The nucleus of Killing Heidi was singer/songwriter Ella Hooper and her older brother, guitarist Jesse Hooper. They grew up in Violet Town, a small Victorian country town, with a population of approximately 2,000 where their parents worked as music and drama teachers.
They started jamming together at home; Ella singing while Jesse played the guitar. They played an acoustic gig together at the Violet Town Arts Festival in 1996, when Ella was 13 years old. Bent Records label owner and local record studio owner, Jamie Durrant, offered them some time in a studio with a couple of schoolmates as the rhythm section. They submitted these recordings into the Triple J Unearthed competition in 1996 and the track "Kettle" won the competition for their area of rural Victoria. "Kettle" was written by Ella Hooper; Brian Walton and Jessie Hooper added some guitar parts later.
The name "Killing Heidi" came from the band members generating two lists before their first gig; one filled with "soft" words, one with "harsh" words. Killing was chosen as the harsh, Heidi the soft. According to the band, the name basically means "the end of innocence".
Producer Paul Kosky who had worked with Crowded House, Rage Against the Machine, Kate Ceberano, and The Clouds was looking for a band to manage and sign to his new recording label Wah Wah Music. He decided to check out a very basic live performance by Killing Heidi. He developed the band from the ground up for the next two years working on songwriting, song structure and overall direction of the music. He became the manager of the band and arranged a contract with Roadshow Music (who had a contract with Savage Garden) for his label, Killing Heidi had also acquired a new rhythm section (which Kosky sourced and introduced to Killing Heidi) with Adam Pedretti (ex-Non-Intentional Lifeform) on drums and Warren Jenkin on bass. They recorded the rest of the first album in 1998.
Killing Heidi's first single "Weir" was released in August 1999 and reached #6 on the ARIA charts (and Platinum sales) by the end of 1999. The second single "Mascara", about self-image and individuality, was released in December 1999 and reached the top of the Australian charts on January 30th 2000, which was Ella's 17th birthday. - it stayed at #1 for three weeks, also achieving Platinum status.
The band's debut album Reflector was released in early 2000 and debuted at #1, quickly becoming the fastest-selling album in Australian music history. The album spent seven weeks at #1 on the ARIA charts, and spawned two further singles: "Live Without It" and "Superman Supergirl".
Reflector eventually sold over 350,000 albums in Australia, earning 5x platinum status and Killing Heidi won four ARIA Music Awards in October 2000.
The band's momentum halted when a cyst was found on Hooper's vocal cords and she underwent an operation in 2001. Her voice was slow to recover, which "destroyed any confidence [Ella Hooper] had in her voice."
The band recorded its second album Present, despite Hooper's continuing problems with her vocal cords. This album was not as successful as its predecessor, selling only 50,000 copies and failing to make the top ten of the Australian album charts. It spawned two singles - "Heavensent" which reached the top 30 in early 2002 and "Outside Of Me" which reached a peak of #12 later in 2002; a third song from the album, "Ammyl", was released to radio in 2003 but was never released as a commercial single.
In 2002 manager Paul Kosky and the band split in an ending characterized as "acrimonious"; the split "almost spelt the end" for the band, and left Kosky feeling that he was the scapegoat blamed for the problems with the second album.
Chris Robinson bought out Kosky's share of their partnership and became the band's new manager.
In late 2003, the band spent three months in Los Angeles recording their next album.
The first single from the band's third album was "I Am", released on July 12, 2004. Debuting at #16 on the Australian singles charts, it spent three months in the Top 50 charts and reached Gold sales. It also features on the Australian version of the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack.
In late August 2004, Killing Heidi released their third studio album. Self-titled as Killing Heidi, the album featured a less styled and more sonically expressive sound. It debuted at #7 on the charts, again only reaching gold and then fell out of the charts relatively quickly.
In September 2004, the second single from the album, "Calm Down" was released, peaking at #23. Early 2005 saw a third song from the album, "Running Underwater" released to radio, but like "Ammyl" in 2003, it was not released as a commercial single and received very little radio airplay. Later in 2005, Killing Heidi left Sony BMG.
In mid-2006, rumours began to surface in the media of the possibility of Killing Heidi breaking up. The reports continued for several weeks, with articles in some magazines and newspapers claiming the band had already split. The band clarified the situation in a blog entry on their MySpace page:
"Oh the waiting... oh the waiting.... ok, hi everyone. Here is the news: We are taking a break from killing heidi for a while but do not see this as a break up! It is us needing to try something else for a little while cos its all we've done for 9 years now. Killing Heidi will be playing some shows in the next 6 months so if you really want to you can get to these shows. I will post the dates as they are confirmed. Ella and Jesse are working on a new as yet unnamed project and will be playing in vic and nsw trying out new material and playing a few oldies too. Pedro is rocking with the very loud and very talented "Monster Truck Extravaganza" (see our top friends for a link to their myspace) so check them out when they start doing shows soon. Hopefully you guys will like what we all get up to over the next little while!!! There have been requests to change the new traks to downloads so i will look into that too!!! Thanks everyone for your continued support, we love playing for you guys and look forward to seeing on the road again soon!!!"
Ella Hooper, after spending time with Jesse in The Verses, is now a solo artist. However in 2016, the band announced they were reforming for their 20th anniversary.
A Jar Labelled Small
Killing Heidi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just a pale transform
In the eyes my worst enemy is
Hiding at my door
And where did your wings go?
Same place as mine
Well I can't catch her
And our wings are gone forever
Have you got 20c to buy some more?
'Cause I couldn't see that I could fall
By the time you read this I'll be
Fast asleep and waking
All the faces growing in me
Haven't been feeling human for a while
Now little teeth getting thinner and thinner everyday
Well everything around me gets bigger and bigger
Elevating me it's gone too far
But I fed it 20c
It was my call
'Cause I couldn't see that I could fall
I couldn't see my fall
Is this really what you want?
Is this what you planned?
Take a look inside your head and open up your hand
Did you know it would turn out so bad if you did it this way?
'Cause I couldn't see that I could fall
I wouldn't know you'd go, you'd go
The lyrics to "A Jar Labelled Small" by Killing Heidi convey the feelings of being lost, overwhelmed, and trapped. The opening lines describe a lack of inspiration and creativity in the singer's life. The reference to a "pale transform" suggests that there is something missing, that the spark that once existed is fading away. The enemy referenced in the second line could be interpreted as the internal struggle that we all face at times, the fear and self-doubt that lurks within. It's a powerful image, suggesting that this darkness is constantly lurking, waiting to take over.
The chorus talks about the loss of wings. This could symbolize the inability to fly, to soar above our problems and move forward. Instead, the singer is trapped, with nothing to lift them up. The line "have you got 20c to buy some more?" suggests that there is a way out, but it's not easy. It requires effort and sacrifice. The following stanza describes the feelings of isolation and alienation that come with this sense of being trapped. The reference to teeth growing thinner suggests that the singer is wasting away, losing a part of themselves each day.
As the song progresses, we see the singer becoming increasingly desperate. Everything around them is growing, becoming larger and more overwhelming. They feel as though they are being lifted up and away from themselves, but they are powerless to stop it. The line "I fed it 20c, it was my call" suggests that the singer has taken some responsibility for their situation, but it's not enough to fix it. The final stanza is a plea for clarity and understanding, a search for answers in a world that seems completely out of control.
Overall, "A Jar Labelled Small" is a powerful song about the struggle to stay afloat in a world that can be overwhelming and suffocating. The imagery is vivid and haunting, capturing the fear and desperation that so many of us experience at times. It's a reminder that, even when we feel lost, there is always hope.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no inspiration
I'm feeling devoid of inspiration
Just a pale transform
I've changed, but it's not a good transformation
In the eyes my worst enemy is / Hiding at my door
When I look in the mirror, I see my worst enemy staring back at me. I feel like this enemy is always lurking nearby.
And where did your wings go? / Same place as mine
We've lost our ability to fly and be free, and I'm wondering where that freedom has gone.
Well I can't catch her / 'Cause she's biting at my ankles
It feels like I'm being held back by a part of myself that's causing pain and hindering my progress.
And our wings are gone forever / Have you got 20c to buy some more?
Our wings are gone for good, and we can never regain that sense of freedom. Nonetheless, I'm asking if you have any hope or solutions.
'Cause I couldn't see that I could fall
I wasn't aware of the possibility of failure, and that blindness prevented me from taking actions that could have been beneficial in the long run.
By the time you read this I'll be / Fast asleep and waking
When you read this, I'll have already fallen asleep and woken up, signifying the passage of time and the inevitability of change.
All the faces growing in me / Haven't been feeling human for a while
I'm experiencing a sense of disconnect from myself and others, and it's leading to the growth of new identities and personas inside me.
Now little teeth getting thinner and thinner everyday
I'm deteriorating physically and emotionally, and it feels like something essential (represented here by the teeth) is being eroded.
Well everything around me gets bigger and bigger / Elevating me it's gone too far
My environment is overwhelming me and making me feel smaller and more insignificant. The situation has escalated to an unsustainable level.
But I fed it 20c / It was my call
I took an action that had a small impact, even if it was ultimately futile. Nonetheless, I made the choice to go through with it.
Is this really what you want? / Is this what you planned? / Take a look inside your head and open up your hand / Did you know it would turn out so bad if you did it this way?
I'm questioning my own motives and actions, and asking whether this outcome is really what I intended. I'm imploring myself to examine the situation more closely and be honest about whether my choices were misguided.
I wouldn't know you'd go, you'd go
I didn't anticipate that you would leave me, and I'm reacting with surprise and confusion to your departure.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JisooTurtleRabbitKim
The whole album was amazing!
Azzaok
Loved that song too. Belter of an album.