Biography
At the dawn of the new millennium, Killing Heidi seized control of the Australian sales charts through the impact of two potent rock anthems and the lively presence of their dreadlocked teenage vocalist. Much like other acts that seemed to appear suddenly, the group had undergone a substantial period of development beforehand.
Ella Hooper and her older brother Jessie, who played guitar, were raised in Violet Town, a community of roughly two thousand residents located a full day’s drive from both Melbourne and Sydney. During their early years they absorbed the recordings their parents, both drama and music teachers, kept at home, including works by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell. Local stations supplied scant other options until adolescence, when the government youth broadcaster Triple J reached the region and introduced the siblings to fresh styles. Jessie connected with Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins while Ella was drawn to Hole and Veruca Salt; American Thighs became the first CD she purchased.
The brother and sister began practicing together at home, and in 1996 they performed an acoustic set on the lawns of the Violet Town arts festival. Ella was then thirteen and Jessie fifteen. Their show, which featured two compositions Ella had written, caught the attention of a nearby studio proprietor who granted the Hoopers complimentary recording time. Joined by schoolmates on the rhythm section, they captured those tracks and entered them in a Triple J contest aimed at discovering emerging talent, ultimately prevailing in their category.
Once “Kettle” began receiving nationwide exposure on non-commercial Triple J, Ella and Jessie balanced school commitments with an expanding schedule of serious performances. Producer Paul Kosky, moved by hearing “Kettle” on the air, sought out the band at an outdoor festival. Having previously worked on releases by Clouds, Kate Ceberano, and Crowded House’s Woodface, Kosky had grown weary of watching material depart his studio only to be mishandled by labels; he sought an act he could both manage and produce, and he selected Killing Heidi.
Their initial mainstream single finally surfaced in August 1999. By that point the seasoned rhythm section of Adam Pedretti on drums and Warren Jenkin on bass was in place, extensive studio refinement had occurred, and the band had signed with Roadshow Music, the independent Australian imprint associated with Savage Garden. The debut release “Weir,” recounting post–high-school life, remained on the national chart three months later when the follow-up “Mascara,” addressing self-image, overtook it to claim the top spot, where the track stayed for four weeks. The first album, Reflector, debuted at number one and achieved double-platinum status in Australia.
Ella Hooper and her older brother Jessie, who played guitar, were raised in Violet Town, a community of roughly two thousand residents located a full day’s drive from both Melbourne and Sydney. During their early years they absorbed the recordings their parents, both drama and music teachers, kept at home, including works by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and Joni Mitchell. Local stations supplied scant other options until adolescence, when the government youth broadcaster Triple J reached the region and introduced the siblings to fresh styles. Jessie connected with Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins while Ella was drawn to Hole and Veruca Salt; American Thighs became the first CD she purchased.
The brother and sister began practicing together at home, and in 1996 they performed an acoustic set on the lawns of the Violet Town arts festival. Ella was then thirteen and Jessie fifteen. Their show, which featured two compositions Ella had written, caught the attention of a nearby studio proprietor who granted the Hoopers complimentary recording time. Joined by schoolmates on the rhythm section, they captured those tracks and entered them in a Triple J contest aimed at discovering emerging talent, ultimately prevailing in their category.
Once “Kettle” began receiving nationwide exposure on non-commercial Triple J, Ella and Jessie balanced school commitments with an expanding schedule of serious performances. Producer Paul Kosky, moved by hearing “Kettle” on the air, sought out the band at an outdoor festival. Having previously worked on releases by Clouds, Kate Ceberano, and Crowded House’s Woodface, Kosky had grown weary of watching material depart his studio only to be mishandled by labels; he sought an act he could both manage and produce, and he selected Killing Heidi.
Their initial mainstream single finally surfaced in August 1999. By that point the seasoned rhythm section of Adam Pedretti on drums and Warren Jenkin on bass was in place, extensive studio refinement had occurred, and the band had signed with Roadshow Music, the independent Australian imprint associated with Savage Garden. The debut release “Weir,” recounting post–high-school life, remained on the national chart three months later when the follow-up “Mascara,” addressing self-image, overtook it to claim the top spot, where the track stayed for four weeks. The first album, Reflector, debuted at number one and achieved double-platinum status in Australia.
Albums
Singles
