Kimbra, born and bred in Hamilton, New Zealand has been writing a fusion of jazz and soul for over 5 years, known for her erratic but graceful voice inspired by the likes of Amy Winehouse, Bjork and Jeff Buckley. Kimbra's first success was in 2004, recieving Second place in the Smokefree Rockquest along with Best Vocals and Womens Musicianship (gaining $7000 in total from the competition raising artists like Brooke Fraser, Bic Runga and Anika Moa).