A WEEK before the Mundi Mundi Bash in Broken Hill word filtered through to Missy Higgins that Midnight Oil wanted to know if she and her bandmates would be interested in jumping in on backing vocals?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
It was a silly question.
"We were all like, 'Oh my god, are you kidding? That's a dream come true'," Higgins says. "We jumped at the opportunity."
The Mundi Mundi show turned out to be more than backing vocals, as Higgins joined Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett for a duet on One Country, taking on the role once occupied by the late bassist Bones Hillman.
"It's one of those experiences I'll never forget," Higgins says. "Being on stage with Pete while he's performing and watching him be so completely inside the music and taken over by it, it's like he's feeling possessed by it in a way.
"He's a real artist and a real performer. He gives absolutely everything to the audience, as does the entire band."
Less than two weeks ago Midnight Oil completed their final tour at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion, but there's plenty of Australian artists, such as Higgins, eager to keep their legacy of justice, equality and environmental concerns alive.
Higgins broke onto the scene in 2003 as a 21-year-old with her No.1 single Scar and her subsequent debut album The Sound Of White - which won six ARIA Awards - singing about deeply personal relationships and struggles.
However, as the 39-year-old has grown in the industry and become a mother to Samuel, 7, and Luna, 4, she's become more comfortable expressing political views.
Higgins' 2018 album Solastalgia was inspired by the dread she felt for her children regarding the state of the environment.
Earlier this year she released the mini-album Total Control, which initially began as brief instrumentals and musical fragments for the 2019 ABC series of the same name.
The five-track release aims to empower women against the abuses of power and misogyny. On Wednesday Total Control earned an ARIA Award nomination for Best Adult Contemporary Album.
Following the Federal Election in May and the ascension of the Albanese Government, Higgins is feeling more positive about the direction Australia is headed.
"I think a lot of it was inspired by Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins speaking their truth and not being afraid to keep people accountable," she says.
"It made me feel very inspired about the general direction that we're going and how the conversations are getting more honest and work places are having to become more transparent."
The Australian music industry has also faced its own reckoning in how it treats women. In June last year Sony Music's long-term Australian CEO Denis Handlin left the company after a series of harassment and bullying allegations. In June Vanessa Picken was appointed head of Sony Australia.
Festivals have also curated more diverse line-ups following criticisms over the lack of female representation.
"There's so much more strength now then there was back in my day," Higgins says. "There were a lot women who weren't as confident to use their voices because the culture wasn't set up so they would be respected and listened to.
There's not near as much fear about speaking the truth as there used to be.
- Missy Higgins
"That's great, there's not near as much fear about speaking the truth as there used to be."
Higgins is gearing up for the busiest spell of her career in years on the Red Hot Summer Tour from January to May. The line-up includes Australian icon Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning, Mark Seymour, Vika & Linda and Troy Cassar-Daley & Ian Moss.
"It's just so good to have something to look forward to now and feel confident that they're actually going to happen, after so many years of 'I'm not going to get my hopes up because it'll probably be cancelled'," she says.
"To have so many shows and such an incredible line-up, I was over the moon when I heard about this."
The Red Hot Summer Tour visits Mornington Racecourse, Mornington (January 14 & 15); Mackay Park, Batemans Bay (January 28); Westport Park, Port Macquarie (February 4); Berry Showground, Berry (February 11); Country Club Lawns, Launceston (February 18); Botanical Gardens, Hobart (February 19); Bendigo Racecourse, Bendigo (February 25); North Gardens, Ballarat (March 4); Nowingi Place, Mildura (March 5); Roche Estate, Hunter Valley (March 25); Bella Vista Farm, Sydney (March 26); Gateway Lakes, Wodonga (April 1); Broadwater Parklands, Gold Coast (April 22).
Josh Leeson
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
Josh Leeson is an entertainment and features journalist, specialising in music, at the Newcastle Herald. He first joined the masthead in 2008 after stints at the Namoi Valley Independent and Port Stephens Examiner and has previously covered sport including the Asian Cup, A-League, Surfest, cricket and rugby league.
