EXCLUSIVE: Mahalia Barnes speaks openly about her family’s public battles with addiction and why she won’t let haters put her down

Mahalia Barnes and her siblings have spent their lives in the spotlight as the children of Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy Barnes.

Under those warm yellow lights, there comes the good and bad, but instead of private battles remaining tucked behind closed doors, the Barnes’ have generously shared their darker experiences with the public.

Jimmy has discussed his struggles with addiction in his open and vulnerable memoir Working Class Man whilst his son David Campbell has also spoken about his turbulent relationship with alcohol in the past.

“We’ve been through all sorts of challenges, very public challenges, as people know, whether we’re dealing with alcoholism and addiction,” Mahalia tells Now To Love.

“I think that being in the public profile, you do have less privacy, obviously. That’s just how it works; it sort of comes with the territory.

“And obviously, there are things that you can choose to keep private, or you can speak openly. But when it comes to talking about things like alcoholism and drug addiction or domestic violence, that are generally kept secret and kept in the shadows, I think the more people that can publicly talk about that stuff, the better.”

“It’s not easy, it is vulnerable, but it’s also really powerful and really important to do that because I think that there’s a lot of stigmas that we have around those sorts of issues.”

However, Mahalia admits that with the decision to speak out comes discomfort and challenges, much like how a ripped band-aid can temporarily leave a blushing mark.

“I think for us as a family, it’s not always comfortable, and it’s not always easy, but we… I feel incredibly proud that my dad has taken such a strong line of speaking publicly and sharing his story and experiences. Not in a preachy way, but in a vulnerable way that says this can happen, and this does happen,” she proudly asserts.

That sense of responsibility heralded by Jimmy and passed on to his children is perhaps, in part, why Mahalia isn’t afraid to publicly share her convictions.

The singer has been open about her vaccination journey, and when her eldest daughter, Ruby, 12, received her COVID vaccine, she faced criticism from some of her followers, but that didn’t stop her from posting.

“My family we’re all double vaxxed, including my daughter who’s 12. She got her vaccination as soon as she could get it after her birthday because she wanted to feel protected and safe and to feel like she was doing her part for the community as well,” Mahalia reveals.

“We were quite public about that, and there was a bit of backlash from people. I think people are afraid. People can be really misinformed, really angry, they can be really lonely, and they can be really afraid.

“And sometimes that all comes out in, you know, sometimes pretty toxic ways. But I try to sort of be understanding of that and just share my experience and my personal reasons. I still think it’s important that we try and respect each other’s choices.”

Singer Mahalia, who starred on this year’s season of The Masked Singer as Pavlova, is also staying optimistic about the Australian music industry that has suffered greatly during the pandemic.

She tells Now To Love that she wants Australians to come together to support our local acts with enthusiasm like never before.

“I’m feeling quite hopeful that with all the downtime that the audience has missed live music, as much as we have missed performing. So hopefully, you know, we’ll see a new sort of Renaissance,” she voices.

“I love being on stage and performing, and that’s something that has been incredibly challenging for us.”

In an article published by Independent Australia in October, it was revealed that many of Australia’s musicians are living below the poverty line and that other countries including France, Austria, Germany, Lithuania and Columbia’s governments are pouring more support into their music industries.

Mahalia believes that to encourage progress here in Australia, those inside and outside the community need to raise their voices to demand their deserving attention.

“We’ve been screaming as loud as possible and, trying to make as much noise as we can, to get the powers that be to understand how important the music industry is, the entertainment industry, creative industries in general,” she says.

“They’re multi-billion-dollar industries. So, it’s not just about the culture and the fabric of our nation. They [government] seem to care a lot about money and income. So, they should actually be supporting it, even just for that reason, because it brings a lot of revenue to this country, the arts industry.

“And I think that the government will act if the public demand it. But, unfortunately, that sort of seems to be what it takes.”

Perhaps it hasn’t been made clear enough just how much impact our musicians have on the fabric of our nation.

A glimpse at our incredible exports like Tame Impala, The Kid LAROI, Kylie Minogue, and our grassroots acts like Stella Donnelly, Ocean Alley, and Baker Boy should be enough to see our scene is at the forefront of impeccable sonic feats.

Mahalia is in awe of their efforts, and she comments on the tall poppy syndrome pandemic that sometimes mars those successes.

“I think that we have a tendency in this country to sort of cut people down, you know, that the whole, tall poppy, it’s harsh sometimes, but on the flip of that, it also means people work really hard to prove themselves. We have some amazing talent here.”

However, it’s also true that the arts community knows how to fight, for adversity is a foe they know well, and that fire is burning brighter than ever.

“It has brought a lot of people through the isolation closer together somehow, or more determined to create a real community spirit, and to band together and understand that we have to look after each other whether the government does or not,” says the optimistic performer.

“There are some really great people fighting for our arts industry within both a federal and state level, you know? So, hopefully, our voices can be heard.”

Mahalia practices what she preaches, and alongside advocating for her contemporaries and their shared livelihood, she’s teamed up with Vicinity shopping centres to organise live music for shoppers.

The 39-year-old spoke to Now To Love about how the Barnes family celebrates Christmas, and yes, they sing a carol or two.

They also make each other handmade gifts, so perhaps, the best present the nation can give to our local artists, who provide us with joy all year round and share their stories to help us feel less alone, is to buy their albums and attend their gigs in 2022 and beyond.

Please remember to drink responsibly. If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline on 1800 250 015 or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.