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MISSY HIGGINS |
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 On this page:
*Missy Higgins interview
*Missy Higgins Discography (available on Whammo)
*Missy Higgins Australian Tour dates
MISSY HIGGINS - THE WHAMMO INTERVIEW - AUGUST 24, 2004
Text: G
I'm on my way to the Missy Higgins interview in silver cab, driven by an angry Malaysian dude who doesn't let an opportunity to scream go by. As a last ditch effort to take his mind off the chaotic traffic, he asks why I'm heading to Surry Hills. I tell him I'm about to interview Missy Higgins and his eyes light up. He nods knowingly, as if he and Missy are close friends. I ask him if he's into music in general and he looks pretty apathetic about it; but he smiles again and says "I like her". He doesn't know that the song he's heard so many times, Scar, was perched at the top of the Aria singles chart. He doesn't know she's only 20 years old, or that she was Unearthed by Triple J (radio) when she was still in high school, or that her success in Australia is set to be repeated in the massive music market of the USA, courtesy of a deal with Warners Music. He just likes the music and that's how Missy's jazz-infused repertoire has already crossed over to the mainstream; it's simply magnetic. It's the diametric opposite of 'background music'; it compels and demands attention.
Of course, I've rewarded this newly found musical treasure by being stupidly late. The cab pulls up at the coffee shop and my seven double-shot coffees kick in. I bound up the stairs with two brisk steps and shuffle up to the record label rep, profusely apologising. It's all cool though; she's used to idiots like me. She's re-jigged the schedule.
I walk up to Missy's table and she's looking brilliant against the pseudo-Old Castile decor of the shop. The sun is beaming through the window, baking the grain of a heavy wooden table. Missy looks a little bemused. I realise I didn't bring a copy of the album for her to sign. 'Shit!' I think 'There goes my fortune on E-Bay!' Thankfully Missy is incredibly relaxed and her aura begins to settle me. Her look is like her music: honest, no frills. With dark cropped hair and no make-up, she seems disinterested in the glamour associated with typical #1 artist. I guess Missy's music is the real ‘bling bling’. As I ask about her autobiographical lyrics, the theme of honesty continues.
"I guess I'm a fairly blunt and honest person" she says, shrugging her shoulders. "It obviously comes through in my music. If I wasn't being strait-forward with my music, I'd be dishonest and I wouldn't feel as though I was connecting with the audience or they were connecting with me. I'd feel like I was telling them a lie."
I remember the showcase gig where Missy hushed a rabid crowd of industry networkers. That night, with the help of many glasses of very ordinary red wine and a half-decent sound system, I was able to fully appreciate Missy's live appeal. The one constant theme of that performance was the confessional nature of the lyrics; the way Missy opened up for the audience. It was quite confronting. I remembered wondering if the boy Missy was singing about knew he was the subject of hit songs.
"My ex-boyfriend," Missy says before cracking a smile. "Half the album is about him." - then she laughs. "And he kind of knows that."
It sounds like Missy's capable of exorcising her emotional demons.
"To try and get your subconscious thoughts onto paper with the least amount of filters as possible is the trick. And don't analyse it too much."
I'm starting to wish I was taking notes. But let's face it; Missy has had the goods since day #1. The first song she ever wrote, All For Believing, won Triple J's 'Unearthed' competition; one of the country’s most successful breeding grounds for new talent. The song's enduring appeal led to its inclusion on The Sound Of White, Missy's debut album.
"I can't even remember writing that song," Missy admits. "It just came so easily because I didn't think I'd be playing it to anyone; well, no one that really mattered. It was for a class project. I definitely wasn't thinking of it ever being on an album."
I point out that it turned out to be a hell of an assignment. She laughs and then realises:
"It's kind of why I'm here."
And 'here' means releasing original songs, chart success, sell-out shows, international record deals and all the general hype associated with being a success. But Missy wasn't waiting by the phone for record executives to court her. No, she was backpacking in Europe...
"And I kept getting these e-mails from my manager saying that I had interest from record labels in America and the interest was brewing. We found out someone had got a copy of All For Believing and was playing it on KCRW (LA), then I got a write-up in the local street press. I think in America, once one record label is interested, they all are, just because they don't want to miss out on anything. The next thing, I was being flown over to L.A. from Europe and doing a showcase for five or six record labels. I signed with Warner after a couple of months of negotiations."
If I'd been signed to Warners in the U.S. I'd be still celebrating, or possibly in a Mexican prison, but Missy seems almost blasé about her achievements. It isn't apathy; it's because music was always a very personal thing to her and she didn't need the approval of people to enjoy it.
"It's always been the place where I hide; a form of escapism for me." she says before laughing. "I've made a career out of escaping."
So, from the humble beginnings, sitting in a bedroom with an acoustic guitar to an L.A. studio among an impressive array of top session players; Missy had the opportunity to hear her humble compositions transformed into richly layered, crisply produced creations, courtesy of producer, John Porter. Missy obviously enjoyed the process:
"He was just really casual about the whole thing and said 'we'll just get into a room with a whole lot of musicians and we'll just jam' and I really like that because it was so un-American to just say 'let's just go with it'. I wanted something that felt like you were in the room with the band and felt like it wasn't contrived at all."
In a music market full of 2-dimentional, over-produced pop idiots, Missy's raw approach has reached through the pitch-controlled production of Idol and Popstar graduates, to offer radio audiences the honesty they've been lacking. But I must admit that I didn't believe it when I was told Scar had debuted at #1. It was one of the most pleasant surprises I'd had in a long while. I tell Missy about the news article I wrote, celebrating the fact that she'd knocked an Australian Idol finalist (Paulini) off the coveted top position.
"I know! It's bizarre." Then she smiles - "But now Cossima (another Idol finalist) has knocked me off."
Ah, there's always an pop idol waiting, lurking, sniffing around for the #1 spot. You can't turn your back for a second.
After entertaining Missy with the story about the time I fell asleep on stage and continued playing the guitar, I say my goodbyes. Another silver cab picks me up. Missy’s #1 hit, Scar, is on the radio again. The Lebanese cab driver smiles. It seems that Missy’s appeal is universal.
*Check below to read reviews of Missy Higgins’ releases (all available from Whammo). |
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 MISSY HIGGINS
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Unless you've confined yourself to a sensory depravation tank for the last few years, you'll already know that Missy Higgins will be our next star singer/songwriter. Unearthed by Triple J in 2001 while she was still in school, Missy has solidly built an underground following that recently spilled into the mainstream in the best possible way: a #1 debut on the Aria singles chart with her Scar EP. Missy shows just how much the tv-fuelled pop stars suck. I vote we put Missy exactly where Delta was. In fact, let's up the Aria Awards to a nice round figure of 10 and - what the hell - Missy Higgins can have 6 #1 singles from The Sound Of White. God knows they're there. While past favourites have made a welcome return on this track listing, every song has been re-recorded by producer, John Porter, and it's amazing to hear the difference an established star producer can make. Extra instrumentation is applied delicately, never distracting from the power of Missy's voice, but adding a rich layering of sounds that perfectly frame the young star's passionate delivery and honest lyrics. For a youngster, Missy shows an ability to write autobiographical tales that put many experienced scribblers to shame. The metaphors are rich and sometimes leftfield, but as soon as Missy applies that brilliant voice to the task of communicating her words, jaws instantly drop. Personally, I find it hard to concentrate on anything when Missy's voice is spilling from speakers. Porter has put that voice in context by adding garnishes that would be welcome on any jazz crooner's work; dabs of keys and warm washes of strings. It appears that real albums are becoming the current focal point for the music industry and The Sound Of White is the best possible example of this encouraging trend. Expect Missy Higgins to be a massive star on the international scene; the first legitimate original songwriter from this region to achieve that goal since Neil Finn's Crowded House seduced America.
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 MISSY HIGGINS
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Here's a singer/songwriter that deserves her reputation as a rising star; part of the new wave of rootsy acoustic crooners bumping TV-powered pop acts off the charts. Let's hope they completely succeed because, let's face it, if you like beautiful approachable and original music, a television will never be useful. Turn on your radio. Missy will be all over that medium within a few days with these finely tuned compositions, produced by John Porter (Ryan Adams, The Smiths, Los Lonely Boys) and mixed by Jay Newland (Norah Jones). The production is a major step up for Higgins, who's previous EP provided a warts and all introduction to her talents but lacked the polish of this effort. From brass to silky harmonies, the Scar EP shows the advantage of a top-shelf support cast and as for the songs, the title track is an absolute killer, closely matched by a consistent collection of b-sides. It's true that Missy's more colloquial moments - when the accent seems overdone - left me cringing, but that's what the Australian accent actually sounds like and it's time for us to accept it/embrace it instead of applauding wannabe-American parrots. Missy will be a massive and enduring star on the Australian scene and I'm guessing that her style - which swings between jazz, country and folk - will create a large and diverse audience; the type of fan base that is already leading to sold-out performances as she tours the country.
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 MISSY HIGGINS
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People like Missy Higgins intrigue me: so young yet so confident. Or is it pure courage? Either way it's impressive and after my initial thought of 'back off lady', I soon drifted into Missy's world; one which she courageously unveils for any willing stranger. This 20 year-old singer/songwriter is garnering industry approval, which is impressive considering that as I write this review she still hasn't officially released her debut EP. Her sharp tongue assertively communicates heart-felt sentiment and raw presentation seems to place the listener in the room with the artist. Sometimes layers can cover the raw talent of solo artists but The Missy Higgins EP removes the trimmings, proving Missy's talent and establishing the image of a strong, independent artist who - regardless of the level of production - can compel with just one instrument and her striking voice. A few people will find Missy's strong Australian accent abrasive just as we generally ostracize our local hip-hop MCs but people have to start being real and if you want to hear American accents I suggest you move there. The Missy Higgins EP will be the first of many releases for this young talent but after only a couple of listens I'm already believing Higgins has been on the scene for years; it's a sense of familiarity that will eventually transform me into a fan.
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MISSY HIGGINS: TOUR DATES
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* indicates shows supported by Dan Kelly
September
18....The Rosemount Hotel, Perth WA *
October
7......Trocadero, Gold Coast QLD *
8......Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay NSW *
9......The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD
10....The Northern Star, Newcastle NSW
13....Heritage Hotel, Wollongong NSW
14....The Clarendon, Katoomba NSW
15....The Metro, Sydney NSW
16....Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC
20....Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Adelaide SA
22....Roxy Theatre, Parramatta NSW |
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