What’s in a name? Apparently quite a lot when that name is George.
Of all the masculine monikers a girl could choose, for some reason, ‘George’ has resonated through the decades with powerful dames whose art demands anonymity. Nestled among great minds like George Sand and George Elliot, George Maple (aka Jess Higgs) is certainly in good company.
When Jess first created George Maple, the intention was to craft a dark, musical alter-ego she could step in and out of like a costume. Like the George’s before her, Jess craved freedom in anonymity.
{youtube}OI546yWtNTA{/youtube}
But, as she became more comfortable with being herself, the idea slowly slipped away and, while she kept the pseudonym, George and Jess congealed back into the one, unified identity.
Thinking back to the shadowy vision she had for the character in the beginning, George took a lingering moment of silence. Then she laughed. “You know, we’re actually not that different now. I’ve somehow come full circle.
“George Maple at the moment is very much obsessed with money and power. Not personally pursuing those mediums but observing them and delving into all the dark, little nooks and crannies they contain. George is a more villainous extension of myself but I fall right into it every now and then, particularly on stage.”
{youtube}6c-zHOERb0M{/youtube}
In discarding her creation, it seems George may have inadvertently become it. The character she envisioned cloaking herself with – the shadow persona she abandoned in favour of being herself – is sneaking closer to becoming who she actually is.
The process of becoming this darker manifestation of herself came, quite simply, through following her curiosity which, for the moment at least, is leading her into the murkier hollows of the world. “I’ve ended up in some bizarre situations. It’s not been planned but it has become such a big influence on me, musically and also visually. I find those worlds amazing and really theatrical and fun to explore.
{youtube}pcRnr7HlkqA{/youtube}
“My life is a weird group of serendipitous events. And I’m a naturalist about it all; I like things to flow naturally, I don’t like to force anything. I think the right opportunities come with the right energy and the right inspiration. If you continue to challenge yourself and put yourself in strange environments, then you’re bound to have strange experiences that are interesting to write about.”
George is enigmatic about the places she’s been exploring. All the details are secreted away in her music and film clips. If you’re curious, ‘Sticks And Horses’ has been soaking in these darker themes and the film clip is fat with all the good stuff: sex, money, cars and explosions.
{youtube}5poZvbZ_zRA{/youtube}
The ideas that embody the track swaggered into George’s mind in the early hours of the morning, at a strip club in Miami. “It was just this crazy universe of inspirational experiences. The music, the video and everything crystallised. I guess I’ve always been intrigued by that world and the theatrics behind all of these dark, little, pleasure-seeking pockets. Whether it be a strip club or casino, those hedonistic places, and the behaviours they inspire, fascinate me.”
George Maple Tour Dates
Fri 8 Jul - Metro Theatre (Sydney)Sun 10 Jul - Fat Controller (Adelaide)
Wed 13 Jul - Corner Hotel (Melbourne)
Fri 15 Jul - Oh Hello (Brisbane)
Sat 16 Jul - Jack Rabbit Slims (Perth)
