When drafting a list of Australia's indie folk mainstays, Josh Pyke's head pokes up high.
His debut EP 'Feeding The Wolves' shot him to fame, with single 'Middle Of The Hill' landing at #19 in 2005's Hottest 100, ensuring Pyke's life would be anything but middle of the road. Interestingly, lyrics from that very song reveal the world may never have known Pyke at all. "That song's all true. "I was playing outside as you do in the '80s, I was probably four, and my sister was probably seven; and the classic white van rolled up the street. They said, 'jump in the van and we'll take you around the corner. There's a phone box full of lollies.'
"I changed it to money in the song. I was like, 'that sounds amazing. Let's go!' I was trying to go with them and my sister was dragging me back up the street. That was a real thing in the '80s."
Thankfully, Pyke continued happily through a music-filled childhood that would set him up for life. "Mum was a really good piano player and singer, and Dad played piano, I think he was in a band.
"There was a hell of a lot of music in the house at all times, everybody singing. When I was 12, I was in a little rock band and I was completely hooked. I'd always been really shy, and this allowed me to express a different side of myself. I was addicted from then on."
Music took Pyke around the world, and he developed a creative love affair with New York. However, in time, he found all he needed was at home. "When I first signed to Ivy League Records, part of the deal was a writer's trip to New York, so I did some writing and recording over there. I mixed my first album above Times Square, which was pretty cool.
"There was a romantic notion of going to New York, and it was in the winter when I finished writing 'Only Sparrows'. It's a super inspirational, hectic, wild city, but I must say, I discovered I don't actually need to go anywhere to write. I've found over the last 20 years, all the inspiration I need comes from my head."
Josh's debut EP turns 20 this year, a milestone that calls for special celebration, so he has teamed up with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra to reimagine the songs that started it all.
He reflects on their place within his life through the years. "I remember writing these songs vividly. They're still fresh to me in the sense that I still play all of them live in my set; and you kind of engage with them in a contemporary way, when you're playing them all the time.
"So songs like 'Middle Of The Hill' meant a very different thing to me when I wrote it than it does to me now. I relate to that song in a 2025 way. It feels like the blink of an eye, but also a continuum."
Creatives often possess a prophetic sensibility, and Pyke's lyrics have filled many roles for many listeners through the years. For Josh, one particular lyric serves as a steady reminder. "In 'Middle Of The Hill', the final line says, 'I don't pay enough attention to the good things when I got 'em'. I can't remember what I was referring to at that point, but now, we all know it's tough to be a creative in this country.
"Whenever I'm playing a show to people singing those words back to me, I'm always massively shocked into feeling grateful and realising those words are more meaningful now than ever.
"Between 2005 and 2010, everything was such a blur for me, touring the world, back and forth recording, also, having a relationship, getting married, having my first kid.
"It was such a hectic time, I often didn't appreciate the amazing things happening at the time. I was almost blasé about them just to not get a big head and keep pushing through. Those words really resonate with me more now than ever. It's like mindfulness in a song," he laughs.
Arranging 'Feeding The Wolves' for orchestra has created opportunities to explore the songs in new ways, a prospect Pyke has relished.
"'Middle Of The Hill' sounds phenomenal. It's really joyous and full. I'm excited about the arrangement to 'Feeding The Wolves' because that's really stripped back on the album. I feel there's so much room to build all the counter melodies and build that emotional weight of the song."
While he will be taking centre stage in front of the orchestra, Pyke muses on which instrument he would command were he sitting with them. "It's probably what everybody says, but I'm in awe of the violin. Cello's wicked as well.
"Those microtonal instruments, there's no frets, so you have to be incredibly precise and have an incredible ear for where you're placing your fingers. I think that'd be awesome." The show is sure to be a once in a lifetime concert not to be missed.
Josh Pyke and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra play Festival Theatre 24 April.
Josh Pyke 2025 Tour Dates
Sat 8 Mar - SummerSalt (Launceston)Sat 15 Mar - SummerSalt (South Coast)
Sat 22 Mar - SummerSalt (Mornington)
Sat 29 Mar - SummerSalt (Mount Gambier)
Sun 30 Mar - SummerSalt (Victor Harbour)
Sat 5 Apr - SummerSalt (Port Macquarie)
Sun 6 Apr - SummerSalt (Sydney)
Sat 12 Apr - SummerSalt (Busselton)
Thu 17 Apr - National Folk Festival (Canberra)
Thu 24 Apr - Festival Theatre (Adelaide)* with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Sat 3 May - SummerSalt (Mackay)
