Part raconteur and all-out entertainer Mama Kin is an Australian songstress, a mother and a purveyor of foot-stomping bass lines and ballads of open-hearted tenderness.
Nominated for ARIA and AIR awards in her native Australia, she has shared stages nationally and internationally with the likes of Ani di Franco, The Cat Empire, The Waifs and her husband, John Butler Trio.
Ahead of the release of her album,
The Magician’s Daughter, we caught up with Mama Kin to chat about songwriting, motherhood in the music industry, nerves and her lack of 'filter' on stage.
“I’m the youngest of six kids and so I was at the mercy of everyone else’s playlists.” A playlist that features some of the greatest artists of the last decade.
Mama Kin had her Dad to thank for introducing her to Johnny Cash and Charlie Pride. Prince, Michael Jackson, Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin came thanks to her sisters, while her brothers gave her the musical wisdom of Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and The Cure.
“I was listening to everything, a broad range of music from such an early age and I think that is why I find it so difficult to pigeon hole my own music. I have taken little sound grabs from all of it and put it into what I do.”
She may have always known that music was the avenue she wished to pursue however Mama Kin spent a lot of years denying her herself the opportunity to follow her passion in the fear she may fail at it.
“I had this thing where I had a really successful creative husband and the thought that with him being that successful that really what I should do is support him, and so I had a couple of kids."
“I really felt my resent growing, the more I suppressed my creativity the more it came up as a different kind of beast.”
Mama Kin’s realisation to go back to music came when having a conversation with her daughter, now 11, about her future and the necessity to always follow ones heart.
“After a few really intense conversations with my daughter and hearing what I was saying to her, knowing that I was going to pass on what it was to be an expressed woman, and so that’s why I had to start doing it again."
"Along with mothering it is the most fulfilling to do," she added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlktMJzr1vw
'Was It Worth It', the first single from The Magician's Daughter album.
It is Mama Kin’s mother, an actual magician’s daughter, for whom the album is named and after partaking in a songwriting course she believes this piece of work is much “more expressive” having pulled on various other elements to capture a story in song.
“For the second record I was like, ‘how am I gonna write anything, I haven’t got anything interesting to write about anymore.’”
“Songwriting for me was a real personal endeavour, more around processing personal, emotional experiences.
“I reckon that you Irish mob you get it in another way. The Irish more than anyone will get this album. I feel like I will really be able to go there with you guys. My shows are very much a mix of story telling and a bit of humour.”
For the most part, Mama Kin shares the stage with her brother, someone who is always keen to highlight her embarrassing moments - like the time she tried telling a story about vaginas being compared to animals, a story that we wouldn’t do justice if we tried to relay it.
Despite all of her performances, accolades and appearances, Mama Kin still battles with nerves before taking to the stage.
“I’m like a monk on the road, if I don’t get my sleep, mediation and eat at the right time, I’m like this kind of fucking uptight robot kind of person.
"I’m not hardy. I wish I was one of those people that can drink and smoke and yell. But I can’t.
"I deal with my nerves by being really organised and disciplined."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0i_z5YsfGA
The Mama Kin love song, and our personal favourite track from the album, 'Bosom Of Our Bed.'
Grounded, charming, extremely humble and absolutely hilarious, Mama Kin has left us wishing that we could be best friends.
Other things to know about Mama Kin.
Are there any common musical comparisons made between you and other artists?
“I can’t answer that one, not really. It has a bit of folk, and it has a bit of soul, roots and soul."
Stand out moment to date?
“Singing with my daughter. Singing with her is like being plugged into all of my past and all of our futures at once.”
Favourite lyric you have ever penned?
“I’m a hunter with no spear and a diver with no air.”- The Cherokee Boy.
Favourite song to perform?
“I’ve just recently written a song recently called ‘Ned Kelly’, the sentiment of it kicks me in the guts.”
Sum up your music in three words.
"Folk, soul and stories."
The captivating Danielle a.k.a Mama Kin.
Tickets for tonight's show at Whelan's can be purchased from the venues website
here. You can also catch Mama Kin play De Barra’s, Clonakilty Wednesday 30th April.
Mama Kin will be supported by Jenn Grant, a Juno nominated singer-songwriter who has performed across North America, Europe, and Australia, appearing at numerous festivals including Primavera Sound and SXSW. Ahead of the release of her EP, Clairvoyant, which is out on May 9th and features an amazing cover of Leonard Cohen's 'Lover Lover Lover', Jenn will also headlines St James’s Church, Dingle May 2nd, Roisin Dubh, Galway May 3rd, Black Box, Belfast May 4th, Sky & Ground, Wexford May 6th and finally De Barras, Clonakilty on the 7th.
Mama Kin's phenomenal album (we couldn't sell it to you enough - it's incredible),
The Magician's Daughter, will be release on May 2nd and can be purchased here on
iTunes.
For more info check out
MamaKin.com, or follow all updates on the band’s official
Facebook page and
Twitter.
To whet your appetite we’ll leave you with one more track from Mama Kin, '
Rescue' is one of those infectious songs that you'll find yourself singing days later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQBqDebgbeg
