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Seventeen-year-old Kiani, who hails from Bribie Island, made her way through the audition round of Australian Idol after applying last year. Kiani who goes by the stage name Kiani Jazz, has been singing and learning to play the guitar since she was seven years old. Kiani’s singing talent gained popularity locally, and from there she graced one of the biggest stages in Australia – Australian Idol.
Hi Kiani, welcome to OLC! Firstly congratulations on your time on Australian Idol you were incredible, and every week you could see the growth more and more. What inspired you to audition for Australian Idol? Were there any specific moments or experiences that motivated you?
I saw the advertisement on Instagram to audition, and I thought it would be an amazing and life changing experience!
How did you feel during your audition? What was going through your mind when you stepped in front of the judges for the first time?
There was straight nerves entering the audition room, but very exciting to see the judges and be in that room.
You had so many amazing performances on the show, the one that stood out for me the most was when you performed Vanessa Carlton’s ‘A Thousand Miles’ beautifully. How did you prepare for such a significant performance? I would imagine being a part of the show there was a lot of extensive work that went on behind the scenes?
Preparing for each performance consisted of many rehearsals and practices on the stage, we had a week to prepare each song so it was definitely a fun challenge for us all!
Being the youngest contestant in this season of Australian Idol, how do you handle the pressure and expectations?
It was definitely interesting being the youngest towards the end of show, but over everything I was lucky enough to have my parents there for support through it all!
Tell us about your musical influences. Are there artists or genres that have shaped your style?
Noah Kahan is such a big inspiration for me, his style of music is something I want to be able to produce one day.
If you could work with anyone in the music industry, who would it be and why?
Noah Kahan would be a dream to work with, I think I could learn so much from him, and it would just be amazing to perform with him.
What’s your creative process like when writing songs? Do you draw from personal experiences or explore fictional narratives?
When songwriting, I like to go off experiences I’ve or other people had. It usually takes me 20 mins to come up with a finished song, but like 2 weeks to name it… Funny that!
What’s your favorite musical memory so far? It could be a performance, a song you wrote, or a special moment related to your music.
Performing on Australian Idol would be my most fond memory, it was something I’ll never forget, and I’ll always cherish.
What advice would you give to aspiring young artists? Especially those who dream of making it big in the music industry.
If your passion is music, go for it with everything you have. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you.
How do you handle nerves before a live performance? Any rituals or techniques you rely on?
Normally nerves aren’t a problem for me, but if I do start feeling them, I’ll try to picture myself playing in my room, in my own space. That helps me a lot!
