“My name is Kate Miller-Heidke and I am…” she repeats after me, contemplatively. After a moment or many to reflect on what was clearly an unexpected request, a surrendering Kate inquires in all her sweet-as-roadside-diner-pie pleasantness “Do you ask these questions to everybody?” While the tireless editorial staff at Rave are probably beginning to negotiate the idea of lunch (presumably consisting of cigarettes and instant coffee), busy-beavering away at their desks behind me, I interrupt Kate’s late-morning breakfast at her Brisbane home to discuss many things that won’t make it to print (you might want to ask her about her nickname yourself) but, more relevantly, her inclusion in this year’s Broad tour.

Fresh and as rested as she’s getting after her comprehensive nationwide tour in order to launch her second pop-folky EP instalment, Circular Breathing, and following two sold-out performances at the Spiegeltent for this year’s Brisbane Festival, Kate Miller-Heidke has been bestowed the coming-of-age womanly privilege of being invited to take part in Broad when it transports its specially selected all-female cast around Australia in August. Not knowing much about women myself, I thought I’d find out what it is they breathe and what they really do when I’m not staring at them. Oh, and also about what it feels like to participate in Broad for the first time.

“Yeah, it feels awesome!” chirps the spritely songbird. “I went along and saw the show last year and obviously, you know, I had little secret fantasies about being in it but I didn’t think it would happen so soon. It’s an honour to be in there amongst many more famous women than myself,” she says, clearly smitten with what it means to her. “It’s quite empowering. Us chicks are very outnumbered, especially in the pop and rock industry.”  

Curious as to know what actual behaviour constitutes her reportedly quirky live performances, I pressed Kate about the unique vantage point that is the stage and just what she says and does that leads me to keep reading about her constantly quirked-out reputation.

“I often put my foot in it on stage,” she begins. “Sometimes I just manage to offend nearly everybody in the audience… totally by accident.” There, that’s the stuff that sells papers. “But, it’s really easy to do sometimes because sometimes you get a bit deluded and you think that the audience are your friends, so you speak to them how you would with your friends. I think that on the odd occasion I’ve insulted Christians… accidentally.”

Interested to know how admiring and awe-struck onlookers have reciprocated in the sweaty and seething transaction that is live music, Kate reveals all things relevant about revellers revealing all. Just try saying that ten times fast.

“There was once a woman in the audience who, umm, seemed to enjoy lifting up her skirt to show me her knickers. That was kind of, umm, interesting”.

So, daughters, lock up your mothers. Whether you’re a classy broad, or a chintzy, tawdry broad, a borderline broad or completely unbroadular, support a broad today… they’re all right.


Kate Miller-Heidke is performing at Broad Festival at QPAC Concert Hall, August 18, with Melinda Schneider, Mia Dyson, Deborah Conway and Ella Hooper. Circular Breathing EP is out now through Waterbear Records.
 

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