On this day in 2004, Missy Higgins released her iconic debut album, The Sound of White.
20 years later, she’s followed it up with her much-anticipated new album, The Second Act, which she describes as a “kind of sequel” to that classic record.
The Sound of White remains one of Australia’s most successful debut albums, earning six ARIA Awards and influencing artists like Gordi, Angie McMahon, and Amy Shark.
“I wrote all those songs on the first album when I was in my late teens when I never thought anyone would hear them, so they were very personal, like I was writing my secrets in a diary,” Higgins explains. “I did less of that on later albums for lots of reasons but lately I realised I’d gone back to that confessional mode of songwriting.
“I guess it’s been my way of dealing with the end of my marriage. So, I feel like I’ve come full circle… I was starting life from scratch at 20 and now, like lots of people, I’m figuring out how to start life all over again at 40.”
Higgins has been celebrating the anniversary with 40 sold-out shows across Australia, blending new songs with a full performance of her debut album.
She’s now adding six encore shows in November and December, including performances at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Kings Park in Perth, Melbourne’s Myer Music Bowl, and three winery events presented by ‘a day on the green’. These shows will bring her tour’s total attendance to over 100,000 and wrap up an incredible year that also includes her upcoming induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame in November.
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Special guests on the final encore dates include Kate Miller-Heidke, Dan Sultan and Elana Stone.
“I never imagined it would take me most of 2024 to do this Australian tour,” Higgins says, “but it’s been such a great experience on every level that I’m glad the band and I will get to share it a few more times with all these big crowds. There have been lots of fans posting about how disappointed they were to miss out on getting a chance to see this two-act show so now they’ll have no excuse!”
Missy Higgins’ The Second Act is out now.
