Kristy Lee Peters is an Australian singer-songwriter, record producer, DJ and radio personality. She was the host and presenter on Triple J’s House Party program.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
I’m an entertainer that has been working in the industry since a really young age. I grew up with a dad that ran a recording studio, so it was literally in my home (and my blood). Under my initials KLP, I write music, produce, DJ, sing and do radio – I’m a general jack of all trades in the music world.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
I am writing this while on maternity leave, so my days are full of newborn baby nappies and breastfeeding. However, as I run my own business, work never really stops and to be honest, I kind of like it that way!
When I’m not in the new baby zone I get up, do daycare drop off with my eldest daughter, then I go and do some form of exercise – generally reformer pilates, dance or go for a long, fast paced walk.
I head home, shower, get ready (pick out a good outfit, which for me sets the tone for the day, and then I head upstairs to my studio in the attic of my house and get to work. By work, that could mean writing music, recording vocals, producing or emails.
The other major part of my work life is touring and playing shows, so for that it involves jumping on a flight somewhere, checking into my hotel for the night, grabbing food, having a disco nap, waking up and playing a show, sleeping, jumping on a flight back home the next morning. No day or week are ever the same.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
Absolutely. As I mentioned above, the touring element of my work takes me to all parts of Australia. For the rest, I make my own hours and work from a studio in my home.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
I generally love what I do, and a lot of the time it doesn’t feel like work to me. I feel really fortunate to have created that dynamic over the years.
I get to be in charge of my own schedule and having that flexibility and control means a little bit of a scheduling and a balancing act with myself, my partner Nick and then babysitters etc. It’s really worth it for us all to be able to do what we want to do with our time.
We schedule in time to each exercise, work time, things separately with friends, family time and then date nights (child free) as well. It’s such a worthwhile investment to pay for a babysitter and have time and space for the two of us together.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
To be honest, one of the biggest “routines” we had – that has stopped, and very much unfortunately for both myself and my partner, Nick – is stopping touring. This was not by choice.
It was pretty soul destroying to know your job is the lowest of the low on a list of ‘essential work’ and to have the job you’ve trained in all your life so easily taken away. We both had to go on JobKeeper and cut right back to stay afloat.
Now we have work slowly coming back in but nothing is certain and gigs are still being canceled all the time, which continues to devastate the creative industry. This was a huge routine for us that really gave us both so much pleasure and energy.
6) Do you have any favourite books, podcasts or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
I love The Tim Ferriss Show and I listen to it often when I’m pottering around the house. Jame’s Clear’s The 3-2-1 Newsletter is fantastic and always gives me one or two solid quotes to inspire my week.
7) Are there any products, gadgets or apps that you can’t live without?
White noise for sleeping kids! My computer, good headphones (Sennheiser HD 25s) I use in my studio and also for live sets, and a good microphone (U87/89).
8) If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?
Madonna – although I’m sure it would be fairly out of reach for most people!
9) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
Be kind to yourself!
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