I spent the good part of yesterday afternoon reading up on Australian singer songwriter Missy Higgins in preparation for tonights show and interview. Australia has a long line of great female singers. Olivia Newton John, Helen Reddy, Kyle Minongue, Natalie Imbruglia and Sia and an unlikely star in Sister Janet Meade along with many others. After her show I was introduced to her on the tour bus and we went to the back where we could chat for what turned into almost half hour.
I asked Missy when she first knew this was what she wanted to do. She said she got to perform in Josephs Technicolor Dreamcoat when she was 8 years old and got to go to the musical theater with her parents seeing Cats and Le Miserables and her favorite, Strarlight Express. She listened to jazz, an early influence was Ella Fitzgerald. She also heard the music her brother and sister listened to, such as Kiss, Queen, and Whitney Houston. Add to that her getting turned onto the Seattle grunge scene and you have quite a well rounded pool of influences. She was asked to join her brothers jazz band when he discovered she could sing. Higgins related that she trusted her brothers positive opinion about her vocal ability. Her confidence was further boosted when her high school class was given an assignment to write and perform a song which she willingly took on and received an award for composition. Thus, she realized she could write a decent song. Soon thereafter, she won a national competition resulting in radio airplay which caught the recognition of the Australian music industry.
Initially, her mother acted as her manager but realized Missy needed more professional, experienced management. They called the radio station and were given two referrals. The first was out of town so they called the second contact who accepted. He told her that he had heard her on the radio and had it on his list to call her and offer to manage her but she beat him to it. John Watson has been her manager since. One thing that is evident: Missy Higgins has her feet on the ground and has learned well from many life experiences. Be it from personal or professional relationships, she says she has learned to trust her instincts and not be led astray by someone who thinks they know what she needs to do. She made note of some music videos which are “soulless.” Perhaps this is an example of artists taking a back seat to external influences. She does not let materialism dictate her decisions and has learned early on that it is not the ultimate source of happiness. Her freedom and passion not only shine in her music but in her works and in her caring for other people. She is a strong advocate for the environment evidenced by her tour bus being fueled by biodiesel. She speaks to groups including children to spread the message. When asked about other musicians and organizations she shows interest as well as concern. Higgins was curious about Ice Cream Man and had looked at the website and asked what the mission was.
After having won three Australian Grammys (ARIAS) with the multi platinum The Sound of White, Higgins is now poised to try to do the same in the US. Her current offering is called On A Clear Night. If you are a fan of Greys Anatomy you have heard her songs. While that is a big boost for exposure, Missys songs stand on their own legs and demand to be heard. They are deep and well versed. Her epiphany is illustrated in “Steer.” She writes “The search ends here where the night is totally clear and your heart is fierce. So now you know that you control where you go. You can steer.” In “Peachy” she examines a complicated relationship: “Im split in two. Im half me half you. But, I hate us both dont you?”
No doubt the accolades are well deserved and its just the beginning for this exciting, passionate singer/songwriter. The crowd of over 250 packed into the Santa Fe Brewery literally screamed its approval during her set. I met several fans who drove from Colorado and Arizona for the show. Higgins says this tour has been a lot of fun. I was fortunate to be tipped off by her that she was going to join Brett Dennen on stage to sing a Tom Petty cover. I painstakingly worked my way through the thick crowd so I could get a few pictures of yet another special moment of the many that are sure to occur in her future. She also tipped me off about a recently finished all-star tribute record to Cy Coleman. Higgins contributed vocals on “Im in Love, Again.” The project validates the respect she has garnered as she was in esteemed company of the likes of Fiona Apple, Sam Phillips, Niki Acosta and Patti Griffith among others. The tour, which in includes Dennen and Mason Jennings, continues on to Tuscon and then the west coast. An extraordinary cast of talent on one bill. Higgins’ new full length On A Clear Night(buy) is a giant of a record. I think it’s a classic. Download “Where I Stood” and you will be hooked and find yourself adding the other ten tracks to your collection. And you may find yourself not able to stop there. Thank goodness she has several other recordings to draw from.
