The Sound of White (20 Year Anniversary Edition 2LP)

The Sound Of White is one of the biggest and most influential debuts in Australian music history. Missy Higgins’ intensely introspective collection of yearning songs yielded bona fide classics like “Scar”, “Ten Days” and “The Special Two”. It has sold over a million copies and received 6 ARIA Awards. Over the last 20 years The Sound Of White has also inspired dozens of Australian women – including major artists like Amy Shark, Gretta Ray, Gordi and Angie McMahon - to follow in Missy’s footsteps and sing their own songs in their own ways.

The anniversary of this landmark release will be celebrated with a deluxe edition on CD and LP containing bonus live recordings of every song on the album plus newly expanded artwork. It will land on April 5, 2024. Pre-orders commence on Friday December 8 alongside the announcement of a huge autumn tour called “The Second Act” during which Missy will perform The Sound Of White in its entirety as part of a special two part show. 

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The 20 Year Anniversary Edition will also feature a new track - “Cry Me A River” – which will be unveiled online on December 8 to coincide with the pre-order and tour reveal. The classic American torch song was written originally for Ella Fitzgerald and was a hit for Julie London in the 1950’s. Over half a century later Justin Timberlake ‘borrowed’ the title. The tune has a special place in Missy’s heart as it was the first song she ever performed live – sneaking into licensed venues as a 13-year-old to sing it with her older brother’s jazz combo. This stripped back version was recorded at a Sydney charity concert the night before she swept the 2005 ARIA Awards and features her brother, David, on piano. It has always been a fan favourite, but she has never released a recording of “Cry Me A River” … until now.

The smoldering love song kicks off a huge year for this beloved singer/songwriter. “The Second Act Tour” will see Missy returning to major theatres around the country for the first time since 2018 (just after she toured stadiums with Ed Sheeran). From early next year Missy will also start releasing some brand-new songs, written in a similarly confessional vein to those on her legendary debut. This new body of work, thematically driven by a mid-life reassessment following a divorce, will ultimately be released later in the year as a kind of sequel to The Sound Of White. In an unusual twist this new material will be previewed in the first part of “The Second Act Tour” and then, after an intermission, Missy will perform The Sound Of White and some of her other hits.

Missy Higgins has been nominated for an extraordinary 26 ARIA Awards since being Unearthed by Triple J way back in 2002. She remains one of Australia’s most popular live performers; playing to more than 200,000 Australians last summer across various outdoor events including dozens of huge gigs with Paul Kelly.