Project Description

Interview with
BRIGGS

Interviewer – Simone Tyrrell

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Simone:
I’ve been reading so much about you and you are one busy multi-talented man. From singing, song writing, script writing, comedy writing, writing a children’s book. You’ve done it all. And now you are about to release your new EP titled “Always Was”. Can you share with me a bit about this album and its story?
Briggs:
It was good to be back in the studio making music again. I hadn’t had much of a chance to do it since before the original record as I had been so busy with all of this other stuff. It was something I really wanted to do, get back into the studio and create. I felt like it was the right time to put out some music because I hadn’t had some music out for a little while, but I didn’t really have my whole album planned out. I thought I would just do six songs and give a taste of what the trajectory of the album was going to be. And to just try some different things in the studio too. Make some different kinds of songs and what not.

Simone:
Yeah, you’ve got some good collaborations on there as well. What was that like working with other artists?
Briggs:
It was good. This one was really in house compared to a lot of the other stuff I had done. Me and Trials and me and JT working on the bulk of the stuff and a day with Thelma in the studio as well. It was very low key. Low personnel which is good too as I like to keep it pretty streamlined.

Simone:
That’s really awesome. And just leading on from that, with your music, you’ve also now created your own record label called “Bad Apples Music”. What was this process like setting up a record label and what made you want to get involved in that side of the music industry?
Briggs:
It was just something I always strived to do. When I do something, I always look at what’s next, what my pathway is for the involvement of others and where I fit in that. It felt like the natural progression for what I was doing and where I was at. I saw Hilltop Hoods doing the same thing with Golden Era Records which I was signed to and I saw the blueprint, so I did my own.

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Simone:
Fantastic. That’s awesome. With collaborations, while we’ve been in lock down, you did a song called “House Fyre” with Tim Minchin to talk about the state of the lockdown. It was really creative the way that you made the song and the video clip, both filming yourselves from home and then editing it together. It shows us the way musicians are making music at the moment is obviously very different to what the experience is normally. What was this process like with Tim and how did you manage to bring it all together whilst not being able to physically work together?
Briggs:
The bulk of the song was already done. Tim and I had always wanted to work on something, and I had something ready for him to get involved with. I had this idea and I sat with Tim and he was keen as and that’s the way it went. We always work this way anyway. Because of where we are, we rarely get together in the same room.

Simone:
That’s really cool. The other collaboration I found really different and really interesting was the one you have done with the job finder Seek and Spotify. As we all know it is hard times at the moment with covid-19 and so many people out of work. Can you tell me a bit about what this collaboration was and the idea behind it is?
Briggs:
It was something that came to me from the people at Seek as they have all the information and all the data of how people are using their website. They realised there was a spike on their website at night, obviously people not sleeping and stressing about their careers and work. So, they reached out to me about creating a sleep cast to help chill people out. So, I wrote a couple of songs and within their parameters of career advice and what not. So, it was something to do that was a little bit of a challenge for me. Within the pandemic and staying working for myself as well. It’s always a challenge. You act on different ways to make something work; this was part of it for myself. Also, to do something that’s a little bit different for me and a bit of a challenge and also that means something to some people and to help them access that next part of their career as well.

Simone:
When I read about it, I thought it was an interesting new creative way to engage people in very uncertain times and anything like that that can give people a bit of hope, and as you said to try and relieve that worry and stress and anxiety is always a good thing.
Briggs:
Yeah for sure. I was just trying to do anything positive.

Simone:
Yeah definitely. And another exciting piece of work you’re doing at the moment is with American TV icon Matt Groening for his new Netflix series called Disenchanted. How did this collaboration come about and are you able to share any information about the writing or the series?
Briggs:
It came about through Twitter, with a mate and me making friends with Josh Weinstein who is the executive producer and co-creator of the show. He liked my work and it’s just like the dream job you know.

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Simone:
Yeah yeah it sounds exciting!
Briggs:
It’s killer. It’s great.

Simone:
You’re also an artist that’s interested in getting the message of your songs out to all audiences, even those who may be too young to relate to your music or understand the message. So, you have penned a children’s book titled “Our Home Our Heartbeat”. Can you tell me about the story of the book as well as the inspiration behind writing it?
Briggs:
It’s the book I wish I had when I was a kid. It’s about celebrating indigenous achievement and normalizing indigenous achievements. And to various industries as well.

Simone:
In regard to the book is it something you are wanting to try to be included on the material reading list in the curriculum for kids in schools?
Briggs:
A lot of teacher have hit me up about that.

Simone:
That’s fantastic! I really think there is a gap in regards to children’s books in the curriculum in relating to indigenous culture and for everybody to learn about, and as you said even for yourself as an indigenous person growing up, that lack of material I think it’s really important that it’s included.
Briggs:
That was why I did it really. Because I wanted to make the book that I didn’t have.

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Simone:
Definitely. With so many projects on the go and working on many things, what is next on the cards for you creative wise once you’ve got the EP out, you’ve got your book out now and you’ve done some collaborations?
Briggs:
I’ll finish this album, that’s the next thing. There are probably a thousand things that I haven’t given the correct amount of attention to, but my album is number one. Get that finished. And if I feel like working on anything else, something different, I’ll do that.

Simone:
Well you’ve definitely got a lot of different creative projects on the go at the moment which is fantastic. Congratulations on all your achievements with your singles and your EP and your collaborations. You’re definitely someone who is getting a lot done particularly during this lock down period.
Briggs:
No worries, I have to do something!

Simone:
Yeah! Exactly. Well thank you so much for talking to me today and we look forward to hearing the album very soon.
Briggs:
No worries. Thank you very much.

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Follow BRIGGS
Website – Facebook

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BRIGGS
releases
‘ALWAYS WAS’ EP

Australian Hip-hop pioneer, comedy writer, actor, best-selling children’s book author, and Yorta-Yorta man Briggs is finally releasing his long awaited new 6 track EP ‘Always Was’, now available on all digital platforms through Island Records.

‘Always Was’ is Briggs’s first solo body of work to be released since 2014’s ‘Sheplife’ and the acclaimed 2016 A.B. Original ‘Reclaim Australia’ album. It was written in writing rooms between Los Angeles, Sydney and Adelaide featuring tracks produced by Trials and Jayteehazard.

The artwork features a series of geometric patterns designed by interdisciplinary artist Reko Rennie, and a photograph of Briggs’s own tattooed hand proclaiming ‘Always Was’

The most recent single ‘Go To War’ features guest vocalist Thelma Plum and is a song that is fundamentally about fearlessness when you get pushed too far and you’re backed into a corner and there’s very little recourse. 

‘After every avenue is exhausted and every word has been said, every bridge has been crossed or burnt, ‘Go To War’ is about ‘having it up to here’ and asking yourself, ‘is this where you want to be?’.

The video clip touches on the challenge of living in-between traditional and colonial worlds with a cast including the Muggera Dancers, Thelma Plum, Barkaa, Nooky, Kobie Dee, and Scottie Marsh.

The first single ‘Extra Extra’, was produced by friend and collaborator Trials, and says enough about the work ethic of the quadruple-threat from Shepparton. 

‘Extra, Extra is how I live. No days off. Everything I do is Extra – you can check my resume for that. A lot of people know me for a lot of different things – but this is back to the fundamentals of who I am as Briggs.’

 ‘Always Was’ is out now through Island Records available Here

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Briggs

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AMNPLIFY – DB