WHO IS KIERA?
Kiera is an Australian singer/songwriter/guitarist who is fulfilling her dreams as a traveling musician, making music and telling her stories through her songs both in Australia and Internationally.
Kiera was born into a musical family with Mother Gail Smith a country music singer in her own right. Naturally Kiera started her musical career at the tender age of 3. Growing up Kiera and her family would travel around country Victoria, NSW and South Australia to perform at country music festivals most weekends, therefore spent most of her childhood on the road. When Kera finished school at just 18 years of age, she worked in a High School in her local town of Mildura, where she taught vocal and guitar lessons to student’s full time.
At the age of 20, Kiera embarked on her acoustic solo career, on the road every week playing in pubs and clubs in rural areas such as Broken Hill, York Peninsula, country Victoria and South Australia. When Kiera turned 21, she launched her very own music academy called Blyth Music Academy, where she had up to 30 students ranging from ages 3-20 year of age, which she would teach during the week before hitting the road for her weekly gig schedule.
Kiera then became drawn to the city life, during this time she has played locally around pubs and clubs in Adelaide every weekend and is now making her name around both metro and rural areas in South Australia, playing solo acoustic gigs and also performs with her husband Dan on percussion.
Over the past 5 years, as well as touring interstate Kiera has toured overseas playing gigs in Los Angeles 3 times, San Diego 3 times, and played music in Darwin NT, being her most recent interstate appearance.
Kiera was a nominee in the 2017 South Australian Music Awards.
Kiera’s EP Speak Up was released in February of 2019, where she toured LA and San Diego. Speak Up is a clear indication of Kiera’s storytelling style of performance. She will continue to grow as a performer and grace the audiences with her vibrant and honest delivery.
Kiera launched her EP Speak Up in February of 2019, where she raised a generous amount of money for the Zahra foundation of South Australia, raising awareness for Domestic Violence, a topic which she is very passionate about.
The start of 2020 sees Kiera in her role as an ever evolving, passionate, and talented musician, new wife, fur mama and the solo teacher and founder of KN music.
Q&A WITH KIERA
How did it all begin? Where did you develop your interest in performing music to an audience? What was your first big break that told you “I am in the right place”?
Well I began singing country music from the age of 3 (I learned to talk through song) My mum Gail Smith was a country music recording artist in her own right and so as a family we used to travel around to all the country music festivals where mum would play, and I would perform in The Talent Quest circuit. There is not really a specific time where I realized this was my calling, I guess I have just always known. It is in my blood.
What kind of music did you grow up on? Which artists inspired you?
I grew up listening to country music. Mum used to always have Charlie Pride, George jones, Dolly Parton on all the time. Then as I got a little older, I loved listening to Keith Urban, Melinda Schneider, The McClymont’s, Rascal Flatts and Miranda Lambert.
If someone had never listened to Kiera Nicole before, what song of yours would you recommend them?
It would be Speak Up, because of the message it sends out and I really hope that others can relate to the story behind it.
We all live busy lives and seem time poor. How do you find the balance between your everyday life and your musical one?
Well being a full-time musician and playing gigs every weekend, my music plays a huge part in my everyday life. I like to make sure I always schedule time for myself into my calendar and keeping my mental and physical health looked after. There are a few things that I do daily that only take a few moments but make a big impact on the outcome of my day. I generally meditate for a few minutes, walk briskly for 20 minutes and make sure I schedule in enough time for my friends and family as well. Also listening to my body and my gut feeling and knowing when time is to slow down and take a break is important to me.
With your latest EP “Speak Up” can you describe its origins and evolution? I know how challenging the creative and producing process can be. How good did it feel to complete?
Speak up is one of my proudest projects to date. I was incredibly fortunate to be sponsored by an Adelaide Recording Studio called Milk and Honey and was overwhelmed by their support and belief in my music. I found myself writing the tracks to the EP after being the victim of Domestic Violence. I was so lucky to be supported through that time by my friends and family, and was able to turn my life around in a
360, playing successful gigs, meeting the love of my life and now fiancé’ and traveling interstate and internationally performing. I had the strength to speak up in a time of crisis and I wanted to do something to help other victims or anyone out there that might be struggling in anyway- That it is okay to not be okay and reaching out just might be the thing that helps lives become on track. The recording process was amazing, and I loved every minute of it. I got to make some creative decisions and I feel like the result is a true reflection on myself as an artist. When Sean from Milk and Honey delivered the finish tracks it was such an emotional time, knowing how much work had been put into the EP by everyone involved. I am lucky.
Which tracks would you call “signature” pieces for you?
There is a track on the EP called “Thief” which is the second track. I believe that is one of my signature pieces. I have just written it with so much heart and soul and happy with how it ended up sounding finished.
What is your favorite track on the EP and why?
My favorite track on the EP would be “Another Heartache” because that is the story of my life currently and a love story of how I ended up meeting my now fiancé’. It is fun and bubbly and just fills me with happiness, which is what my days are exactly like now.
Well done on raising funds for domestic violence. How did you become connected to the cause?
As a victim of domestic violence, it was a charity that I hold very close to my heart. Not everyone gets the opportunity to start their lives in such a positive way after going through something as extreme as that. I wanted to help raise money in any way that I can to help the awareness and help victims get their lives on track.
Is there an album on the drawing board?
I am currently in the writing process for some upcoming releases. Hoping to collaborate with a few of my talented friends and an album is something I am working towards.
If you could pick absolutely anyone to bring on tour with you, whom would you pick and why? (Dead or Alive)
I would choose Keith Urban, purely because I have been a fan girl of his ever since I was a teenager. I saw him on his defying gravity tour when I was 18 and cried. Ha-ha. He is very talented.
What are your major goals or milestones for the future?
A major goal for me would be to tour in Nashville. It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I was lucky enough to tour LA and San Diego 4 times but haven’t yet gone over to Nashville.
If I could have a sell out EP launch that would be another dream of mine, and for people to keep buying and enjoying my music.
To continue to make music for a living and travel around Australia and internationally playing gigs is a lifestyle I would love.
Finally, this is a paragraph dedicated to some quick discovery. Really corny, but for the fans, can you tell me your favorite album, artist, movie, place, drink, meal and person (living or dead) and some brief reasons why? Answer some or all please?
- Favorite Artist: Currently Kacey Musgraves. I love her songwriting and she is just such an honest artist. Straight to the point and what you see is what you get with her. I admire that.
- Favorite Movie: I don’t really watch movies very often, but I am really binge-watching Orange is the New Black on Netflix at the moment.
- Favorite Place: Hands down Disneyland. It is so magical in there you get lost.
- Drink: Red wine
- Meal: I love curry of any kind. I could eat it every day of the week.
- Favorite person: Would have to be my fiancé’. He is like the male version of me and we have been inseparable since we first met.
