After a sold-out headline tour and a stint at Splendour In The Grass, Byron Bay's Kyle Lionhart is headed Brisbane's way for City Sounds.
What do you have planned musically for the City Sounds performances?
As much emotional-folk music Brisbane can take in two hours.
If Brisbane City was a song, what would it sound like?
'The Terminator' theme song. Haha.
Best and worst experiences while on tour?
There's been so many memorable moments while on tour, but one of the best that comes to mind right now was on my first tour in January this year. Ziggy Alberts and I were touring through WA; our first show was in a beautiful backyard perched on top of a hill looking out over Eagle Bay (near Dunsborough). I remember sitting there listening to the wonderful sounds of Michael Triscari [support act] in dead silence with 150+ people, watching my first WA sunset over Eagle Bay.
With this memory also comes the worst though. We could only afford the smallest hire car that exists! With it completely full of guitars, clothes, CDs and sound gear, Ziggy thought it would be a thrilling idea to get a 22-inch kick drum for us to have on our laps which made steering, changing gears, clipping seat belts, being comfortable or being in the car at all pretty much impossible; it's lucky he's got nice hair.
From any artist living or dead, build your ultimate fantasy supergroup.
Jeff Buckley made a love child with Ben Harper; Jimmy Page and Jack White fathered that child and when he [or she] was old enough they all formed a supergroup :)
What was your initial response to former The Rolling Stones' manager Sam Cutler saying “This is what music is supposed to be like” about you?
You become quite cynical once you've heard the same old story 100 times from some dude that has a mate that has a brother that knows 'Charlene' the receptionist at Sony Records, and is going to get you signed tomorrow. So my initial response was pretty reserved but I went home, did some research and once I realised he was genuine; my mind was blown.
When will your new single be released?
I haven't got a set date for the release as yet, but I've started recording it and will hopefully have it finished by the end of August, then released shortly after that. The response has been great; at my last show in Melbourne a few weeks back I asked everyone to do a little spin if they liked the new song; I've seen some spinning so that was good enough for me.
Apparently you have a high-profile collaboration in the works? Can you telling us who?
Apparently yes... unfortunately I'm not able expose anything at this point.
What is your songwriting process?
Throw my guitar strap over my head, grab my boys, go walking around the 150 acres we live on here behind Byron Bay and try to write while simultaneously preventing my offspring from wrestling brown snakes.
What do you like to do when you're not touring or writing music?
I like to glue shells on things and surfing; lots of surfing.
Do you plan on releasing a full-length album this year?
At this point no. My plan is to release a few singles to add [digitally] to my EP, 'Keep In Mind', before the end of this year and then maybe an album release mid 2016, but I make new 'plans' everyday, so yeah, maybe an album release this year. Haha!
Are you planning another tour later this year?
Yes, after I release my new single I'll be touring nationally doing shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Adelaide, Perth and a few more places in-between.
Kyle Lionhart plays the Wintergarden as part of City Sounds 16 August from noon.
