Kim Smith: Nova Cabaret Star!

Australian Kim Smith is an emerging electro-pop singer, and award winning cabaret performer, known for his Weimar-era inspired works that juxtapose authentic musical material with stylistic takes on current popular tunes.


His debut album, “NOVA,” is described as “high-energy, sexy, and entertaining,” and the genuinely stunning debut single, "Jealous" is visually creative, aurally engaging and lyrically lascivious, and follow-up single “Never Ever” has drawn comparisons to The Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue and Robyn.


“Kim brings the song to life with his beguiling vocals, injecting the lyrics with a studied heart and passion that is hard to resist. He effortlessly recreates the sounds of classic 80s synth bands yet manages to remain distinct with his own tonal qualities. He is the anchor of the song, holding together all the elements and steering them to an exhilarating conclusion.” – myfizzypop.com


His cabaret programs, Misfit and Morphium have performed regularly in New York City at Café Sabarsky at the Neue Galerie, Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre, the Laurie Beechman Theatre, the Due Theatre at DMAC, and Bard Spiegeltent at Bard College, while also touring Australia,  presented at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2010 and 2012, The Festival of Voices, Slide Bar and Lounge, Chapel Off Chapel, the National Gallery of Victoria, and Smith’s cabaret birthplace, the Butterfly Club.


Past cabaret programmes include Johnny Come Lately (directed by Karen Kohler), Kim Smith’s Jungle Parade (directed by Martin Croft), Kim Smith is Madly Adored, and Quietly Kim Smith.  2009 saw Smith presented with the Back Stage Magazine Bistro Award for Special Achievement as an Outstanding Performer, honored alongside Liza Minnelli and Charles Aznavour.  He was also nominated for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Manhattan Association of Cabaret (MAC) Awards in the Outstanding Male Vocalist category.  Kim is a recipient of the American Australian Association’s Dame Joan Sutherland Award for aspiring artists (2008), and is a member of the Kabarett Kollektif, a troupe of New York-based artists dedicated to preserving the European cabaret tradition.  Kim regularly appears in Earl Dax’s celebrated cabaret revues, Weimar New York, Off the Cuff, and Tingel Tangel Club.  Mr. Smith studied music theatre at the Ballarat Arts Academy in Australia (BA, Music Theatre).




AM:  I know you’re from Australia Kim but where do you live now?


KS:  I’ve been living in New York for the past six years with my husband.  We met eight years ago in Australia.


AM:  Is that what brought you to the United States?


KS:  I fell in love with an American.  We were long distance for two years but we made it work.


AM:  Was that a tough two year period?


KS: It was a challenge.


AM:  How did you hook up with Charlie Mason and his gang in New York?


KS:  Charlie came across one of my cabaret postcards, was struck by it and he became a huge part of my career.  He started coming to my shows but he is a shy guy so it took a couple of performances before he decided he wanted to work with me.  He wrote to me out of the blue so we started hanging out and listening to demos.  It felt right and we wanted to do it.


AM:  Did you always want to do pop music?


KS:  Well I’ve always sung this kind of pop music anyway.  Technically everything I sing was popular music at one time.  I’ve always listened to Kyle Minogue, Robyn, The Supremes, Cher and Nancy Sinatra.


AM:  I like how you understand what you’re singing.


KS:  Well I like to think I do!


AM:  I am loving your album.  ‘Jealousy’ and ‘Never Ever’ are great singles!


KS:  I’m excited about them.  We have really cool remixes available.


AM:  Are you equally comfortable in a big pop music production as well as you and a piano on stage?


KS:  Absolutely, the new show that I have been working on has an entirely electronic ensemble.  It sounds really fun and cool. I love being an element inside other musical elements.  The point is the overall sound.  I love contributing to that.  It’s about the sound we are all creating together rather than me being a focal point.  Pop music is a collaborative medium.




AM:  Are you a songwriter?


KS:  I am a poet to a degree, but I have a huge love for interpreting existing lyrics.


AM:  Do you relate to the song ‘Jealous?’


KS:  I relate to it in the sense that it has high emotional and dramatic stakes and it has a detailed story.  I like that about it.


AM:  Did you start off as a singer?


KS:  I was a dancer first.  I had some knee injuries based on the structure of my body.  The rest of me is totally able and well designed for ballet but my knees are not.  I transitioned into singing in my teenage years.  I studied music theater.


AM:  Did New York accept you right away as a performer?


KS:  New York has been amazing.  It’s a lot different than going home to Australia.


AM:  Where did you grow up?


KS:  I grew up in a small country town outside Melbourne.  The thing is in Australia you are not encouraged to talk about yourself while in America people are excited when you talk about yourself.  They also get excited to support you as an artist.  I imagined it would be extremely competitive to come perform cabaret in New York but it’s the opposite, which is exciting.  There’s enough for everyone.


AM:  What is the state of cabaret these days?


KS:  It’s just always around.


AM:  What is your ideal career?


KS:  When I look at the careers of other people who have raised my eyebrows, I don’t think they went in with so much of a plan.  I think it’s a difficult thing to plan.  It’s about creating opportunities, having enough energy and being extremely organized.  Having really good people around you is another part of the equation.  I love performing, singing and I really love recording.  I love making videos and I love my cabaret act.  Whatever keeps me doing all of those things is what I’m interested in.


AM:  A good cabaret performer is also a good actor.  Do you enjoy acting?


KS:  I love acting.  I love interpreting Shakespeare.  It’s a step up from interpreting a song.  It’s a wonderful exciting challenge.