Indie pop artist Missy Higgins on empowerment and her regional tour

She became an iconic voice in the 2000s after winning Triple J Unearthed as a teen, and now Missy Higgins is sailing on a breath of fresh air ahead of her upcoming gig.

Australian pop icon of nearly two decades Missy Higgins says she’s bringing a “really big sound” to her upcoming 2023 show.

She will touch down in Mackay for Legends on the Lawn in May for the first time since her 2014 OZ tour gig at the MECC.

Part of an all-Australian line-up including Bernard Fanning and Paul Kelly, Higgins said she was “super excited to come back to Mackay because it’s been so long”.

“It’s very fun to go to regional areas because there’s a real sense of excitement,” Higgins said.

“You really get the feeling that it’s different.

Missy Higgins is coming to Mackay for Legends on the Lawn at Harrup Park. Picture: Emma Goodland

“Regional towns don’t get quite as much access to live music as big cities do, so it feels like everyone’s just super stoked to be seeing you.

“There’s a real electricity in the air.”

Like the rest of the music industry, Higgins has suffered through several years of reduced and cancelled shows because of Covid but says the experience has led to gratefulness.

“Playing live has always been my favourite part of the job, to be honest,” she said.

Missy Higgins at the 2022 ARIA Awards at The Hordern Pavilion on November 24, 2022 in Sydney. Picture: Brittany Long/Getty Images

“There’s nothing like not being able to do it for years to make you appreciate what you’ve got.”

Her acclaimed early albums, The Sound of White and On A Clear Night, have recently been reissued on vinyl but Higgins said her new music for ABC drama Total Control had inspired her to keep “trying to grow and change as a musician”.

“Those first two albums hold a special place in the hearts of a lot of my fans (and) all those old songs are still very much a part of me,” she said.

“I’ll never stop playing my old songs.

Missy Higgins released a new album, Total Control. Picture: Supplied

“But I guess with every new album, that album is the most potent and the most relevant to who I am at that point.

“There’s some big feminist themes and empowerment throughout the album.”

The main character played by Deborah Mailman is an Indigenous woman who becomes a politician which Higgins saw “overlapping” with the activism of Grace Tame and other women speaking truth to power.

Missy Higgins with her daughter Luna. Picture: Instagram

“Speaking up for your fellow sisters … I got to channel some really incredibly strong and inspiring females,” Higgins said.

“Being a woman in the music industry, it can be hard to feel respected and heard sometimes.

“I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she’s respected for who she is. I feel inspired by this new generation of girls and women speaking up.

“It feels like the tide is definitely turning.”