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Killing Heidi

From Alfawiki
Killing Heidi
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1996 in Violet Town, Victoria, Australia
FounderElla Hooper, Jesse Hooper
Defunct2006 (hiatus)
FateHiatus; reunited in 2016
Headquarters
Violet Town
,
Australia
Area served
Australia, international tours
Key people
Ella Hooper (lead vocals), Jesse Hooper (lead guitar)
ProductsStudio albums: Reflector (2000), Present (2002), Killing Heidi (2004)
Number of employees
5 (current members as of 2021)
Websiteweb.archive.org/web/20060823053418/http://www.killingheidi.com.au/

Killing Heidi is a rock group originating from Violet Town, Victoria, Australia, established in 1996 by siblings Ella (lead singer) and Jesse Hooper (lead guitarist). Starting as a folk-pop pair, they transitioned into a complete band and released three studio albums: Reflector (2000), which reached the top position on the ARIA Albums Chart; Present (2002); and Killing Heidi (2004). Their prominent singles include "Weir," "Mascara"—which attained No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart—"Live Without It," "Outside of Me," and "I Am." At the 2000 ARIA Music Awards, they secured four accolades, including Album of the Year and Best Group for Reflector. In 2001, Ella and Jesse were honored with the APRA Songwriter of the Year award. The band dissolved in 2006, after which the Hooper siblings formed The Verses, an acoustic duo. They reunited in 2016 to celebrate their 20th anniversary and have since resumed touring.

Ella has also developed a solo career alongside engagements in radio and television, while Jesse has pursued work as a music educator, producer, and community arts facilitator.

Early years (1996–1999)

Killing Heidi originated as an acoustic folk duo based in Violet Town, Victoria, where their parents taught music and drama. Their first performance occurred in 1996 at the Violet Town Arts Festival when Ella was 13 and Jesse was 15. The band's name was selected to embody a contrast by merging a "soft" word with a "harsh" one, chosen specifically for an Unearthed competition submission.

Their festival appearance caught the attention of Jamie Durrant from Bent Records, who provided studio time. Joined by school friends Aaron Hart on drums and Rowen Murphy on bass, they recorded early songs "Morning" and "Kettle," which gained regional exposure through Triple J's Unearthed competition and received substantial airplay.

Melbourne producer Paul Kosky discovered them at a 1996 live show and signed them to his management company in 1997, followed by signing them to his Wah Wah Music label in 1998 with distribution arranged through Roadshow Music. By late 1997, Warren Jenkin (bass) and Adam Pedretti (drums) had joined, completing the lineup. Kosky played multiple roles as producer, engineer, manager, and label co-owner during the recording and development phase of their debut album Reflector throughout 1998–1999.

Commercial success (1999–2003)

In July 1999, Killing Heidi performed at the Grounded Festival and embarked on their inaugural national tour. Their debut single "Weir" peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA Charts and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipping over 70,000 copies by the end of that year.

The follow-up single "Mascara", which tackled themes of self-image and individuality, was released in November 1999. A five-track maxi-single version arrived in January 2000, spending three weeks at No. 1 on national charts and also earning platinum certification. The music video directed by Kosky contributed to breaking into commercial radio stations.

Billboard identified Killing Heidi as one of three significant Australian domestic breakout acts in 1999 alongside Vanessa Amorosi and Sister2Sister—all still attending high school when achieving chart success. Their debut album Reflector, launched in March 2000, debuted at No. 1 on ARIA charts where it remained for seven consecutive weeks. By 2001 it had shipped over 280,000 copies and was certified quadruple platinum. Additional singles from the album included "Live Without It" and "Superman Supergirl". The album also reached No. 19 in New Zealand with three singles entering the top 50 there.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 2000, Killing Heidi earned four awards including Album of the Year and Best Group for Reflector, along with three other nominations such as Single of the Year for "Mascara". At the APRA Music Awards of 2001, Ella and Jesse Hooper were named Songwriters of the Year. By May 2001, they performed select club shows in the U.S. as Reflector was introduced to North American audiences.

Their momentum stalled mid-2001 when Ella underwent surgery to remove a vocal cyst, impacting her confidence and limiting live promotional activities. In August 2001 Wah Wah Music entered into a partnership with Sony Music Australia for distribution purposes. Their sophomore album Present, released in October 2002 and co-produced by Kosky alongside Robinson with Andy Baldwyn, peaked at No. 12 on charts and achieved gold certification for shipping over 35,000 units.

Critics considered Present less commercially successful compared to their debut effort. Singles included "Heavensent," which reached the top 30, and "Outside of Me," peaking at No. 12. Due to Ella's ongoing recovery, live promotion was limited. A third track titled "Ammyl (Say What You Wanna Say)" was issued solely to radio in 2003.

In 2003 Killing Heidi ended their professional relationship with producer/manager Paul Kosky amid tensions; Kosky had been deeply involved throughout their career. Subsequently, Chris Robinson acquired Kosky’s share in Wah Wah Music and assumed management responsibilities for the band.

Self-titled album (2003–2005)

Towards the end of 2003, the band dedicated three months in Los Angeles to record their third studio project, Killing Heidi, with production led by John Travis. According to Mathieson, Travis preferred recording instruments live rather than assembling numerous takes, which streamlined the process.[1] Tim Cashmere from Undercover characterized the album as a significant evolution in their sound, signaling the band's readiness to compete on an international level.[2]

The album’s lead single, "I Am", was released in July 2004, entering the charts at No. 16 and maintaining a presence in the Top 50 for three months, ultimately earning gold status.[3][4] This track was also included on the Australian edition of the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack.[5] Matt Holt from Light of the Quasar commended their versatility, noting their capacity to perform both anthemic rock and emotive ballads with equal strength.[5]

The self-titled album was launched in late August 2004, showcasing a richer and more expressive sound. It debuted at No. 7 on the charts and secured gold certification.[3][6] Its follow-up single, "Calm Down", peaked at No. 23.[3] "Running Underwater" was released to radio in early 2005 but garnered limited attention. Later that year, Killing Heidi ended their contract with Sony BMG.

Hiatus (2006–2016)

In mid-2006, Killing Heidi announced a pause in activity rather than an official split, aiming to pursue different creative avenues after nine years together. Ella and Jesse Hooper formed the folk-oriented duo the Verses, performing new songs across Victoria and New South Wales. Meanwhile, bassist Adam Pedretti initiated the heavy metal group Monster Truck Extravaganza, while drummer Aaron Jenkin collaborated with Merril Bainbridge and explored electronic music production.

By July 2006, media reports suggested the band had dissolved. Reflecting in 2013, Ella expressed that reuniting Killing Heidi would feel forced due to the youthful themes of their earlier work. Following the hiatus, Ella embarked on a solo career encompassing performance, radio hosting, and television roles, whereas Jesse concentrated on music education, production work, and fostering community arts.

Reunion (2016–present)

In September 2016, Killing Heidi reassembled to celebrate their 20th anniversary with appearances at the Handpicked Festival, Kickstart Summer festival, and Queenscliff Music Festival. The lineup featured the Hooper siblings alongside drummer Adam Pedretti; bassist Warren Jenkin was replaced by James Gilligan, while keyboardist Lena Douglas joined the group.

February 2017 saw them perform at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo as part of the "Twilight at Taronga" concert series, followed by a nationwide Australian tour in June.

In early 2020, Killing Heidi took part as a headline act in the Red Hot Summer Tour across Australia.

Members

Current members
  • Ella Hooper – lead vocals (1996–2006, 2016–present)
  • Jesse Hooper – guitars, backing vocals (1996–2006, 2016–present)
  • Adam Pedretti – drums (1996–2006, 2016–present)
  • Clio Renner – keyboards, backing vocals (2017–present)
  • Phoebe Neilson – bass, backing vocals (2021–present)
Former members
  • Aaron Hart – drums & bagpipes (1996)
  • Rowen Murphy – bass guitar, guitar (1996)
  • Warren Jenkin – bass guitar (1997–2006)
  • James Gilligan – bass, backing vocals, violin (2016–2017)
  • Lena Douglas – keyboards, backing vocals (2016–2017)
  • Tim Curnick – bass, backing vocals (2017–2021)


Timeline

APRA Awards

Since 1982, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) together with the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) have annually hosted the APRA Awards.

|- | 2000 || "Weir" || Song of the Year || |- | 2001 || Ella Hooper, Jesse Hooper – Killing Heidi || Songwriter of the Year || |-


ARIA Awards

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has been presenting the ARIA Music Awards every year since 1987. Killing Heidi has achieved four wins from a total of ten nominations.

|- |rowspan="7"| 2000 || rowspan="5"| Reflector || Album of the Year || |- | Best Group || |- | Best Rock Album || |- | Breakthrough Artist – Album || |- | Highest Selling Album || |- | Paul Kosky – Reflector || Best Cover Art || |- | "Mascara" || Single of the Year || |- |rowspan="2"| 2001 || "Superman Supergirl" || Best Group || |- | Paul Kosky – "Superman Supergirl" || Producer of the Year || |- | 2002 || "Heavensent" || Best Independent Release || |-


Discography

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Mathieson Oct04
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Cashmere Sep04
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named AUS Charts
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ARIA Sing04
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Holt
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ARIA Alb04
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