Interview: Josh Pyke is a lone wolf
Sydney-based singer/songwriter Josh Pyke talks to Sophie Metcalfe about his upcoming tour, about ultimate highway mixtapes and about nerding it up:
Hi Josh, thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for the readers here at Something You Said. So you’ve got a busy few months ahead with not only the solo Lone Wolf tour but also with the previously successful White Album tribute returning in July, are you looking forward to being back on the road?
I am! Luckily I really like touring, I find I write a lot on the road, as well as playing shows, so it’s a really productive time for me. the White Album thing will be a different beast again, big venues, huge amounts of production, etc. So that’ll be cool for different reasons too.
The title of your tour, Lone Wolf, is very powerful and poignant. Can you let us in a little of what it’s about, or what this trip means for you personally as a musician?
It mainly refers to the fact that it’s a solo tour, but it has been a big “journey” (to use an expression i dislike!) in that it’s really let me embrace the solo performances as an opportunity to present the songs I’ve written over the years in a different light. My songs are so personal, so it lets me get back in touch with them in a way, and in a really intimate way too.
There is a long list of towns and cities you’ll be stopping by, which place are you looking forward to visiting the most?
I think Broome will be great! I’ve never been there before at all, and I’m always looking to get to new places as a traveller as well as a muso. We’re going to have half-a day off there too, so should be able to do a little sightseeing.
Will we expect to hear mainly songs from your latest album “The Beginning of the End of Everything” or can we expect new sounds/old favourites?
I’ll be covering stuff from my whole catalogue, so really from the last 10 years.
I remember being particularly taken with your 2003-05 recordings as a teen and cannot believe it has been ten years! Now a decade on, has the way you make – or your attitude to – music changed?
Yes and no really! I still have the same attitude of not writing with an agenda, and simply following my instincts when it comes to writing and recording. I think my sensibilities have evolved and developed just by virtue of the fact that I do music as a full-time thing. The biggest thing for me is that I really have to structure my time in an effective way. Life gets complex when you have kids, so I really have to find a way to lock the door on the world and focus, and luckily I have a studio in my backyard, so I’m able to do that pretty well.
Safe to say you and your support act Jack Carty will be spending quite some time on the road. Lastly (but definitely not least) can you share with us some songs that will be on your ultimate highway mix-tapes?
We both love Wilco, so that’ll be in there, no doubt. Last tour we actually listened to a lot of nerdy TED talks and stuff like that, so we might nerd it up again!
Thanks Josh, good luck to you and Jack on the road (especially enjoy Port Macquarie, my hometown!).
Check out Josh’s tour dates in the above picture. For tickets and more information visit joshpyke.com
Josh Pyke interview by Sophie Metcalfe.
