Interview: Sarah Blasko works her way through the shadows

Ahead of her Europe/UK tour, Australian artist Sarah Blasko talks to Bobby Townsend about her latest album, playing live, being in the moment, and about sadly-missed mutual friend Jack Colwell:

Bobby: Hi Sarah! I’m a big fan of your work. Thanks for taking the time to answer these questions. Where does this interview find you today?

Sarah: Thank you so much, that’s very kind of you. I’m at home in Sydney, it’s freezing cold! (for Sydney)

Congratulations on your recent studio album, I Just Need to Conquer This Mountain. It’s a stunningly beautiful record. It is described as a ‘journey towards reconciling your past’. Could you tell us a little about the album?

Thanks once again! I think some aspects of my past were becoming larger than life, they were casting a huge shadow and I felt like I couldn’t overcome them. Writing the songs was a way to work my way through the shadows. Without really thinking about it, I guess this album lays out my desire to let go of the hurt, forgive myself and try to move on. If I’m honest, I think most of my work has been about that. For me, music is the space to speak out what I have bottled up inside or to express the reality I wish to see. 

There was a six year gap between your previous record and this one. Was there ever a time during that period where you didn’t think you’d release another record?

There was definitely a time when I thought I wouldn’t release THIS record, let alone any others. Basically, I was out of a record contract and no one wanted to put it out or release it in a way that felt like it aligned with where I was at. It took me two years to find a way to release this album. I reached rock bottom on more than one occasion, but it was ultimately a bunch of heartening and inspiring conversations with some good people that brought me back and helped me see the way forward.

How did the writing and recording of this record differ from your previous albums?

The writing took a long time. I was writing off and on from 2019-2022. I had the melodies and the sentiments rolling around in my head, then I had my second child and the world stopped. By the end of 2022 I just thought, ‘fuck it, let’s book the studio’ and I had to be ready! The recording process itself was such a breath of fresh air after so much isolation. Recording live takes all together, long lunches together, I just let the album breathe and be what it needed to be, I didn’t push. I worked with people I’ve played music with for many years so it felt like a very comfortable space. Then I worked leisurely on the mixes with Kenny Gilmore over email and that was a lovely, relaxed experienced also.

The album was greeted with deserved acclaim from critics. Are reviews something that you pay much attention to?

If they’re glowing reviews, sure, ha ha. I guess it’s nice when you read a review where you feel that someone has taken the time to really listen and they “get” it. I’d be lying if I said I never read them, I just try to not take it all too seriously.

You’re about to hit the road in Europe and the UK. What shape will the tour take? Are you bringing a band with you from Aus? Recruiting musician friends from the UK/Europe? Doing it stripped-back/solo?

I’m bringing with me a couple of members of my Australian band (David Symes on bass and David Hunt on guitar and piano) and we’re meeting up with the Swedish drummer who played on two of my records ‘As Day Follows Night’ and ‘I Awake’. We’ll be playing my new record plus a selection from my other records. I’m hoping to have the visuals from the new album featured where I can too.

You lived in my favourite city, Brighton, for a while. What did you enjoy most about living there and what are you most looking forward to about revisiting on this tour?

I loved living in Brighton, yeah. It’s just such a friendly place, I loved the sense of community there. I had some fun nights hopping from cute pub to cute pub so hopefully I can do a bit of that again though I’m quite a lightweight these days! The mournful sound of the seagulls is something I’ll enjoy hearing again too!

Are there any other parts of the UK that you’re also particularly excited to visit?

I’m really looking forward to being back in Edinburgh. It’s been a very long time. We’ve got a couple of days off there, so that’ll be lovely.

I think I first saw you perform live in Newtown, Sydney in about 2006 (at the RSL with Jack Ladder as support, if memory serves). How is touring/playing live different for you these days compared to back then?  

Oh wow, yeah I remember that gig. And Laurence Pike who was playing with Tim (aka Jack Ladder) now plays drums in my band. Playing shows is still as important as ever for me, perhaps more so. I just love it, but I think these days I’m far more aware of being in the moment and I really cherish it, whereas when I was younger I think I had all the time in the world or I was always looking to the next thing. I think at this point in my life I’m trying to savour it as much as I can and make sure I can keep doing it for as long as possible.

What does the rest of 2025 have in store for you after your UK tour?

I’m coming home to do a special tour celebrating 21 years of making records, playing both The Overture & The Underscore and What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have in full. Then I want to buckle down and write a new album and perhaps some other things. 

What have you been enjoying lately that you can recommend to our listeners?

I’ve been watching Alone Australia (up to the last episode of the current season!), listening to a podcast called Fwends (which I was also interviewed for, I must confess!), I’ve just started reading Nightbitch (whoah!), I’ve been drinking A LOT of iced matcha lattes (I recently gave up coffee), I recently started learning to ice skate and have been enjoying feeling like a 12 year old again!

And finally… Aussie musician Jack Colwell was a dear friend of mine and a contributor to this website. It was always such a joy to be in his company and he had a way of making you feel like the most important person in his world when he was with you. Would you be able to speak about what Jack meant to you as a friend, a musician, a human?

Jack meant so much to me. I just got my full licence last week (finally at the ripe old age of 48!) and it was an emotional day because Jack and I got our Learners and our Provisional licenses together and he was that friend that was always up for anything. We did the most ridiculous things together and had the most absurd, beautiful conversations. When I recently starting learning to ice skate (ha ha, I know!) it brought a tear to my eye too because I know that if I’d said to him “do you want to learn to ice skate?” he’d have booked a lesson while I was finishing the sentence! The fact that someone who brought so much laughter and joy to my life isn’t here anymore has really left me questioning a lot. I haven’t even mentioned his music, but making Swandream with him is a memory I will carry with me always and I feel so privileged I was able to enter that sacred space with him. Lotsa love, I hope you’re going ok x

Sarah Blasko’s 2025 European Tour Dates:
19th June – Utrecht, TivoliVredenburg (NL)
20th June – Groningen, Lutherse Kerk (NL)
23rd June – Antwerp, AMOR (BE)
24th June – Paris, Supersonic Records (FR)
25th June – Cologne, Helios 37 (DE)
26th June – Hamburg, Hebebuehne (DE)
27th June – Berlin, Kantine An Berghain (DE)
28th June – Prague, Café V Lesse (CZ)
1st July – Edinburgh, The Caves (UK)
2nd July – Manchester, Deaf Institute (UK)
3rd July – Brighton, Alphabet (UK)
4th July – Bristol, Trinity (UK)
5th July – London, EartH Hackney Theatre (UK)

Tickets for the European tour are available now from sarahblasko.com.

Interview by Bobby Townsend. Photo courtesy of McLean Stephenson.