Sia has achieved enormous success overseas, with three critically acclaimed studio albums under her belt and legions of fans, who include the likes of Amy Winehouse, Katie Noonan and Christina Aguilera. Introducing the force that is Sia.
yourGigs (yG): Why did it take so long for Australia to get a taste of Sia?
Sia (S): Nobody really cared beforehand. That didn't really bother me because it was a nice place to go back and just vegetate and know that I didn't have to mind my ps and qs and just relax. But I never set out to become successful in Australia. It sounds kind of rude but the truth is that it's kind of an inconsequential demographic financially, which is really sad, but that's why we don't get a lot of up and coming acts, because it's just cost prohibitive. It's almost impossible to tour Australia it's so expensive, but finally we got a good record label behind me so that's how it happened.
yG: Do you subscribe to the notion that Australian artists have to make it big overseas before Australia will appreciate them?
S: No way, I mean look at Spiderbait and Missy Higgins, there are plenty of artists who are huge in Australia who aren't doing anything big overseas and they're the most successful bands in Australia, right?
yG: True, although I'm not too sure about Missy Higgins she is pretty quiet lately.
S: Really? But she is such an excellent person, and she is so beautiful in real life, she's so healthy she makes me want to go for a jog or something.
yG: Oh god, don't jog, that's just weird.
S: [Laughs]. I'm with you!
yG: What's going to be different about this tour compared to the last?
S: Absolutely f*** all! [Laughs]. There might be some different people there. [Laughs]. Actually I think we are playing slightly bigger venues, but I'm just pulling out the same old schtick that I did on the last tour because we are still promoting the old record. So I guess the audience will be different, but that makes a huge difference to what happens because it is the audience that brings the heckles and that's what I am totally in to. It makes every show different [Laughs].
yG: Really? I could never imagine you being heckled.
S: Oh, I love it! [Laughs]. Actually I encourage it, it brings excitement to the show.
yG: So you want me to heckle you if I come to a show?
S: Absolutely! It doesn't have to be anything smart, you know it could be stream of consciousness, just go with it. [Laughs].
yG: Don't worry I am used to being very offensive so it will come naturally to me.
S: [Laughs] Excellent!
yG: What was it like collaborating with Katie Noonan?
S: Oh my god, it was amazing. Before that I had never really written with anyone like a proper musician-type person. It was really interesting watching someone's process and realising how similar it is to your own, and that's when I realised that there must be some sort of mathematics involved that I'm just not aware of. [Laughs]. She is one of my favourite singers in the whole entire universe, her voice is just such a crazy instrument. [She] and Christina Aguilera probably have some of the best voices I have ever heard in real life. I gotta say that has to be one of the biggest perks of my job so far having Christina Aguilera and Katie Noonan belt in my ear.
yG: That sort of leads me on to my next question - who would you love to collaborate with in the future?
S: I actually just tried to write a song for Cher but we didn't make it. We wrote a song for Christina for her new movie Burlesque that she's in with Cher, and god, we were so close, and we thought we were totally in, because it was such a good song and they totally didn't go for it. They said it was "too cool".
yG: How is "too cool" a problem?
S: Yeah well, my bandmate Sam was honest with Cher about the song that she chose and said, "You know I think the song is a bit dated?" and Cher said to him, "I think that's what people expect of me" but we believed in Cher, you know.
yG: Cher let you down?
S: Yeah you know we thought she could win the people over with something that wasn't dated and we believed that she could do it, but she didn't believe in herself. It was a total bummer.
yG: We are running over time so I will jump to the last question. You're stuck on a deserted island and you can only bring three things, what are they?
S: I would bring a big cup, so I could collect water and stuff, and a piece of GLAD Wrap so I could you know, get some condensation happening in case ... I needed fresh water or something, and ah, can I take both my dogs or just one?
yG: You can take both.
S: Ok thanks I would take both my dogs and we would go out killing stuff.
yG: Killing stuff? Awesome.
S: [Laughs]. Yeah.
Alex Hahn
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