By AIDAN RASMUSSEN
Dressed in rock'n'roll black and grunge grey, award-winning Ocker rockers Killing Heidi make fast work of washing away the pristine perfection of the TVNZ atrium with their gregarious personalities.
The biggest personality belongs to 17-year-old vocalist Ella Hooper, sister to 19-year-old brother and songwriting guitarist, Jesse.
Sitting on a purple sofa and under a giant print of the sweetly smiling cast of Shortland Street, the bubbly lead singer recounts the band's feelings at winning four Arias (Australian Recording Industry Awards) the other night.
"We went there buzzed already, because we were playing second year in a row and up for so many awards. Our expectations were like whatever happens after this is just a bonus, because we're going to have such a great night.
"But we ended up cleaning up as well," she says triumphantly.
They won best new group, best album, best new album artist and best rock album for their debut disc Reflector.
Although the four-piece, who have an average age of 21, spent two years working behind the scenes and playing in pubs and clubs around Australia, some onlookers would say Killing Heidi's success lies in sticking a spunky chick at the front of the band.
While Jesse, Warren Jenkin (bass) and Adam Pedretti (drums) are adamant this is not the case, Ella is a bit more forthcoming.
"You can't deny the fact that I'm going to get a lot of the attention, because we're doing the rock band thing and I'm up the front. It's worked really well for us, we have all these little girls that come to all our shows with their hair done all in plaits and dreads [like Ella] and they wear their studded wristbands like Warren and Adam.
"I like to see chicks rock and why not be a rock chick?" she says, giggling.
Why not? You could say that Ella provides a refreshing alternative to someone like Sophie from Bardot.
"I hope so," says Jesse dryly, twirling his red dreadlocks around his guitar strumming fingers.
"Or the Britneys," interjects Ella, "how many of those blonds ... there's Mandy Moore, Christina Aguilera ... it's one big blond-headed monster.
"I definitely want to provide an alternative and give the girls something that has got a bit of a message behind it, that's not just candyfloss."
The message those pubescent popstars send to young women is a contradictory one, she says.
"Half the time they're singing about being an independent woman and being themselves when they're wearing skimpy outfits and they're only 15 or 16. There's all these sexual messages too. Mandy Moore is only 14 and she sings [puts on her best impression of Moore] 'I want to be with you only for a night.' What does your mum say about that?"
It's a fine line that this dreadlocked beauty treads. She wants to empower young women and let them know it's okay to be into rock music and not wear skimpy outfits. But here she is wearing a slinky grey crop top — does Ella's mother know she's wearing that?" Big brother Jesse is understandably glad Ella hasn't bought into the whole girly pop thing.
"We all think it's really good that El's not in a bikini or dancing all the time onstage you know ..."
"... shaking her bon bon," finishes Ella sending her bandmates into fits of laughter.
"You don't have to be a boy to play rock'n'roll. So many girls do it well. It shouldn't be such a big deal. They should just be given guitars and drums and see how they go, you know," says Ella defiantly.
Later that afternoon, in an inner-city hotel filled with platters of fresh fruit, real coffee and harbour views, I ask the now-weary male members of Killing Heidi how they feel about Ella receiving all the attention?
"A lot of that's beyond our control. You take someone like yourself who will come in here and sit down and ask every question at Ella. It's like 'okay, well what do you want us to do?' That's what people are interested in," says Jenkin.
An uneasy silence follows.
"You're not going to ask Ella any more questions now are you?" says Warren, smiling.
Er, no.
The hotel room shudders with laughter.
The teen queen of Ocker Rock
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