Missy Higgins

In a world littered with disposable pop Missy Higgins is a welcome relief - passionate, sincere and proudly Australian.

The 26 year old singer/songwriter from Melbourne has enjoyed phenomenal success in her homeland in spite - or perhaps because - of shunning the usual synthetic packaging and tabloid tackiness. Instead she's adopted a more timeless approach, relying on her undeniable songs and unforgettable live performances to build a genuine and gimmick free connection with her audience.

In a story that’s well known, Missy started off singing standards with her older brother's band when she was only 13. She was thrust into the limelight in 2001 when she won triple j Unearthed while she was still at high school. Instead of rushing into a recording studio she chose to go backpacking around Europe before coming home and releasing an eponymous EP that topped the indie charts in late 2003.  

In August 2004 she released the "Scar EP" in Australia.  Off the back of tours supporting George, The Waifs, John Butler Trio and Pete Murray the disc entered the national charts at #1.  Her debut album, "The Sound Of White" achieved the same feat soon afterwards. It was quite an arrival.  More Australian touring followed including a stint opening for the Finn Brothers, appearances on major festivals such as Homebake and Falls, plus a slot on the memorable Waveaid tsunami benefit concert in January 2005.  "The Sound Of White" was released internationally later that year and Missy toured the US and UK repeatedly including stints opening for the likes of Ray Lamontagne, The Finn Brothers and Howie Day. By the end of 2005 Missy had racked up over 200 gigs culminating in a memorable series of huge outdoor concerts around Australia.  

"The whole thing almost seemed like a blur", says Missy. "One minute I was just some opening act nobody had heard of and the next minute I was playing to 20,000 people in (Sydney's) Centennial Park. It was pretty overwhelming."  

But the craziness didn't stop there. "The Sound Of White" scooped the ARIA Awards, adding 5 gongs (including the coveted "Album Of The Year") to the one "Scar" had earned in late 2004.  Missy also won an APRA songwriter's award, appeared twice on the cover of Rolling Stone, and enjoyed major hit singles with "Ten Days", "Special Two" and the album's title track.  All of this activity propelled "The Sound Of White" to nine times platinum status in Australia for sales of over 650,000 copies, making it the biggest selling CD of 2005 and one of the most popular releases in the country's history.  

Says Missy; "I'm not one of those people who feels obliged to knock their previous albums - I'm actually really pleased so many people liked "The Sound Of White". It's a good snapshot of who I was in my late teens and I'm happy I made it. Its popularity was obviously never something that I expected but it opened up the doors to a lot of amazing experiences for me and I'm very grateful for that."

Her second album "On A Clear Night" showcases the changing worldview of a more self-assured artist. There was a quiet strength which suggests a more confident young woman. She had grown up in public and "On A Clear Night" was the diary she'd kept along the way.  Reaching certified triple platinum in Australia, it was awarded the Highest Selling Australian album of 2007 and saw Missy crowned with yet another ARIA Award (Australia’s Grammy) as the country’s “Best Female Artist” for the second time.

In 2010 the “The Sound Of White” was named in the Top 5 of the “End of decade Top 100 Album Chart”.  Meanwhile, Missy toured throughout the U.S on the coveted “Lilith Fair” Festival and spent most of the year writing songs for her new album.

Earlier this year Missy returned to her homeland to perform at a couple of benefit shows in Melbourne including an intimate concert to help protect one of our country's most stunning regions, the Kimberely - a cause that is extremely close to Missy's heart.  She also joined friends such Clare Bowditch, Tim Rogers, Dan Sultan and Megan Washington to perform at the QLD Flood Relief benefit show to help raise funds for the thousands of Australian's who needed the support before returning to Nashville to work on a new album that is scheduled for release over the Australian summer.