Missy Higgins may have a home in Los Angeles now, but she'll always be an Australian. She still keeps a place in Broome, where she wrote half of her 2008 album, On A Clear Night.

Back in Australia recently to film Bran Nue Dae, Higgins also took part in a performance video she hopes will help spread the word about keeping industrialization out of Kimberley (the northern section of Australia in which Broome is located), which is being threatened by oil and gas companies that may move in.

"I felt a connection there to my country that I never felt anywhere else in Australia," Higgins said on the video. "It has taught me a real respect for the land and for my country that I never really appreciated before." … continue reading

She may have moved to Los Angeles, but she's still an Aussie, through and through. Bisexual singer Missy Higgins is award-winning in her homeland, where she's maintained a successful musical career since she was 18 years old. Now she can add "film actress" to her résumé, as she's been cast alongside Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush in the new film Bran Nue Dae.

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The movie is an adaptation of a hit musical of the same name, and will begin shooting this Friday. Higgins has never acted before, and told an Australian newspaper she is a bit "terrified."

This opportunity felt like something I just couldn't pass up on. I feel very honored to be working alongside such an incredible cast and crew and I know it's going to be a lot of fun.

The other day I bumped into a friend of mine from high school whom I had not seen since she wrote the letters “K.I.T.” in my yearbook. After our awkward hug hello, the immediate question to follow was, “So what have you been up to?”

In the course of 10 minutes standing on a busy street corner, we summed up our lives, CliffsNotes style. She immediately tells me she is married with kids, and she is working at some law firm with three last names that I couldn’t possibly ever recall. The conversation then turns to me, and I have the always-awesome task of coming out — again. I tell my former classmate where I am working and that I am now living with my girlfriend of three years. I then wait for an awkward and befuddled face, and on cue, it arrives. After the momentary shock settles in, she becomes more intrigued than anything, and thus more conversation ensues:

“How’d you meet her?”

“I thought you might be gay in high school!"

“Did you like anyone in our grade?”

And then the dialogue I wasn’t expecting:

Former classmate: What kind of lesbian is your girlfriend?
Lesbian: Um, I’m sorry. What?
Former Classmate: You know, is she like an Ellen-type person, or more like a Portia de Rossi? Or is she like k.d. Lang or like that woman on Bravo with the gym?
Lesbian: Jackie Warner.
Former Classmate: Yes! Jackie Warner. See, you know!

While I could understand the curiosity surrounding her questions, I found it remarkable that she asked them. I mean, she told me she was married, and I didn’t launch into a litany of male celebrities: “So what’s your husband like? Is he a sloppy-sweatshirt-wearing kind of guy like Adam Sandler? Is he a baldy like Bruce Willis? Or does he have a full head like that McDreamy fellow?”

I guess as much as I was shocked by her candor, I couldn’t be offended by what she asked me because I admittedly have asked those sorts of questions of my own friends. How many times have you had to describe your ideal woman to someone using words like femme, butch, boi, androgynous, chapstick, lipstick or sporty?

Perhaps now, in place of those terms, it is easier just to use celebrity equivalents. So instead of saying something like, “I am attracted to femmes who are a little sporty,” you could say, “I’m looking for a Bette Porter with a splash of Dana." There you have a perfect visual and you know who you are getting. (And good for you, I might add.)

I know some of you may be getting mad at me and want to remind me that we are all individuals and very unique and shouldn’t succumb to any pigeonholes or stereotypes — and I totally agree with you. I understand that no one wants to be put in a box (they are cramped and often uncomfortable), but boxes can aid in describing the general style a person has, which is helpful in the art of attraction. You aren’t defined by this box; you are just painting a broad-spectrum image of yourself.

Given that some people (like my former classmate) wouldn’t know who Dana or Bette are, but would know who Ellen is, I was curious if any of you could describe yourself to someone using an out lesbian celebrity.

Let’s put it to the test. Which of these celesbians best describe you and your style? … continue reading

The Aussies are coming! The Aussies are coming! Catch openly bisexual Australian songstress Missy Higgins tonight on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Missy will sing her ballad “Where I Stood” off of her album, On a Clear Night. The performance follows TV appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and The Jimmy Kimmel Show earlier this year. Also on the show tonight is cranky, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and six-time Beijing Olympics medalist Natalie Coughlin. The Tonight Show airs at 11:35 p.m. on NBC. … continue reading

At the record store this week, The Faint and Connor Oberst's new album will be big topics of conversation, but there are also several ladies deserving of some discussion.

Brazilian Girls — New York City (Verve Forecast)

Led by the wildly eccentric Sabina Sciubba, the band has recorded an electro tribute album to their city. It's like a throwback to the time when Club Kids ruled the streets but with a modern take on all-nighters (read: less drugs, more dancing).

Amy Ray &mdash Didn't It Feel Kinder (Daemon Records)

Showing off her versatility yet again, Amy Ray tries out a higher range and succeeds. She's a little more daring in all other aspects as well, including lyrical content. … continue reading

You know how sometimes you come across something online and it seems like it was written just for you? I mean, to the point that it's almost scary?

EW.com has looked into my soul with a new feature called "Female Singer-Songwriters: The New Wave." (The print version is called "EW's Latest Aural Fixations," which is a way better title.) It highlights nine new artists, from Ingrid Michaelson to Yael Naim to Kate Walsh — and Missy Higgins, too. Sounds like a list of AfterEllen.com faves, doesn't it?

Missy Higgins

The feature includes links to the artists' MySpace pages, as well as brief bios and helpful artistic comparisons (e.g., you'll like Marié Digby if you like Vanessa Carlton). But there are no videos included, so allow me to provide a sampling! … continue reading