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Australian singer-songwriter Ella Hooper discusses Killing Heidi's 2016 reunion, the band's renewed popularity, her decision to pursue a solo career after meeting Stevie Nicks, and the Americana influences shaping her album Overnight Success. She also shares an awkward celebrity encounter involving Billy Bragg and reflects on being a poor secret keeper.
Ella Hooper: ‘Most embarrassing celebrity encounter? I said the classic thing you don’t ever say to Billy Bragg’ The Australian singer-songwriter on misheard Killing Heidi lyrics, going solo after a chat with Stevie Nicks, and being a shit secret keeperWhen Killing Heidi first started playing again in 2016, after many, many, many years – we were kind of broken up, hiatus, call it what you want, but we didn’t have any plans to play ever again – I was super nervous.
It felt like the first time. It felt like a really big deal. And the response was fantastic. We had these big sold-out shows.
I looked out at one crowd and there was a little girl holding a sign that said, “I’m Ella too, I was named after you. ” I was like, “Oh my god! ” That was not the last time it happened either – I’ve met so many little Ellas where the parents said, “She’s an Ella because of you! ” It is amazing.
Big humble brag, isn’t it? It isn’t even humble, it’s just a brag. It is true – though I was already thinking about what to do with myself musically. We were so lucky to be supporting Fleetwood Mac with our band the Verses, so we got to see them night after night and sit down and have talks with them.
I just love Stevie Nicks. I was getting into her solo stuff at the time – Stand Back and Edge of Seventeen. She’d done folk, she’d done rock. I thought, she’s not been afraid to try anything.
So we were chatting and I think it just allowed me to allow myself to do that. As she said, you can always go back to bands. It doesn’t have to be a closed door. Your new album Overnight Success is Americana.
Is there a musician who you wish had done an Americana album? How about PJ Harvey? She dabbles in folk and she digs right into some old English traditional and Celtic roots stuff – that’s only a hop, skip and a jump away from Americana. For years I thought the chorus for Weir went, “Throw a maggot in the air.
” What is the best misheard Killing Heidi lyric you’ve ever heard? Oh, that’s good! That’s the first time I have heard that one. I’ve heard “flying naked in the air”, which is great, too.
I’ve even heard “will you take it in the rear”, but I think that person was just being funny. I’m pretty good at the old funeral playlists. I should probably tell people that I’ve got mine ready. It’s probably overdone, but I do love Sweet Thing by Van Morrison.
It’s the right mix of ethereal and hopeful and emotional. And then maybe something silly, I don’t want everyone to be too emotional. That is when we need Lola by the Kinks. I got so into the moment one time at this outdoor festival in Darwin.
There was something crazy in the air – there’s always something crazy in the air in Darwin. I unzipped my big, beautiful silver boot that I was wearing and threw it as far as I could into the crowd. I never saw that shoe again and it was only halfway through the set! I had to hobble home in bare feet.
That was a few years ago, I might be slightly less silly now. Do you have a post-show wind-down ritual? I do! I get so hyped up from shows.
Sometimes I have to take steroids to sing on a big long tour, because I might be losing my voice towards the end. That’s when winding down gets very tricky, because steroids are very activating. I basically work on my wind-down routine the second I walk off stage, so I can be asleep by 2am or 3am. I rug up and get warm.
I’m a big aromatherapy girly, I really love and need my scents. I travel with incense, lavender oil, a steamer and some scarves to cover the lamps. Lately I’ve been making myself get off the phone and read a book. It does work.
It’s so annoying. I want the phone, the phone is so delicious! But no.I’m a pretty good friend. I’m good in a crisis.
That doesn’t seem like such a big claim to fame, but you wouldn’t assume that lead singer energy would make you a good listener. But I am a very good listener and I’m extremely loyal. I have kept my same friendship group since high school, since before the whole rock’n’roll experience. But I’m a shit secret keeper!
I’ll listen, but I’ll repeat it. That’s a hazard of the job. I used to just try to make people jump up and down. Honestly, it’s taken me a while to give myself a bit of grace and not just go, “Oh god, I hate this shit.
” You have to focus on what worked about it, what you liked about it then, and what other people liked about it then – because they probably still do! Even though I’m like, “Noooooo. ”I embarrass myself quite a lot. I’m not cool.
I’m not chill. I said the classic thing you don’t ever say to. I should have caught myself because now I get it, too. This was about 10 years ago – I ran smack bang into Billy Bragg as he was coming out of the Rolling Stone offices and I said, “Oh my god, my mum loves you.
” And he looked at me and said something like, “If I had a dollar for every time that a young lady said that to me … ” I was like, “Oh yeah, sorry. I love you too. ” Now cool young kids say to me “my mum loves you” all the time. It’s just part of the journey!
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