Moving to Townsville from Melbourne on her own when she was 17, Kim Cooper may have gone through some tough times, but she dug her heels in.

“I’m a pretty independent and determined person,” says Kim. “Even when things get a bit hard, I suppose I’d rather live on someone’s couch then go back with my tail in between my legs.”

Thanks to a tight knit group of friends and Townsville’s “amazing sense of community”, Kim has made a home for herself in Far North Queensland, working on different music projects and juggling retail fashion jobs.

Wanting to take her vocals to the next level, Kim started seeing a vocal coach a year and a half ago, who Kim also credits with changing her life. “Tracey and her family are like my second family,” she explains. “She’s taught me how to live not as someone who likes to sing but how to live as a singer.”

With guidance from her vocal coach, Kim has changed her lifestyle to revolve around her singing. “Things like vocal rest…I’ve given up alcohol,” says Kim. “Just having a whole different approach that your voice is your instrument and you don’t see people tipping beer and cigarettes on their guitars, you know?”

As a kid, Kim was always singing, acting and dancing. “I was always in my room making up dances and singing, hair brush in hand,” she laughs. “I was dancing for over ten years and I was always in drama classes. I always said I wanted to be a singer, dancer and actor.”

“I always loved singing on stage,” Kim continues. “I lost my way there for a few years, but I always dreamed that I could come back to it.”

Kim is enjoying being immersed in music as part of Idol, a way of life she hopes will continue. “My sole job to be making myself creatively better would be perfection,” is how she describes her ideal future. “Being able to express myself creatively every day, whether it’s through fashion or music - being able to do my own music is what I’m aiming for.”