Ziggy Alberts Discusses the Lockdowns and Self-Care Rituals That Inspired ‘Tattoos’

Australian singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts has had a lot of things on his mind, lately.

That includes the pressure of lockdowns, the importance of self-expression, identity crises and how to practice self-care—and all of those things were the basis for his smooth new single "Tattoos," which dropped in February. For us, it was love at first listen, and we got the chance to ask Ziggy all of our most burning questions about the song, from the meaning behind its lyrics to whether he has any plans to get a tattoo himself.

Sweety High: What was the inspiration behind the song "Tattoos"?

Ziggy Alberts: I hopped out of the car one day and had this melody in my head; it was December 2021, and I think I more or less wrote the song that afternoon. It was inspired by the current events of my life and the two tier-society we are facing due to mandates. It's also about our identity crisis, lockdowns, self-care, grounding and the importance of self-expression.

 

SH: How does the idea of having something permanently inked on your skin relate to the idea of identity crises and self-expression?

ZA: We are a very visual society and I think we use our online avatars, tattoos, haircuts and clothes to color ourselves; to feel and be seen. We subconsciously tie ourselves to others based on that, which is only natural.

However, we are now facing a time where personal and private decisions are being made public identity—and I think that is absolutely terrible. Despite that, we do have a fantastic opportunity to throw away our many visual presumptions, and lean into the quality of each other's characters, instead of the covers of our books.

 

SH: The song is littered with your personal self-care rituals. Can you talk a little bit about them, and how they ground you and bring you joy and comfort? Why are those things so important to you in the year 2022?

ZA: My regular self-care rituals include meditation, yoga, ocean time, breathwork and ice baths. They ground me on so many levels because they bring my mind and body back to a natural equilibrium, which I think is hard in our immensely tech-centric lives.

 

Also read about: Finn Matthews Shares the Different Emotions Behind His Debut Album things i've been going thru

 

SH: What's your favorite lyric from the track?

AZ: That's a hard one. I think, " Been burning so much sage nearly burning down the house." My favorite reaction to that lyric is laughter, which I hope people do laugh.

 

SH: Do you have any tattoos yourself?

AZ: No, I don't. I really like them but frankly, I use my tattoo ideas as album artwork. I am a little extreme so if I get started, I will probably end up covered in them—so I just don't start! Plus, I love being in the ocean too much, and tattoos would require I spend a couple of days out of the water at a time.

 

Also read about: How Rozei Turned Doubts About Long-Distance Relationships Into New Track, 'Crashing & Burning'

 

SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

AZ: Just a big thank you to all the beautiful people listening to my songs. It's been a hard couple of years in music, and we are an independent family-run team, so all of the grassroots support has been really vital. Word of mouth is still the most powerful way to spread music, and I'm lucky to have listeners who do just that!

 

If you love Ziggy, be sure to follow him on Instagram @ziggyalberts, and to click HERE to read our interview with Ziggy on 2020's "Heartbeat."