Kim Churchill is an exceptionally affable fellow. His polite, optimistic, conversational tone perfectly complements his easy-going folk rock tunes. Beyond this relaxed air, however, Churchill is also a crusading pop artist.
Perhaps he’s not tabloid fodder, but since the release of his third LP Silence/Win last May, Churchill’s global following has grown substantially. “We’ve done the last eight months touring like madmen,” he says. “We did three Canadian tours and one American tour and two European tours. It’s been a crazy, crazy time.”
Hailing from Merimbula on the NSW South Coast, rather than waiting for a huge radio hit or a major label deal, Churchill took a grassroots approach to building a fan base. From the get-go, the blonde-haired nomad was determined to play in front of as many as possible, and it wasn’t long before he yearned to leave our shores. “I really wanted to get overseas, because I was young and I wanted to travel,” he says. “I really wanted to see the world, but I’m a complete workaholic and I felt that I could do it with my music.”
Somewhat unexpectedly, Canada quickly nominated itself as Churchill’s home away from home. “We went over to do this sloppy little tour,” he says of his first visit to North America half a decade ago. “I went and busked on Granville Island in Vancouver every day for a while and just tied together little shows here and there. It was at a couple of those shows in Quebec that I met the guys that ran the label that I ended up signing to. Around the time I met them I started thinking, ‘Wow, Canada could be a really cool thing.’
“I’ve been fortunate,” he adds. “I think it’s because in the last four or five years I’ve worked and toured as hard in Canada as I have back here at home, so the fan base has been like a homely bunch as well.”
In addition to the deal with Montreal’s Indica Records, Churchill teamed up with Atlantic Recordsfor Silence/Win’sUK release. This isn’t Churchill’s only major label deal, as he’s also signed to Warner Music in Australia. Churchill is certainly a relaxed individual, but he’s not completely blase about the position he’s in.
“It’s a funny old game that you play, especially working with a major record label,” he says. “You walk into the place and you all of a sudden get this very lovely, flattering, wonderful treatment. It’s easy to get a bit swept up in – I catch myself all the time. I think everybody’s constantly keeping an eye on themselves and how they are as a person and it’s no different for me. Well, it might be different in the sense that there’s a little bit more to keep an eye on.”
Silence/Win mightn’t qualify as a best-seller, but it has garnered plenty of triple j airtime and led Churchill into major concert venues in the US and Europe. Despite his growing star status, years of experience have taught Churchill to suppress dreams of world domination.
“There were certain elements of almost desperation that came to me at some points, when I really just wanted to have that breakthrough album or that hit. Finally, when I was getting into the mode of doing Silence/Win, I noticed that desperation and I noticed how it could get itself involved in my music and be to its detriment. So Silence/Win was kind of about letting go of that and being OK with whatever it was.”
Silence/Win out now throughWarner. Catch him withPepa Knight atCambridge Hotel, Newcastle on Friday January 23 (tickets here) andOxford Art Factory on Saturday January 24 (tickets here).
