The Questionnaire

Kendall Elise

Rising country star Kendall Elise was born and raised in Papakura, Auckland, and recently went solo after many years playing in bands, including The Situations and Thee Rum Coves. She was a finalist in the APRA Best Country Song category at last month’s Golden Guitar awards in Gore for a song that could be described as a real killer. Heart Full Of Dirt is a dirty slab of honkytonk rock’n’roll about an oppressive romantic partner meeting up with some rough justice, the chorus a singalong murder-ballad classic: ‘‘I’d love you so much more if you were dead’’. The video features a newly liberated Elise driving around in a fur coat with a female friend and a suspicious rolled-up carpet in the boot of her car. Kendall Elise’s debut solo EP I Didn’t Stand A Chance was released earlier this year Interview by Grant Smithies.

What are you plugging right now?

‘‘I am going on tour with Tony Daunt and The Dauntless for their album release tour, opening the shows at The Incubator in Tauranga on July 22 and Hamilton’s Nivara Lounge on the July 29. I’m also due to release the title track from my latest EP I Didn’t Stand A Chance as a single. Filming for the music video has just wrapped up!’’

Is there anyone else whose creative output you’re keen to endorse or promote?

‘‘Danielle Gardner from boutique retro fashion label, Devel. Danielle made me a knockout custom dress (pictured) to wear to the NZ Country Music Awards in Gore, western-inspired but also fitting with the goth aspects of my style. Also, there’s Auckland band Tony Daunt and The Dauntless. I’m stoked to have contributed vocals and percussion to their latest album, and to be playing support on their tour.’’

How did you get involved in music?

‘‘Music has been a massive part of my life from a very young age. I started out by singing every time I opened my mouth, but the biggest catalyst was being gifted my late father’s guitar by my grandmother when I was around 13. No-one in my family is particularly musical so it was pretty cool to find that I had inherited my father’s passion for music, despite him passing away before I was born. Music was also great solace from the many difficult experiences I had as a teen.’’

What is a song you remember clearly from childhood?

‘‘Warren Zevon - Play It All Night Long.’’

What was the first piece of music you bought with your own money?

‘‘The first tape I ever owned was Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette. I knew that tape word for word! The first CD I bought was The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. The poetry of her lyrics really appealed to me!’’

How do you balance music with other obligations - partner, children, job?

‘‘I feel like the perfect work/life/family balance is one of those things that would be great to have but is ultimately elusive. Finishing my working week early every Friday allows me time for music. And it helps that my partner is also a musician and played drums for my EP, so he gets it!’’

Can you describe a perfect Saturday?

‘‘Waking up early, unzipping a tent door and relaxing in the sun with a book while waiting for the gates to open on a music festival like Bluesfest. Going inside and discovering new artists in between well-loved acts. Trying five different kinds of food, drinking many kinds of drinks and collapsing into the tent ready for another festival day.’’

What do you do to relax?

‘‘Read! Play guitar. Write. Go walking in beautiful scenery. Sleep!’’

What’s your idea of happiness? What life lessons would you pass on?

‘‘For me, happiness is realising that I have been through struggles and have come out the other side stronger and more resilient and able to appreciate the good in my life. So I suppose it is being grateful. If I could pass on one thing it would be to actively try to have empathy for others. Trying to understand a difficult situation from a different perspective quickly helps anger from misunderstandings to dissipate.’’

Which living person do you most admire and why?

‘‘My cat Ivy, though not a person, of course. Does she count? I just really dig her capacity for unconditional love.‘‘

What’s your most embarrassing moment that you’re prepared to share?

‘‘On stage at high school. Sitting down about to perform but my guitar was out of tune. Anxiety rising. Frantically attempting to tune the guitar, not realising that as I had shifted I was flashing my underwear to the whole school hall. To top it off, it was laundry day and I had borrowed a pair of my little brother’s gruds. I’m probably the only person in the whole school who would remember this but it is scarred into my memory.’’