There’s nothing better than relaxing on a sunny afternoon with music, family and friends, right? That’s what the team at Yours and Owls thought too, creating their latest offering ‘A Sunny Afternoon’ – a family-friendly festival in Wollongong on Sunday, March 1. We speak to headline performer Missy Higgins about her latest tour and life with kids.

Words Lee Price Image Julie Lowe

It’s nice that the festival is for families. Are you bringing your partner and kids to the festival? Do the kids get a kick out of hearing you sing?
I really wish that I could but it’s a bit hard. I’m considering bringing my son but it means that I’d have to bring him on the whole NSW leg of the tour. He is only five so it would mean a lot of really late nights for him and I’m just not sure.

I miss them so much when I’m away from them, it’s very enticing to just bring them with me.

My kids often tell me to stop singing. Does that happen to you? Even as a person who can actually carry a tune?
All the time, yes! Sammy is always telling me to stop singing. He does it a bit less these days but for the first few years of his life he would just be like ‘noooooo stop singing!’ He would put his hands over his ears.

Every time I try to play the piano my daughter Luna comes running into the room and demands to go on my lap. She just pushes my hands away from the keys so she can play herself.

I was practising yesterday and they both came barging in. Sammy picked up the ukulele which was kind of cute and started playing along with me. But of course he can’t play so it just sounded like noise right next to my face when I’m trying to sing.
There’s nothing special about my singing for them, it just means that my attention is elsewhere, which they don’t like.

What would be your idea of a perfect sunny afternoon? (Besides this festival of course)
I would be camping way out in the bush, next to a river, with a bunch of friends and my family. With no devices, just the sound of birds. Maybe I’d be playing guitar without my kids shouting at me.

Have you enjoyed performing down this way in the past, like your night at Anita’s Theatre in Thirroul? I was too slow getting tickets and then it sold out! Do you know the south coast / Wollongong area well?
I only know the area from having played down there a few times. One of the girls in the band, Elana Stone, is from Thirroul and she absolutely loves it. Sometimes we would take a stroll down to Thirroul beach and go for a swim before the show, when we played at Anita’s. It’s a really beautiful little town.

I saw your gig at the Opera House Steps last year (Feb 2019) with John Butler. He’s a bit dreamy, isn’t he?
John Butler is amazing. It was so good to be able to watch him every night. He’s an incredible musician. He can make such a big sound out of just one instrument.

You’ve toured and performed with the likes of Paul Kelly and Ed Sheeran, is there anyone else you’d love to tour with or collaborate with?
I’m not that big on collaboration with anyone unless it comes up naturally. I’m just a really shy, quite introverted person especially when it comes to my writing process. So if it’s somebody that I really admire and think is an amazing artist I’m probably going to freeze up when I’m in front of them.

Singing live is fine for me and I don’t get nervous doing that. I absolutely love harmonising with other singers. I grew up harmonising with my brother and sister all the time. There’s something so primal about your voices blending in that way.

One of my favourite memories is singing on stage with the Indigo Girls when I toured with them in America. They were such idols of mine. I remember I just got full body tingles. I walked off stage and was just having an out of body experience. I was just so high from it.

Do you have any rituals you need to do before a big show to help you get ready?
No I’m not superstitious in the slightest. I don’t even really warm up. I don’t have any rituals that I do with my band. I just kind of try and relax and get myself into a fun mood so that I can be loose on stage.

quick questions: 

Beach or pool? 
Beach!

Sydney or Melbourne? 
Melbourne. Of course I would say that because I live here! I really like Sydney too though.

Beer or wine?
Oh a hard one, I love them equally! Can we mix them together?

Cake or ice cream? 
Ice cream.

League or AFL?
AFL.

Cat or dog?
Dog.

Peppa Pig or Bluey?
Bluey, definitely. Peppa Pig is kind of obnoxious. We just realised a few weeks ago that Bluey is a girl. My son refuses to believe it. He says ‘no, no, Bluey is a boy!’ I just decided to let him go with it because it was making him angry. The show is so cute and so authentic. There’s something so relatable about it.

‘A SUNNY AFTERNOON’ TICKET INFORMATION:

$99.90 – General Admission
$159.90 – VIP
$49.90 – Kids (4 – 17 – must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian)
$229.90 – Family ticket (2 x GA and two x Kids)
Kids under 4 are free