An all-girl pop group from Brisbane who formed last year, today KMBR release their very first single.
Pronounced as 'kimber', the KMBR trio of Billy, Maddie and Kayleigh came together after an intense interview process designed to reintroduce Australia to the power of all-girl singing pop groups from the '90s and early '00s."After going through an extensive interview process to determine a range of skills the members of KMBR were chosen and we began our journey into the music industry," shares Kayleigh.
"We dived straight into months of recordings, photoshoots and producing cover songs and our passion and determination has led to our debut single."
That single is titled 'Girls On The Run' and is accompanied by a music video featuring choreographed dancers, muscle cars in high speed car chases and a triple threat performances from the KMBR members.
"We're just three girls who love to sing and get the opportunity to be a part of the music scene," adds Billy.
Who is KMBR... Maddie: KMBR is a pop girl group based in Brisbane. We formed in 2021 and have each released solo covers and music videos this year. We're officially launching our first group single this week and I couldn't be more excited.
We sound like... Billy: KMBR has its own unique sound. We're not like every other girl group, but we have really tried to create something that we hope everyone can enjoy. Maddie: I hope we sound like Little Mix.
When did you settle on the group's name, and was it a unanimous decision... Billy: There were a few ideas throw into the mix when we were picking our name, but using our initials was the best option for everyone; we liked that KMBR used the first letter of our names and could be pronounced as kimber.
In the studio we usually... Kayleigh: We always have a really positive vibe recording, having the best time and are always joking around and having fun. I used to be really nervous when we first started recording as I wasn't a confident singer, but given the girls support and positive encouragement I feel so much more confident now and have a blast.
If we could tour with anyone... Kayleigh: That is a hard one. There are so many amazing singers I'd love to tour with but I've always loved Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Billie Eilish, Eminem and Jaden Smith, so they'd have to be my top choices. Maddie: Taylor Swift! Billy: Arianna Grande! Go hard or go home right? If we could tour/ be a supporting act for Ari I think I might actually die.
Social media is... Maddie: Kinda annoying me lately. Billy: Hard work! Since starting the band in 2021 we quickly realised how important it is to keep the content coming to keep up engagement. Trying to organise everyone to get together at the same time and place can be a task in itself let alone then organising what content we can come up with/ post.
Kayleigh: Social media can be an excellent avenue for self expression as well as keeping in touch with people, advertising business, learning new skills from DIY accounts etc. However as anything on the internet, there is a darker side to it with bullying and it does cause a lot of insecurity in some people as a result of highly edited photos in especially young girls who can't distinguish this and use that as an unrealistic beauty standard to achieve.
My favourite app at the moment is... Kayleigh: Instagram as I love catching up on everyone's lives and following different accounts about food, interesting places to go, fitness and of course cake videos hahaha. Maddie: BeReal. It's so simple and very unique compared to other apps that are popular right now. Billy: TikTok. I am a sucker for it. Everyone knows you can just get stuck scrolling. . . that's me haha.
To date, my most embarrassing moment was the time... Kayleigh: When we first started the group we had our videographer Brendan Bok filming a lot of our meetings and we had snacks and one of the girls dropped dip on my phone, and without thinking I just licked it straight off the screen in front of everyone and I know one day that video might resurface.
Billy: When we were filming our debut single music video in a studio in Brisbane, we were using my car for a couple of the scenes... midway through filming my car battery died. Turns out fans on full blast with the lights on doesn't do good things for the battery.
Maddie: Every time I forget the choreography for our music videos. . . sorry guys x.
If you'll have us on your bill, all we ask is that our rider contains... Maddie: Alkaline water, pink lollipops and pineapple juice. Billy: Lots of snacks. Kayleigh: Definitely snacks and lots of them.
The most scary scenario I've found myself in, was... Kayleigh: When we first started the group, our manager organised a meeting with a vocal coach and it was the first time we had to sing an entire song in front of each other and lacking lot of confidence back then I was so shaky and struggled to squeak the words out at first.
Maddie: We filmed a pretty intense car chase for our latest music video. I don't drive, so I sat in the backseat and put my life in Billy's hands. Billy: I haven't been scared yet.
What celebrity/ famous person would you love to be spokesperson of the band... Billy: Aussie artists have to stick together; would love if Iggy Azalea would do a collab with us/ be a supporter of KMBR. Kayleigh: I would have to say Nicki Minaj as she really paved the way for females in the rap industry and has such badass energy about her. Maddie: Can I say Taylor Swift again?! Her lyricism is beyond compare.
If you had to live in a city abroad, where would you choose and why? Kayleigh: I think that living in Mumbai would be incredible. I've always loved India and think it would be a really amazing place to live with so much to experience.
Billy: New York, 'Gossip Girl' made me dream of the New York life. I've never been there and have just always wanted to experience the Upper East Side life, xoxo. Maddie: Oxford. I feel so at home there. The cobblestone streets are adorned with the most beautiful gothic architecture that scrapes pastel skies. I've made amazing friends during my studies at Oxford and the culture of learning is incredibly motivating.
Three people you'd like to invite around for a dinner party... Kayleigh: It would have to be Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat and Eminem as I'd love to hear all about their journeys into the industry and how it's altered their lives having been so successful.
Maddie: Selena Gomez, Dame Julie Andrews and. . . Taylor Swift (I can't help it!). Billy: Elon Musk, I just would love to get the inside scoop of what it's like to be as successful as he is. Chris Hemsworth for obvious reasons. Christina Aguilera to hear all about her life in the music scene and a singing lesson of course.
If we were coming over to your place, what would you cook us? Billy: Beef stroganoff, always a guest favourite. . . and mine too. Kayleigh: I absolutely love pasta and my favourite would have to be a recipe I was taught by my step father with a creamy, lemon and garlic sauce, and would follow it up with milk chocolate panna cottas for dessert. Maddie: I'm better at baking than I am at cooking, so I'll go with brownies.
When it comes to pets are you a lover or hater of our furry friends? Billy: Absolute lover! I have grown up with dogs and have a little Staffy pup that I live with who I adore. I also have a pet bird who is hard work but I do love him. Life is better with animals in it. Kayleigh: I'm 100 per cent a lover of animals, especially dogs and piglets. Maddie: A lover of course. My pets are my entire world.
@kmbrgirls You have no idea how long this took us #kmbr #wallpaper #heart #heartwallpaper #singers #girlgroup #bestfriend #bff #brisbane #brisbanemusic #girlgang #forthegirls #bts #fyp #foryoupage ♬ Love songX - Song X
No matter the expense, send me a case of... Kayleigh: I love sweet things but particularly Starburst gummies and you can't get them anywhere anymore so that would be my go to! Maddie: Glossier lip gloss. Billy: Champagne.
The last time I saw the inside of a gym was... Kayleigh: I have been paying a gym membership for months and have been maybe five times, so not recently enough hahaha. Maddie: A couple weeks ago. Billy: Let's not talk about it haha! It's been a while but I do have plans to get back into it in the new year.
What's the one chore you dislike the most? Kayleigh: I always leave my washing to the last possible moment, so it'll be like midnight and all I want to do is be in bed but instead I'm there folding clothes. Maddie: Washing the dishes by hand. I absolutely have to have a dishwasher. Billy: Taking the bins out. Essential, but just an awful task.
Do you have any phobias... Kayleigh: I have the most irrational fear of sleeping alone in the house, like I don't know what I think is going to happen to me but it just terrifies me. Maddie: Outer space. . . it's a freaky concept, I don't like to think about it too much. I can't watch space-themed movies, they stress me out. Billy: Spiders. Always been a terrible phobia of mine. Whenever my parents went away when I was younger, a spider would always magically appear as if it knew Dad wasn't around to take care of the situation.
Would you ever partake in a reality show? Billy: I would love to be on 'Big Brother' one day. I also made it to the final round of interviews for 'Beauty And The Geek' in 2021 but didn't get through in the end. Kayleigh: I absolutely would! I think it would be really fun going on a baking show or something with challenges, I love a cheeky bit of competition. Maddie: 100 per cent. I'd let someone follow me around with a camera Kardashian style.
If you could prank any of your friends, who's your target, and how are you bringing them down? Kayleigh: I'd have to prank my boyfriend. He's ridiculously scared of spiders so would love to lead him into a room with a giant tarantula and let the squealing begin hahaha. Maddie: My best friend, Luke. I'm dying to give his college dorm a glittery, pink makeover by yours truly.
Best local takeaway joint for a midnight feed that will leave you with a food coma? Maddie: Honestly Maccas. Chicken nuggets hit different in the middle of the night. Billy: Lonely Hearts Burger Club; their open late, conveniently deliver to my suburb and the burgers are delicious. Kayleigh: I'd have to say WuKong, they do the best plum duck I've ever had and bubble tea cocktails.
Which fictional character best describes your personality? Maddie: Amy March, specifically Florence Pugh's interpretation. Or Elsa from 'Frozen'. . . both strong women navigating life and the intense emotions that come with it. Billy: Tinkerbell. She's loyal and it's important to her to do right by her loved ones. She can be over emotional about things and can get caught up in the details rather than focusing on the bigger picture.
Kayleigh: Hermione Granger as she is sweet and well spoken and always thinks things through before acting and will try to solve anything. She is also very compassionate and protective over her friends, and shows a sense of vulnerability but is direct and will stand up for herself when she needs to and I'd like to think that I embody those characteristics.
Last show you binge-watched? Kayleigh: That would have been when I watched 'How I Met Your Mother' for the first time recently. Maddie: 'Wednesday'. Anything involving all-black outfits is a win for me. Billy: 'Wednesday'. At first, I thought I was getting myself into a kids show but I quickly discovered that wasn't the case. I watched the whole thing in one night.
