Tragedy To Triumph

"It's funny,” laughs Hart, when asked about her her impending visit. “I have actually been to Australia but I don't remember much of it because I was pretty out of it. I came over for some press stuff in Sydney and Melbourne many years ago – all I remember is lying on the grass somewhere taking some sun and a group of people came by and said, 'Boy she has a lot of courage.'”

Now she's finally getting the chance to perform in Australia, Hart is determined to cover as much ground as possible.

“I like doing headlining shows but I also like the festival experience. With the festival there are so many people there – people who may not have heard your music – or even your name. Doing festivals is such a great way to connect with a wider audience – although you have to make sure you keep the energy level high because people are out drinking and having fun. That said I'm not scared to play a few ballads and mix things up at festivals.

“With my own shows they're of course in a much more intimate setting so I'm free to pretty much do what I want. When I'm in Australia I'm going to give you guys a little bit of everything because I haven't had the chance to play there before.”

That Hart is alive today is a minor miracle. A musical prodigy, she left home as a teenager to make her way as a musician, cracking the big time with her 1999 hit, L.A. Song, but soon after a serious drug addiction brought her down. Dropped by her label and finding herself in prison, Hart was forced to not only confront her addiction but also her undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Unlike so many performers before her Hart beat the odds. Since 2003 she's released a string of acclaimed LPs and worked with musicians of the calibre of Joe Bonamassa and Slash. Were Hart's travails the price to pay for her talent?

“To be honest, in a way my struggles with addiction have been my greatest gift – and I don't want this to come out the wrong way so I'll be careful. It means that when I'm having one of my episodes or I fall back into drinking I'm forced to lean more on my faith and the people I love. And I think there's something beautiful about that – when you're put into a position of frailty – when your ego gets smashed. I don't want to sound preachy or anything; all I can do is speak from my own experience. At the end of the day I guess – yeah my experiences have informed my art, but more important is that I'm finding that real peace comes from accepting who I am instead of overanalysing my life and attaching too much shame or glory to it.”