Five years on from the release of his last album, Josh Pyke is back with “Don’t Let It Wait”, the latest taster of his forthcoming sixth record, Rome.
When Pyke’s But For All These Shrinking Hearts debuted at number two in 2015 (giving him his highest chart position to date), fans could easily have expected the acclaimed artist would be repeating that feat once more within a year or two. Though a compilation and live album did follow, fans haven’t received a full-length album from Pyke since.
He’s been far from lazy though. In fact, with a psychedelic album under the name of Sword Owls being released, the authoring of six children’s books, and songs being produced for film and TV, the last few years might have been his busiest yet. Now though, Pyke has returned with the latest taster of his long-awaited new album.
Titled “Don’t Let It Wait”, the new single was unleashed late last week, and sees Pyke at his best as he urges listeners to enjoy every moment.
“‘Don’t Let It Wait’ is a song that now feels entirely prescient. I hope the sentiment in the song is one that people feel as we move out of the worst of COVID-19,” Pyke explains.
“Releasing music during this time has been a huge challenge, but this is what I love and how I engage with the world, and the idea of holding back on that goes against what this particular song is about. It feels especially right to release this song at a time like this as it is about grabbing a moment.
“Tell the person you love how you feel, dive into the ocean when you have the chance. We get so caught up in the daily grind we often leave things for later, and by the time we come back around, the moment has passed. This song is a reminder to myself as much as anyone to seize the day.”
The track is the most recent single taken from his new record, Rome, which is set to be released on August 28th, and features contributions from Josh Schuberth, Elana Stone, Stephanie Zarka, Glenn Hopper, and Matt Fell, and Grammy-nominated producer/engineer Tucker Martine.
“The title Rome refers to the expression that ‘all roads lead to Rome’,” Pyke explains. “We can’t escape ourselves. We can’t avoid what stares us in the face as our personal realities, and if we don’t address these things we risk becoming ruins of ourselves.”
To celebrate the release of Rome, Pyke will be hitting the road for an intimate run of Fans First shows, which will serve as some of the first gigs fans have had a chance to see for a number of months.
“I was so looking forward to hitting the road before COVID hit and I’m truly chomping at the bit to share these songs with a live audience,” Pyke explains. “I’ll be playing solo and find that expressing these songs in that context really resonates.
“By the time I’m able to play again, it’ll be a celebration of not only these songs but of performance in general. It’ll be a joyful return to the stage and the world in general.”
Josh Pyke’s “Don’t Let It Wait” is out now, while Rome is set for release on August 28th, with pre-orders available now.
Josh Pyke Fans First Tour
Thursday, October 1st (Sold Out)
Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane, QLD (18+)
Friday, October 2nd (Sold Out)
Old Museum, Brisbane, QLD (18+)
Thursday, October 8th
The Toff, Melbourne, VIC (18+)
Tickets: Eventbrite
Friday, October 9th
Volta, Ballarat, VIC (18+)
Tickets: Eventbrite
Saturday, October 10th (Sold Out)
The Toff, Melbourne, VIC (18+)
Sunday, October 11th
The Toff, Melbourne, VIC (18+)
Tickets: Eventbrite
Thursday, October 15th
Mojos, Fremantle, WA (18+)
Tickets: Oztix
Friday, October 16th
Mojos, Fremantle, WA (18+)
Tickets: Oztix
Saturday, October 17th
Lion Arts Factory (Front Deck), Adelaide, SA (18+)
Tickets: Moshtix
Wednesday, October 28th (Sold Out)
Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney, NSW (18+)
Thursday, October 29th
Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney, NSW (18+)
Tickets: Moshtix
Friday, October 30th (Sold Out)
Lansdowne Hotel, Sydney, NSW (18+)
Tickets also available from the Josh Pyke website
