The moon
pulls whole oceans of water
in and out
every day
and you’re telling me
as a body of mostly water
there is no way
this could ever affect the ways you are feeling?
This beautiful sentiment was tucked away in the pages of brainwaves – one of the two bundles of scribbles, notes, and musings that were given to us by none other than Ziggy Alberts.
Along with sun memos, this neat little poetry book shone a different kind of light on the world-touring musician, author, and ocean enthusiast who has garnered such an impressive following over the years.
While it’s easy to get caught up in the swell of his acoustic folk-pop melodies, it’s even easier to vouch for the man behind the music. Growing up on the Sunshine Coast, Ziggy has maintained his modest charm as an independent artist throughout his grassroots journey, despite being a big name in a hectic industry.
Indeed, his down-to-earth perspective and authentic songwriting hit pretty close to home, especially for those of us who live and breathe on the coast. As you can imagine, it came as no surprise when he told us surfing has been a part of his life since before he can remember.
“The ocean, poetry, waves, and music are really closely tied together for me. They belong to each other and are the balance for my life. They keep me accountable to pursuing my adventures, which keeps me free.
“It works great, because I always end up working on so much music and poetry during surf trips. Poetry, surfing, and music are the trifecta – they all intertwine.
“Poetry is my yin and a time for reflection, while surfing, music, and touring are my yang, as they are full of energy and are all about managing my adrenaline.
“Without surfing and adventure, there isn’t the raw, rugged nature and physicality that is so part and parcel of my inspiration. Without them, it is just empty words.”
Littered with imagery of the ocean, freedom, self-discovery, environmentalism, love, and nature, Ziggy’s discography is commonly associated with introspection and adventure. Basically, it’s the kind of music that takes you to the breezy beachsides of the east coast of Australia – his home base.
So far, Ziggy is best known for his studio album ‘Laps Around the Sun’, which peaked at number two on the ARIA Charts for Australian Artist Albums in 2018. You might also recognise ‘Gone’, ‘Runaway’, ‘Heaven’, ‘Stronger’, ‘Simple Things’, and ‘Days in the Sun’, which are some of his most popular tracks that have also earned a tonne of ARIA certifications.
These achievements have attracted heaps of major players in the music industry, but despite plenty of offers, Ziggy opted to start his own label instead. Ingrained in creativity, sustainability, and integrity, Commonfolk Records isn’t tied to any larger label or industry beast, it’s completely independent, and is mostly run with the help of his family and friends.
Ziggy said he is so proud to have taken the independent route, and hopes to set the example of, “If you would like to, then you can.”
“I must say, for as much as I have the self-made moniker – and I definitely did lots myself – I’ve also been surrounded by my family and friends who have helped me achieve what I have in my career. It’s wild, and I’m very proud to say we’re a big team now.
“I’ve been told so many things aren’t possible over the years regarding music, and frankly, most of them are as long as you are willing to take on the responsibility and the risk.
“If others wanted to follow in my footsteps, I would say to trust that you likely have the outside-of-the-box answer, and don’t be scared to revolutionise the way things are done.
“The path I’ve taken is not necessarily the best one, and I would be super happy to see other independent artists come up with ideas that I have never dreamed of and follow their lead. High tides lift all boats!”
Adding to his collection of sun-soaked sounds, Ziggy has recently announced his new album, ‘New Love’, which drops on 21 February next year and brings together his signature acoustic warmth with his insightful perspective on the importance of self-care and awareness.
A few of these new singles have been teased during his New Love World Tour, which, from what we’ve heard, has been nothing short of a crazy ride. Kicking off in June 2024, Ziggy has played some of his biggest overseas shows ever over the past few months, stopping in at locations across the United States, Germany, Spain, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Ziggy said he wrote his latest song, ‘Where Does The Love Go’, when he was feeling a lack of self-love and began to ask himself a lot of questions.
“I was wondering where the love goes when it’s not us. Now that I’ve thought about it more, I think love disappears unless we embody it, and it is the responsibility of humanity, wherever possible, to keep it alive.
“During one trip, I met a father of three who was quite a rough, hardy kind of bloke. He told me this amazing story about one of my songs, and he was crying while telling me this story.
“You write these tracks from a place that isn’t always pleasant, and you take that emotion and all the experiences that you’re having – all the experiences you observe in the world – and you deliver them back to the world in the form of a song.
“Then, you meet the people that understand, and it has some effect on them – that’s truly special.”
Of course, Ziggy caught waves long before he started creating music, and has made a real point of surfing a lot as he continues to tour around the globe, taking in the unique people, concert lights, and ocean sunsets of every location.
Just recently, he went from Simeulue in Indonesia to the heavenly surf beaches of Fiji and Bali, carving it up on his Thomas 9’6” longboard and Gary McNeill Rasta Torus Twin as he went.
Surfing is also a big part of his efforts to stay as healthy as he can while touring, which also includes going for runs, practicing yoga and meditation, and applying the breathing techniques of Wim Hoff – a Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete commonly known as The Iceman.
Above everything else, Ziggy told us that surfing helps him deal with the very up-and-down nature of it all.
“Touring in particular is hectic, I know a couple of artists who have openly said that they had to pull back from it. So, whatever your definition of health is, it’s all about keeping that in check. But man, I’m still on that learning journey just as much as anybody else, and I’m happy to say that.
“My tour manager also cooks for us while we’re on the road – first as an effort to combat how much takeout waste we create, but also just because it’s so much healthier and better for you.
“There’s nothing quite like having a home-cooked meal and sitting down together at various times during the day, especially on the road. Simple, clean food can really help your mental state.
“I love sitting somewhere anonymously – outside in a different country – and watching the world go by. That’s one of my favourite places and times to reflect and write.”
When listening to his songs or reading his poems, it’s clear that Ziggy absorbs all of his experiences on the road, expressing them through what he creates. His deeply personal storytelling certainly strikes a chord, resulting in the kind of contemplations that can only come from being rocked gently by the ocean as you sit on your board waiting for the waves.
While music is very much a kind of outward expression for Ziggy, poetry is more inward – a rawer, more instantaneous version of his tracks, which take longer to produce due to the dimension and complexity of matching the lyrics with the melodies.
Ziggy told us that he is inspired to write music and poetry wherever he goes, with one never taking precedent over the other.
“Writing poetry has nothing to do with publishing it. Writing poetry is what music has been for me since the very beginning – an outpour. Minimal planning, maximum emotion.
“I’d say both my poetry and music are inspired by films. I have a real passion for film photography that I never have time to share much about. Film is a way to visually capture the beautiful moments that inspire my writing.
“Life and living is my inspiration, in all its many forms. Writing songs allows me to say things that I can’t even say to myself. It’s a way to tell stories or to make your own diary. Music, in that sense, has been such a saving grace for me.
“There’s a beautiful quote that I read in a book called Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. In it he quotes German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, ‘He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.’ That ‘why’ has been given to me by music.”