“It’s definitely one of those huge outdoor Australian events, which really at that time cemented and put us in the forefront of the Melbourne music scene,” she says. “The good thing about it is it’s a real family day, so there’s a real cross-section of people who come, from kids to grandparents. For any band it’s a great opportunity to play in front of your community.”

Pa‘apa’a hails from the bohemian coastal town of Byron Bay, and has been in Melbourne with partner Carlo Santone since 2004. The pair are the founding members of the band, which has evolved into an energetic eight-piece urban roots collective with strong political and social activist messages.

Anyone who has ever heard a Blue King Brown album or seen the band perform live will know this is a band that takes social justice seriously.

Pa‘apa’a says one of the topics she feels most passionately about is renewable energy. “I feel (Australia) has so much potential to be a real leading force in the renewable energy sector and a lot of that potential is being dismissed or put aside for non-renewable energy sources,” she says. “I feel concerned about the gas mining industry – especially in our World Heritage Great Barrier Reef. Any dredging to deplete such a beautiful site is just not acceptable any more, and it is not necessary.”

The passionate, politically-motivated musician loves hearing foreign languages whenever she’s out in her ethnically-diverse home suburb of Footscray.

“There is such rich culture here, great food, great colourful stores. Between the Vietnamese and Sudanese and African communities – there’s always so much to see and do when you’re downtown in Footscray.”

Blue King Brown began gaining attention in the mid 2000s, when its debut single Water was played on high rotation on Triple J. Come and Check Your Head made the station’s Hottest 100 of 2006. The band has been a fixture on the festival circuit ever since.

In recent years, Blue King Brown has toured internationally and released its second full-length album in 2010, Worldwize Part 1.

Festival-goers can expect a high-energy gig in St Kilda this Sunday. “Even when I’ve been lying down backstage with a terrible fever, we get on stage and just find that energy you get from the crowd.”

Blue King Brown will perform on the main stage at the St Kilda Festival on February 12 at 5pm.