Ella Hooper Shares New Single ‘Growing Up Is Hard To Do’
The singer-songwriter has also announced a run of shows taking place in early 2026.
Image Jeremy Dylan
Having just finished touring the country celebrating the 25th anniversary of Killing Heidi’s debut album Reflector, frontwoman Ella Hooper is going solo again, releasing new single ‘Growing Up Is Hard To Do’.
A country rocker heavily influenced by the great Bruce Springsteen, ‘Growing Up Is Hard To Do’ is a foot-tapping ode to self-reflection. The track was produced by Hooper alongside Australian-born, Nashville-based Sam Hawskley, ARIA-nominated creative Jeremy Dylan and LOLLIES, aka Clare Reynolds (Jordie Lane, Rachel Baiman and Mic Hubbard (The Bluebottles, Ben Mastwyk). The song features an all-star cast of musicians who helped bring ‘Growing Up Is Hard To Do’ to life in the Nashville studio, including Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow), Tom 'Uncle Larry' Bukovac, Rachel Loy (Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton) and Melbourne sax player Mika Kohlman (Watty Thompson, Fenn Wilson & The Weather).
“I’m so excited to be sharing this new song!” shares Ella. “It literally made me smile when it came to my minds ear and also came quickly to life in my Nashville recording sessions…it always had a clear idea of what it wanted to be - or rather what I wanted to say, on this one. I love the chance to blend some of Nashville’s finest players, with my local Melbourne friends like Mika [Kohlman] and see the musical sparks fly! Feels like having the best of both the worlds that I love so much and spend so much time in.”
“This song comes from a period of self-reflection that kinda started with Small Town Temple - my last album,” Ella continues. “It finds me in a place where I can almost accept that growing pains never stop…I'm just learning to write different songs about them. It feels playful to me, as life is a little lighter now, internally anyway. Some days I can roll my eyes at the chaos of the last few years, or my whole life actually… it's certainly been a hell of a ride. And as they say, if you don't laugh, you'll cry!”
Hooper is also embarking on a tour across Australia in January and February next year, kicking things off on Saturday 10 January in Mansfield, before heading through Tamworth, Sale, Archies Creek, Newcastle, Mangrove Mountain, Bathurst, Boyup Brook, Ocean Grove and Balnarring Beach. Sadly, there’s no Adelaide gig, but hopefully Hooper will be back in SA soon.
READ MORE: Ninajirachi Reveals ‘Dark Crystal V’ 2026 Australian Tour Dates
Making a name for herself fronting alt-rockers Killing Heidi, Hooper became a household name when the band’s debut album Rreflector dropped in the year 2000. Topping the charts and taking home four ARIA Awards, the album is recognised as an Aussie classic and helped establish Hooper as one of our great songwriters.
Two more Killig Heidi albums were released before Hooper went solo, releasing her debut album In Tongues in 2014 and following up with Small Town Temple in 2023. Now splitting her time between Melbourne and Nashville, Hooper is embracing country music and looking forward to releasing more music and hitting the road in 2026.
‘Growing Up Is Hard To Do’ by Ella Hooper is out now. Listen here.
Ella Hooper Australian Tour Dates 2026
Saturday 10 January – Music In The Vines At Delatite Winery, Mansfield, VIC
Wednesday 21 January – Tamworth Country Music Festival At Tamworth Hotel, Tamworth, NSW
Saturday 31 January – Live At The Bundy, Sale, VIC
Sunday 1 February – Archies Creek Hotel, Archies Creek, VIC
Friday 6 February – Stag & Hunter, Newcastle, NSW
Saturday 7 February – Blues On The Mountain, Mangrove Mountain, NSW
Sunday 8 February – The Victoria Hotel, Bathurst, NSW
Friday 13 February – Boyup Brook Country Music Muster, Boyup Brook, WA
Saturday 21 February – Americana On The Bellarine, Ocean Grove, VIC
Saturday 28 February – Peninsula Songriders Club At The Westernport Yacht Club, Balnarring Beach, VIC
