:: Kate Alexa showcase at the Mercury Lounge - March 2006

By: Anna Kosmanovski; pictures by Matt Deller

Young Australian starlet Kate Alexa recently launched her new single, ‘All I Hear’ from her debut album “The Broken And The Beautiful”, at the Mercury Lounge, Melbourne. It was one of the last major events to be held at the venue, which is closing in May.

Yet, guests did not just sip berry tinted lychee cocktails and pink champagne, they also toasted Kate’s 18th birthday that night too. She was introduced by the chart charmer, Barry Bissell, who shared memories of a very young Kate wanting to chase her dream of singing and performing.

Onstage, Kate performed with outstanding maturity - even some experienced starlets would not have her own stage presence. She looked stunning in black skinny leg jeans and a strapless top with metallic detail in this season’s new colour, purple.

She was barefoot and comfortable and casually ruffled her long blonde tresses as she performed ‘All I Hear’ and a few other songs from her album. One could be forgiven for conjuring comparisons with Ashlee Simpson, both in looks and pretty yet punk attitude.

The petite blonde was happily surrounded by young friends and family, and it was an ordinary eighteenth birthday party, apart from the fact that a lot of the friends were music industry professionals and her family included father Michael Gudinski, one of Australia's great musical entrepreneurs.

Kate was surrounded by friends at her launch party, but she did manage an exclusive tidbit; that she was really looking forward to this year and that things are getting exciting.

A talented songwriter who wrote all the songs on the new album, but one, Kate has already done things that girls her age are only dreaming of in Girlfriend magazine. She has toured with heartthrobs like Jesse McCartney and The Backstreet Boys, and collaborated with Reed Vertelney and Lindy Robbins in Los Angeles.

The daughter of a music heavyweight is earning her own success, most of it inevitably still to come, by her surprisingly powerful, ballad-worthy voice. With her new song ‘All I Hear’ delivering a catchy, infectious yet substantial tune, there is no doubt that the future is looking exciting for this bright Australian singer.

Pictures by Matt Deller