By Jenny Suo
Missy Higgins was at the peak of her career when she abruptly decided she needed to disappear.
That was five years ago, but the Australian singer songwriter is back with a new album and a new take on life
She is in Auckland to perform two concerts this week.
Until recently Missy Higgins has had a serious case of writers block.
“After I had finished my second album I went into my studio like everyday and it felt a little bit like I was banging my head up against the wall. The words just weren’t coming, I didn’t know what to say.”
So she walked away from music completely.
So far away that she ended up in India. The idea was to get lost to find herself.
“All the different experiences that I had, it was all like ‘where are the answers? They’ve got to be somewhere. Where am I? I’ve got to be somewhere! Am I in India? The Amazon?’ No, I’m right here.”
Having not performed for years, Missy's reintroduction to the music industry came when she was invited to sing at the travelling music festival, Lilith Fair.
“I was just so happy to have music back in my life, and to be really enjoying it, really embracing it. I just felt so grateful to be inspired again.”
And her fans are grateful too.
“There were people who were waiting for my next bit of music.”
Missy's new album The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle chronicles her five year hiatus.
“There are a lot of songs in the album that deal with questioning who I am without music… because it was a really confronting question when I realised I might not be able to do music anymore.”
A question that, thankfully, she no longer needs to answer.
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