WHEN Killing Heidi’s Ella Hooper burst onto the music scene as a teenager, she was still shaking the country dust from her boots – after busking on rural street corners with her brother Jesse.
“We were country mouse bumpkins one year,” Hooper laughed … “and the next year, we were on stage with the crowd watching us. It was surreal.”
Now, 25 years later, the band has built a legacy as a soundtrack of a generation and is bringing that fearless, high-energy spirit to Ipswich as part of the Wild Turkey Music 101 Pub Tour – a celebration of Aussie pub rock that doubles as a hands-on mentorship for rising artists.
“We’re mentoring five acts across the tour. Each act will jump on stage with us for a cover, so it’s not just watching from the sidelines; they’re part of the show,” Hooper said.
Before their hits Weir and Mascara blasted onto the airwaves, Killing Heidi’s sound was far more acoustic.
“At 13 and 15, growing up in the country, we had fiddles, mandolins, banjos, a piano … lots of Celtic and traditional music around,” Hooper said.
But she joked that teenage hormones, along with the influence of 90s alternative rock, changed everything.
“We started listening to Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Pearl Jam. The music got heavier, chunkier, more angsty.”
Killing Heidi’s lyrics have always walked the line between emotional openness and defiant strength – a balance Hooper admits is deeply personal.
“If I had something on my headstone, I would love for it to be that: ‘She was vulnerable but strong’. That’s the theme of my life. Success as a teenager was amazing, but it came with challenges that can scar you or put you on a strange course. You’re in an adult’s world, a male-dominated industry. You have to protect yourself while wanting to stay creative.”
The set will be a “supercharged” mix of Weir, Mascara, I Am, Calm Down, Live Without It, Superman/Supergirl – plus three or four famous pub rock covers chosen via fan vote.
This tour coincides with Killing Heidi’s 25th anniversary – a milestone that’s prompted a wave of fan love.
Killing Heidi will play the Racehorse Hotel on Friday, August 29 as part of the Wild Turkey Music 101 Pub Tour, a string of gigs that Hooper is excited for.
“Definitely stay for the encore,” Hooper said with a grin.
