Kimbra has returned to New Zealand to lead the panel on Popstars. Image by Stephen Tilley.
A new version of the hit television show Popstars launches on TVNZ 2 tonight with the original reality show reimagined for 2021 with Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and music producer Kimbra leading the show’s panel. Kimbra is joined by multi-award-winning musician and Zed frontman, Nathan King and singer, songwriter, recording artist and music producer, Vince Harder. The trio will be giving soloists, duos and groups the opportunity to follow their music dreams on Popstars while being mentored and guided along the way.
Kimbra lives and breathes music, having first picked up a guitar at age 12 and being signed to a recording label at age 17. Over the past decade, her incredible voice and impressive talents as a songwriter, producer and engineer have seen her awarded two Grammys (Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo) for her duet with Gotye for Somebody I Used to Know, six Tuis from the NZMAs including Best Pop Artist 2008, and four Aria awards (Australian Music Awards) including Best Female Artist 2011 and 2012. Her eclectic style and sharp ear for a good beat has also seen her build a loyal following of fans all over the world and with three successful albums under her belt, Kimbra is set to release album number four in the not too distant future.
Returning home to New Zealand from New York for the filming of the show, Kimbra is excited to be involved in Popstars and is incredibly passionate about mentoring a new generation of artists. Starting from the auditions, Kimbra, Nathan and Vince will select the artists who will have a unique opportunity to work on their music, beats, and performance with the trio, and other leading artists and producers. The final acts will release their singles and perform to crowds and music industry executives with the chance of winning a $100,000 prize.
We caught up with Kimbra to find out more about Popstars, who inspires her and what her favourite looks are from the show?
Congratulations on Popstars, how did you come to be involved in the show and what was the filming of it like?
It’s been a fantastic experience, I’ve loved every second of it. Except for the part when we have to send home artists as that’s really hard because you get so attached to the artist and you see so much potential in them, it’s hard to be letting go of artists each week. I came to be involved because I was asked to be part of it. I was in New York at the time and it was a very hard place to be with the pandemic so it was a bit of a godsend to be asked to come home and do this show. So I’m super happy that I took up the opportunity.
I can imagine that would have been a bit strange coming home after years away?
Yeah, I mean I’ve lived away from home since I was 17. I often come back for Christmas but I’d never come back for longer than a couple of weeks or for a family holiday so to come and spend three months in Auckland and be part of this project has been amazing.
Did you know Nathan King or Vince Harder before you started filming and what was it like being on a judging panel with them?
I didn’t know them at all before the show. I knew their music but I didn’t know them personally. I was actually a big fan of Nathan’s band when I was young and I’d known about Vince’s music for years so I was super excited to work with them. Getting to know them has been so much fun, we’re honestly like family now, they’re like my big brothers. It’s a really nice vibe on set and we’re all looking for similar things, we want a strong, original performer and songwriter, someone who is going to have a sustainable career in the industry.
Aside from an amazing singing voice, what are you looking for when you’re picking artists for the show?
This show is very different to the original because all of these artists are auditioning with original material so we’re looking for great songwriters. It’s not just about do you have a great voice, it’s about can you tell a story through your lyrics and share a message through your music. On top of that we’re looking for people who are willing to grow and to collaborate. Nowadays collaboration is such a big part of the industry and we want to equip them with industry tools. We want someone who is going to be the whole package because that is pretty important nowadays when the world is so driven by the internet, a lot of people are making music on their own so they need to be mentored and given tools, and that’s what we’re all about.
How do you approach judging and giving feedback to the artists?
We feel very strongly about uplifting artists and being honest with them and if that means we have to tell them that this isn’t the industry for them then we do it in a way without humiliating them or rejecting them on television. We want to encourage people and have them go away with something they can learn from, that’s way more interesting I think, and for a viewer as well. My approach is to really help artists come out of their shell and challenge themselves and when I’m giving feedback as a mentor I try to give them something constructive that they can work with for next week.
Vince Harder (left), Kimbra (centre) and Nathan King (right) make up the Popstars panel.
What was the process like working with stylist Sammy Salsa on the show, how long did you spend putting together your outfits and what did you enjoy about it?
It was really collaborative. I told him I wanted to highlight a lot of New Zealand designers and we had a lot of fun picking out pieces. I have a team in the US that I work with for things in America but to get to collaborate and bring Sammy into the fold and guide my look for the show has been fantastic, he’s so talented. I’m really proud of the vision that we’ve had as a team, from the makeup artist Kath Gould to Sammy on the styling, we’ve put a lot of thought into the fashion side of this show too so I think people will enjoy the outfits.
What was your favourite outfit that you wore on the show?
One of my favourite outfits was a beautiful dress but I can’t remember the designer unfortunately. I wore a lot of pieces by Florence and Fortitude and some really beautiful Karen Walker suits that I loved. I’m really into wearing suits at the moment. There’s been so many cool looks, it’s hard to pick a favourite.
How would you describe your personal style, do you have a style rule you always obey when you’re putting together an outfit?
I work with a team in the US for my performances etc. in the US but it’s very informed by what I like to feel good in on stage. My stage wear is bold and experimental as I love strong silhouettes and shapes. I love draping and fabric I can touch and work with on stage that helps my performance. As for personal style, it’s changed a lot over the years, I used to be really into dresses now I’m more like jeans, a blouse and a suit jacket kind of girl. I’m more into fine jewellery and I really enjoy playing with strong colour but earthy tones. That’s something that’s different for me, I used to like a lot of highlighter pop colours. As my music has evolved and become more grounded and a bit more edgy my look has become that way too. You also grow as a woman, you feel different things and you have a different connection to your body as you get older and that helps inform your style as well. As I’ve grown up I feel like my style has grown up too.
Who are your go-to New Zealand designers and brands?
I like Maggie Marilyn a lot, RUBY, Stolen Girlfriends Club, I’ve been wearing their clothes for a while now. There’s so many great New Zealand designers. I love Meadowlark as well, I wear a lot of their jewellery on the show.
We heard there’s album number four on the way, is that intended for release this year?
I’ll release singles this year, I plan to release new music this year. In the time of Covid it’s still in the works, the actual album release date, but I’ll be releasing something this year in terms of a song of two. I can’t wait to share the new material, I’m most excited about it out of all the albums I’ve made. That’s a really good thing to feel as an artist.
You’ve also launched an online music course, can you tell us a bit more about that?
It was a really great thing during Covid times in America because obviously I haven’t been able to play any shows. So, I’ve been looking for ways to connect with people through different mediums. They’re called Soundfly and they create these curriculum courses with artists focused on the craft of songwriting and I did a course on the use of the voice and vocal production. It was super fun and it’s really important to me that I get to talk about my work as a producer and engineer. There’s not enough representation of women in those industries and I want to make sure that we’re seen.
There’s been a lot of discussion in the past year especially about using your platform to push for positive change in the music industry, what does that mean to you?
I’m a big believer in the quote that you can’t be what you can’t see, representation is so important, it’s everything you know. We have to reflect the culture we live in and it’s been so disappointing for such a long time, that lack of diversity in the top tiers of the record industry and I’ve definitely felt passionate about speaking out against that and understanding that as a white woman in this world I have privilege and I want to use my platform to promote diversity and promote equality and equity. I mean equity is more a term I believe in more these days and I think when it comes to being a woman I try to uplift other women and make sure that we are recognised as more than just one thing because we get stereotyped easily. For a long time, I didn’t always have the confidence to speak out about my work as a technical artist and now that there’s more talk and more conversation around these issues I feel more confident to claim that part of what I do because if it means another young girl gets on her laptop and starts making beats because she saw that Kimbra does that then that’s awesome.
Who do you look up to, who inspires you?
I’m inspired by so many different people. One of my favourite authors is Richard Rohr, I admire him for the books he writes and the work he does around spirituality and helping people recover the practice of meditation. He’s an amazing teacher. I really look up to Alicia Keys as a woman in the industry who has disrupted the norm and the status quo. I look up to Saint Vincent, I think that she’s a really powerful artist in the industry right now and a beautiful woman. I look up to Janelle Monae. I also have a lot of favourite authors, and I admire the work of Michelle Obama, I loved her book. I’m really drawn to people that use their platform to further evolve the world and progress the social landscape.
Images supplied.