The Kid Stays In The Picture

The title of Kid Mac's second album Head Noise is significant. It explains how he felt amidst the pressures of trying to feed into and make the most of every single creative idea that has popped into his head ever. At some point something had to give.

“It really bottlenecked,” he says. “It was like I was trying to do too much. Every spare minute I had I was trying to create something, whether that be music, film, anything. I had a nervous breakdown about six months ago in the middle of trying to write a great album. I'm getting married next year and I wanted to try and give my chick the time she deserves and plan the wedding and it all just fucking hit the roof and I just lost it. Since that point it's been about trying to enjoy the weekends with families and friends and not overdo it.”

There's a lot of talk about people finding it difficult to find a work/life balance, but with so many creative people, work is life.

“I'm like my dad, he's a workaholic and I'm a workaholic,” he confirms. “It's like a proper sickness! There's not one minute goes by that I'm not thinking of something. I'm just trying to tame it over the next couple of years so I don't lose my mind.”

As well as managing an increasingly successful music career which he cites as the reason he gets out of bed in the morning, De Souza has made two extremely well received documentary films, the 2007 smash about the surf gang culture at Maroubra in Sydney, Bra Boys, and the 2011 film Fighting Fear about his two friends, pro-surfer Mark Matthews and UFC fighter Richie 'Vas' Vaculik. The latter has since expanded into a television series for Fuel TV which has now been picked up by Channel 9's GO! for a second series. He says the show represents a very realistic portrayal of the three protagonists as they try to get to the top of their game.

“We just have camera guys follow us hoping that it turns out good,” he explains. “There's a lot of times when something looks like it could be a fairytale ending and it turns out disastrous.”