“Music for me was never a question. I started a band when I was 12 years old and literally from that time I assumed I was going to be a working musician. In saying that, it wasn’t until I was 27 – until I released my first album – so it took me a long time to get there,” Josh Pyke says.
“When I started I had no concept of where I’d be. It’s been 10 years now, and I had no concept of what would happen over 10 years. Other musicians told me I had to start living my life in two year cycles – which I kind of have been living now. In an ideal world after 10 years I would hope to feel established.”
Ten years on and recognised world-wide for his ability to weave intelligent lyrics with warm melodies, Josh Pyke is a modern-day storyteller whose unique and haunting use of both words and music places him in a league of his own.
Now one of Australia’s favourite acclaimed singer-songwriters, he is about to embark on a packed national tour throughout January and February in support of his 5th studio album, But For All These Shrinking Hearts.
Starting the tour off in Sydney on January 29, Pyke will hit stages in Canberra, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Byron Bay, Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide and will finish up in Perth on February 20.
The masterful singer-songwriter released But For All These Shrinking Hearts in July this year, landing at #2 on the ARIA charts and #1 on the Australian albums chart. The album was recorded across Sony, Alberts and Pyke’s home studio with John Castle (Megan Washington, Vance Joy).
Having his own studio allowed Pyke to experiment with more creative freedom. With Pyke saying the capacity to go to town on the arrangements was a major factor for him on this album.
“You know, having the backing of my managers and the producer to just go for it… so songs like ‘Songlines’ and ‘Late Night Driving’ where we have really beautiful lush string arrangements – I’ve definitely had string arrangements in the past, but I wasn’t able to just go to town – so for me that was a big thing. Being a bit more open to letting the songs have a life outside of me and not kind of micro manage every song,” he says.
Reminiscing over the days he had to set up his studio in spare bedrooms and share houses, Pyke believes his ultimate achievement to date is being able to record in his own home studio. “When I started out I had it all set up in spare bedrooms and everything,” he says.
“Then I lived in a flat, then I had kids and I had to move it to a friend’s garage. Finally after 10 years I’ve got a real kick ass studio at home, that belongs to me. All the gear is mine. That to me feels like the combination of my dream and my aspirations as a musician was always to have, you know, a kind of quite self-contained life so I could make music and tour and do it under my own steam.”
Completing a run of sold out intimate fans first gigs earlier this year, Pyke said the fan response from the fans first shows was amazing and extremely overwhelming.
“The album was the highest debut of any album I’ve done. All of that is based on my core fan base because it hasn’t been played on the radio much at all, so the success of this album is all to do with fans. Fans spreading the world and fan advocacy. So playing those fan first shows and hearing people already singing the words to some of the songs was very very gratifying.”
Ready to hit the road again, Pyke is giving his new material yet another twist, this time giving fans a taste with a full band.
“I’m really excited. It’s going to be great as well because I focussed largely on solo shows the last couple of years but this is going to be a full band – I’m really looking forward to that. We’ve been rehearsing in my studio and it just sounds killer,” Pyke says.
“I love solo touring as well but there is something about the camaraderie and the feeling of playing with a group of guys that are good mates, as well as great musicians. You know you’re putting your trust in them with your songs and I basically say to them we don’t have to stick to the recorded version, let’s just make good live versions of these songs so it becomes a lot more creatively collaborative and a lot more fun. So I’m really looking forward to getting the live band out there again.”
Lucky for us Pyke admits he really loves touring and finds it inspirational. “I feel extremely fortunate and blessed that it can be my way of making a living, and there are definitely pros and cons of the whole thing and there’s definitely down sides of the job. You spend a lot of time in your head which isn’t always the best place to be. But you know the motivation comes from the fact that I need to do it, it’s a compulsion, I identify my whole worth with what I do.”
“I just don’t have a plan B. I’m compelled to do this. I remember years ago I did this TV performance and the presenter asked my sister, ‘Do you think it’s strange now seeing posters of your brother on the street now he’s doing well?’ and she said ‘Not really because he was never gonna quit’. I had never thought about it, but it’s true, I have been doing this since I was 12. It’s completely how I’ve identified myself since I was a functioning person and I’ve identified with being a musician.”
Pyke will be playing at The Wool Exchange, Saturday the 13th of February. Joining Pyke on the road will be Brisbane musician BANFF. While Sydney duo Winterbourne will open the Sydney and Melbourne shows.
Written by Jariah Travan
When & Where: Melbourne Zoo Twilights – February 12 & The Wool Exchange, Geelong – February 13