There’s only so much you can talk about in 15 minutes with acclaimed singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke.
The Brisbane-born performer behind hit songs ‘Caught In The Crowd’ and ‘The Last Day On Earth’ has been incredibly busy since her last album, 2014’s ‘O Vertigo!’.
She’s become a mother, toured symphony orchestra shows, acted on stage and screen, and wrote the opera ‘The Rabbits’ and songs for ‘Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical’.
“I’ve been completely buried in the world of ‘Muriel’s Wedding’ for what feels like forever,” Kate says.
“[Collaborator and husband Keir Nuttall] and I have just written the lyrics and music for the songs for the musical in Sydney. I can’t wait to focus on my own stuff again and hit the road.”
Kate will be touring again after her acclaimed symphony orchestra shows, which included a performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Having enjoyed those shows, she will be continuing the vibe with the accompaniment of a string quartet. “It’s going to be really special,” she says.
“We’ve got a bunch of gorgeous arrangements for the quartet done by Iain Grandage, who’s a very clever dude – I collaborated with him on ‘The Rabbits’, the children’s opera I wrote a few years ago.
“He’s really re-invented a lot of my songs and found things in there that I didn’t know existed or forgotten existed. Heightened emotion is coming out of the songs as well as drama - sadder and more dramatic, in a way.”
Kate is a performer who never does things in halves. While the shows will be smaller than her symphony orchestra shows, her tour will still be massive, taking in 17 dates in Australian capital cities and regional centres.
The tour kicks-off with performances at a place close to her heart: Woodford Folk Festival. “Woodford is one of my favourite places in the world, without any exaggeration.
“I think my first ever gig was 2001 at Woodford in my first band, Elsewhere. I’ve been going there every year since I was 19, and it’s something that really shaped me as a musician, my songwriting, and the people I saw play there are still big influences on me.
"And it’s where I got engaged, it’s where I met Keir. We just absolutely love it!”
Along with the string quartet, Kate will also perform shows as a duo with Keir, and also revive her symphony orchestra shows for performances in Adelaide and Toowoomba. “We’ve got a big history in Toowoomba.
"That’s where Keir grew up, and we lived there for a while a few years ago while we were writing the ‘Nightflight’ album, and Keir’s still got a whole lot of family there. We’ve even got a song called ‘Toowoomba’ that will definitely get an airing.”
The shows will be a great opportunity to see why Kate is such an acclaimed performer. She promises fans will get to hear their favourites in new arrangements as well as songs from both ‘The Rabbits’ and ‘Muriel’s Wedding: The Musical’.
As a bonus treat, Kate will be testing out some new songs she and Keir have been working on.
But, with all the work, how have they had time to write new songs? “Well, that’s going to happen in the next month,” she laughs.
“So they’ll be really brand new. We’ve got some ideas floating around; we just need to tie a bow around them, basically.”
After being cooped-up working hard on so many different projects, Kate is looking forward to performing her own music.
But she is especially excited to venture out on tour again. “We’ve been writing for these characters for two years now, and I still love them all and love the story.
“But a couple of days after opening night I felt like an empty shell, so I’m gradually rebuilding myself now. I’m really looking forward to getting out on the road with a string quartet and just getting back into my normal world.”
Kate Miller-Heidke Tour Dates
30-31 Dec – Woodford Folk Festival (Sunshine Coast)Fri 12 Jan – USQ Arts Theatre (Toowoomba)
Sun 28 Jan - One Day In Fremantle
Sat 10 Feb – National Museum Of Australia (Canberra)
Fri 23 Feb – Ulumburra Theatre (Bendigo)
Sat 24 Feb – Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre
Fri 9 Mar – Adelaide Town Hall
Sat 10 Mar – Melbourne Zoo
Fri 16 Mar – Taronga Zoo (Sydney)
17-18 Mar – Blue Mountains Folk Festival (Katoomba)
Thu 12 Apr – Cairns Esplanade
Sat 14 Apr – Queensland Music Stage Festival (Gold Coast)
Thu 19 Apr – Laycock Street Theatre (Gosford)
Fri 20 Apr – Spiegeltent Wollongong
Sat 21 Apr – Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre
