At six years old, Novocastrian muso Kailey Pallas knew she was born to be on stage. Now 22, she’s a full-time rockstar, chasing her dreams of becoming a household name, creating music that is known (and loved) worldwide.

Let’s start at the beginning – where did you grow up and what do you treasure most about your upbringing?

I grew up in Newcastle and my most treasured memory is with my dad – he used to take me to all my gigs. He’d also take me busking every weekend at the Newcastle Farmers Markets. Those moments were magical, especially because that’s where I started performing.

When did you start playing music and singing?

I started learning when I was about five. My dad plays piano so I tried to learn from him, then I picked up guitar because that was something I really wanted to tackle by myself. And I’m so glad I did. These days you’ll find me still busting out a tune on my guitar, playing the piano and singing – but singing is probably my favourite.

When did you decide to form Kailey Pallas music?

I started Kailey Pallas music when I was six years old. I did my first gig with Carter Edwards. He was a really good drummer and became a singer and radio show host later on in life. From that moment onwards, I played wherever I could. I’ve done a lot of support gigs and have opened for bands like Daryl Braithwaite, Baby Animals and Jon Stevens.

You also have a band called Fyrebirds Music, can you tell us more?

My partner and I recently started Fyrebirds, we’ve been playing together for about a year now. Funnily enough, Benny booked me for a gig about four years ago, then we just kept running into each other – it tends to happen in the music scene. Fast forward to now and we’ve played big events side by side, including the Sounds of Rock Festival with Ian Moss and Daryl Braithwaite. We’re also working on original music with Nick DiDia in Byron – he’s worked with artists like Powderfinger and Bruce Springsteen, so we’re stoked. We’re now recording our first EP and hope to release it later this year.

Who and what inspires your music?

Growing up around a musician, my dad had a massive influence on the type of music I listened to – he was always playing different songs on the piano. I was raised listening to a lot of rock music, like Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses, so I’ve been influenced by those artists. I also took jazz lessons, so I still listen to Nina Simone and some old school stuff like Amy Winehouse. I’ve got a bit of a mix and I think that’s reflected in my music.

Out of all the gigs you’ve performed, what was your favourite and why?

I recently played at WIN Stadium for the Dragons – that was fun. It was a massive crowd and they had these fire pyro machines which made it feel really sick – it made it feel like a real concert.

Where to from here for Kailey Pallas Music?

When I played at the Sounds of Rock Festival, I sang I love Rock ’n’ Roll and 1000 people got up and clapped in time. I really want to make it in this industry, so people know my music like that. I want to find a really good independent publicist so I can get songs on radio and do bigger and better shows — I want to move people with my music.

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