading the Australian
band market, with a breed of young homegrown groups on the fringe
of self-made success. Leaders Killing Heidi, who are revisiting
Brisbane on June 8 at the Calamvale Hotel, have created a niche
with wild haircuts, hip young dread-locked songstress Ella Hooper
and head-banging hits on number one platinum debut album Reflector.
A swathe of festival bands also are making noise - from Brisbane
electronic outfit Resin Dogs, to rockers Jebediah and Alice Springs
heavy Aboriginal band Nokturnal. Four-piece Brisbane groovers george,
who are seeking a manager after success at festivals including Livid,
recently received a standing ovation from a larger Brisbane Entertainment
Centre crowd at their support act for US soul singer Macy Gray.
Human Nature also are taking off to promote their albums in Europe
and the UK. The popular crooners are tipped to perform at the Sydney
Olympic Games opening ceremony. Also heading for the UK to record
their debut album is Brisbane band Palladium, a rock/pop four-piece
who began their career through a demo produced by Bernard Fanning
(Powderfinger). On their heels are Redcliffe pop/rock Pretty Violet
Stain, who have cornered the Triple J market. Their new album is
out in July. While Pretty are now supporting US act Tonic in July
for their national tour ending on July 15 in Brisbane, acts including
Brisbane band Rhubarb are working well-received support performances
with Creed, Pollyanna, Cruel Sea and Custard. Alternative indie
rock bands such as Something for Kate also are making an impression
on the overseas market with US and Japanese tours following their
(almost gold status) second album Beautiful Sharks. Male foursome
The Boat Show also is creating a buzz with its team comprising two
familiar faces - former Custard member Matt Strong and former Regurgitator
member Ben Ely. The band will release its self-titled first single
in two weeks, with its debut alternative rock album due later in
the year. Touted as the "next silverchair" is heavier rock four-piece
Sunk Loto from the Gold Coast. The boys aged 14 to 16, who penned
their number 12 ARIA hit Society Anxiety, are signed to Roadshow
(the same label as Killing Heidi and Savage Garden).
(c) 2000 Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd.
25May2000
- AUSTRALIA: The word on the streets
<return to top>
Killing heidi return CURRENTLY in the US, Killing Heidi will return
to Australia for a national tour which brings them to the Palace
on Thursday, June 22. Supports are Oblivia and P4. Tickets are $20
(plus booking fee) and go on sale tomorrow from Ticketek or the
Palace.
(C) 2000 Herald and Weekly Times Limited.
Source: HERALD SUN 25/05/2000 P74
22May2000
- USA: Aussie
Rockers, Killing Heidi, Live on Soundbreak.com <return to top>
WHAT: Join Australian rockers, Killing Heidi, live in-studio on
Soundbreak.com. Killing Heidi will talk about "Reflector," their
debut album, soon-to-be-released in America. "Reflector" is already
the fastest selling album in Australian history and a Rolling Stone
Australia readers poll voted them "Brightest Hope for 2000," and
"Best New Artist." Killing Heidi will talk to DJ Christian Hand
about their new album and the shows they'll perform in the U.S.
The interview can be seen and heard on Soundbreak.com (www.soundbreak.com)
by computer users around the world via streaming audio and video.
Soundbreak.com is a hip and irreverent Internet music destination
featuring professional "digital jocks" that host
live 24-hour global webcasts while interacting with users online.
Initially targeting "Generation i," the first
generation of Internet users encompassing the 15 - 35 year old demographic,
Soundbreak.com brings more than just music to the music fan, it
brings a global music community with live chats, instant messaging,
a database of global events and artist information.
WHEN: Monday, May 22, 2000, 3:00-3:30 PM/PST
WHERE: www.soundbreak.com
WHO: Ella Hooper - singer/songwriter
Jess Hooper - songwriter/guitarist
Warren Jenkin - bassist
Adam Pedretti - drummer
In Australia, Killing Heidi's "Reflector," has logged eight weeks,
and counting, in the no.1 position, reaching multi-
platinum sales. "Reflector," has spawned three Top Five Australian
singles, "Mascara," "Weir" and "Live Without It." Seventeen year-old
lead singer, Ella Hooper, formed the band with her brother Jess
when she was only 13. Ella has been on the cover of Rolling Stone
Australia twice in two months and one of those issues became the
fastest and largest selling Rolling Stone Australia ever. Killing
Heidi's debut album, "Reflector," will be released in America on
September 19.
For
more information, please contact Lori Tellez, 310-358-2133, Anita
Pepper, 310-358-2156, both of Soundbreak.com.
SOURCE Soundbreak.com -0-05/22/2000
/PRNewswire - May 22//Web site: http://www.soundbreak.com/(ACRI).
Source: PR NEWSWIRE 22/05/2000
21May2000
- AUSTRALIA: Stars sing for kids <return to top>
AUSTRALIA'S hottest acts have joined forces to raise funds for the
financially troubled Kids' Help Line.
Eighteen artists, including Help Line patron Kylie Minogue, have
donated songs to the Help CD, which will be released tomorrow. Others
on the disc include Killing Heidi, Taxiride, You Am I, Human Nature
and Savage Garden.
Kids Help Line is Australia's only free, 24-hour confidential telephone
counselling service for young people.
(c) Nationwide News Proprietary Ltd, 2000.
20May2000
- AUSTRALIA: Heidi's ready to
invade America<return to top>
By CAMERON ADAMS and REGINA TITELIUS.
KILLING Heidi is about the birth of a new "state of mind".
Losing those golden locks, losing innocence.
But the new music sensation represents a genre of youth culture
that has not lost its way by any stretch.
Like its admiring fans, Killing Heidi exudes creativity, expression
and exploration.
At the root of the adventure are Ella and Jesse Hooper - the sibling
team plucked from the obscurity of Violet Town in country Victoria.
And today they're soaking up the vibes of Los Angeles along with
band members Warren Jenkins and Adam Pedretti.
Riding the local success of its No. 1 debut album Reflector, the
band is in Hollywood to release its single Weir to an eager American
market.
Sharing the dream is producer Paul Kosky of Wah Wah Records, which
has been guiding Killing Heidi for three years.
Kosky says he's all too aware of abusing the success of the band
and risking its future.
"We're excited to be here but rather than jumping in boots and all,
we're pacing it. Timing is crucial," he said.
Talking about the street cred of Killing Heidi, Kosky gushes about
"extreme raw talent".
"We want to show people this is a band that has longevity and credibility."
Preferring to thrash out guitar riffs than playing sport at Benalla
Secondary College, the Hooper kids quickly realised they weren't
like many other kids in town.
As with anyone shooting to stardom, the Hoopers have had to deal
with intense scrutiny.
The band has strong comebacks for criticism of leaving school too
early, risking exploitation by the showbiz world.
Owning up to having a glass champagne to celebrate the band's chart-topper
Mascara, Ella says she only took a sip. Who wouldn't at such a euphoric
moment?
And as for selling herself as a sex symbol, Ella explains she studies
belly dancing and there was "no way" she considered herself sexy.
Following their dreams rather than living with regrets was the response
to leaving school early.
Ella says: "They're hypocrites. There are posters on the school
wall saying, `Follow your dreams kids' and then it's like, `what,
you're going to leave school?' "
Jesse says: "We took the opportunity and we're No. 1. It's good
to have the courage to take a chance, do what you want to do and
we're proof it has worked. Why can't people say follow your dreams?"
(C) 2000 Herald and Weekly Times Limited.
Source: HERALD SUN 20/05/2000 P17
20May2000
- AUSTRALIA: They're taking
the world by storm <return to top>
By CAMERON ADAMS and REGINA TITELIUS.
WHEN Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue teamed up for their hit duet Where
the Wild Roses Grow, it was Melbourne's two most successful - and
diametrically opposed - musical exports joining forces.
These days Victoria is an incubator for a whole range of fresh talent,
taking on the world in everything from pop to rock to dance.
This year prestigious international recording deals have been scored
by Killing Heidi (from Violet Town), Vanessa Amorosi (the Dandenongs)
and sister2sister (Williamstown).
"Anything that's foreign, people overseas love," said Sharon Muscat
of sister2sister.
"We wanted to release in Australia first, because it's home, but
we always thought about having an international career and touring
overseas."
Gone are the days when local bands have to settle for Australia-only
success.
The Living End (originally a covers band from Wheelers Hill) made
major inroads overseas last year, as well as selling more than a
quarter of a million albums locally.
Talent scouts from several major US record companies flew to Melbourne
to see them perform before signing them.
Melbourne duo Bachelor Girl have been championed by Darren Hayes
of Savage Garden, who told the Herald Sun their single Buses and
Trains "should be an American No. 1".
Melbourne soft-rock outfit Taxiride even released their album Imaginate
in the US before Australia, and have enjoyed success in countries
such as Germany, Denmark, Japan and Spain.
Singer/songwriter Marie Wilson has gone from running a dog-washing
business in Altona to landing tracks on American film soundtracks
and recording in the US.
Tina Arena has become a huge star in France, and will soon take
the lead role in the London production of Notre Dame de Paris.
Kylie Minogue's new single, Spinning Around, has quickly become
one of the most talked-about songs in the UK this week, and is tipped
to return her to the top of the British charts she once reigned
over.
And there's more to come. Pop act Jackson Mendoza is recording overseas,
Invertigo (featuring two ex-members of Pseudo Echo) has signed a
US record contract and Melbourne acts Something For Kate, 28 Days,
Blueline Medic and Bodyjar have all attracted overseas interest.
"There's a real atmosphere for music in Melbourne," said Craig Mathieson,
talent scout for Sony Music. "There's a cult of playing live. A
lot of bands move from Sydney or Adelaide or even Perth to Melbourne."
In dance music, Mel bourne producer Josh Abrahams has worked on
the Mission: Impossible 2 soundtrack, which entered the US charts
at No. 2 this week, and produced Baz Luhrmann's Sunscreen song,
which was a UK No. 1 last year.
He's also doing the music for the new Nicole Kidman movie Moulin
Rouge.
Local DJ John Course said music was so strong in Melbourne because
its nightclub industry provided entertainment seven nights a week.
"The Melbourne club scene has always been known as the strongest
in Australia," he said.
(C) 2000 Herald and Weekly Times Limited.
Source: HERALD SUN 20/05/2000 P16
14May2000
- AUSTRALIA: Heidi sign up to
make a Killing <return to top>
AUSTRALIAN band Killing Heidi could crack the American market after
signing a lucrative record deal.
The chart-topping band, whose album Reflector has sold more than
150,000 copies in two months in Australia, is the first to be signed
to 3.33 Records, an offshoot of Universal Records.
The new label is run by movie director Tom Shadyac, the man behind
Liar Liar, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Nutty Professor.
"He wanted to start a music label with the backing of a film company,"
Killing Heidi's manager, Paul Kosky, said from Los Angeles.
The deal may also see Killing Heidi songs, which include Weir and
Mascara, used in some of Shadyac's movies.
"It's unique," Mr Kosky said. "We get a large company behind us
but without it taking the band and doing what they like with it."
(c) Nationwide News Proprietary Ltd, 2000.
After
almost six months of negotiations, Killing Heidi this week secured
an international deal. It is with Universal imprint 333, a music
label run by successful film maker Tom Shadyac ("Liar Liar", "Patch
Adams", "Ace Ventura", "The Nutty Professor") and staffed with people
from Universal Music. 333 is a joint venture between Universal Films
and Universal Music. The interesting thing about the deal, which
is for the world except for Australia and New Zealand, is that it
is between manager Paul Kosky's Wah Wah Records and 333. It also
gives them full creative control, Kosky tells this column. Terms
of the deal are not disclosed, but it's apparently a huge one, and
is committed to a big marketing spend to break the band globally.
Killing Heidi are currently on a three week US promotional tour,
playing showcases in Los Angeles and New York, and on TV shows like
"Farm Club". The band returns to Australia by early June, before
returning [to the US] again. Marketing plans are still being formulated,
but it looks as though "Weir" will be the first Stateside single.
Meantime, the track is already getting strong airplay in London.
09May2000
- AUSTRALIA: American dream for
Killing Heidi <return to top>
By CAMERON ADAMS, music writer.
MELBOURNE band Killing Heidi could crack the American market after
signing a lucrative overseas record deal.
The chart-topping band, whose album Reflector has sold more than
150,000 copies in two months in Australia, is the first to be signed
to 3.33 Records, an offshoot of industry giant Universal Records.
The new label is run by movie director Tom Shadyac, the man behind
hits such as Liar Liar, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Nutty
Professor.
"He wanted to start a music label with the backing of a film company,"
Killing Heidi's manager, Paul Kosky, said from Los Angeles yesterday.
Mr Kosky said the deal, which may also see Killing Heidi songs used
in some of Shadyac's Hollywood movies, gives the band a huge amount
of creative freedom. "It's unique. We get a large company behind
us but without it taking the band and doing whatever they like with
it."
Killing Heidi, now in LA, sparked an intense bidding war between
five major US record labels. "They've absolutely flipped over the
band," Mr Kosky said.
Killing Heidi's Australian Top 10 hits Weir and Mascara are already
getting airplay in the UK, with British DJs playing copies imported
from Australia.
Its first US single will be Weir. It plays at media showcases in
LA and New York this month, before returning home.
"Ella (Hooper, singer) is only 17. We don't want her to be away
from home for too long," Mr Kosky said.
(C) 2000 Herald and Weekly Times Limited.
Source: HERALD SUN 09/05/2000 P9
07May2000
- AUSTRALIA: Top talent here for
music feast <return to top>
By MICHAEL OWEN.
The cream of Australia's music industry is set to invade Adelaide
for two of the year's biggest music award nights. The SA Music Industry
Awards and the Music Industry Critics' Awards on Friday night will
be key features of the fourth annual Music Business Adelaide event
- Australia's premier music industry conference.
The four-day event will include music business and songwriting seminars
and a range of live performances, including the youth music festival,
Off The Couch.
Those in the running for SAMI Awards include star rock trio Testeagles,
the band nominated for seven awards thanks to its No 1 hit album,
Non-Comprehendus.
The MICAs - voted by more than 100 leading Australian music critics
and regarded as an accurate yardstick for the ARIA Awards - will
see smash hit pop-rock act Killing Heidi feature strongly. The Victorian
band is nominated for seven awards.
The award presentations, with live performances by top guest acts,
will be at Heaven II nightclub, with tickets $45 (including dinner)
available from Venue-Tix.
Earlier on Friday, Arts Minister, Ms Laidlaw, will open the federally
funded Music House, which brings the State's diverse industry associations
and representatives together under the one roof. Another event highlight
on Friday will be a free public seminar on building a successful
artistic career, featuring Oscar-winning Adelaide film director
Scott Hicks.
To reserve a seat for the seminar, Made In Adelaide - How To Launch
An International Career From Adelaide, phone 8207 7134.
Eat The Venue - a showcase of SA's most outstanding live music talent
- follows the music awards at Heaven II on Friday night. Co-ordinated
music business meetings with key industry professionals from around
the country will form the basis of Soundvice on Saturday, followed
that night by Off The Couch - Carclew's youth music festival in
city venues.
Sunday will be dedicated to music industry seminars and more performances
at the Heritage Hotel, Light Square, while the Monday is set aside
for songwriting workshops. Phone 8207 7183 to be involved.
Meanwhile, a song by Adelaide singer Kasey Chambers, titled Cry
Like A Baby, has been nominated for Song of the Year in the prestigious
2000 APRA Music Awards. Chambers is up against songs by Savage Garden,
Powderfinger, Killing Heidi and Madison Avenue.
(C) 2000 Advertiser Newspapers Limited.
Source: SUNDAY MAIL (ADELAIDE) 07/05/2000 P16
06May2000
- AUSTRALIA: Uneven road to triumph
<return to top> By Ashleigh Wilson.
Rising musicians are struggling to turn their passion into a profession,
writes Ashleigh Wilson LAST week, sulk were rehearsing tunes for
their upcoming EP at Troy Horse, a small studio hidden away in Sydney's
inner west. Choreographers, make-up artists and music industry heavies
were nowhere to be seen.
On the same day, Bardot - "Australia's newest pop star sensation"
- were making an in-store appearance at Movie World on the Gold
Coast for the first leg of their Australia-wide tour. Fans were
promised a performance of the new hit, Poison, and an opportunity
to have a copy of the single signed by the fab five.
Unlike Bardot, sulk don't have much of a following yet, but future
fans are being promised "something different, a unique style".
"What we do is commercially viable, let's put it that way," says
bass player and manager Brad Searle.
Sulk are just one of the 100 or so bands that turn up to rehearse
or record at Troy Horse each week. The odds are undoubtedly against
them - fewer local venues, the seemingly impossible task of being
played on radio, and almost no money. But still they persist.
"I'd love to be able to do this full-time. We definitely hope to
get somewhere so that we can do the rehearsals and have someone
else pay for the recording, rather than have us sort of scavenging
for money," says Searle.
According to Troy Horse managing director Chris McBurnie, most of
the bands who come to his studio are "seriously trying to make it".
Still, it's no secret that "if a band could get rid of 500 CDs in
this current climate, they're doing very good".
"It's a labour of love," he says. "As we're watching the venues
disappear, we think there's got to be a drop-off. But there's not.
There are still people coming in. They still want to do it. The
dream's still there, unfortunately the opportunities aren't."
Since its birth 12 years ago as a co-op project between musicians,
Troy Horse has become one of the most in-demand studios for independent
bands in NSW. It boasts six rehearsal rooms, a fully equipped recording
studio, and 50 storage spaces to save the musicians lugging their
instruments up the stairs every week.
McBurnie says the original co-op ethos remains, and recalls a time
when funk band dig sat around during a break in recording, chatting
with a death metal group who'd been rehearsing down the hall.
"I thought, what the hell do these guys have in common? It fascinated
me. But I suppose the thing they do have in common is the love of
what they're doing musically," he says.
"The interaction here sometimes is a beautiful thing, between all
these people from different areas. They're all coming for the one
thing, the music - and to have a good time, to have fun. Basically
that's what music should be. It should be fun."
Surrounded by posters, fliers and music classifieds ("Sick of looking
at your shoes? Bass player and drummer needed for exciting new band..."),
the musicians hover during their breaks around the old, unmatching
couches in the lounge area. The pinball machine is broken, but no
one seems to mind while they flick through street mags, watch MTV
and relax before the next rehearsal session.
It's not always so cosy, though. After being locked up together
in a studio for a few hours, tension within a band can sometimes
be unavoidable. But McBurnie, a former preschool teacher, always
remains calm.
"They say that a lot of the skills I learnt as a preschool teacher
have been very useful dealing with some of the delicate egos of
the musicians," he laughs.
Tonight, there are six bands rehearsing. Some, like veteran rockers
The Hard Ons, are established names in the music industry, while
others, like sulk, remain hopeful that a big record company will
throw bags of cash in their direction.
In the space between the six rehearsal rooms, the music from all
the bands merges in an overwhelming cacophony of sound - but inside
the rooms, the bands are focused. After all, they could be working
on the next big thing, To Page 2 From Page 1 and no one - except
them, of course - realises it yet.
After their three hours are up, they'll return home for a few hours
of sleep because, unfortunately, music doesn't pay the bills.
"Most of them have to go to day jobs," says McBurnie. "Even with
a band that might seem to be touring all the time, they'd still
need that day job because the money is just not there for the musicians.
Maybe it's there for someone else, but for the musicians, the money
is just not there."
It might sound idealistic, but for the bands at Troy Horse, it really
is about the music. Money would be nice, since it would allow them
more time to play and develop their sound, but very few realistically
expect to make a living from it.
The Hard Ons are one of the more successful bands rehearsing at
Troy Horse and yet, like so many others, the group's three members
are sustained by day jobs. Bass player Ray Ahn is unrepentant and
passionately opposes "compromising" his music.
"I think the thing is, if you choose rock'n'roll as a career, then
you're an asshole. If you choose rock'n'roll as an art form, then
you're all right by me," he says.
Then, surely, Ahn would have some nasty words to say about Bardot,
the five attractive girls manufactured from the beginning into quintessential
pop stars? Suprisingly, he's not at all concerned, because "Popstars
[the TV show that spawned Bardot] is 2million miles away from here".
"It's almost like an unfair comparison, because one's in the music
industry and the other one's in the entertainment industry," he
says.
"It's so irrelevant that no one even thinks about it. No one even
slags them off. Underneath your breath, you can slag off a band
that you don't like because they're unoriginal or whatever. But
you wouldn't slag off the Popstars because it's like stamp collectors
slagging off coin collectors. It's a totally different thing."
The Hard Ons have been around a while, perhaps long enough for them
to have accepted the fact that their music may never shower them
with riches. But sulk, rehearsing down the hall, have only been
on the scene about two years, and they're ambitious.
Apart from regular gigs around Sydney, they're proud of having supported
Killing Heidi, Lime and Women of Troy, and are confident that their
upcoming recording will give them further opportunities.
"I'd love to be able to do this full time. We only do it because
we enjoy it, but we're serious about it. We love doing what we do,
and we also know that the songs are good, and the songs are the
flavour of the month," says Searle.
"But then again," says drummer, Matt Jesson, "we don't necessarily
go into it to be popular. We like what we do, so we're confident
that other people will too."
Unlike the Hard Ons, sulk are a little bitter about Bardot's success
and the marketing muscle behind the whole Popstars phenomenon.
Such criticisms, though, qualify their earlier confidence: sulk
are certainly prepared to work hard, but the relative ease of Bardot's
success makes it clear that the opportunities aren't there for everyone.
Says Jesson: "The problem is exposure. If people could hear us,
they'd like it. That's the hardest thing."
But McBurnie, watching the musicians file in and out of his studio,
remains as optimistic as ever.
"Everyone's looking for a break I suppose," he says.
(c) Nationwide News Proprietary Ltd, 2000.
Source: AUSTRALIAN (THE) 06/05/2000
05May2000
- AUSTRALIA: Nokia serenades hip market
<return to top>
Original Article By Jeni Goodsall.
The mobile telecommunications company Nokia has released a new promotional
campaign aimed at Australians between the ages of 14 and 25. The
campaign, according to Nokia Australia communications manager Danielle
Meere, aims to demonstrate the Nokia 3210 phone's programmable ring
to potential customers. Purchasers of the 3210 will receive a CD
of Australian band Killing Heidi and instructions on how to program
the [Livewithout It] song into their phone.
03May2000
- The Killing Heidi
Realm: The Killing Heidi Controversy <return to top>
Last week Beat Magazine ran a controversial opinion piece by Ben
Butler comparing Bardot to Killing Heidi. In the piece Butler claimed
Killing Heidi were "not just manufactured pop: they're manudactured
pop pretending not to be." Ben is entitiled to his opinion and so
are Killing Heidi's Jesse and Ella Hooper. Herewith, unedited, their
replies. [PLAY - street mag.]
