As Josh Pyke continues to bask in the top ten placing of his latest album, Rome, some of his musical mates have come out to sing the praises of the acclaimed Aussie artist.
Where were you when Josh Pyke came into your life? For many people, it might be when Pyke rose to prominence with ‘Middle Of The Hill’ on triple j back in 2005. Others might recall an earlier peek at his music by way of his Night Hour moniker, while plenty might not even remember a specific moment, with his gorgeous music always serving as something of a constant presence in their lives.
In late August, Pyke returned with his first album in five years, Rome. Continuing his status as one of Australia’s most beloved and consistent artists, the record hit number eight on the ARIA chart – his sixth record in a row to debut in the top ten. Needless to say, it was a pretty amazing achievement for one of the country’s most humble and deserving artists.
Not content to let such an achievement go by without celebration, some of Pyke’s close musical mates got together to film a video which sees them recalling their own experiences of the great man, including their favourite songs, memories, and stories of how they first met.
English musician Passenger kicks off the video, discussing how he first met Pyke back in 2010, noting how his attempts to create a collaborative album were helped along drastically by the Aussie muso. “Josh has impacted my life greatly as a friend, colleague, and from a creative point of view,” he explains.
Australian musician Jack Carty also cites Pyke as being instrumental in the success of his own career. “He’s taken me under his wing a little bit, and he’s kind of a mentor for me in my songwriting,” Carty notes. “He took me on my first big Australian tour, and we’ve toured a lot together since then. We’ve toured overseas together in Europe and the UK, all around Australia. Really, he helped me to establish my career as a musician.”
Meanwhile, Sophie Payten, who won the 2014 Josh Pyke Partnership under her musical moniker of Gordi, recalls the impact of Pyke’s music on her own formative years. “When Chimney’s Afire came out in 2008, it just got me through those angsty teenage years at high school, and then I went to see him live a bunch of times, which was so affirming to me that I wanted be a musician and pursue music.”
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Likewise, Jebediah’s Kevin Mitchell, who has toured alongside Pyke under his Bob Evans moniker, also shared memories of Pyke’s influence on him.
“We toured together just a few years ago, like four years ago, we did An Evening With Josh Pyke and Bob Evans, which was a ten-year reunion of the same tour we had done in 2006. That was really wonderful, not only because the tour was so successful, but because it really, after so many years, gave us both a really nice opportunity to spend time together and reconnect, and keep that friendship alive.”
Check out the full video below, and be sure to check out Josh Pyke’s latest album, Rome, for an example of what makes him one of Australia’s most beloved artists.
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