"I love a good Aussie winter," remarks Conrad Sewell, as he replants his feet on Australian soil far from the distant heat of his LA home.
Although the many awards and accolades of his illustrious career keep him tethered to the sway of the international industry, one of Australia's favourite sons of soul pop with that oh so iconic voice can't keep himself away for long.The brother of fellow Aussie legend Saygrace, Sewell grew up in a musical family, which was fun and just the right amount of challenging. "There's nine years between us," Sewell comments on his younger sister, "but we were still competitive.
"If I was singing for the family, she'd be dancing in the background and trying to jump in front of me. I helped her write her first song and get her first publishing deal.
"We've helped each other. It's so consuming this industry, and being an artist in general, it's nice to be able to share that with someone," he reflects tenderly.
The writer and singer of 'Start Again' and 'Firestone', the latter of which recently garnered one billion streams on Spotify, could be content to sit on his laurels with a nice pay packet flowing in, but it is not so.
There's too much happening in his life not to sing and write about. "I've always been really affected by music," he confirms. "Later on in life, it's become powerful for figuring things out.
"It wasn't always like that. At one point, I was just trying to write hit songs. Now I find the song writes itself when you're talking about something you care about. That can come from a dark place or a happy place, but it allows you to look at it from a different perspective.
"The words come out and you're like, 'I didn't know that was how I felt about that'. It's definitely become powerful for me in a therapeutic way. Also seeing the power that has, when you perform it onstage.
"People come up to you after shows, and it's obviously resonated with them in a deeper way. That makes you feel good, because having an effect on people is ultimately what we're all searching for," he opines with the wisdom of years.
Having already lived a life extraordinary, these days life has only gotten crazier for Sewell. Becoming a father and being stretched to new capacity, Conrad poured his emotion into his newest single 'Different Kind Of Love', which is his reflection on his own transformation and perseverance. "I love, in the second verse, when I say, 'in their eyes, I see yours'," Conrad's voice curls with warmth.
"It was a sweet way of saying that I see you in our kids. It's a crazy thing that we've made these little people. When you see little bits of your partner in them, it freaks you out," he laughs.
"Fatherhood has been such a crazy shift for me, one I really wasn't ready for. It's been hard, to be honest. That change is pretty dramatic when you've lived a life that has been all about you.
"Being an artist is a very selfish career, and then all of a sudden, you can't be selfish anymore. You have to think about other people. It's probably a good thing, I probably needed a bit of that."
The song is a rousing declaration backed by a gigantic feel that will no doubt infiltrate the airwaves all summer long. "I was definitely going for a big anthem," Sewell confirms.
"I was going through a Robbie Williams vibe at the time and playing around with chords similar to 'Angels', they were quite Beatles; and I belted out that first melody in the chorus, which scared me because it was quite '90s and I was like, 'oh is this too classic sounding?'. But mixed with the verse, which is soulful and a bit churchy, and choirs in the background, it all blended together and felt like me," he says, relieved.
Reflecting on his process, Sewell prefers traditional instruments when creating, to be expected of anthem composers, but is open to branching out. "I love to write on a piano, there's something about it, it feels warm.
"Having an acoustic guitar around is always handy too. Some people have crazy instruments, and they can spark something out of nothing and put you in a completely different place tonally. I'm always open to experimenting with whatever I can get my hands on."
Sewell's September tour takes on the familiar haunts, while one location stands out – a little town on New South Wales' South Coast by the name of Tomakin. When pressed, Sewell responds with his affection for rural Australia.
"I've toured regionally quite a bit here, and we'll do another regional tour at the top of next year. I love seeing the country. The fans appreciate it so much when you come out.
"We always sell a lot of tickets, which makes you feel the love in parts of the country where I didn't think anybody would know who I am. We get to a place and there's a line out the street, it's crazy.
"It's great for us because we get to feel like we're on an actual tour, not just three major cities and then we don't see each other for six months. Touring America, you're on the road for three months at a time, and the band gets tighter.
"When we do regional shows, it feels like that, the show starts to get a bit of rhythm. By the end, you've really seen Australia and built some amazing fans. I think it's really important to do," he incites fellow musicians to follow his lead.
Sewell has often remarked his vocal pinnacle is achieved live onstage for a crowd, which begs the question of who living or dead he would be most excited to share those moments with.
"Stevie Wonder either way. "I think some people don't realise how incredible Stevie Wonder is, the depth in those early albums. You wanna learn a thing or two about music? Just listen to Stevie Wonder. I'm a huge fan of his, Stevie would be my number one."
So what sage wisdom would this legendary performer offer the generations that could one day declare him to be their idol? "Songs can change your life, I've always believed that. I don't think you truly know that until you have a song that changes your life.
"When that first royalty check lands in your bank account, you're like, 'holy sh.t, this thing that I wrote in my bedroom makes money'. It's a bizarre feeling. That's something I say to a lot of people that are trying to get into the game, songs can change your life, so just keep writing."
What about some wisdom that has changed his life? "I don't know that I have been given a gift like that yet," Sewell laughs. "No one's told me something that has completely changed my life, but I'm open to any advice I can get."
Perhaps it is the instructor of music that has spoken to Sewell in ways beyond words. "Yeah, that's true. I like that," Sewell smiles.
Conrad Sewell 2024 Tour Dates
Fri 6 Sep - Altar (Hobart)Sat 7 Sep - Royal Oak Hotel (Launceston)
Fri 13 Sep - Brisbane Festival @ The Princess Theatre (Brisbane)
Sat 14 Sep - Howler (Melbourne)
Sat 21 Sep - Mary's Underground (Sydney)
Sun 22 Sep - Indian Ocean Hotel (Perth)
Thu 26 Sep - Lion Arts Factory (Adelaide)
Fri 27 Sep - Smokey Dan's (South Coast)
