She’s struck a deep and enduring chord with her irresistible melodies and ‘arrow through the heart’ lyrics, delivered by a striking voice that clearly means it.
Since being Unearthed by Triple J back in 2002 when she was still at high school Missy has blazed a trail for female singer/songwriters. She has received 26 ARIA Award nominations and earned five #1’s in her homeland while also enjoying a gold certification in the USA.
2024 is shaping up as a huge year for Missy including her upcoming induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame. In September, she will release a new album called The Second Act - “a kind of sequel” to her hugely influential debut The Sound Of White which is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. That raw and introspective collection was about taking on the world as a 20-year-old while The Second Act is about taking on the world all over again as a 40-year-old, after the stories you told yourself turned out not to be true. Written, produced, and performed largely on her own, it’s a powerful statement, lead by the acclaimed single “You Better Run”.
The Sound Of White was 2005’s ARIA Album Of The Year featuring the hits ‘Scar’, ’Ten Days’ and ’The Special Two’. Missy’s 2007 follow up, On A Clear Night (featuring North American hit ‘Where I Stood’ plus Australian #1 single ‘Steer’) was the highest selling release in Australia for that year. After seven years of nonstop touring and recording, Missy quietly took a break from music for several years to pursue a course in Indigenous Studies, as well as making her acting debut in Australian film Bran Nue Dae before returning to music in 2012 with another chart topper - The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle (featuring ‘Everyone’s Waiting’ and ‘Hello Hello’).
Over the last 20 years, The Sound Of White, and Missy’s entire career, have inspired dozens of young Australian women – including major artists like Amy Shark, Gretta Ray, Gordi and Angie McMahon - to sing their own songs in their own ways. As Missy heads into The Second Act of her career she continues to blaze trails – seeking to prove that if great male artists like Paul Kelly and Jimmy Barnes can enjoy lifelong conversations with their audiences then Australian women should be able to do it too.