Aussie songstress Missy Higgins will release a brand new album next month.
But ‘Oz’ (cover art pictured above) isn’t just an album that aims to celebrate the amazing songwriters of the land down under… it’s also a book, which is filled with “quirky related essays”.
The album contains 15 cover versions of tracks from artists as diverse as Paul Kelly and The Angels, Neil Murray, Icehouse, Dan Sultan and Don Walker and will be made available in digital and physical editions, as well as a special deluxe edition that comprises both the album and the book in a clothbound set.
“I wanted to try something different this time around”, Missy revealed in a statement. “I couldn’t decide between making a covers album or writing a book so I decided to do both at once. Musically, it’s intended to be a real mixed bag of lollies.
“Obviously part of the reason I called the whole project ‘Oz’ is that it’s all about Australian songs. Plus, for the first time, I recorded the whole thing in Australia. However the title has a second meaning.
“I like the idea of songwriters being like the Wizard in ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Some people think we’re special people who have special powers but really we’re just scared little people hiding in a backroom somewhere, working like crazy to make sure we don’t get found out.”
‘Oz’ will be released on Friday September 19.
01. You Only Hide (Something For Kate)
02. Old Fitzroy (Dan Sultan)
03. NYE (Perry Keyes)
04. Shark Fin Blues (The Drones)
05. Was There Anything I Could Do (The Go-Betweens)
06. Back To The Wall (Divinyls)
07. Don’t Believe Anymore (Icehouse)
08. The Biggest Disappointment ftg. Dan Sultan (Slim Dusty)
09. Everybody Wants To Touch Me (Paul Kelly)
10. Curse On You (The Blackeyed Susans)
11. No Secrets (The Angels)
12. Before Too Long ftg. Amanda Palmer (Paul Kelly)
13. Blackfella/Whitefella ftg. Crystal Itjuwalyi Butcher (Warumpi Band)
14. Calm And Crystal Clear (Neil Murray)
15. The Way You Are Tonight (Don Walker)
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