LA-based Australian singer Sia Furler enjoyed breakthrough success earlier this year with her third album, Some People Have Real Problems, which charted in the Billboard Top 30. The record capitalised on the attention garnered by Sia’s song ‘Breathe Me’, which was used to stunningly powerful effect in the finale of HBO series Six Feet Under.
“I have to say – and this will probably make me sound like an egomaniac – but I was really shocked that the song hadn’t done anything until that point,” says Sia of the post-Six Feet Under success enjoyed by ‘Breathe Me’. “I thought that was a really good song, and it was definitely my favourite on the album. I was so shocked that it hadn’t been used in some emotional scene in a movie or TV series. I figured it was just made for that. I guess it’s like having a kid who’s a really good tap dancer, and you can’t believe that nobody ever cast her as the lead in any school plays.
“I couldn’t work it out, but I had total faith that one day she would be the world’s best tap dancer, or something! And finally, when they used it in that show, it was like, ‘Great! You finally got the fucking part!’”
In many ways, the emotional impact of ‘Breathe Me’ is similar to Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Hurt’ and, funnily enough, it actually contains a lyric (“Hurt myself again today”) that is almost exactly the same as the opening line of Trent Reznor’s song.
“Oops!” laughs Sia. “The collective consciousness working against me again! I don’t really listen to music, so I didn’t know that, although I have heard the Johnny Cash version. But I don’t know if I’ve ever heard the original. In terms of the impact of the song, I wrote it when I was having a really bad day. But, you know, 50 grand worth of therapy later and here comes the good stuff (laughs).”
Notably, Some People Have Real Problems features contributions from Beck and Hollywood actor Giovanni Ribisi (whose sister is married to Mr. Hansen). How did Sia first meet Beck?
“I met him at Coachella a few years ago,” she explains. “Nigel Godrich is a friend of mine, and he produces all of Beck’s albums, and I saw Nigel at the festival. I went up to say hi, and he was standing with Beck. We got along well, and afterwards we hung out at his villa for a bit. Then, three weeks later, he got in contact and asked if I wanted to do a duet with him at this KCRW event. Of course, I said yes. He also did duets with Norah Jones and Beth Orton at that show, and I was actually the last person on with him, so I was just shitting bricks.
“It was right after that whole ‘Breathe Me’ period too, and I’d stopped drinking for about a year at that point. So I went on sober, which was a totally new experience for me, and it was actually kind of a life-changing moment. It was like some cheesy ’80s movie where the geek gets the girl and then they all do choreographed dancing. I was totally unknown in America, but we got a standing ovation, and he just really did a lot for me that day.”
What song did you perform with him?
“We did ‘You’re The One That I Want’ from Grease.”
Did you wear the sprayed-on leather trousers and everything?
“Well, he changed the major to a minor and we did it real slow. It became (adopts soul diva voice), ‘I got chills that are multiplyyyyin…’ It was spooky. I didn’t actually wear the skin-tight leather, but I would like to. I’ve always fantasised about that! I’m sure Beck has too – I’ve seen him in leather trousers.”

Some People Have Real Problems is out now on Hear Music