Kimbra Johnson
Kimbra entered the first Play it Strange National Secondary Schools Songwriting Competition in 2004, making the top 10 of over 300 entrants, and from this had the song It Takes Time included on the Play It Strange Top 20 Volume 1 compilation. In 2005 she placed in the 31st to 50th place bracket of the same competition with the song Reminisce.
Early public performances by Kimbra included singing at the Waikato Times Gold Cup race meeting in 2000 as a ten year old, and at twelve singing the national anthem before 27000 people at the Auckland vs Waikato NPC rugby final. In June 2006 Kimbra sang in front of 30000 people at an All Blacks vs. Ireland rubgy test match at Waikato Stadium.
In 2007 Kimbra duetted with Gian Perrone on the Dynamo Go song Sad Again, which was released on the Affordable Pop Music EP. She also performed at the 2007 Hamilton Circle Jerk, covering songs by Amy Racecar and This Night Creeps. In 2008, she signed a contract with Australian company Freemantle Media, leaving Hamilton for Melbourne following a performance at the Hamilton Gardens summer festival. In that year she also featured on the Nesian Mystic song Mr Mista, which reached #3 and spent 17 weeks in the New Zealand charts.
In 2011 Kimbra signed to Warner Bros Records, and was named by Hollywood blogger Perez Hilton as "one to watch". Her debut album, Vows, was released on 29 August 2011, and entered the official New Zealand charts at #4 (peaking at #3); it ended the year as the 10th largest selling New Zealand album for 2011. On the back of this release, her single Settle Down entered at #37 on the New Zealand singles chart, although left the chart the following week. Vows also went to #4 in the Australian charts. In the same year she featured on the release Somebody That I Used to Know by Australian artist Gotye. The digital download-only single peaked at #1 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and entered the New Zealand Charts at #4, moving up to #1 on 12 September 2011. The song also reached #1 on the Belgian Top 50, Dutch Top 40, German Top 100, Denmark Top 40, Ireland Top 50, UK top 75, and has charted in Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada, USA and France. It ended 2011 at #5 on the top selling singles for the year in New Zealand. In October 2011 she received the New Zealand Critics' Choice Prize for up-and-coming acts, who the judges believe are destined for greatness; the award comprised a NZ$10,000 recording and music video grant, and a NZ$2000 Rockshop gift voucher. In November 2011, she won "Best Female Artist" at the Australian Music Industry Awards (ARIA) for her single Cameo Lover. At the same awards, Gotye won "Single of the Year", "Best Male Artist" and "Best Pop Release" for Somebody That I Used to Know.
She describes her music as a fusion of jazz, funk and soul. Her live band has included Fagan Wilcox, Timon Martin (both since 2009) and Stan Bicknell (2009-2010), all of who were previously in The New Caledonia.
Releases
- Vows album, 2011
- Settle Down EP, 2011
- It Takes Time included on the 2004 compilation Play It Strange Top 20 Volume 1
- Thoughtful Escape appears on the 2005 compilation Smokefree Rockquest 2005
- Deep For You appears on the 2006 promo only compilation Kiwi Hit Disc 80
- Simply on my Lips appears on the 2007 compilation TheSet.co.nz New Zealand Music Sampler Vol.1
- Simply on my Lips appears on the 2007 promo CD Kiwi Hit Disc 90
- Settle Down appears on the 2010 promo CD Kiwi Hit Disc 130
- Cameo Lover appears on the 2011 promo CD Kiwi Hit Disc 137
- Good Intent appears on the 2011 promo CD Kiwi Hit Disc 141
- Two Way Street appears on the 2011 promo CD Kiwi Hit Disc 144
- Sad Again by Dynamo Go (ft. Kimbra) appears on the 2007 EP Affordable Pop Music
- Mr Mista by Nesian Mystic (ft. Che Fu, Cydel and Kimbra) appears on the 2008 album Elevator Musiq and compilation Kiwi Hit Disc 111
- Asleep in the Sea by As Tall as Lions (ft. Kimbra) appears on the 2009 album You Can't Take It with You
- I Look to You by Miami Horror (ft. Kimbra) appears on the 2010 album Illumination
- Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye (ft. Kimbra) appears on the album Making Mirrors
Published Articles
- Young Singer Hits Right Notes, Waikato Times, 8 February 2001, p3
- Kimbra, Emily Rock to the Top, Waikato Times, 19 June 2004, pA2
- Judges Wax Lyrical about Johnson's Polish, Waikato Times, 14 October 2004, p12
- Broken Arm no Barrier to Win, Waikato Times, 4 July 2005, p3
- NZ Anthem Nothing Irish for City Teen, Waikato Times, 10 June 2006, pA3
- Kimbra interview, Nexus, 21 May 2007, p34
- Last Chance to see Kimbra Live, Hamilton Press, 20 February 2008, p20
- Look at Her Now, Waikato Times, 10 June 2011 [1]
- Kimbra takes home Critics' Choice Prize, New Zealand Herald, 7 October 2011 [2]
