As well as heading into the depths of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia, this tour takes Pyke to a few places for the first time, such as Airlie Beach. Pyke typically uses his time on the road to not only visit his devoted fans, but to discover the best destination spots.
“I’ve focused on touring regionally from the very beginning, so for 12 years I’ve been getting out to these places,” he says. “A lot of them I’ve been to before, there’s only a few I’ve never been to. It’s just something you’ve got to do. It’s all just a bit of an adventure and a chance to see the country. I always call touring reconnaissance for future holidays. You get to have this distilled little version of each town.”
Released in July last year, the Sydneysider’s fifth studio album gained the sort of reception that every songwriter dreams about. But For All These Shrinking Hearts debuted at #2 on the ARIA chart; Pyke’s highest first week placement since his debut studio album, Memories And Dust in 2007. With unabashed appreciation for his support base, Pyke remains humble, believing that the key to success is consistent and meaningful interaction with the people that make it possible.
“You’re keeping them on a journey with you, as opposed to you’re on a journey and expecting people to come along with you,” Pyke says. “I have fans and supporters that I’ve known by face and by name for ten years now, and I’ve seen their lives change the same way that mine has. I guess it’s a reflection of me as a person as much as me as a musician. I like that kind of life and I don’t like separating myself from people who like my music. I’m grateful for people supporting it in the same way as I’m sure the local cafes are appreciative of me supporting their café by buying coffee.”
After 12 years as a touring musician, it’s only natural for Pyke to reminisce about what originally set him off on this journey. “I was 12-years-old and I’d just joined this rock band. We played our year 6 graduation assembly and it was absolutely terrifying. There were probably about 600 people there, which is a pretty big crowd. But it was also great. I did it and was like, ‘Ah man, I’m totally hooked. This is what I want to do,’ and that’s really all I focused on from that age onwards.”
Not one to take success for granted, Pyke’s stayed committed to honing his craft, stepping up his storytelling and overall sonic soundscape with each new release. To illustrate, his latest album kicks off with Book Of Revelations, an introduction that employs subtle electronic chimes and gongs.
“I’ve made music for a long time and over that time you just branch out and try new things. If you listen to each of the albums back to back, people would notice some pretty big developments sonically and musically along each one. I always think of it like cooking, in the way that I might be thinking about, ‘It’d sound good to bring an organ or drum part in here,’ you might be thinking this needs more salt or whatever. But then you get to a point where you’re thinking, ‘Maybe I actually want to try cooking some Thai food.’ It’s the same with music.”
BY PHOEBE ROBERTSON
