Without even so much as an album to her name, Bishop Briggs – born Sarah McLaughlin, but unable to use her real name for obvious reasons – has already staked claim to international recognition and garnered considerable hype as a talent to watch in the realm of indie-pop. A multi-faceted and genre-flexible performer, the 24-year-old re-released her eponymous debut EP back in April to take advantage of said momentum. Although repackaging a release less than six months old may seem a curious tactic, for Briggs it’s about impacting on the collective conscience and maintaining a sense of vitality in the present tense.

“It’s always a goal for me – and, I think, for any artist – to release something that you’re proud of,” she says. “When you’re putting out something new, you want it to be a reflection on who you are currently. That’s certainly what I was able to achieve with this EP – two of the songs on it were written and finished a month before it came out. They’re fresh recordings, based off recent experiences; and it’s really exciting to share that. The great part of releasing a body of work like an EP is that people are able to get a better sense of who you are as an artist. They might even learn the words and sing along when they come to see you at a show.”

Through singles such as ‘River’, ‘Be Your Love’ and ‘Wild Horses’, Briggs has already showcased a malleable approach to her music. These songs incorporate liberal use of beats and artificial instrumentation playing yin-and-yang with her blues-tinged vocals. She’s not quite pop, not quite rock… truth be told, she’s not quite anything. That’s a point of pride for the woman herself, mind you: “My hope is just to remain authentic,” she affirms.

“Sometimes, authenticity can come from a willingness to experiment; other times it can come from wanting to put together something cohesive. I love having gospel elements in my music. I love using hip-hop beats; I love having soulful melodies and vulnerable lyrics. It’s important to me to maintain that level of where I found my inspiration originally. Growing up, I was dancing in my living room; listening to Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin. I hope that’s always something that’s influential on my music. I’m writing every day, and I try to record as much as possible – just so I have these stories on record; and so that one day I can look back on my entire body of work as something that I’m really proud of.”

Two of the songs on [the Bishop Briggs EP] were written and finished a month before it came out. They’re fresh recordings, based off recent experiences.

Away from her own solo music this year, Briggs also unexpectedly made an appearance on L.A. Divine, the sixth album by indie-rockers Cold War Kids. That’s her providing vocals on track three, ‘So Tied Up’, which was also turned into an acoustic version to focus more on Briggs’ vocals in duet style. No-one – least of all Briggs herself – saw it coming. “I have no idea how it came about,” she says. “It was this stars-aligning moment – I still can’t believe that it happened.”

“I got this phone call out of the blue one day, and it was Nathan [Willett, Cold War Kids frontman]. He had heard my voice on the radio! I had no chill at all. I completely lost my cool! I just turned into this super fan-girl on the phone. He asked if I would be interested in potentially collaborating, and that’s how the ‘So Tied Up’ video came about. That was our first time meeting – we only had a few hours, and we just instantly connected. I’ve been a fan of theirs for 10 years now. They’re a band that means so much to me, so I was beyond flattered that they wanted to work with me.”

I love having gospel elements in my music. I love using hip-hop beats; I love having soulful melodies and vulnerable lyrics.

As for future collaborations, Briggs has no current plans. There is, however, one act that is at the very top of her wishlist: “I am obsessed with Jack Garratt,” she says. “He went on before us at Coachella, and seeing him live was so eye-opening. I feel that I could really learn a lot from working with someone like him.”

Without pushing too contrived a narrative, Briggs has certainly been raised as a citizen of the world, so to speak. The story goes that she was born in London to Scottish parents, was raised in Japan and moved to Los Angeles after finishing high school. She has spent the majority of her life seeing what the globe has to offer her – which is why her first-ever tour of Australia does not double as her maiden voyage.

I got this phone call out of the blue one day, and it was Nathan [Willett, Cold War Kids frontman]. He had heard my voice on the radio! I had no chill at all.

“This is my first time playing in Australia, but I have been an obnoxious tourist in the past,” she explains with a laugh. “I was in Sydney, I got to go to Bondi Beach and I’ve visited the Gold Coast too – I’ve been lucky enough to see a part of the country, and I loved it. I have to say, I think that it’s going to be so different this time around – I’ll be performing and getting to do what I love. I had such an amazing time the first time that I visited, so my expectations are very high for this next experience.”

Bishop Briggs plays Splendour In The Grass 2017 alongside The xx, Queens Of The Stone Age, LCD Soundsystem and many more from Friday July 21 – Sunday July 23. Her sideshow is at the Oxford Art Factory on Thursday July 20, and her self-titled EP is available now through Island Records.

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