Backstage Pass with... Missy Higgins

The Sound of Missy:

An Interview with Missy Higgins

By: Debi Rotmil

It’s summertime down in the “land of under”, and 21 year old Melbourne native Missy Higgins has found herself on the other side of the world during the winter blues of the northern hemisphere, gearing up for her first official tour of the United States.   Her debut CD, “The Sound of White” (Reprise), already released in Australia, is due out in the U.S. in May 2005. The album is a revelation of lilting, emotional ruminations on life and loss, with piano and guitar driven turns and addictive hooks that have garnered her many accolades back home. This includes her album topping the Australian charts, and being voted “Artist of the Year” by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone.

Her story is almost Cinderella-like in the telling, yet, rebellious as well.  At the age of 17, Missy won a nation-wide television competition known as “Triple J – Unearthed”, where a demo of her song “All For Believing” won the top prize.  The recording deals followed, but she placed that glory momentarily aside to fulfill a dream that dogged her since she was twelve years old. She yearned to backpack around Europe.  Eager to snag the opportunity to travel before studio time and touring would pull her away, she set off with guitar in hand and backpack in tow.  After her travels abroad, which included losing that guitar on a train in Spain, she returned home, settled into her musical fate, and started recording “The Sound of White” with producer John Porter, whose past collaborations include Elvis Costello and Ryan Adams.

On this day, snow swirls in New York, and Missy shakes off jet lag in a Los Angeles hotel, sounding relaxed on the other side of the phone.  Her stay in America will be a whirlwind of interviews and gigs, introducing her to a new market.  With her independent nature, and refreshing honesty, Missy Higgins knows that approaching American audiences is a bit daunting; however, she is grounded, stocked up in talent, and ready to strut her stuff.

Tuned In: You were born and raised in Melbourne, Australia.  What kind of music did you listen to while growing up?

Missy Higgins: I listened to a lot of jazz.  I have a brother, who is seven years older than me, who was in a jazz band and I used to sing with them when I was four.  So he got me into jazz, then I moved on to Australian rock.  I’ve gone through a lot of different phases.

TI: When did you learn how to play piano and guitar?

MH: I started learning piano when I was six and guitar when I was fourteen.

TI: Who were your musical influences?

MH: I was into so many people.  I listened to a lot of Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughn and then I moved on and went through a phase when I was thirteen or fourteen – Courtney Love and Nirvana and Bush.  And then I got into more singer/songwriters.  I like Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, Ron Sexsmith, Ryan Adams and David Gray.

TI: At what moment, did you realize you wanted to write songs?  Was it something that came from within, as if you knew this is what you were

MH: It was around the age of fourteen.  I don’t know why, but my brother used to write songs and I used to really look up to him.  I always thought it was an amazing thing to write a song that’s a completed composition.  And I used to think, “Wow, there’s no way I’m ever going to be able to do that.”  And then one day, I just tried it, and was able to.

TI: What inspires you to write?

MH: Visually, just the people around me inspire me.  The relationships I have with family and friends.  It’s usually just things going on inside my head that I need to work through or something I’m trying to work out in my relationship with somebody else or things like that.

TI:  After you won the “Triple J: Unearthed” competition, you decided to travel around Europe.  What did you learn from these travels?  How did you bring that experience to your music?

MH: I think none of the experiences made it into one of my songs.  I grew up a lot while overseas and I learned a lot about my place in the world.  It really brought me back down to earth to visit other countries and to see people a lot less fortunate than I was.  It made me realize I wasn’t as great as I could think I was by getting a record deal.  So, in that respect, it brought me down to earth in regards to my lyrics.  I guess it affected the way I look at the world.

TI:  You’re about to embark on a tour of the U.S.  This is exciting!  How do you feel?

MH: Real excited!  I’m a bit nervous because I’ve done Australia, but I’ve never done overseas.  I mean America is so huge, that I’m really excited about playing and I’m supporting Ray Lamontagne, so I am real happy about that because I really love his music.

TI: Are you going solo?  With a band? How are rehearsals going?

MH:  Solo.  I have a band in Australia, but I think in the beginning in the U.S. I’m doing it solo.

TI: In your past tours, mostly abroad, what’s been your best gig so far? 

MH: I enjoy both intimate and large audiences.  It totally depends on shows.  I’ve had some really amazing performances in Australia that were in big entertainment centers where I got everyone to hold up their lighters and it just went really cool.  And beautiful gigs with one hundred people that went well.  So, there are great things about both kinds of gigs.

TI: What was it like working with (Producer) John Porter?  How did he approach your work?

MH: I spoke to him before we got into the studio, and he wanted me to go in with a band and play whatever came out instinctively.  So, I went in with musicians and played them my songs solo, and they started playing along with me.  That’s how he wanted to approach it.  Really organic.  He didn’t have any agenda when we started, which was really good.  He didn’t have any specific way that he needed it to sound.  He let it feel its own way.

TI: What kind of image do you have of yourself in ten years down the road?

MH: All l really want is to withstand the test of time.  I want to look back and have a good handful of albums under my belt, and be able to say I’ve improved with every album.

TI: Perhaps it’s early in your musical career to contemplate this – but looking down the road, do you have any thoughts on experimenting with new sounds, or dabbling in a different genre of music?

MH: I’d like to dabble more into jazz one day.  That’s more of where I came from.  I’d love to do a few shows of jazz standards.  I’m all for experimenting – going in down different roads.

TI: What are your first gigs in America?

MH: I have a show at The Mint, and I’ve got the Viper Room.  House of Blues with Camper Van Beethoven, and the Hotel Café – all in L.A right now.

TI: Is there a song in particular that was your favorite to write?

MH: I always love writing songs and they all have different stories beneath them.  I guess the one that was hardest to write was “The Special Two” just because I was going through a really hard time and I locked myself in a room for a couple of days.  That’s what it’s all about – being in your room and regretting something.

TI: Are you looking ahead to your next album?

MH: Yea, I started as soon as I finished the first album.  This time in the wake of the first album is the best time to write for the next album because there is no pressure from anyone, even myself.  It’s the best time to be creative. The only reason why I’m writing it is for me.

TI: What’s it been like, as a young woman, breaking through to audiences? 

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