Josh Pyke

Best known for his Triple J hit single Middle Of The Hill, singer and songwriter Josh Pyke has spent this year touring Australia with the likes of Bob Evans and Eskimo Joe, as well as playing his first shows in the UK with The Walkmen and recording his forthcoming album, which will be due for release next year. No doubt, he is currently one of the busiest artists in the country, so the obvious way to spend a few precious days off is doing phone interviews...right?

"It was what I expected," Pyke says of his UK jaunt. "I actually expected to be completely starting again and just playing to the small crowds and trying to win them over from scratch. Kind of how it was when I first started out. In Australia, obviously things are going pretty well at the moment and people know the songs, which is always really good, but over there in the UK it was literally like two years ago for me. I'd finish my set and I'd go and stand by myself and sell my CDs out of a box. That hasn't happened to me back home in a while. It was weird, but it was good to make sure that all the songs had an appeal in a different country, because prior to that I had kind of assumed my stuff was...well, let's just say a bit 'Australian' for a UK audience, if you know what I mean. But no, I have to admit that it went down well."

It must have been empowering, starting again, that is, but with the only difference being having two years of experience under your belt.

"I hadn't thought of that," Pyke confesses, "but that's the way it was, really. When I first started playing solo in Australia, I'd never done it before and it used to be quite nerve-wracking. The band I was previously in [An Empty Flight], that was a whole different sound too, it was much more rockier and here I was playing this new style now, so sometimes that can be a bit of a tricky transition to make. I have played to 5,000 people totally solo in Australia, [but] I was only playing to a maximum of 1,000 in the UK. I have to admit that there was a lot of pressure because the label [Island in the UK] was there, and the press, and it was my shot at impressing them. And you're right, considering that I've had the last two years of training, in a way, under my belt probably made things a lot easier for me. So I'm lucky in that way."

Some in the music industry are earmarking Pyke as the next Alex Lloyd. Impressive to say the least, considering the latter's ever-increasing profile and popularity here at home.

It's a pretty big call, that's for sure, but it's entirely plausible. The man himself is more worried about writing music that is honest and comes straight from the heart, however.

"There are only so many people that you can get your music across to without having the advantage of commercial airplay, but I care more about my principles than getting airplay. Having said that, if they want to play one of my songs, that's great also," Pyke laughs. "I am not anti-commercial radio at all, don't get me wrong, I am just not going to be exactly upset if it doesn't happen."

Pyke explains how he found himself signing up with the label Ivy League, "We got in contact with them to see who produced the 78 Saab record because we were really interested in knowing. Then, during the course of the conversation, they ended up asking for our demos and shortly afterwards, they offered me a deal."

And the new album is getting ever closer, something that not only the audiences and fans of Josh Pyke's music are excited about, but something the man himself is stoked about too, "I fucking can't wait until the album comes out. I am really looking forward to getting a batch of new stuff out there and seeing how it goes with the crowds. It's always great when you're seeing the reaction from the crowd, so it's going to be really great. "

Wade Howland

Josh Pyke plays at the Governor Hindmarsh on Wed 11 October. 'Feeding The Wolves' is out now through Ivy League.