Best friends don’t come better than Kristy Lee Peters. We’ve known each other since the first day of high school.
Best friends don’t come better than Kristy Lee Peters. We’ve known each other since the first day of high school (back in 1997)!
KLP reveals what life was like scoring a gig in a girl band and how being a tween on tour changed her music career.
KLP’s currently one of Australia’s top singers and songwriters. She talks about how she juggles life with marriage, a toddler, night club sets and now her new venture, jams for tiny ravers.
Meet my bestie, who was nominated for two-Aria Awards in 2020, and firmly stands as my ride or die.
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Jayde (00:02):
Hi. Welcome to Clueless Confessions. I'm Jayde Balderston, founder and owner of The Grey Consulting. In my more than 15 years in public relations, comms and brand in the global market, I've met some extraordinary people: driven, creative, and brilliant. I've heard many amazing stories of success, and of course, failure, in life and in business, and I've learned so much from those around me. So I'm going to share their wisdom, warmth, wit, hysterical and heartbreaking stories. We're all a little clueless, but we can get smarter every day. So hop in, enjoy the ride, and if I come to a stop sign, I'll totally pause.
Jayde (00:41):
You were in a girl band.
KLP (00:43):
I was never really in a clique at school. You've got this thing you have to just live with for the rest of your life.
Jayde (00:50):
Hello, Sailor Moon.
KLP (00:51):
Having a kid isn't going to make you happy. I'm still not playing any shows ... because you're literally writing about pooing or weeing.
Jayde (01:02):
Like, come on. Rip it out.
Jayde (01:02):
Hello, my loves, and welcome back to Clueless Confessions. It's me, Jayde Balderston.
Jayde (01:06):
Best friends don't come better than Kristy Lee Peters. We've known each other since the first day of high school. To me and the rest of the world, she's KLP, singer, songwriter, Aria nominee. She's also been in a girl band, which is pretty cool. But how on earth do you juggle life with a toddler, nightclub sets, and now her new venture, Jams for Tiny Ravers. She's here to answer all of that.
KLP (01:28):
What an intro. Thanks.
Jayde (01:31):
Thank you for joining me today to have a bit of a chat that our friendship, our life, our long, long history together, shaking our booties on a Sunday together, we used to do that on the tables back in the day, but now it's a dance floor.
KLP (01:45):
I'm pretty sure we were dancing last Sunday and also, not on tables, but next to tables, at your birthday not so long ago.
Jayde (01:53):
Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. So, obviously KLP, Kristy Lee Peters, why don't you give us a bit of background? You and I went to Newtown Performing Arts High School together. So we met in 1997.
KLP (02:06):
Oh, my gosh.
Jayde (02:07):
Woohoo! Yep, which officially makes you my oldest friend ever, as in besties to this day, connected. We've done it. And we still have so much more to go, but it's been a long time.
KLP (02:18):
Do you know what album I listened to today? Old school Kylie Minogue.
Jayde (02:23):
Memories. I remember when we were going to school together, because I was traveling because I lived further away on the Central Coast. I would stay with you a couple of nights early week with your family, and I recall my parents would come to pick me up on some weekends when I'd stay over and we performed the entire Impossible Princess album by Kylie Minogue to them.
Jayde (02:44):
And I think your brother would come in, we'd do an outfit change and he'd run in and be like, "Next." And then we'd swap back out.
KLP (02:51):
Yes. Oh, my God. For some reason I went on this little Kylie detour today and I was listening to old Kylie songs. But, yeah. We've known each other since school, and I think in school you almost felt like a sister to me, as you say, you'd stay over, we'd go away on holidays together, family trips. And then I think I moved down to Melbourne after school and we both did other things, and then I think it was as soon as I moved back to Sydney, I hit you up. I'd just started deejaying. And it was this little time capsule of these crazy time and world. So many good times.
KLP (03:32):
And then now, we're going to bed early, we're getting up and doing a 7:00 AM Pilates class.
Jayde (03:38):
Yeah. And tomorrow we're 7:00 AM as well, just putting it out there.
KLP (03:42):
I know. Who are we? And voluntarily. I like it.
Jayde (03:45):
Same.
KLP (03:46):
I feel like the older I get, the more my body really craves that physical activity. I wish I started doing everything I was doing now when I was 25. I think everyone-
Jayde (03:55):
Ah, yes, what we would tell our younger selves.
KLP (03:57):
Yes. Ah, hindsight. But it's just something that my body really craves. And I notice it if I go a few days and I haven't done anything. I feel really sluggish, and, yeah, it's interesting how your priorities change.
Jayde (04:12):
I think a really important part, for me, how I see it is at the end of school, obviously we're both like, we're performing arts, performer babies, you were performing at shopping centers and you were in a girl band, you were totally in a girl band.
KLP (04:29):
I was in a girl band.
Jayde (04:30):
Yeah. Do you want to tell us a little bit about your girl band?
KLP (04:33):
Yeah. I went for an audition. It was something that was in the school newsletter. I don't know if you remember, there'd be roll call and they would read out any your auditions. And I would just go to any, because I was obsessed with performing. And I remember I turned up to this audition, I didn't even really know what it was for. They were just after singers or singer-dancers, something like that. And I went, and I got in this girl band, we ended up being signed to Sony, so I had this crazy experience of real-world industry music life while still going to school, from 13 to 16.
Jayde (05:08):
Please tell us what the name of your girl group was.
KLP (05:10):
The name was called Real Blondes, terrible name. I don't know who thought of it. I'm hoping that maybe back in the day when it was around it didn't feel quite as naff, but it's so naff. Then again, I look back and I'm like, okay, 13 years old, would you prefer to go to school like normal or be in school half the time and be in a girl group and travel around? I still would have picked Real Blondes.
KLP (05:35):
It was such a good experience, and I think a really good experience, not only for my experience, we did music videos and live performances and interviews and we had media training, but then it's also something that I've realized really shaped the rest of my career because, at 16, I had a huge failure. I had to go back to school, I wasn't the Spice Girls, I had to come back and be a normal school kid rather than this celebrity, and I felt like the biggest failure.
KLP (06:06):
And I remember my dad, I was very lucky because he was a musician and he was like, "Look, this isn't a failure. This is just the end of the first thing. You've got to pick yourself up and figure out what you're going to do next." So at a really young age, and quite brutally in front of teenage girls at high school, I had to deal with something ending, and it wasn't a failure. It just ended. And I now know that that's what this industry is like. Especially being a musician, you don't get a job and then that's your job for a certain amount of years. Even if you have a number one song, that's for a week. The next week, you've got to keep applying for the job, keep playing for the job, keep doing it.
KLP (06:43):
So it's given me this resilience and a really thick skin, because way back then I had to either choose to define me in either failure or be like, well, fuck it. I did that. Now I'm going to do this and it's cool. And just accept it. So Real Blondes is actually such a blessing in my world.
Jayde (07:04):
You also had the brand on an Impulse can, which I still have that can of Impulse at home. My mom's a hoarder, still is, still at home. It stinks.
KLP (07:14):
I think my mom's still got one, too.
Jayde (07:15):
I still have the can. And I know you were like, "Oh, was it nothing?" Hell no, it was so fucking cool. We're also at that real beginning of these girl groups and stuff that were happening. And it was a bit of a phenomena to have a friend doing that as well.
KLP (07:29):
Yeah. And I mean, it felt really cool, but then it also felt for me terrible when it was over, and I was dropped from a record label back to not being signed, not doing anything. So that was a bit of a personal journey for me. And as a teenager to go through that, I don't know how people do it these days, if they have actual success and on the internet, we were very lucky that it was before the internet.
KLP (07:53):
There's now a few videos that have been uploaded, but only post everything. So I mean, I would own it now, but I'm also very lucky that I wasn't dealing with social media and comments and all of that type of stuff that would go on now if you were faced with a similar situation.
Jayde (08:10):
Yeah, absolutely. It's interesting you said that, because that takes me to when we got to the end of school, where I had already left Newtown by that point, my body had started to not be feeling that great. That was actually why I left, was more my health and how my body was not really coping with everything. We thought it was a travel and distance thing, and then we figured everything out as the years went by. But when we go to the end and there's those, especially when you're 11 and 12, where they're starting to have the conversation with us, "What are you going to do after here?"
Jayde (08:43):
And I remember it was very much a thing where it's like, do you go and take these huge risks, stepping into this creative industry of being a performer with the hundreds and thousands and millions of other people that want to do it? And for me, it was or do I go to university, go and do my psych degree and follow that path? And I took the safe, I really took this safe path and what I thought was a really safe option by going to do that. And you didn't do that. You grabbed it by the balls and went here. And you obviously dabbled in other things. I remember, what, makeup artist? You were ...
KLP (09:23):
Yeah. I knew I needed some kind of day job and I didn't want to work in retail, although I did end up working in retail for a period of time, and I thought makeup was an extension of performance. So I did go and study, I then worked as a makeup artist, I loved [crosstalk 00:09:40]-
Jayde (09:39):
You still do the fuck off smoky eyes.
KLP (09:41):
Oh, thanks. I feel really nervous about doing it on other people now and I'm so lazy with my own makeup, but back then I was doing it all the time and doing weddings, and it was such a really good way to earn money, and then be able to do the creative stuff. Because, I mean, for me, it was never another option. It just felt really ... I mean, it's crazy, but at the same time, I'm very fearless with it because I just know that that's just what I'm meant to do. So it just feels natural, and I know that it will change and things in then I start different things and suddenly I'm doing radio and suddenly I'm doing a mentoring thing, but it just always feels like it's connected to performance and entertaining, and that's what I'm meant to do.
KLP (10:25):
But also, I do a lot of mentoring in schools and I get asked all the time, "Did you go to university?" I say no. However, there is no university for being an entertainer. So your university is go get yourself into debt with a shitload of life experience. You've almost got to be your own university. You've got to create your curriculum. You've got to teach yourself the computer skills. You've got to teach yourself how to manage. You've got to teach yourself all of that stuff. And so I probably got myself into the same amount of debt that people do going to uni, made the same weird choices, I just did it on my own.
Jayde (11:12):
I understand wholeheartedly when you say about there not ever being another option. And this was the path that you were going to go down from that performance in creative perspective. It's funny, because when I would have been in a similar position of what do we do after? Studying public relations didn't exist when we actually finished school. And I think the closest to it would have been, there was very traditional marketing, which I actually don't think I'd even ever heard of. So, it was really interesting when I finally found this and landed in this weird opportunity of doing public relations. I was like, "Shit. These are my people. This is where I belong." And I think that that's exactly your position in this music and performing, creative arts field. They're your people. Phil knows he's a writer. They're his people. He knows that. And this is exactly where you're supposed to be.
KLP (12:05):
Yeah. And you know when you do something, and I don't think that it's egotistical to say this. I think it's good to have a healthy ego, you do something and you're like, "Yeah, I'm pretty good at that." It's important to recognize those things that you're good at, that come naturally and the value that you can organically offer other people. So that for me, like for you, I can't imagine you doing anything else because you're so good at ... you bring this really positive vibe to people and you create events and you're so good at, I don't know, whenever I've sent a bio to you and I'm trying to write about myself, you then send it back and I'm lik, "Yes, that's what it should look like," because you're just good at writing that stuff and coming up with that language.
Jayde (12:53):
It's very hard to up yourself in writing. I struggle to write about my own self that, but I think I wrote your very first press release for [Le Sister 00:13:02], which was one of your first stage performing names.
KLP (13:07):
Yeah, which for context, my brother who is called Andrew was called a nickname of Lance. And when I moved back to Sydney from partying in Melbourne, I moved back to Sydney, started deejaying, and everyone would come up to me and say, "Oh, you're Lance's sister. You're Lance's sister," because he was quite well known in the scene, and so that got shortened to Le Sister, and that was my first DJ name before I became KLP. He hated it at the time.
Jayde (13:36):
I loved it. I remember your first group of head shots that you got with your head dress on.
KLP (13:42):
Yeah, I had flowers in my hair and ...
Jayde (13:44):
Yeah. I'll never forget. And I would have only been a couple of years into my career being a publicist. I wrote this press release for you, and it's just not stopped rolling since.
KLP (13:56):
Yeah. I mean, it definitely feels like there are times that it stopped rolling, but I'm still here and I'm still in it. And I think that's the thing I realized is, for me, my career trajectory isn't this crazy overnight success. It's a career and it's long. And I'm also really happy with that, because I want to be in this industry when I'm 50 in some capacity, it's not going to be the same as now, but I want to have a career. I don't want to have overnight success.
Jayde (14:26):
And let me just cut in and say by the fact that you just use 50 as your older age, Phil will shit his pants when he hears that, because ...
KLP (14:33):
I never said it was old. I just said when I'm 50.
Jayde (14:37):
The next stage.
KLP (14:37):
Yeah, yeah. Well, hopefully by the time I'm 60, I'll be retired.
Jayde (14:42):
Oh, yeah, because you've done so much and had so much success.
KLP (14:45):
I'll just be flying around in helicopters.
Jayde (14:47):
Yeah. So you've obviously got a manager now, the amazing Jesse, he's had your back for years and years now. How did you get a manager? Is there a level of success or gigs that you need to knock over before someone's like, "Yeah, cool."
KLP (15:03):
Yeah. That's a question I get asked all the time, because there are a lot of young artists that want a manager for a few reasons. And I think this is probably what I wanted when I was starting out, too. A lot of the time you want a manager or a record label because you feel like they will give you all the answers, they will make it happen, and they will validate you. If I've got a manager, someone believes in me. If I'm signed to a record label, they believe in me, it makes me valid.
KLP (15:32):
To be honest, I think it's bullshit. You do need to have some level of worth. If you're an A&R rep at a record label and I'm going to sign some artists, I'm essentially putting my job on the line for them. So you've got to be a good investment. They're taking all these risks betting on these artists, and they're not going to bet on someone that doesn't have any rungs on their belt. So, yeah, I think it's a really tricky one. For me, I have tried a few different managers, it didn't really work out. I also don't think it was the right time. And then it wasn't until I really, really needed one, things were overwhelming and I just literally couldn't do things-
Jayde (16:17):
And this is like booking your own gigs, facilitating all that, there's so much that comes to, especially if you're multi gigging, doing festivals, all those sorts of things.
KLP (16:26):
So I'd already won the Triple J Unearthed competition, I'd already had things starting to happen on my own. And I'd been talking to Jesse, my manager, but I didn't rush into anything. And he, to his credit, didn't either. I think it's really important to take your time with a manager. Also remember that a manager is your employee. If you're an artist, you're the CEO. You have to remember that the manager is your employee.
KLP (16:52):
And a lot of people get that wrong and they rushed into contracts and then they find themselves getting screwed. Jesse and I had been chatting for a few months and he was like, "Hit me up if you need anything," and we'd meet up for coffee, I'd pick his brain. And then it finally got to a stage where it was like, "Okay, I actually need this." And he was like, "Yeah, let's do it."
KLP (17:14):
And then we went on a three-month trial, so, again, a trial, and then we had a proper contract. And I think the contract is lapsed now and it's just one of those things that just rolls on. But it is one of those things that, same with a record company, I used to want one. Now I don't think there's any type of deal that would entice me to that. I think it's really changed as well, and I think there's so much power for artists out there. You don't necessarily need a manager. You don't need a record company to get to a certain level. If you then get to that level, you have so much more leverage to pick a good manager, make a good deal, to pick a good label or distributor for your music and get a good deal. So I always say to people, "Slow down, slow down, take your time, build up that leverage, build out that power yourself and then you'll have better options."
Jayde (18:08):
Yeah, absolutely. On the PR side, I often say, "Oh, I'm from the traditional media and the traditional PR end of things," because of the time I got into the job. In the early 2000s, digital wasn't sitting at the forefront, social media didn't exist yet. We weren't using those platforms. And I've watched the industry that I'm in completely shift with digital. I'm assuming you've experienced that so much as well with that shift in that growth.
KLP (18:34):
Oh, yeah. And it's crazy to think of what it will be in another five years. I mean, years ago, you'd put out a song and you would want it to be up on SoundCloud and you'd want to have it posted on certain blogs. Now it's completely changed; Spotify and playlisting, and instead of those blogs or wanting media through online stuff, you pay someone to do the back end of your own social media so that it goes out to the people that have already clicked "Follow" on your profile. So it's completely changed, and it seems to be changing so quickly.
KLP (19:11):
I don't even understand it half the time. I wish I could do that back end of social media stuff myself so much more, because I'll put up a post and a few hundred people see it, whereas I have thousands of followers. So it's just all algorithms, and it's crazy.
Jayde (19:25):
And we've had that chat before. I think I wrote something for you, I wrote a caption and you were like, "How the fuck did you do that?" And once again, it's that this is innate [inaudible 00:19:33]. This is how I write. And that's what my job is. I've literally heard you ... When you were working at Triple J, I know that they've called you and said, "Hey, such and such is leaving. Can you get on this afternoon and write a song for them?" And you can turn it around in 30 minutes, or you could right now to sing me a song, probably. That's so innate for you. Dan, my producer's here, like, "Come on. Rip it out."
KLP (20:00):
No. No, no, no, no, no. But yeah, it's very different. And it's also something that can be really overwhelming, because where you draw the line with your personal social media and your public page, because your Instagram and your Facebook is essentially your advertising platform, and it's now your PR campaign. So I just make sure I have a private page. I've also recently removed Facebook off my phone, and there's just so many things that I try and distance myself from in our world.
Jayde (20:40):
But I've always been ... respect so much how honest you are on your platforms in terms of saying, if you're having a shitty day, you do sometimes just need to take stock or take a moment, and feed that back into community, which I think is so important. And then obviously we're living in this world of COVID now, and I know that it's impacted and affected you. As someone close to you, I can really see what's been going on, but I would love for you to share, because I'm pretty sure you've kicked off a new business during COVID.
Jayde (21:11):
Diver City is, that didn't start earlier-
KLP (21:14):
Well, no, we'd started working on it. I think I just had more time to work on it in COVID because I wasn't touring, Matt wasn't touring, the other half of Diver City. So I suddenly found all this time on my hands, and it was really easy to be writing children's music, because that was the world that I was living 24/7. You're there singing to your kid, just like, "Oh my God, go to sleep," or a song about sharing because they're manning a bloody slide at the park.
KLP (21:49):
So these are the songs that were just coming about really naturally. And so it happened a lot quicker than it probably would've, and we're actually onto album number two already because I'm still not playing any shows. So I figure I may as well take this time and use it. And again, this is, I guess, something I always try and do when I find myself feeling down, because it definitely has been really difficult having this whole part of my income and career, my identity, I guess, as KLP and playing shows, stripped from my world. I can either choose to stay in depression world or say, "Well, I'm going to pick myself up and I'm going to start doing stuff." And so I'll just start making a beat and I'll reach out to people and just make things happen.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
D-I-V-E-R City. Here we go.
Jayde (22:50):
The Wiggles exist. Right?
KLP (22:52):
Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Jayde (22:53):
What made you do Diver City? What is it?
KLP (22:58):
Well, I've always wanted to do children's music. I was a children's entertainer again as a teenager.
Jayde (23:05):
Hello, Sailor Moon.
KLP (23:06):
Yeah. I would do shopping center shows as Sailor Moon and as Barbie and Bob the Builder toys, again, I'm thankful that the internet wasn't around at that time, but I also sang on kids' albums with my dad. And I genuinely love it. I used to teach dancing and music to kids. And I really like kids, I like interacting with them, I love their honesty, I love their imagination. So, again, it was just something, it was like, "ne day I'm going to do that."
KLP (23:35):
As soon as I fell pregnant, I thought, "Okay, well this is the time. I'm going to be part of that world." And then I was away on a family holiday with Matt and partner, and it was his partner, Belinda, that actually dobbed him in. I said to her, "Oh, I want to try and work on some music for kids." And she said, "Oh, Matt wants to do that too. I'm not sure if he wants anyone to know-"
Jayde (23:57):
Had you already had Sienna and Sophia by the stage, or they have Sophia, you have Sienna?
KLP (24:01):
I think we just had them. They were maybe four or five months old. And so of course I just went straight to Matt and was like, "Right, oy, I hear you want to do kids music? Do you want to do it?" And I think he wanted to do it, but had no time or didn't really have the drive. I went full steam ahead and started creating it. And we'd already had a few little writing sessions, we'd start it a few songs, we'd approached ABC Music and they were keen, and at that stage, we had, I think, four songs, and we were working towards having six.
KLP (24:35):
It was going to be six songs, and then COVID hit, and in the space of a few weeks, I went back to ABC and was like, "Well, here's 22. Here's 11, and then all these spoken interludes and it's a whole album." And they were like, "Whoa, okay, cool. Let's do this."
KLP (24:54):
So, it just became this whole thing. And we also really enjoyed it. We just liked it. I mean, they're stupid songs and fun ... or not stupid. They're lighthearted. And they're for kids so it's very different to writing all the other music that I've write where you're trying to write for the radio. This, we're literally writing it about pooing or weeing, or you're writing about making a mess. And it's very specific. So it's easy and fun to write that kind of stuff.
Jayde (25:23):
And so, Matt, who you're working with on this, Matt Okine, also radio background, comedy, television, you name it, we've seen him do it.
KLP (25:33):
Yeah. He's one of those annoying people. And he'll tell you, he thinks he's good at everything. That's not even a secret.
Jayde (25:39):
Hey, you got to believe it to get it out there. Right?
KLP (25:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jayde (25:41):
And so did you guys meet on radio? Did you make in the Triple J, that's where it started?
KLP (25:45):
Yeah. He started at Triple J the same year I started, but he started at the start of the year, I started in April of that year, and we just became friends. Same as with Veronica from Triple J and we all hit it off. And then by chance fell pregnant and our daughters were born five days apart.
Jayde (26:04):
Which is celebratory.
KLP (26:06):
Yeah.
Jayde (26:06):
First birthday celebrations together.
KLP (26:08):
Yeah, yeah, it's wild. And he's so fun to write that music with because he's very funny and he's very witty with words, and I really like to collaborate with people that will push me like that.
KLP (26:30):
(singing)
KLP (26:32):
When you listen to kids' music, you listen to the same thing over and over so many times. And, I mean, Sienna is obsessed with The Wiggles. We've gone a detox right now, because she loses it if we play anything else. So I'm like, "No more, but the issue is it's so out there. You walk into any shopping center and there's Emma Wiggles stuff, and they play it at daycare. And I like The Wiggles. I sing it as well.
KLP (27:01):
But the whole intention behind Diver City was, first of all, diversity play on the name. We wanted to create a world that was pushing the boundaries just a little bit with a little bit more progressive concepts, I guess than some other kids' music out there. And I also wanted it to sonically sound a little more like music I would like.
KLP (27:25):
And we've had really good feedback that people like that. The parents like it, because there's a little bit of humor behind the songs too. Some of them are a bit cheeky, especially Matt's parts. The amount of ideas are so endless, because everyday you're like, "Oh, I should write a song about this." "Oh, I should write a song about this."
Jayde (27:41):
But I guess that's so relatable, isn't it, to people, because you are experiencing these things. You are very much being led by your children's experiences to know when to address things and how to talk about things. You've got toddlers growing up in the middle of the pandemic. I never thought I'd see something like this in my lifetime, and we've got these young people in the world. Speaking about that, actually, has that ... [inaudible 00:28:05] from your friend perspective, what thoughts are on more children, and has what you've experienced this year with COVID changed your perspective or position on kids in the world moving forward?
KLP (28:19):
Look, to be honest, it hasn't so much. It was interesting, I remember talking to a friend of mine that was about to give birth at the start and she was like, "Oh my God, what am I doing?" So, I don't know. It is an interesting one and I guess there's a part of me that's like, "Should I? Shouldn't I?" But I also don't like to live my life led by fear. And I think having a kid, as hard as it is for me, it does give me a real great sense of purpose that I never thought I would have, and satisfaction. It doesn't necessarily, and this is also something that I've discovered at the start of COVID, because I was really losing my mind and I was getting quite depressed and I actually spoke to someone, and spoke to them about it.
KLP (29:07):
There's so many issues that we face as parents, but in particular moms and then throw hormone imbalance in which you know about, too, you feel like you're going crazy. And then you feel guilty because you're not enjoying the experience, and I spoke to her and she was like, "Well, having a kid isn't going to make you happy. Happiness is pings of dopamine to your brain. Having a kid for you, it's satisfaction, it's having that purpose, but it's not this thing that's happiness."
Jayde (29:44):
Because it ultimately doesn't define who you are. It's a part of who you are.
KLP (29:49):
Yeah. And if anything, it's really made me try and figure out and draw the line of who I am as Kristy and who I am as a mother. And there's all of this stuff about that as well, because you feel guilty for putting yourself first and being like, "I need me time. Does that make me a bad mom?"
Jayde (30:06):
I think you're the closest in terms of watching someone physically be pregnant, going through the birth, this is the closest I've ever been to watching, I guess, a person being brought into the world. And I couldn't even imagine what the challenges would be and could not be more proud of you and not in a condescending way of knowing that when it just didn't feel right for you, you were just like, "Fuck this. I'm not embarrassed to go and have a chat to someone, seek out some help, seek out other ideas and options answers."
KLP (30:35):
I was suddenly there with Sienna, my daughter, 24/7. We pulled her out of daycare, first of all, because we had all our money stripped from us. It was before we knew about JobKeeper, so we couldn't afford daycare. And also at the start, we just didn't know what this disease was. So we were freaking out about it.
KLP (30:55):
And so I was with her a lot. I was also with my partner a lot. And I need my space. Our relationship is built on distance, essentially. Both Nick and I would travel every week and we have done for the last eight years.
Jayde (31:10):
So you are also KLP, the singer, songwriter, performer, DJ. You're an ex next radio host, and you also have this brilliant initiative called Ricochet. So I guess from the singer, songwriter, producer, creative, how do you do that and be a mom? Structure that, because it's definitely not nine to five, and it is definitely not a Monday to Friday kind of a job. So what's that experience, what does it look like? What does your life look like?
KLP (31:44):
My partner, Nick, and I have a very full-on calendar that we share together, and we sit down every week and look at the week ahead, but then we also sit down every month and look at the general month ahead. Back when I was playing shows and traveling, we had a nanny and some babysitters, because we could afford them, that would come and help out. We obviously haven't had to do that over the last six months. So it's been toned down a little bit the last six months, but I'm assuming once gigs pick back up, we'll have to employ their services again. But yeah, just lots of scheduling. We schedule in our workouts. Everything is very structured, which is great, but it also at times feels quite ... I mean, there's no spontaneity, that's for sure-
Jayde (32:34):
I get it.
KLP (32:35):
... because things are so structured.
Jayde (32:37):
I noticed even the other night we were in a group conversation when we're trying to work out a dinner and it turned out, the timings were moving later into the evening and further out, like the Inner West bubble that we're in, and I realized really quickly that it is a lot more difficult for you to just go, "Yeah, sure. I'll pick myself up and do that." I was like, "Oh, as long as I can finish work, I'll totally be able to go and do that." Because I'm so in awe of this amazing structure and schedule and how you do this together, but I can also imagine that there are sometimes those pangs of like, "Oh, okay." You can't just move things easily.
KLP (33:12):
I want to just be able to go to dinner at Bondai and be up 'til whatever hour dinner finishes and have some drinks, et cetera. But for me, I have to pick my battles and I have to put my sanity first, which connects to my health, which connects to my sleep, which connects to my exercise. And it's like this chain. If I'm out late, then I'm not going to sleep well, then the next morning, I'm not going to want to exercise, then the next day I'm going to feel shit. It's this whole thing. So I've gotten better at saying no to stuff and just knowing my boundaries and things that I can do and things that I can't do. And, yeah, it's difficult, but at the same time I know it won't be like this forever.
KLP (33:58):
One thing I have learnt as a parent is just when you're in one routine or structure, it changes. And I know that things get easier and things change and she'll get older. So it's not forever. So I'm happy to be like, "You know what, I'll sit this one out for now. I need to find something that's workable in my zone that I can work with, or hours that I can work with right now."
Jayde (34:20):
And so along with all those businesses that we've talked about, there's Ricochet, which I wanted to touch on, because it's just this unbelievable initiative that you have set up for women and non-binary to experience and learn in the music industry.
KLP (34:36):
I wanted some kind of name that could embody the idea behind Ricochet. And the idea was some kind of a umbrella that I could then tier off to different things, be it mentoring or songwriting camps or things to do with health and fitness, all of these other things that aren't to do with KLP, because being an artist feels very selfish. Listen to my music. Like my Instagram posts. Come to my show. And after a while I realized that I had more energy to give to other people. I guess I realized that as well because people would come and hit me up and ask for advice. They'd always be picking my brain, wanting help with things, I thought, "Okay, I'm good at this. And I really enjoy it."
KLP (35:20):
So I started Ricochet and I actually got funding through Amex Music Backers, which was great. They were very supportive. I've now done three songwriting camps, they've funded two, which were for female and non-binary artists. The reason it was a songwriting camp is because are a lot of these songwriting camps that happen around the world, be it in Australia or overseas, and it's a bunch of stranger songwriters thrown into a room for a period of time, mostly a week, and you don't really know them at the start, and every day you write music with essentially strangers.
KLP (35:54):
And it's great on so many levels. I've attended many in Bali and overseas, but for a young artist it's really intimidating, and there's so much ego. So I would be there, and at the end of the day, there'd be people walking around being like, "Yeah, I wrote a fucking hit." And I'd be like, "Oh my God. I hate my song. I thought it was horrible. Oh God. Oh, oh my gosh. Ima failure. This hasn't worked well." And no one ever asked me how I was, there was no importance put on the other sides outside of the writing room, so mental health, physical health-
Jayde (36:27):
Being a human, basically.
KLP (36:28):
Yeah, none of that, it was all just about hit making, which I understand. But if you're a happy person and a good artist, I think you're going to write better songs and it's just better for the world.
KLP (36:37):
Anyway, I realized I couldn't change those things out there that weren't in my control, and I'm not one of those people to try and drag them down. So I thought I would create another option. So, I would do my own. And as well as writing songs, we'd also then do exercise together, it'd be a very different environment. And it'd also be largely female and non-binary. So it worked really well and was life-changing to people, which, again was life-changing to me. It's interesting how you can help someone, but through helping someone there's this selfish level where it helps you.
Jayde (37:15):
I walked away feeling that from Newcastle. I had never been more inspired, open-minded ... The courage that I saw in that space was unbelievable.
KLP (37:26):
Yeah. And creating that kind of space where it's okay to have a shit day or to write a song that you don't like or just to be honest and raw, that's not created enough in the creative industries. It really satisfied me and it's affected so many people. So I hope I can continue doing that. It's been really hard with this year, but I've applied for some more funding in different places. So hopefully that can keep going.
Jayde (37:52):
As someone who has is so close to you, I get to see the back end of everything and how hard that is, and our 27 years or something as friends or whatever it is.
KLP (38:04):
God, those numbers are scary. Nothing has ever come really easily for me. And I think that's a really important thing to remember. It's very easy to compare yourself to other people, in their personal life or work life, but everyone's got their own struggles. And for me, what may look like easy success is a lot of fucking hard work and a lot of no's and a lot of setbacks.
KLP (38:28):
And so I've had to learn and also realize in a very empowering way that I can do a lot of stuff myself. And that started off with me being like, "I have to do this myself," and now it's like, "I can do this myself." And so I would just go out there and teach myself something or go and get something.
KLP (38:47):
With my friendship circle, I was never really in a clique at school. For me it didn't feel like it, especially because for a few years I was a little removed because I was in the girl group. So I felt I missed out on a lot. I wasn't quite in the drama group at school, I wasn't quite in the music group, I wasn't quite in the dancer group. I almost felt a little bit of an outsider, and I think in life I've felt the same. I was never in this cliquey group of people. I was always someone that had my own friends. And I've almost curated my friends. And now to the point where, a few years ago, I remember saying to Nick being like, "Right, I want some more friends. I want someone that's going to be like this, someone that's going to be like this," because they say that you're the value of the five people you spend the most time with. And I want to be around people that inspire me and lift me up, that are doing courageous, inspiring things.
KLP (39:50):
And so, yeah, I remember meeting this one friend of mine and I met them and I came home and I was like, "I've met this friend. I'm going to be friends with them." And Nick was laughing at me. But I did. And I went on some awkward first friend dates. Another person like that is a friend who you're now friends with called Alex who I think I'd even jokingly said, "I want a lawyer friend."
Jayde (40:14):
You totally did. I think I maybe even heard you say that at one point.
KLP (40:17):
I manifest a lot of stuff, very openly, very openly, no matter how long it takes, I'm very open about things. And I met him through friends and we'd had a lot of drinks and it was one of those situations where it was kind of like, "Love you. Oh my God, we live close. We should meet up." And then the next day you're like, "Ooh, not sure if we will." And then he sent me a message and was like, "We should meet up." And I was like, "Okay, all right, we should." Awkward first friend date, we're now friends years later. And when I was about to get married, and it's now been on hold, he had to be one of my bridesmaids.
Jayde (40:56):
I just update my Pinterest board daily, by the way. I am reminding myself, "You will get married. I will get my white dress moment."
KLP (41:03):
I will.
Jayde (41:04):
Next to you.
KLP (41:05):
I will, yes, as soon as people can dance properly. But yeah, I really put myself out there, and I guess I've found all of these friends, and then I create parties and say, "Now you can always be friends together." And now everyone's become friends. So in a sense, I've created my own little clique.
Jayde (41:26):
In our 20 odd years as friends, is there anything that stands out about our relationship or ... was trying to think of super funny stuff, but everything I find's pretty fun-
KLP (41:36):
I mean, I know there's been lots of funny stuff, but I think just the time length says it all, the fact that we're still friends, and I think we're both doing okay at this thing called life. We're both actually doing what we want to do and what we're meant to do. I remember years ago sitting with you and you worked with other people, you now run your own business. And I think back in the day, that would have been such a distant thing for you, me and everything I'm doing now, also years ago would have seemed such a distant dream. So the fact that we're both doing that, I just can't help butt be like, "Okay, well, fuck it, what are we going to be doing in another five years?"
Jayde (42:20):
I also think, just to truly showcase our friendship and who you are, one of my favorite stories, and it wasn't favorite at the time because I was going through such a rough fucking time, and I don't know if you'll ever know how powerful what you did for me was. Oh, I might even almost cry.
Jayde (42:37):
So, we went away, I'd had my hysterectomy maybe six months prior, and you had a gig up on the North Coast, Sunshine Coast, and a bunch of us girls, because you do this great thing where if you go up north and it's super sunny, you invite us all to come with you. And you get a few extra bedroom apartment and we go and stay up there together. And I was in a bit of a late rut. I was starting to be quite affected by the medications and everything I was starting and the hysterectomy had really kicked in at the six months after.
Jayde (43:05):
And I remember having a bit of a mini breakdown and I had said to you at one point, "Where the is the fuck is the hysterectomy party? I throw fucking baby showers and I go to weddings and I celebrate all these things for people. My life has been ripped out from underneath me. Where the fuck's my celebration? Where's my new home goods or whatever?"
KLP (43:23):
Like that Sex in the City episode where she's-
Jayde (43:25):
Yeah. Where are my fucking Manolos?
KLP (43:27):
Yeah. Yeah.
Jayde (43:32):
And we're all like, "Oh, we're going to dinner tonight yet. Cool. Let's get walking." And I didn't even pick up on this at the time, I was clearly just being a dick by myself, running ahead and jumping around in the sunshine. But everyone had knowledge of where we were going. And we turn up, we get to the water, you have you ever a little present, you were throwing my hysterectomy party for me.
Jayde (43:53):
And we got on a dinner cruise, and it had this beautiful little head dress that you bought me.
KLP (43:59):
Oh, I'm going to cry now, too.
Jayde (43:59):
Yeah. And we sat down and we had champagne, and we did the boat, and you fucking celebrated me for being me despite losing as a woman what feels such a big part of you are.
KLP (44:15):
Yeah. Well, I saw that, and it's the least that we can do. There's so much talk that goes into baby showers and all of this stuff. And you went through something that isn't recognized. And I had a kid and there was so much counseling and there's someone that comes to your home afterwards, there's all this stuff, and you didn't have any of that stuff. And it was also something that's seen as taken away from you, whereas I was gaining this thing and it's seen as this miracle, blah, blah, blah. And you were faced with the other side of it.
KLP (44:51):
I always look at people that go through stuff like that, and it's like how do you post about that on Instagram? It's really hard to share that kind of stuff, especially in the way we communicate with each other right now through social media, it's all the shiny stuff.
Jayde (45:06):
And you don't want to be the fucking sob story, because it's like, get to the point.
KLP (45:09):
Yeah. But it's a hard thing to share, and also such unexplored territory for many people, because I mean, the fact that you went through it at such a young age as well is something that isn't common. So, I don't think even the doctors and stuff know much about it and the stuff that should go on with the drugs afterwards and counseling and all of that stuff that so much importance is put on with pregnancies.
KLP (45:38):
So throwing you a hysterectomy party was the least that I can do. Funny thing about that night is I remember one of our friends, because I get seasick, she gave me a seasick tablet, but then I passed out. Do you remember?
Jayde (45:53):
I remember at dinner you were really not well.
KLP (45:55):
Yeah. And I was literally falling asleep at the table and then I walked home and passed out for 12 hours.
Jayde (46:02):
Also, I think I didn't actually know that you had taken the seasickness tablet, because obviously you hadn't told me we're going on the boat so I had no idea what was going down.
KLP (46:10):
Yeah. So then I think I missed half the party, and I was out to it. I was so annoyed. I felt so [inaudible 00:46:14].
Jayde (46:13):
You left the restaurant with a full ... Oh, no, you had a cosmo. You had a full cosmo at your seat as you walked away. And I was like, "Oof, she is not good."
KLP (46:21):
I remember doing these ones at the table, like, "Oh my God, I can't stay awake." And I went back to the hotel and just passed out. So yeah, I remember I missed the second half of the party. This is going to be such a fun thing to listen back to when we're 50 and ...
Jayde (46:38):
And I guess we should be asking you what is your clueless confession?
KLP (46:42):
I think a lot of my life, I spent trying to be a perfectionist and I remember I was living in Melbourne and I'd just come out of a relationship because I'd been a pretty shitty girlfriend. And I think I had someone say to me, "You spend your whole life trying to be this blank canvas, but you realize as the older you get, you have scars over your body that start to tell stories." And I really liked that idea of my being flawed and that it's okay. So I actually took myself down the road and got a tattoo that morning, just because I wanted to, I don't know, paint something on my life and accept and be okay with the fact that I'm flawed and I fuck up and I make mistakes and that's okay.
KLP (47:32):
And, I mean, I then went and did counseling and so many other things, but doing that and having this tattoo, I think it was a real turning point for me where I was like, "You're not a blank canvas any more. You've got this thing you have to just live with for the rest of your life." And then, I don't know, it's just been a really cathartic thing.
Jayde (47:52):
And that reminder, every time you look at it that ...
KLP (47:55):
Yeah. Now I don't even look at it. It's just like, "Oh yeah, that thing." There's so many other things now, scars and marks and things.
Jayde (48:02):
Thank you so much just for being the wonderful you and sharing everything with Clueless Confessions. How does everybody find you? Drop your social handle.
KLP (48:10):
Everything is just KLP Music. That's it, on everything, same across everything.
Jayde (48:15):
Yeah. Love it. Nice and easy.
Jayde (48:16):
Thank you so much for listening to Clueless Confessions. I hope you thoroughly enjoyed, and I would love to ask for you to rate, review and subscribe so you can keep up to date with everything Clueless Confessions, and don't forget to follow us over at The Grey Consulting, and that's Grey with an E, over at Instagram and Facebook. I'm Jayde Balderston, and I will chat to you next time.