“Can we all be a bit more human? When you break down those barriers, it’s a wonderful world”: An interview with Ziggy Alberts

Hailing from coastal Australia, Ziggy Alberts has made it back to the UK for a run of intimate shows, and two back-to-back nights in Kentish Town’s Forum is up next. It’s been a decade-long journey from performing on Aussie streets to headlining shows on the other side of the world, and he’s been surrounded by a team of friends and family the whole time.

His latest single Outlaw is a song full of warmth, with self-growth and being human at its core. The Upcoming were able to catch up with him in a Kentish Town flat to hear all about it. We talked about the time he nearly got his phone stolen, performing older songs and Matty Healy. 

Hi Ziggy, thank you so much for talking with us, especially on the eve of two nights at Kentish Town’s forum. It’s not a small feat at all. How are you feeling, excited or ready to jump into the canal?

Where’s the canal? Swimmable? Ha, I won’t jump straight in. Excited to be back playing in Kentish Town. I don’t know if I played the Kentish Town one before, I know I played the O2 Islington, that’s smaller. I reckon we played the venue just once before, years ago, in 2019. We did the Apollo last time, so this is a couple more intimate shows back to back, so it’s cool. Although the Apollo is incredible for everyone – me included – feedback from fans is that 1500-2000 capacity, even if they don’t know that exact number, the feeling of relative intimacy is there. I’m looking forward to it, but when you’re touring, you don’t look forward to much otherwise you’ll never be here.

It’s a big tour so far, but what’s impressive about your path from busking to headlining shows on the other side of the world is that it’s been an organic rise, very self-made. Could you talk a bit about that aspect of your success?

I started out as a street musician, we’re talking 11 or 12 years ago. A decade ago I was starting to tour Australia. 2015 was the first time I came to the UK. It was a run of house shows. We did New Forest, did Whiskers in Cornwall, did a Middle Eastern cafe in Hackney. That was my first ever London show. That was a big show, that was like 80 people. I must say, for as much as I have the self-made moniker – I definitely did lots myself – but I’ve also been surrounded by my family and friends. We started our record label in 2019, which was really cool. That was kind of a turning point where I hit critical mass and had international deals. I had offers from majors, said no, and started our own label. Wild, but a major important thing, and very proud to say it’s a big team now. Self-made, to what degree? I can only say so much about that. At least totally independent, whatever that’s worth. Not a branch of a major label, not a branch of a major distribution, but actually independent, family and friend-run. I’m at least happy to have taken this route and hopefully setting the example of: if you would like to, then you can. I just saw that James Blake is independent for the first time. I don’t know him personally but I would love to reach out and say, “‘Hey, after 10 years, would you like any thoughts?” It’s a very different model. All that being said, as you progress through your career, at first it’s very DIY and, by necessity, you have to grow out. Now I’m almost in a relatively normal or commercial setting, the only core difference is that everything surrounding us is a team and label that we’ve built together. I get to be the director, which is nice, because I still have freedom in my career.

It’s been a decade-long journey for you. How do you feel about your older music now, looking back at it?

Such a great question, actually one I’ve been asked a couple of times and it makes me think. I hear other artists say they look back and say it’s embarrassing, but I look back in awe of the older stuff because I think that it’s simple by necessity, you don’t have an option. What’s really great is it’s a chance for your most authentic work, and there’s something about this undiluted magic of the first thing. That’s probably all of our lives: there’s something very special about first times. I look back at old music and think, “Wow, I hope I can continue in an authentic way to do something as special as those moments.” You’re just flying by the seat of your pants and just doing it. I love to look back and I cringe but I look back and go, “Wow.” I think in some ways, musically, the person who started 10 years ago is wiser because you’re just taking chances. My process returns to the simplicity and magic of that by choice. 

You still perform old songs now, is that special?

It’s hilarious. I love it. I love singing these very 17-year-old lyrics. So many times I catch myself singing these words on stage and I burst into laughter, because it’s such a ridiculous 17-year-old thing. But it’s really cool. It’s a beautiful thing, music, because you get this kind of timecode. We all have these really cool memories. There are a couple songs I still play: one from 2011, one from 2013. I don’t really feel like fighting the tide. People want those songs to be played and they receive them well. Why not?

You’ve released instrumental versions of some of your albums. This is very cool and something we don’t often see from artists. Why was that something you wanted to share with fans?

It’s so they can do their own karaoke. That’s a big plus. That’s a really good question. There’s so much work that goes into a solo artist who works with so many amazing producers and different friends and musicians who’ve come in and off the record that it’s such a great different take. It’s also, in some way, very utilitarian in the sense that people get to put it under their interview or put it in a backpacking video or their own video diary. It’s very pragmatic. It means it gets to be with people more. Hilariously, a month or two ago the girls at the label used the instrumental of The Sun and the Sea for a surfing video and it trended on Instagram and people used it for baby announcements. You know, this crazy stuff and that was the instrumental version, not the original. You don’t know how people are gonna connect and it’s wonderful for the musicians who are on the record around me. To have a little moment like that is nice.

Your new single Outlaw is out now. It’s a beautiful, warm song about being human. Was that a concept you deliberately sought out for the single, or something that came about naturally?

It was a front-runner when we were in the studio. Garret (Kato), who co-produced it, was like, “This is my favourite song on the record.” The being more human line is funny. It’s a big nod to Matty Healy (The 1975). They’ve got a song called Human Too, a great song. I’m a massive fan. Didn’t see them on their Very Best tour, still hurting about it. I guess, you try to get to that key ethos of trying to find a way to be a bit more human, I think we’re all seeking that. We continue to be, for better or worse – a kooky word – but cyber-human, as far as how much we are our avatar online versus our reality and so much of our world. Our current physical reality is blending into the metaverse. You know, just today, we touched on before the interview, this young lass who rushed out of the cafe seeing my phone about to get stolen under the map. Classic Aussie move – someone just comes to me with a map and I’m like, “I’ll take you inside and show you where to go.” Anyways, she had my phone and this lady went out of her way and ran out to say, “She’s got your phone!” Perfect example of humanity right there of someone thinking, “I care, I’m gonna take action.” That to me is a nice thing… And she took a chance. There was a small chance that this person was actually just looking at the map. We need that grace, that process, and Outlaw touches on the question of: can I be more human? Can we all be a bit more human? When you break down those barriers, it’s a wonderful world.

You mentioned that Garrett Kato co-produced the song. What’s that relationship like, and how does he add to a song?

By the time I finish working on a song with him, you can’t take anything about the song seriously because we’ve been creating so many jokes about it along the way. I remember trying these punk-pop melodies for Outlaw and we were on the floor in tears. We were 17 again, combed hair, Alexisonfire, and we’re on the floor crying in laughter and I loved that. He’s not precious about anything but he is precious about capturing good takes and he really wants to do the best job for the song. He really invests in a song. One of his strongest qualities is that he really tries to make the best song he can no matter who he’s with. You’ll have an up-and-comer come through and he’ll go 115% to make it as good as he possibly can with someone who’s developing – that’s a really strong quality as a producer. He’s a good dad, got young daughters, committed to them and his wife, which is also really good.

It seems like music is a communal thing for you. You released the EP Friends Edition with lots of collaborations. How did that come about?

I think it was my sister/manager who suggested Friends Edition. I was like, “What a great idea!” It just felt like I was surrounded by so many great musicians, friends who happen to be musicians, and it was just a great way to cross-pollinate. Like with Garrett, he’s got a massive US following. Hollow Coves, who are my genre, they’ve got a following of their own. It’s cool for people to be like, “I know both these people.” Maybe in some ways, I’m more community-minded in music because I’m on stage by myself a lot. Ironically, because I’m a solo performer, I’m more community-minded because you don’t have your bubble onstage. It’s just fun. It’s fun to share when you’re feeling that abundant thing where you give and you receive and life’s wonderful and if you kind of start holding back then things get weird. Harrison Storm did a version of Stronger where I was like, “This is better than the original.” Garrett’s version of Love Me Now is probably better than the original. Hollow Coves’s Laps Around the Sun does really well week by week online. I’ve got my Finnish friends, YOUNGHEARTED on there doing a version, Bobby Alu did this reggae/ska/Rastafara version. You get a vision of these songs. It’s great. Such fun.

Anyone you want on another Friends Edition? You mentioned you were a fan of The 1975, maybe them?

I would drop so much to tour with The 1975. Just in case Matty’s ever in a dark internet hole and we’re here on his 1975 references and sees us he can contact me by email or phone. 

What song of yours would you want him to sing?

He’s got this great song When We Are Together and it made me think of a mellow song. You’ve got me on the spot. I haven’t thought about what song Matt Healy and I would do together, but I’ll get back to you.

You clearly love London, you’ve got your EP A Postcard From London, what is it about this city that inspires you?

I mean, we don’t have anything like this in Australia, I think that’s the big allure for Aussies in the UK. We don’t have these beautiful big old buildings. There’s always this hustle and bustle, which we do have in our cities, but our cities are still young, they’re a couple hundred years old, whereas there’s the history in London. It’s definitely known for being an Aussie stronghold. I’m really stoked to say that in doing this whole UK tour, and we’ve played from Bournemouth to Belfast, I feel really happy to say we’ve got a strong English crowd. Taking nothing away from the Aussies – they’re lovely, can’t get enough of them. I think my biggest overseas show was at the Apollo last year. So I guess, I’ve played from 80 here over nine years to 4,500 people in a night, and any city that you get that grassroots rise in becomes special.

You are of course from the great Down Under. A lot of your album titles are related to nature: Made of Water, Laps Around the Sun. Do you think that being an Aussie has influenced your style of music?

Yeah, it has. I think ironically there’s that bit of English crossover, outside of my grandmother being English. One of my biggest influences, which people would very much hear on Made of Water, is Ben Howard. I’m a die-hard Ben Howard fan. He shaped a lot for us overseas in the sense that he was, in my opinion, the first coastal folk musician. You know, there’s folk music, there’s trad folk, there’s rock folk. Jack Johnson was the first surfer singer-songwriter on a world stage. Ben was the first surf-folk singer-songwriter. He split out of trad folk into this thing and it was so influential to everyone. Being born and raised on the coast, that was my environment to pull from in metaphor and Australia is undoubtedly known for its obscenely incredible nature and ruggedness and that has probably shaped a lot of my references, for sure. I love Australia, it’s a magic place and a lot of people from the UK love it too. I’ve been shaped by an international musicianship. Lots of Hozier, Asgeir from Iceland. More recently, I listen to lots of Dermot O’Kennedy. That all weaves into your own music, which is cool. You can become more of a citizen of the world, which is important. I’ve got a lot of family history in Europe, I’ve got family in Canada, North America and a huge base in Australia. It makes you feel connected to the world. It’s important to break down those barriers.

What can we expect from your next lap around the sun?

I think the never-ending tour continues. That’s what I think is in the plans. We’re working on a project close to announcement, and I think it’s gonna hopefully be a great follow-up to what Laps has been. I’m just looking forward to developing the live show, which has come leaps and bounds to become a real production performance for one person onstage. In the next lap around the sun, I’d like to keep finding new personal ground, cultivating peace and sharing it on stage.

Talitha Stowell
Photos: Filippo L’Astorina (except concert by Nick Bennett)

For further information and future events visit Ziggy Alberts’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Runaway here: