Pyke to take tour time out

AFTER playing between 40 and 80 shows every year for the past 12 years, Josh Pyke is calling a hiatus.

The much-loved singer songwriter has announced he will hang up his touring boots from the end of the year, as a sort of “long-service leave”.

“I’m still doing music and studio work and production stuff in my studio at home, but I just want to have a break from touring for a while,” Pyke said this week.

“It’s been a solid 12 years of touring for me, and I’m just keen to have a bit of a break.

“I’ve got two kids, so I’m keen to be at home more ... I’m just thinking of this as long service leave.”

With multiple ARIA awards from his five studio albums, Pyke has been in high demand for more than a decade, with the constant flow of live performances proving to be both a highlight and heavy workload.

“I probably do between 40 and 80 shows a year, and sometimes more depending on the year — so it’s a lot of shows,” he said.

“It’s been awesome; I’ve loved every second of it.”

With touring on hold, Pyke will now have time to concentrate on other artistic passions, including writing for the screen.

“I’m gonna focus on doing some writing for film and TV, which is gonna be cool,” he said.

“I’ve done a little bit here and there, but it’s something I’ve really wanted to engage in properly.

“It’s something I love doing because it’s kind of the reverse of what I do now; at the moment I write a song completely from my Imagination and then we try to match it with visuals with artwork or a film clip, but I love the idea of doing it the other way, being inspired by the image to create the music around that.

“It’s something I’ve been trying to do for years and years, but that’s the thing about taking a break from touring — it’s hard to really jump in to those projects when every few months you’re away for a month.”

Josh Pyke is currently on a 10 Years of Memories and Dust regional tour of Australia, performing his 2007 debut Memories and Dust alongside a second set of fan favourites. The tour will land in Geelong tonight, for a gig at the Wool Exchange.

Despite playing at the legendary al Glastonbury, and performing at the Sydney Opera House alongside the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, it has been the smaller shows that Pyke includes as the best performing memories of his past 12 years.

“The regional stuff that I’ve done over the years has legitimately been a highlight because I’ve seen so much of Australia, and that’s been a real huge blessing,” he said.

Pyke had a parting message for the fans who will be left counting down the days until his return to the stage after his final show this year.

“I’ll definitely be back, so don’t stress too much.” Josh Pyke will play at the Wool Exchange tonight as part of his 10 Years of Memories and Dust regional tour.