For Sarah Blasko, her journey through music has been nothing short of transformative. With the release of her new album, her songwriting becomes more reflective, more personal than ever before.
We sat down with the 3x Platinum and 3x ARIA Award-winning singer, songwriter, musician and producer as she opens up about the creative process, confronting her past, and the emotional weight of the music she’s making. Her latest work, she admits, has been both cathartic and difficult to navigate.
Sarah Blasko VIC Tour Dates
- Sat 1 Mar – The Wedge – Wayput/Sale
- Sun 2 Mar – Frankston Arts Centre – Boon Wurrung/Frankston
- Fri 21 Mar – Echuca Paramount – Yorta Yorta/Echuca
- Sat 22 Mar – Her Majesty’s Theatre – Wadawurrung/Ballarat
- Sun 23 Mar – The Lighthouse – Gunditjmara Country/Warrnambool
- Sun 30 Mar – Archies Creek Hotel – Gunditjmara Country/Archies Creek
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The live version of her latest album, I Just Need To Conquer This Mountain, recorded at The Factory Theatre in Sydney, is coming to your ears on 25 February.
Blasko describes the mountain as symbolic of the weight of the past, something that becomes more pronounced as we age.
“I’m just leaving it open,” she says, reflecting on the album’s meaning. “I thought the album was about the weight or mountain of the past… as you get older, sometimes you find yourself overwhelmed with what has come before you. There’s things ahead of you, sure, but the past you created can feel overwhelming.”
It’s clear that Blasko has come to understand the past as both an anchor and a compass, one that demands perspective to truly move forward. She draws on how the vividness of the past can sometimes take on a larger-than-life quality, urging the listener—and herself—to reframe the intensity of those memories.
Blasko admits that creating this record was emotionally challenging, and at times, painful. “It was difficult, it was kind of a painful record to write,” she says, “I kept wanting to move on to a new subject matter, I didn’t want to write an album on those things, but I couldn’t move on to anything else.”
Blasko acknowledges that as she gets older, she feels more liberated to confront the past without the veil of secrecy she once hid behind in her songwriting. “I never really wanted to make an album as honest as this,” she shares. “I often veil things in a bit of secrecy, but I’m at a point in my life where I don’t know what the point of doing that is, so you just have to hope if it resonates with me and matters to me, it will resonate with others.” She notes that the music came before the lyrics. The melodies she created early on, but it was the painful process of putting her emotions into words that truly brought the album to life.
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For Blasko, it’s also about letting go. Letting go of your younger self is a theme that runs through the album. However, when asked if she truly believes it’s possible to let go, she reflects deeply. “Letting go of being burdened by the feelings you had when you were younger, letting go of the intensity of all of those things… even though you are the same person in a lot of ways, I don’t know who that person was when I was 25.”
“I had to get to a point where I forgave myself for things and see clearly why I made certain decisions and be proud of myself for those.”
It’s been a while since Blasko has toured outside the major cities, but her excitement about returning to regional areas is palpable. “We started off the tour this month and so far we’re delighted with regional touring,” she says. “The food, the swims, there’s a lot of beauty to be seen driving—it’s very different from city touring. So far, so good.”
As a fan of the intimacy and connection that regional shows offer, Blasko is eager to revisit those spaces that allowed for meaningful interactions with fans.
“My band and I are playing the record in full, and then songs from all my records, but there’s a theatricality to this show,” she describes. “It’s very immersive, it’s a musical journey. I love that about it. People can sit back and get lost in the journey, with visuals from the video clips that can take people into another realm.”
For Blasko, this isn’t just a performance; it’s an invitation to escape into her music, to join her on a voyage through sound, emotion, and personal growth. It’s a reminder that even though the past may feel like a mountain at times, there’s always room to move forward and find new ways to connect with others.
As she continues to evolve both as an artist and as a person, Sarah Blasko’s journey is one of self-discovery, forgiveness, and a willingness to share her deepest, most authentic self with the world.
