“I won’t let them see me til I’m ready. They won’t be ready for me,” quipped Hobart-born singer, songwriter, genius musician, and now a bona fide international superstar, Kim Dracula, when once asked about future plans to perform in Tasmania and Australia in general. “Australia will always be my home. This is the first ever Kim Dracula tour there, (and) I’m going to give it everything. Let’s make history!”
By now, the name Kim Dracula is entrenched in music folklore, with confrontational music and social commentary that is beloved by some and severely disturbing to others. To be a fan puts you in the ‘us against them’ category. But whether you love or hate Kim Dracula, there is no denying the enormous talent at play and uncompromising attitude; steadfastly refusing to conform, unafraid to stand by convictions and happy to take the hard road.
Before gaining notoriety, Kim Dracula‘s intentions were simple. “Don’t want money, or fame, or power. I want a lifestyle,” he foretold in what was later to become the hit song, Drown. And despite now having all three, Dracula‘s approach to music has not wavered.
Yes, Dracula has a ludicrous vocal range, which in the rock world is only matched by Mike Patton; in the pop world by the insufferable Mariah Carey. And, of course, an enormous amount of hard work, dedication and risk-taking has gone into this meteoric rise. For a denizen of Hobart, Tasmania to uproot and move to Los Angeles – the proverbial belly of the beast – is no small matter. To kick down the heavily guarded doors of the industry and become such a success as to have some of the biggest names in music clamouring to do collaborations (Jonathan Davis, Tech N9ne, In This Moment, etc) is a testament to his drive, determination, perseverance and genius.
But there is also another dimension. Having the nous to monitor trends and harnessing the power of the internet, which would later lead to TikTok and a date with destiny. By diversifying content between original music and metal covers slightly left of centre, Dracula eventually struck both a crossover and united audience who followed their work to YouTube and the eventual release and subsequent global phenomenon that was the single Make Me Famous.
Dracula played a killer hand early with that song, which, on the surface and by virtue of the title alone, flew in the face of everything the artist believed and wanted from music. But when you delve into the lyrics, the truer side of Kim Dracula‘s nature becomes blatantly obvious. “Listen closely to the words in this song. I’m betting a lot of people never had a place they belong. Give ’em a platform for doing something evil. You better not look at me wrong, ’cause I’ma mess you up for real“. This was an early statement of intent, an irrefutable stance against conformity, and one which was to flow throughout as a unifying theme for the body of the many songs to come.
“Apathy, anything, I am malevolent,” Dracula spits in Divine Retribution. “Taken aback, I said it was irrelevant. I’ve gotta do something they will never forget. I’ll be remembered. I will be remembered”, before cheekily proclaiming in the song Rose, “I admit, I might have a problem. But ain’t that what makes it fun?”
While many artists have publicly sprouted such sentiments via their art early on in their careers, Kim Dracula has repeatedly refused to repent, carrying the same mentality through the wildly successful 2023 debut album, A Gradual Decline In Morale, which has amassed well over 70 million streams worldwide. As an artist and a performer, Kim Dracula continues to redefine modern music with an unapologetic fusion of nu-metal, trap, industrial, jazz, and hyperpop, plus a defiant attitude that courts only controversy but, in the eyes of the growing legion of fans, commands respect.
“Most music is uninteresting to me. I just make the music and art that interests me, and if it means something to someone else, that’s cool too. Everything I make is multifaceted. There are many hidden messages and meanings in all that I do, but I also want people to derive their own meaning from my music too. Sometimes that’s the point. I don’t care about fitting into any sort of scene, nor do I particularly want to. I wish more artists valued creativity and artistic expression more, as opposed to tacky virality chasing bullshit.”
When asked about performing other artists’ music in the early days, Kim Dracula is honest and remarkably sanguine. “I used those covers as a tool to get people’s attention. Once I had their attention, I made them look at my real art. That was always the plan. Whether they would like it or not is another story, but I never cared about that. People can hate my art, but to hate something, you have to look at it, and that’s all I want- to make people look.”
Music was always meant to be subjective, with artistic expression a supposed cornerstone of success. Lyrics are meant to be personal and honest, with judgment (in an ideal musical climate) being cast aside out of respect for the person making the music. Artists like Kim Dracula open themselves up to sustained scrutiny because they seemingly have no filter, and while this is openly encouraged in a musician, it is also used by some as vindication for their opposing beliefs. But music was also not meant to be taken on literal terms, with many lyrics open for interpretation depending on the listener, and for anyone who takes the time to listen to Kim Dracula‘s music, a sense of self-defamation and sarcastic wit become ever more apparent. “Some people think that’s what my music is, but I think most people are smart enough to see that I’m satirising that very thing.”
In August of this year, Kim Dracula and their touring party escaped a serious bus fire while touring with Ice Nine Kills in the US. The fire broke out while the crew was sleeping, with Dracula recounting the terrifying moments that followed. “I was in the back behind a locked door and was woken up by my crew banging on the door telling me to get off the bus,” Kim explained on a social media post. “We all got off immediately, and within 30 seconds the entire bus was engulfed in flames, starting right where I was laying down.”
It was an understandably harrowing ordeal, but the way in which Dracula dealt with the situation not long after the event perfectly highlights the tongue-in-cheek approach to life as well as the craft of music, when at the next live performance the band walked onto stage to the strains of Billy Joel‘s hit song We Didn’t Start The Fire. That one gesture typifies Kim Dracula‘s sense and use of humour, and a black eye to the pearl-clutching mob who are attempting to assign malign motive by applying literal meaning to the lyrics.
Another example came after the Heavy Music Awards in 2024, after winning the Best International Breakthrough Artist award and giving the following speech: “Growing up in Tasmania, music was all I had, especially heavy music. That’s something I’ve put all my time into ever since I was a kid. The fact that now I’m getting something back in return and getting recognition for this is amazing. It’s incredible. But most importantly, I wanna thank all of you and anyone who voted for me because I wouldn’t be here without you.”
But it is ultimately in the live arena that an artist is judged, and Australian fans finally get the chance to witness the spectacle first hand when Kim Dracula undertakes a debut Australian tour later this month, bringing along the legend that is Wednesday 13 as special guest. Kim Dracula’s live shows are acclaimed the world over as a sensory overload, blending theatricality, raw energy, and genre-bending chaos. From wielding chainsaws to emerging from coffins, the performances have solidified a reputation as a must-see experience, reinforcing Kim Dracula‘s emergence as a songwriter, singer and performer.
In an increasingly sanitised world where people’s opinions are only allowed if they correlate to the views of the elected and selected; and where people’s words are misrepresented and spun for clickbait Kim‘s honest approach would likely come at a high price, which may be why the media is rarely allowed up close and personal access. The above piece contains quotes attributed to Kim from interviews conducted by Rock Pit, Rolling Stone, Revolver, ABC Tasmania and Wall Of Sound.
Tickets for Kim Dracula and Wednesday 13 Australian Tour HERE
