“The energy driving each day just has to be love” says Annie Higgins with the single and music video release There’s Only Love, and it looks like that’s a shared sentiment with the release breaking through on Spotify. Perhaps it’s a bit old fashioned to put mother up front in a songwriter’s bio- yet this is what makes Annie’s music so relatable. For so many of us family is at the centre of who we are. For Annie Higgins it grounds her as a musician and inspires her to write. Annie’s songs reflect as a mature emerging artist, a deep connection to women making brave choices, juggling work, kids, lives, loss, and dreams each and every day. Her latest release “There’s Only Love” celebrates love and devotion, the longing for safe places to fall into, and find a connection to self-wisdom in the normal every day. The music transports you into Annie’s groove, a level of openhearted chill, that comes from the idea that we must put relationship, vulnerability and love first, in order to thrive. Annie’s ‘feed the soul’ lyrics combined with intricate grooves reflect her unashamed values around community and compassion. “We lost our first child Teresa Clare shortly after her birth. She had a heart defect, they couldn’t save her. I was raised to be a practising Catholic and this experience presented a huge shift, there were no answers there. It went beyond doctrine or identity. The loss threw everything into a spin; beliefs, relationships, values. We had to rely on each other, on family but mostly on ourselves, to find our own ways to grieve and to put one foot in front of the other and keep going. It’s ironic how it was joy that held us together during that time, and still does. Moments of shared joy were sanctuary. We learned to cherish those moments in a day, and if need be, create them. This hasn’t diminished over the years. Life can turn at any point, so we make the most of our time together. We’ve become adventurers and support each other’s career choices, that has brought a level of risk and excitement. I leaned into my music, and Bernie retrained as a doctor with the air force, and we went on to grow three more beautiful children. All the while holding true to love”. “There’s Only Love” is the 3rd single to be released from the forthcoming album ‘Wise Woman’. Annie wrote the songs over a number of years and then teamed up with Luke Gerber from Sydney band Mel Blue during the recording and production phase in the Underfoot Studios. They crafted an honest acoustic groove vibe that is quintessentially Australian and peppered throughout with funk, soul and jazz influences. Higgins and Gerber brought together a selection of talented musicians including Jeff De Araujo (Sarah Blasko’s band) on drums and percussion, Sean Venezuala (Little Archer Beats) on keys, Nathan and Jacob Parks (Hot Potato Band) on Trombone, Saxophone and flute, Jesse Tachibana (Thunderfox) on Trumpet. These musical collaborations have woven magical threads that delight the soul with delicate hooks and emotive cross rhythms that combine to create Annie’s unique sound. Her lyrics reveal her honest sassy nature, combined with a taste for cutting edge feminine spirituality. Her songs bubble up from a sense of stubborn hope for the future. |
