Ziggy Alberts on Music, Australia, and Staying Hopeful

Ziggy Alberts, 25 year old Australian singer-songwriter (/environmentalist/wicked surfer), is a name you've probably come across in your world of music at some point. If you haven't, I suggest you take a good hard look at your Spotify routine, and then perhaps a good hard look in the mirror. Having taken only 25 'laps around the sun,' the independent artist has managed to release five records, start his own label Commonfolk Records, play sold out tours across the world, and amasse millions of listeners worldwide. Ziggy's latest album, Laps Around The Sun, won Album of the Week on Triple J, and has been streamed over 35.96 million times on Spotify.

Toronto had the pleasure of welcoming the Australian native to the Great North on July 4th at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. Fans were captivated as Ziggy took the stage to inspire the crowd of people through his melodic songs and hopeful words. The room glistened with lights and big smiles, as everyone came together to enjoy the notorious sweet sounds that Ziggy Alberts is known for. It's hard to believe that not long ago, this was the same artist that was busking on the streets in hopes of spreading some joy to those passing by. As Triple J stated, Ziggy Alberts is truly "the golden boy who busked his way to success."

We had the privilege of chatting with Ziggy about all things music, Australia, and the importance of protecting our incredible planet.

S&S: Firstly, incredible show in Toronto last week! I lived in Australia for a year and spent a lot of time listening to music along the likes of yourself, Xavier Rudd, Mat McHugh, Hollow Coves etc. Do you think growing up in Australia influenced the sound of your music at all? Ziggy: Absolutely, we have a lot of incredible songwriters in Australia - but I think with music being so accessible in our generation, I was equally influenced by international artists as well. S&S: Do you find your music has changed a lot since your first EP, Feels Like Home? Ziggy: Definitely. I feel like now more than ever - especially with my new tracks - that I'm growing as a singer-songwriter, as opposed to my heavy folk influence in early releases.

S&S: Do you feel people place your music in a certain type of genre? Do you feel it fits this genre, or any “genre” for that matter? Ziggy: To be honest, I'm not sure. I'm really happy with how people have my music in various parts and times of their lives, for happy events, sad events... it's really touching that my songs can soundtrack a range of emotions. S&S: You mentioned the importance of protecting the environment on stage last night, and we could hear the sense of urgency and passion in your voice, along with many of your lyrics. How do you “stay hopeful”, as you mentioned, at a time when we need hope the most? Ziggy: Great question. I'm pretty inspired by how resilient and ingenious humans are, and I think once you look past the bad news that makes the headlines, you find a lot of good. It just doesn't make the headlines, so you've got to keep your eyes and ears open! S&S: Well put! I often find that many Australian musicians especially are speaking out about these pressing environmental topics in a 'new-wave' of activism-based music. Do you feel like your art and your social/environmental passions go hand in hand? Has it always been this way, or are you finding more of a voice with your growing influence and fan base? Ziggy: They've always gone hand in hand - but I think the more I learn, the more inclined I am to share in a way that people can be inspired to learn too. We all need clean air, clean water, a healthy ecosystem to grow food. We all need these things and our jobs depend on the stability of our planet - that's easy to forget in today's society. I like to keep that 'front of mind.'

S&S: What sort of things would you encourage our readers to do in order to help protect our natural environment at such a pivotal time in history? Ziggy: Explore how you can contribute in your own unique way. If you have something you are passionate about protecting and conserving, go for it! Do your part the best you can. Learn how you can do it better and keep moving forward. We can all be responsible for our part and make a positive impact on the various issues in both our local communities and internationally. We need all hands on deck right now and if we all help out we are going to continue to make positive changes for the years to come.