Missy Higgins

Higgins was born in Melbourne, to Christopher Higgins, an English-Australian general practioner, and Margaret (née Morrison), an Australian childcare centre operator.[2][3] Her sister, Nicola, is seven years older and her brother, David, six years older.[3] Higgins learned to play classical piano from age six, following in the footsteps of Christopher and David, but realised she wanted to be a singer at about 12, when she appeared in an Armadale Primary School production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.[4] Bored with practice, she gave up playing piano at that time.[5] Hoping for more freedom, she urged her parents to send her to Geelong Grammar School, an independent boarding school that her siblings attended. At Geelong, Higgins took up the piano again, this time playing jazz and performing with her brother David's group on weekends.[6] Introverted by nature, Higgins found that piano practice helped her cope with living at boarding school.[5]

At 15, while attending Geelong Grammar's Timbertop, she wrote "All for Believing" for a school music assignment, completing it just hours before the deadline.[7] The assignment earned an A and she performed her song in front of classmates. She approached a Melbourne record company and was told that they wanted more than one song.[5] She wrote more songs and worked with the Kool Skools project, which enables students to record music.[8] In 2001, Missy's sister Nicola entered "All for Believing" on her behalf in Unearthed, radio station Triple J's competition for unsigned artists. The song won the competition and was added to the station's play list.[9]

Two record companies showed an interest in Higgins—Sony and Eleven.[5] She signed with Eleven, partly because they agreed that she would not be "made into a pop star"[10] and partly because they were happy for her to take time off for a backpacking holiday.[5] Higgins' manager is Eleven's John Watson, who also manages rock band Silverchair.[2] Watson later disclosed that "Missy's the only time in my career I knew after 90 seconds I really wanted to sign her."[11] The backpacking trip had been planned with a friend for years and the pair spent most of 2002 in Europe; while Higgins was travelling, "All for Believing" started to receive airplay on Los Angeles radio station KCRW.[12] Such radio exposure attracted the attention of American record labels and, by year's end, an international recording deal with Warner Bros. had been negotiated.[13]

Higgins, San Francisco, 11 August 2005
Courtesy Nabeel Hyatt

Higgins was the support act on a 2003 Australian tour by folk rock band The Waifs and rock band george.[13] She travelled to the US to work with John Porter, who produced her first EP, The Missy Higgins EP,[14] which was released in November and entered the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Singles Chart Top 50 in August 2004.[15]

She toured Australia, supporting Pete Murray and John Butler Trio.[16] Her four-track single "Scar'" was released in July 2004 and debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Charts.[15][17] Her first album, The Sound of White, was released in September, and debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[15] Also produced by Porter, it sold over 500,000 copies.[18] She was nominated in five categories at the ARIA Music Awards of 2004 for "Scar": Best Female Artist', 'Single of the Year', 'Best Pop Release', 'Breakthrough Artist – Single' and 'Best Video' (directed by Squareyed Films).[19] At the awards ceremony on 17 October she received the award for Best Pop Release, beating Delta Goodrem, The Dissociatives, Kylie Minogue and Pete Murray.[19] This was followed by her first national headline tour.[20] Her second single "Ten Days" was co-written with Jay Clifford (guitarist in US band Jump, Little Children) and was inspired by Higgins' 2002 break-up with her boyfriend before she travelled to Europe.[21] Released in November, it peaked at No. 12.[15]

On 29 January 2005 Higgins performed with other local musicians including Nick Cave and Powderfinger at the WaveAid fundraising concert in the Sydney Cricket Ground.[22] The concert raised A$2.3 million for four charities supporting the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[23] In March Higgins performed at the MTV Australia Awards and won the prize for 'Breakthrough Artist of the Year'.[24] The following month she released her third single, "The Special Two", which was a radio hit and reached No. 2.[15] "The Special Two" was released on an EP which included her cover of the Skyhooks song, "You Just Like Me Cos I'm Good in Bed", recorded for Triple J's 30th anniversary. The song had been the first track played on Triple J when it launched (as Double J) in 1975.[25] In May, Higgins won the 'Song of the Year' and 'Breakthrough' awards for "Scar" from the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).[26] She continued touring in mid-2005 and released her fourth single, "The Sound of White", in August.[15] In September she played a sold-out performance at the Vanguard in Sydney with the proceeds going to charity.[27] She was nominated for seven more ARIAs and in October won 'Album of the Year', 'Best Pop Release', 'Breakthrough Artist – Album' and 'Highest Selling Album' (all for The Sound of White) and 'Best Female Artist' (for "Scar").[28] She teamed up with fellow ARIA award-winning singer Ben Lee in late 2005 for a national tour.[29]

Higgins, Live Earth concert, Sydney, 7 July 2007
Courtesy Itapp

During 2006, Higgins lived in Broome, Western Australia for six months, away from the entertainment industry. The relaxed lifestyle helped her focus on writing new material.[30] The landscape made a big impression, "It was the first place I'd ever felt honestly connected with my country, with the physical land of my country" and inspired her to write "Going North".[31] She then toured the United States and South Africa, writing more material on the road.[32] In September she based herself in Los Angeles to record her second album, On a Clear Night, with producer Mitchell Froom.[33][34] "Steer" was released as an EP, followed a fortnight later by its album on 28 April 2007, both debuted at No. 1 on their respective charts.[15]

In February, Higgins had contributed a tribute song to the album, Cannot Buy My Soul, for noted indigenous singer, Kev Carmody, singing "Droving Woman" with musician Paul Kelly and group Augie March.[35] On 7 July, she participated in the Live Earth concert in Sydney, performing her own set before joining Carmody, Kelly and vocalist John Butler on stage for the song "From Little Things Big Things Grow".[36] Emily Dunn in The Sydney Morning Herald wrote "[the song] could have been the event's anthem".[37] Rolling Stone's Dan Lander pointed out a highlight, when the "whole crowd sung along – all eleven verses."[38]

Higgins returned to Los Angeles to focus on the US market—she spent September and October touring—where she was still relatively unknown.[39] On 26 October, backed by the Sydney Youth Orchestra, she headlined the annual Legs 11 concert, a breast cancer benefit held in The Domain, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.[40] Two days later Higgins performed at the 2007 ARIAs where she was nominated for 'Best Pop Release', 'Highest Selling Album' and 'Highest Selling Single' (for "Steer") and won 'Best Female Artist' (for On a Clear Night)—her seventh ARIA Music Award.[41] On 31 October, she was a guest at television music channel MAX's inaugural Concert for the Cure, a private concert for people affected by breast cancer. She sang headline act Powderfinger's "Sunsets" with front man Bernard Fanning and joined in with the encore of "These Days".[42][43] She spent November and December on her For One Night Only Tour, taking in Cairns, Sydney and Perth. You Am I lead singer, Tim Rogers, joined her on some shows.[44]

On a Clear Night, was released in the US on 26 February 2008, supported by a tour in March. Her ten-month stay in Los Angeles during 2008 promoted her songs for films and television shows.[33][45] Her first US single "Where I Stood" was featured in US series including Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill and So You Think You Can Dance.[46] During 2008, Higgins supported the Indigo Girls and then Ben Folds on their respective US tours.[47] February and March 2009 saw her co-headlining a US tour with Canadian Justin Nozuka.[48] On 31 March she released an EP, More Than This in Australia that features cover versions of "More Than This" by Roxy Music, "(I'm) In Love Again" by Peggy Lee, "Breakdown" by Tom Petty and "Moses" by Patty Griffin.[49] "Moses" had been included on Triple J's 2005 compilation album Like a Version: Volume One and "More Than This" was recorded as part of Covered, A Revolution in Sound, a Warner Bros. tribute album also released in March 2009.[50]

Higgins performing live in December 2012

Higgins started writing music for her third album in 2009.[51] After about seven years of touring and recording she took a break from the music industry to pursue other interests.[52] In 2010 she enrolled in a course in indigenous studies at the University of Melbourne.[53] Her acting debut was as Annie in 2010 film Bran Nue Dae directed by Rachel Perkins. The film is an adaptation of the 1990 musical, Bran Nue Dae, "Australia's first Aboriginal musical".[54] Although Higgins would consider future acting projects she has no plans to actively pursue it as a career.[51][55]

In July and August 2010, Higgins played several dates of Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair tour in the US.[56][57] At Lilith Fair, she met Australian musician Butterfly Boucher and they decided to work together. In 2011, Higgins travelled to where Boucher was living in Nashville to record her third album, which is co-produced by Boucher and Brad Jones.[58] Titled The Ol' Razzle Dazzle, the album was released on 1 June 2012.[59] Its first single, "Unashamed Desire", co-written with Boucher, was released on 23 April.[60] In November 2011, at the ARIA Music Awards, Higgins performed a duet of "Warwu"with Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, from his Rrakala album.[61]

"The Ol' Razzle Dazzle" album debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart the week of 12 June 2012. It was Higgins' 3rd straight number one album. As of January 2019, Higgins ties Olivia Newton-John for the 3rd highest tally of Australian Number One albums by an Australian female artist. Only Delta Goodrem (with four Number 1 ARIA albums) and Kylie Minogue and Kasey Chambers (with five each) have achieved more.

In September 2014, Higgins released her fourth studio album, Oz, which features cover versions of Australian composers, including The Angels, Slim Dusty, Something For Kate, Warumpi Band, Paul Kelly and The Drones. The album is also accompanied by a book of related essays, in which Higgins uses each of the recordings to reflect upon subjects such as music and love.[62] Higgins collaborated with Dan Sultan for the recording of the Slim Dusty song "The Biggest Disappointment".[63]

Higgins explained in an October 2014 interview that she experienced a significant bout of writer's block following the completion of her second album and someone suggested an album of cover versions at the time, but she only revisited the idea during the conception of Oz. Higgins further explained:

I responded to all these songs on an emotional level, when I first heard them. I wanted songs I felt I could tell with my own voice, and interpret them authentically ... But it was important to maintain the emotional integrity and the heart of the song. It was a high priority to keep true to the songs.[63]

The album was co-produced by Jherek Bischoff, who previously worked with David Byrne, formerly of Talking Heads, and Amanda Palmer.[1]

Oz debuted at number 3 on the ARIA Albums chart[64] and remained in the top five positions until 18 October 2014.[65]

The national Australian tour in support of Oz commenced on 20 September 2014 in Cairns, Queensland, and ended in Melbourne in October 2014. Higgins was accompanied by Bischoff, and Australian artist Dustin Tebbutt appeared as a special guest.[1]

Higgins, performing live in Taronga Zoo, February 2016.

On 19 February 2016, Higgins released a new single titled, "Oh Canada",[66] in her response to the death of Alan Kurdi.

In May 2017, Higgins released "Torchlight", for the Australian drama film, Don't Tell.[67]

In October 2017, Higgins appeared in a revival of the 1996 musical Miracle City by Nick Enright and Max Lambert at the Sydney Opera House, playing the role of Bonnie Mae.[68]

In February 2018, Higgins released the single "Futon Couch", the first single from her fifth studio album, called Solastalgia, released in May 2018.[69]

In February 2018, it was announced that Missy Higgins would support Ed Sheeran's tour around Australia.[70]

In November 2018, Higgins released her first greatest hits album titled The Special Ones.[71]

In October 2019, new music by Higgins featured in the Australian television series Total Control.[72]

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).[105] Higgins has won two awards from six nominations.[106][107]

The ARIA Music Awards are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Higgins has won nine awards from twenty-four nominations.[110][111]

She has won an MTV Australia Video Music Award.[24]

• 2005 MTV Australia Video Music Awards, Breakthrough Artist of the Year