NORMAL SONGS VOLUME 1: ZIGGY RAMO

Welcome to an ongoing series lovingly called Normal Songs.

Music is such a big part of everything we do here at Heaps Normal so we thought we’d start curating a bunch of awesome playlists that will help you in whatever normal you’re chasing.

To kick things off with a bang, we’ve asked our mate Ziggy Ramo to make a playlist of songs that best reflect what comes to mind when he thinks of Australia. From start to finish this is a winner of a list, 20 songs to listen to again and again.

Scroll down for Ziggy's notes on the playlist.

1. Archie Roach, Took The Children Away - My dad played me this song growing up and it has always stayed with me, it was one of the first times I saw myself in art. 

2. Native Tongue, Mo'Ju - I have often struggled with feeling at home within my own ancestral country and this song captures those feelings so perfectly. 

3. A Long Way From My Country, Kobie Dee - I love that this song feels like a conversation between Kobie and Country.

4. Black Privilege, Miiesha - There is something so nostalgic about Miiesha's music, it always transports me to another time. 

5. Abandoned, JK47 -  I love how honest JK is. His music is raw and unfiltered, through his truth telling he shines a light on a story often left untold. 

6. Fight For Me, Barkaa/Electric Fields - Barkaa's art is groundbreaking, and I am in constant awe of her storytelling. 

7. Run Dingo, Nooky - This song is filled with so much emotion, it feels alive. It speaks to the difficulty of creating from trauma, I am so grateful for this art.

8. Aussie Aussie, Birdz - Birdz flips the larrikin identity of Australia on its head, and I am all the way here for it. 

9. Ngarrikwujeyinama, Emily Wurramara - There is such an intimacy in this song, I love that it feels like Emily is singing directly to me. 

10. Thou Shalt Not Steal, Kev Carmody - Another song dad showed me, we picked the lyrics apart. It highlights the hypocrisy of Australia perfectly. 

11. Ngana Nyunyi, Tilly Tjala Thomas - I love Tilly blends the past and present into this song. What is created is something entirely new. 

12. Bapa, Gurrumul - A special song, from a special artist who continues to live on through his timeless art. 

13. Better Things, Kee'ahn - There is so much depth in this song, it carries such an important message that feels both universal yet extremely personal as well. 

14. Don't Dream It's Over, Isaiah Firebrace/Stan Walker - This rendition is so beautiful, it breathes life into an already amazing song.

15. Party Tricks, Alice Skye - Alice is one of my favorite artists. Alice's voice carries so much weight and it always hits me right in the core.

16. Dumb Things, A.B. Original/Paul Kelly - The coming together of these artist was truly iconic, they have all opened the door for many more to walk through.

17. Better in Blak, Thelma Plum - Thelma's music is just soooo gooood, I feel proud to be Blak listening to it. 

18. LOVE TOO SOON, Tasman Keith - I feel so much joy listening to this song, I love that Tasman was able to showcase the full spectrum of his artistic abilities. 

19.  Safety, Becca Hatch - Becca is the coolest artist/person I know and I love that she is completely herself, and that shines through in this song. 

20. Natural Woman, Kaiit - I have been listening to this song on repeat since it came out in 2017 and I love it more and more each time.