Josh Pyke’s creative journey

This is the lost lyric from which the title of Josh Pyke’s latest album, But For All These Shrinking Hearts, comes from. “I’ve always had album titles that are kind of long,” he laughs. “Beginning of the End of Everything, Memories and Dust – it always has some sort of meaning in regards to the album. I didn’t really feel that any of the song titles suited this one, but I was flicking through a book of writing I’d done on tour and I found this verse. I just felt that line summed up what was going on in the album.”

The 37-year-old’s fifth studio album was released earlier this year and it seems he’s on a creative streak. This is encapsulated in the album’s primary theme, taking inspiration from the story of Redheffer’s perpetual motion machine, and the concept that the creative mind is the true machine, unbound by physical laws. You can see a depiction of this in the albums cover art.

“I basically did a very average sketch of what I thought it should look like, then I passed it off to a graphic designer named Chris Welsh. I was really obsessed with graphic novel art, particularly at the time of the album. His work was beautiful, graphic novel style art, all hand drawn. So it was back and forth, first the concept then the artwork,” explains Pyke.

“I think it’s a common misconception that because I’m a solo artist I don’t do much co-writing,” says Pyke, who collaborated with Jinja Safari’s Marcus Azon on the track Songlines and even included some vocals performed by his son on the song Hollering Hearts.

“I’d say I’m writing with someone almost every fortnight. Yesterday I had Cam from Eskimo Joe down at my studio and I had Jack Carty in here the other day doing stuff.” Pyke’s own home studio has streamlined his process, allowing him to take his time and develop songs the way he wants. “Having the studio space allows me to experiment with things, because I’m not looking at the clock thinking, ‘I’ve got to finish this vocal line or that’s $600 wasted.'”

Pyke’s national tour begins in January and he will be accompanied by Banff around the country (except in Melbourne and Sydney where he will be supported by Winterbourne). “I’ve been doing this for ten years and it still kind of baffles me that artists are still writing new songs.”

 Catch Josh Pyke live this summer at the following venues for the But For All These Shrinking Hearts tour:

FRI 29 JAN | TWILIGHT AT TARONGA, SYDNEY NSW (ALL AGES)

Tickets available from www.twilightattaronga.org.au

SAT 30 JAN | CANBERRA THEATRE PLAYHOUSE, CANBERRA ACT (ALL AGES)

Tickets available from www.canberratheatrecentre.com.au | 02 6275 2700 | Canberra Theatre Box Office

 THU 04 FEB | STUDIO 56 @ MIAMI MARKETTA, GOLD COAST QLD

Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

 FRI 05 FEB | THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD

Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

 SAT 06 FEB | STAR COURT THEATRE, LISMORE NSW (ALL AGES)

Tickets available from www.starcourttheatre.com.au | 02 6622 5005

 FRI 12 FEB | MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS, MELBOURNE VIC (ALL AGES)

Tickets available from www.zoo.org.au/twilights

 SAT 13 FEB | THE WOOL EXCHANGE, GEELONG VIC

Tickets available from www.oztix.com.au | 1300 762 545 | All Oztix Outlets

 FRI 19 FEB | HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE, ADELAIDE SA (ALL AGES)

Tickets available from www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au | 131 246 | All BASS Outlets

 SAT 20 FEB | ASTOR THEATRE, PERTH WA*

Tickets available from www.astortheatreperth.com | 1300 111 369

*U18 can attend with parent/guardian