Soul musician Kelly Brouhaha recently released her new EP, ‘Mama Didn’t Raise A Quitter’.
“It’s nice to finally have it out there. It was a long time in the making so now that it’s out, it’s like I can relax a little bit,” Kelly says.
Kelly left her mortgage and marriage in an effort to find happiness and pursue her love for music, with ‘Mama Didn’t Raise A Quitter’ her story of self-discovery. “As well as my divorce, my dad got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
“You know people work really hard to enjoy retirement and unfortunately for my Dad he won’t be able to. After this point I was like 'stuff working forever, I’m going to go and pursue something I love'.”
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A mix of both folk and soul, ‘Mama Didn’t Raise A Quitter’ provided an intense period of self-discovery as Kelly dealt with a range of emotions. “I had to re-build who I was completely.
“Sometimes when you’re in a relationship you are a version of yourself that maybe isn’t all you. I had to figure out who I was and how to create music sustainability as I needed money to make a record.”
The last three years Kelly has worked across Adelaide, singing covers in order to raise enough funds for her EP. “It was tough. Coming up with the cash to initially start it was challenging and then I kept running out of money as well.”
Kelly recorded ‘Mama Didn’t Raise A Quitter’ in the same studio that Clare Bowditch recorded the album that changed Kelly’s life, ‘The Winter I Chose Happiness’. “It was 2012 and I was on my first solo tour and I was having a really shit time.
“I was on school holidays from my teaching job. I was listening to her album... everything about her album was about being yourself and doing what you are supposed to do.”
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Kelly released the single ‘As Long As There’s A Smile’ earlier this year, with the song charting second in the AMRAP regional charts. “To me, this single is my mum’s mantra of ‘getting on with your shit’.”
Inspired by the tiny-house movement, Kelly has been living and touring in her van – dubbed Pamela Vanderson – since April. “I loved living in a van from the first time I got in it. I have my own sink and fridge. I guess it’s like a house on wheels. It does get pretty exhausting driving. However, it’s a big country to cover.”
While on tour, Kelly has been parking in Anytime Fitness car parks and has been making full use of their free, 24/7 Wi-Fi. “It’s a bit hard on the road, but it’s been really good connecting with a lot of like-minded musicians in other cities, which has been really cool.”
Kelly Brouhaha Tour Dates
Fri 22 Sep - Flow Bar (Old Bar)Sat 23 Sep - Cessnock Hotel
Sun 24 Sep - Grace Emily Hotel (Adelaide)
Thu 28 Sep - Solbar (Maroochydoore)
Fri 29 Sep - Caloundra RSL
Sat 30 Sep - Queen Street Mall (Brisbane)
Sun 1 Oct - The Milk Factory (Brisbane)
9-12 Nov - Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival
Wed 15 Nov - The Drunken Poet (Melbourne)
Sat 18 Nov - Cheeky Goose Cafe (Phillip Island)
