There are certain times in our lives that define us; moments, days, months, years. These defining moments are often only realised in retrospect, once we can reflect and consider our experiences from a new place, in a new light. For New Zealand (and greedily adopted Aussie) indie-pop darling Kimbra, 2011 was full of defining moments. From the phenomenon that was her collaboration with Gotye for the chart dominating ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, to her very own love letter to the world, Vows, it seems Kimbra is on everyone’s radar. The 21 year old says her debut album commentates the years of self discovery from when it all began at just 17 – the defining moments that brought her here.
“Of course it’s going to cover a lot of ground. It’s the first time you fall in love, probably the first time you have your heart broken and the first time you start to work out what you’re going to commit yourself to,” she explains. “That’s why I called the record Vows; the things we make promises to as young adults say lot about who we are. You’re working out what you’re going to stand for. That’s what it’s all about.”
No doubt beyond her 21 years in more ways than simply her musical prowess, Kimbra in fact wrote the seemingly grown-up ‘Settle Down’ at the age of 16. But don’t be fooled – the infectious track is far less Desperate Housewives and far more witty social observations of the plight of the eligible and seeking bachelorette. She says her often quirky yet always considered themes and ideas usually stem from something fun.
“When I was 16 I wrote that idea as a joke and it was kind of a funny observation of the Stepford Wives thing. I thought it was an interesting world to dabble in, and as I grew up it started to mean more to me,” Kimbra explains. “I watched a film called A Place In the Sun which is all about the idea of women putting all their hopes and expectations into this idea of the perfect married life. It became a social observation of the kind of values that are instilled in us as kids. I think a lot of my ideas start as something fun, then they really start to take on meaning as I work on them.”
Helping to channel Kimbra’s clever observations was producer Francois Tetaz, who encouraged her to view the album like a film. The result? Smoky film noir meets a colourful romance.
“It changed the way I perceived writing music because I thought of it not just as a series of songs but actually chapters and trying to tell a story,” she explains. “That doesn’t mean it’s a concept album, but it’s more trying to think of every song as a snapshot in a film; what is the lighting? What are the main colours? Is it a cold setting or is it very warm? Arranging the music to try and reflect the kind of tension you would for a film.”
Often compared to the likes of Nina Simone, Kimbra, while incredibly flattered by the comparison, worked to push her boundaries to move away from her jazzy roots and towards something more uniquely hers. “I do want to push my boundaries and see how far I can take my music rather than restricting myself to one genre. I think the incredible thing about Nina Simone is her rawness – I hope people see that same sense of honesty in my music.” Again producer Tetaz stepped in to help push boundaries – literally. Kimbra found herself facing her fear of heights and climbing the Eureka Sky Tower. Extreme? A little. Effective? Yes!
“Part of the way [Tetaz] worked was pushing me out of my comfort zone and at the time it was frustrating,” she remembers. “Now that I look back it was important because it helped me to break through those barriers that were holding me back from saying what I wanted to say. Fear is an incredible emotion for channelling music, so me being up there writing lyrics and shaking was really good – and tough. It definitely broke something in me.”
While Kimbra is spending time in the U.S promoting Vows and working with the likes of John Legend and Mark Foster (check out Kimbra’s collaboration with Foster and A-Trak for Converse, ‘Warrior’), we can look forward to a five date Australian tour in May. If you haven’t seen Kimbra live, checking out any of her live sets, namely her recent showcases at SXSW, should be on your list. Electric, inimitable and raw energy complete with her tricky use of loops and samples is nothing short of witchcraft.
“I just try to take myself out of it as much as possible, I know that sounds weird,” she laughs. “But I try to keep the emotion really pure on stage and make it really honest. The emotions that go through my head on stage are about really embracing the audience and creating an experience where they can share that moment with me and the band.”
Vows is out now through Warner.
ENDS
By Kayla Clibborn
