INTERVIEW: Kira Puru on performing, starting over, and her upcoming Australian tour
Delivering her biggest headline tour to date, Kira Puru is currently on the road and making her way across the country — with her Perth show on 5th July quickly coming up! Joined by special guest Kinder, the dynamic singer will be bringing along all your favourite hits, alongside her shiny new single ‘Everything Is Better Without You’.
Have a read of our Q&A with her below, and don’t forget to get your tickets here!
You recently supported Peking Duk on the ‘Biggest Tour Ever’ throughout all of Australia. Some of those concerts, including The Northern and Wollongong University, achieved massive success by being sold out. What was one of the best experiences you had during those months while performing?
The boys are friends of mine, and really sweet, fun guys to be around. It was such a rare treat to get to spend time together. Peking Duk have one of the best live shows in Australia at the moment and it was a real honour to support them and such ridiculous fun jumping up in the set for a cameo.
Your new single ‘Everything Is Better Without You’ is an example of your impressive, resounding voice and is another sensational hit that you have released. It’s also about self-empowerment and healing. Did the inspiration for the song come from an experience or the intent to be motivating?
Not so much a specific experience. I've been in my fair share of toxic relationships but this song wasn't inspired by any one of them in particular. It was just me musing on that feeling of seeing your ex, or something that reminds you of them and realising in that moment that you've finally moved past the worst of it, seeing a shard of sky through the clouds again. The sentiment kind of seems bitter I guess but I was trying to capture that moment when you zoom out and realise "Hey, I am actually growing here!"
It’s difficult for some people leaving the place they were raised and starting over somewhere else. After moving to Melbourne in 2013 to help launch your career, was there any difficulty adjusting yourself to living in an unknown environment and being so far away from home in Cardiff?
I moved to Melbourne in the middle of winter which was right up there with some of the stupidest things I've done. I was thinking about throwing in the towel with the whole music thing. Burnt out and feeling pretty lost at the time, it felt kinda appropriate to mope about for a few months, get drunk, do dumb shit with my friends and be generally hopeless for a while before I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.
About three months in, I landed a really great collaboration and a series of amazing solo gigs and I was back on the horse. Sometimes I think you just have to veer right off the path to remember why you wanted to be there in the first place.
Also, my house burned to the ground about as I was half way to Melbourne with a carload of my stuff. That made it really easy to not turn back.
Your upcoming national tour, featuring concerts in some of the biggest cities in Australia from Sydney to Perth, is one of your largest ones yet. Is there anything you’re looking forward to while on tour with Kinder?
Honestly I'm excited about most elements. We are planning some really exciting production elements as well as showing some songs from the album that have never been played live before. And Kinder! They're so awesome. I love playing every show but I can't deny it's always that little bit extra special when you're headlining.
While you were performing in Townsville, you talked about how you were harassed by a punter while on stage. What do you think should/can be done to help foster safer, more positive venues?
People just need to check their own behaviour and that of those around them. There can only be so much done by bands, venues and security. If we all have a zero tolerance policy for fuckery, greater, more problematic issues have no air to breathe. It's pretty simple.
There are some talented emerging artist in Australia at the moment, undoubtedly including yourself. However is there anyone in particular that you are currently listening to?
Always gotta shout out my bestie Mojo Juju. But I've also been loving Laneous and Milan Ring these past few months.
