ELLA HOOPER @ The Espy
With an offbeat personality, charismatic energy and powerful vocals recalling Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt one minute and Bruce Springsteen the next, Ella Hooper is a beloved stalwart of the Australian music scene.
Hooper burst onto the scene as the frontwoman of rock band,‘Killing Heidi’. With their first single – the stark, folk-grunge ballad, ‘Kettle’ – receiving national airplay when Ella was just 13, the signs were clear: this was no ordinary artistic trajectory.
Cut to the year 2000. As Ella’s classmates were finishing high school, this unlikely band-from-the-bush, fronted by a technicolour teen singer, exploded into the millennium, tearing up the charts with a string of hit singles, no.1 albums, sold-out tours, Rolling Stone covers, and more. Ella was the first-ever woman and youngest person to be awarded APRA’s Songwriter of the Year award. After such a celebrated start in music, one could predict a continuation: a
chasing of the dragon, or perhaps complete burn out. Hooper did neither. Surprising many with a pivot away from the mainstream into vastly uncharted territory, Hooper is now three albums deep into a celebrated solo career spanning synth folk, country and Americana. She balances a successful side-hustle hosting multiple TV and radio shows – including much loved music trivia shows Spicks And Specks, RocKwiz, and most recently, music and accessibility docuseries, ‘HEADLiNERS’ for ABC TV (nominated for Best Documentary Series in the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards) – making her more than just a pop singer in her native Australia.
Ella’s most recent album, ‘Small Town Temple’, explores her love of Country and Americana. Written on home turf in Violet Town, Victoria during a period in which, tragically, she lost both parents to cancer a mere two weeks apart, ‘Small Town Temple’ has been praised for its heart, authenticity and unique Australiana perspective. The album debuted at No.1 on the Australian Country chart and was nominated for the prestigious Australian Music Prize.
The response to this new era of Hooper’s music has been strong, landing her tours with some of the world’s finest performers, including James Taylor (2024), Chris Isaac (2024), CMAT (2025) and James Reyne (2023). Ella shines in a live setting, the bounty of 20-plus years on the road. She is a true natural with big crowds but her intimate solo shows often provoke the full gamut of emotional responses too – from tears to full-belly laughter.
Currently splitting time between Melbourne and Nashville, Hooper is working on her next album, collaborating with Americana stalwarts like Jim Lauderdale, Steve Poltz, Melody Walker (Grammy winner - Best Americana Performance for “American Dreaming” with Sierra Ferrell) and more. Featuring members of Sheryl Crow's live band and other Nashville heavy hitters, this album is anticipated as a return to the warm, upbeat energy Ella is known for and wields so well.
The first taste of the new album, the romping ‘Growing Up Is Hard To Do’, was released in November 2025 – a tongue-in-cheek yet poignant look at everything from Hooper’s formative years through to the wild ride of her last decade. The road ahead looks bright and busy.