Kasey Chambers on Sophie Monk’s ‘beautiful’ country voice
Kasey Chambers spent 2020 off the grid. Now she’s back and opens up about mate Sophie Monk’s prospects in country music.
Entertainment
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Kasey Chambers is now the proud owner of a streamlined linen closet, simultaneously solving the mysteries of years of lost socks.
“It took a global pandemic for me to clean out my linen closet,” Chambers jokes.
“I have literally been putting that off for 25 years.”
The country singer and ARIA Hall of Famer had already planned for 2020 to be a quiet year, after “burning myself out” on her “favourite tour ever”, 2019’s 20th anniversary celebration of her debut The Captain.
After the pandemic hit, while other musicians turned to virtual gigs or Facebook concerts, Chambers deliberately went further off the grid — in July her team had to post on social media she was taking a break to spend time with her family.
“In my whole life I’ve never had as much time off from gigs as I did in 2020,” Chambers said.
“I’ve had time off from making records, but I’m usually always doing gigs. After all my three kids, I was back out working within a month or two of having them, dragging them around with me, trying to work out how to be a mother and tour at the same time. Which was always pretty crazy but we got through. Even when I was pregnant with all the kids I was playing live up until really late as well. I just don’t sit around and do nothing very well, I never have.”
Cut to April last year — Chambers finally had time to recreate Survivor in her backyard with children Talon, Arlo and Poet.
“They’re the crazy kind of things we normally do to pass the time at home anyway. Sometimes I feel I put more effort into my home Survivor day with the kids than I do writing a setlist for my gigs! I spent weeks and weeks putting that Survivor course together. We filmed the whole thing, so when I get around to editing it I might put it up on YouTube. As if I haven’t had enough time to edit it already.
“But it was just nice to lay low and plug into normal family time last year. Aside from home schooling. Nothing like home schooling children to make you realise how dumb you are. I have new respect for teachers. And I realise how out of touch I am with what my kids are being taught. Technology is not my strong point, last year really emphasised that. I honestly feel like my kids taught me way more than I taught them. No kid failed last year, so that’s good enough for me! I’m still haunted by home schooling!”
She also had time to write what will be her first album since 2018’s Campfire — still in the early days.
“At the very least I know it’ll be a full band record, I can tell already the songs are leaning themselves more to that.”
Concerts are slowly coming back for her in 2021. She’s due to play Byron Bay’s all-Australian Bluesfest at Easter and her first solo headline show in over a year is in Melbourne in March — seated and COVID-safe.
“That set-up suits me, I’m not one of those artists who does a massive gig where everyone’s in a mosh pit.”
In August she’ll tick off her “bucket list” idea — taking 30 fans on an outback music safari from Adelaide to Alice Springs over two weeks, with Chambers (and her parents) cooking, singing and sharing stories around campfires along the way. All tickets (at $6500) sold out in three days.
“It’s a little walk through my childhood, and an excuse for me to get back there. It seemed like the perfect time as the music world is leaning towards these smaller, more intimate experiences. I still feel like real outback Australia has shaped who I am musically and personally. I always feel at home out there.”
September also marks the 20th anniversary of her album Barricades and Brickwalls, home to her hit Not Pretty Enough (which became a No. 1 in early 2002).
“I better get onto that. I was thinking we were coming up to the Not Pretty Enough anniversary. We have some plans for later on in the year, getting back touring. Obviously everyone in music has those plans and has their fingers crossed. There’s no doubt once we’re able to tour we will be. I love playing that record anyway.
“My two favourite records to play songs off are The Captain and Barricades so it’s not like all of a sudden I’ll have to learn all those songs for the anniversary. I’ve already written my setlist for Melbourne, the moment the gig was confirmed I sat down and wrote a setlist and sent it to the band. They’re probably thinking ‘Wow, she’s never this organised’ but I’m that excited to be playing a show again. And most of the songs are from the first two albums, I still love playing them. I like going back to the old stuff.”
Chambers’ close friend Sophie Monk has stated she is returning to music and has hinted she may go down a country route.
Chambers says she may give her a gentle nudge down that road.
“Sophie loves country music, when we get together and have a little jam, I don’t know if it’s because she’s with me, but she sings country songs and she sings beautiful country harmonies when we sing together. It’s so lovely. So it wouldn’t surprise me if she has that flavour in the music she’s doing, I’ll certainly be encouraging more of that in her.”
Kasey Chambers, Sidney Myer Music Bowl March 14. On sale now, Ticketek. Bluesfest, April 1, bluesfest.com.au
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