Her first performances were country songs performed in local pubs as a teenager, but she eventually moved to the city of Melbourne, where she worked with reggae band Secret Masters, as well as funk bands Small Fish Deep Sea, Megabias, and Polyester. Polyester's guitarist, Lance Ferguson, also had a deep funk band called the Bamboos on the side, and although they were mainly an instrumental group, Ferguson invited Auldist to add vocals to several of their songs for a festival performance. She also provided vocals for a song on their second album, Rawville, released on Tru Thoughts in 2007. The label was so impressed by that one song they signed her to a three-album deal immediately after hearing it, despite knowing nothing else about her. Her first album, 2008's Just Say, was billed as the Bamboos present Kylie Auldist and was produced and co-written by Ferguson, although many of the songs were based on details of Auldist's life. She was also a frequent presence on the next Bamboos' album, Side-Stepper, also released in 2008. Her second album, also produced by Ferguson and titled Made of Stone, followed in 2009. ~ Jody Macgregor