“Helena Kitley is a force of nature – think big voice, dramatic melodies, and spine-tingly money notes being pumped out of one petite powerhouse of a woman.”
Raised in the wide quiet of Coonabarabran, a rural town tucked into New South Wales, Helena began writing music from a young age. It was upon settling in Newcastle that those songs found a stage, where she carved out a sound that defies easy labels — rich with emotion and warmth, unafraid of silence or space.
Kitley’s music draws from a rich palette – the soulful depths of Donny Hathaway, the genre-bending brilliance and flair of Prince, and the magnetic cool of Erykah Badu. Kitley’s sound is steeped in soul and groove, resonant, and unmistakably her own.
As a performer, Kitley has carved out a dynamic path. While she's a compelling solo artist in her own right, she's also led and collaborated in a variety of group projects, showcasing her versatility and passion for musical connection: (Helena and Le Feel, One Flew Over, Boy Germs, Glam Slam, Huntress (Gleny Rae Virus’s musical brainchild “superband”, showcasing 14 of the Hunter’s female musicians), Steely Divas, Annie O’Dee and the Hot Shots). Helena has many festival performances under her belt, both on local and international stages.
Her debut album, The Temporal Lope (2016), introduced her as a bold, original voice in the Australian music scene. In 2021, she released Live at Hazy Cosmic Jive, a warm, analogue-drenched EP recorded live to 2-track tape with producer Gareth Hudson – a project that captures her band at its most raw and real.
Helena Kitley doesn’t just perform — she opens a door and invites you in. What you find there is part fire, part stillness, and entirely unforgettable.
Photography: Craig Wilson - Swamp House Photography