Ahead of his headline tour of Australia this month, Louis Tomlinson joins this week’s episode of the Rolling Stone Uncut podcast!
The UK songwriter joined the show, in an Australian podcast exclusive, to talk about the upcoming run, as well as the world tour in support of his January-released second album, How Did I Get Here?.
Tomlinson discusses finally feeling settled as a solo musician after once considering quitting altogether, life after One Direction, and what’s still to come.
Watch below or listen to the full episode on Apple Music and Spotify (subscribe and follow!).
On the reaction to ‘How Did I Get Here?’
“I feel really, really proud of it. It takes a second for the dust to settle. Around every release, it’s really exciting, and it’s quite high-pressure as well, whereas now there’s been enough time for the dust to settle and see the wood from the trees.
“I could have easily made a slightly more safe record, a version of something I’ve already done. But there are moments in this record sonically that I haven’t really played with before, genre-wise.
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“I think it felt really brave for me to show who I was musically. But in hindsight, that’s utterly predictable, and it’s also very common when people come from something that’s more pop. I realised that with this record, the bravest thing, the most confident thing I could do is really embrace the pop.”
Life after One Direction
“When you come from our situation, in this big pop band, you kind of have to do all of that developing in public.
“We got signed right out of the show, so we were met with pressure quite early on. There wasn’t really that fun, romantic era where you’re wondering, is it going to work or not? I suppose that’s why all of us have probably enjoyed this time on our own, because we finally actually had the luxury to enjoy that feeling of development.
“Truthfully, I was terrified coming out of One Direction, like fucking terrified. You step off something like that and you feel like you can only lose. Of course, in context, looking back, that is a silly thing to think. I feel very, very proud of what me and the fans have created.”
Headlining iconic venues like Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks
“There was the longest time I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to tour at the level that I wanted to. What I was aspiring to was certainly Madison Square Garden and Red Rocks. It took me a second to really comprehend that.
“It’s a real testament to the fan base. There’s been elements in my career where it’s been a little bit stop and start, and there’s been times where we’ve not quite had the momentum, and still people have been here, hanging around and giving me all this support.
“It makes me sad for my younger self that I ever really contemplated [giving up performing]. That’s where I find my purpose, man. I love so many different parts of the job, but performing, that’s the truth.”
Louis Tomlinson 2026 Australia Tour
Tuesday, October 20th
John Cain Arena, Melbourne, VIC
Thursday, October 22nd
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, NSW
Saturday, October 24th
Riverstage, Brisbane, QLD
