Interview: Josh Pyke

Sydney musician Josh Pyke is gearing up to release his 5th studio album and fans are starting to get a few sneak peeks. We were able to find out a little more about Josh, his career and the album.

Hi Josh, welcome to Beauty and Lace.
What made you pursue a career in music?

Music was the only thing I was ever drawn too. I wasn’t good at sport and was always lost in my own imagination and music was the best way I ever found to express the things I was thinking about. It’s a huge challenge but if you’re compelled to pursue it you don’t really have a choice!

You are soon to release your 5th album, But For All These Shrinking Hearts, can you tell us a little about it?

It’s due out on July 31 and I love it! It was written during a really inspired feeling period of writing. It was recorded at various studios, including my own studio at home, but despite the different locations I feel it has a really cohesive sound.

Where did the inspiration for the tracks on the new album come from?

I always write from my own experiences. I need to believe what I’m singing or else I find it hard to perform them for years to come. I draw inspiration from life, books, art, conversations I’ve overheard. But it all needs to relate to my own experience in some way for me to pursue the topic

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You have quite a few different things happening on this record. Can you tell us a little about the writing of ‘There’s A Line’?

I wrote the main structure of the song on an iPad App. One of those free noise making ones that are fun to muck around on. I was just fooling around and started singing along to what I was generating. It sounded fresh so I recorded it and then started adding guitars and drums and bits and pieces and the rest is history!

Can you tell us about the writing of ‘When Your Colours Go’?

This was a song I originally wrote for a stage production I was approached about. The producers wanted songs about feeling “tender” so I opted for the idea of “tender” like a bruise. I had to draw on my own experiences to make it have a deeper meaning for me, but that was the inception of that track.

You did something new vocally on this record as well, can you tell us about it?

I always sing gibberish when I’m writing new songs, and slowly they turn into real words as I repeatedly play the song. This time I took it further and recorded the gibberish with harmonies and everything and then took the demos away with me on a tour of the UK. I would listen to them and try and translate what the gibberish sounded like to me until they were real sentences with real meaning. Then I’d refine them so it all had a coherent story. It was a pretty wild experience.

How did you come to be working with John Castle on the record?

John did my last record too and I just loved working with him. He’s a great producer and muso but also a good guy to hang with for a month non-stop and that’s pretty important!

What has been your career highlight to date?

I think the recent shows with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra were probably up there. It was amazing to hear my songs performed by such amazing musicians and to sing and play along side them was incredible.

What’s next for Josh Pyke?

This record is out soon and then it’ll be touring non stop for a while. I’m also renovating my studio at the moment, so it’s all go go go!

Josh is really looking out for his fans with the release of this one. They were first to get snippets on his social media and he has also released a fans-first album pre-order package comprising the deluxe edition of the new record featuring two exclusive tracks, a collectors lyric magnet set and a ticket to one of his intimate fans first shows. These shows will not be ticketed and are only available to those who pre-order the But For All These Shrinking Hearts package.

FANS-FIRST SHOWS (18+)

Wednesday July 29
THE SODA FACTORY – SYDNEY
DOORS 6PM

Wednesday August 5
BELLA UNION – MELBOURNE
DOORS 7PM

Thursday August 6
GRACE EMILY – ADELAIDE
DOORS 7PM

Wednesday August 12
BLACK BEAR LODGE PRESENTED BY 4ZZZ – BRISBANE
DOORS AT 7PM

Fans can pre-order the new album from today.

For more about Josh you can follow him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and his Website.

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