The Voice Australia singer Adam Ludewig to release his debut album and song Old Ways to help his brother beat a drug addiction

Five years after starring on The Voice Australia, the Adelaide singer is back with new music, including a song he wrote to help his brother overcome a serious drug addiction.

Former Voice Australia star Adam Ludewig felt helpless as he watched his brother Jake struggle with a crippling drug addiction.

“I tried talking to him all the time but I just wasn’t getting through,” said the Adelaide singer. “I wanted him to open his eyes and realise what he was doing.”

So Ludewig did what he does best: he wrote a song for his much-loved sibling.

The emotional track, Old Ways, is the lead single from his much-anticipated debut album, which comes five years after he turned heads – and coaches’ chairs – on the reality TV show.

“I thought to myself, if I write a song, it might help him,” said Ludewig.

“It’s about having someone very close to you and they’re not doing well with addiction. You’ve said everything, you’ve done everything you can.

“You really want them to realise what they’re doing but you don’t know what to do.”

The song, which he wrote in 2022, inspired Jake to go clean and he’s since turned his life around.

“He’s doing really well, he’s pulled his head in. He’s got a baby daughter and a partner. He’s living well, he’s got a job and his life is on the right track now,” said Ludewig.

Ludewig starred on The Voice Australia in 2020. Pics: Supplied by Nine.

Ludewig is now set to release a new album, including lead single Old Ways. Picture: Supplied.

“It made me cry because my brother is a very tough person, so for something to reach out to him so deeply... I knew I had a good song here.

“Now I hope this song cannot only help my brother, but help a lot of people out there.”

Ludewig, 21, from Paralowie, knows just how tough it is to overcome an addiction. In 2023, he revealed he had once battled a secret $800-a-week marijuana habit which almost cost him his music career and affected his mental health.

He started using marijuana just prior to his appearance on The Voice but it escalated as he tried to deal with his growing post-TV fame.

Beloved for his flowing locks and booming voice, Ludewig was just 16 when he turned all four coaches’ chairs during his blind audition, eventually joining Guy Sebastian’s team.

Known as Mr Mullet on the show, Ludewig said life has had its “ups and downs” in the years since, as he admitted he was too immature to handle the spotlight at the time.

Adam Ludewig.

“It’s definitely been a rollercoaster. I feel like if I went on the show a few years later, being older, I would have understood it better, and grabbed the opportunity by the balls,” he said.

“But I didn’t take everything seriously and I didn’t realise what I had in front of me until it was too late. Now I’m fighting to get back out there and do what I love to do most.”

Working as a traffic controller, Ludewig has privately funded his upcoming album, Don’t Like It Leave, which will cost $10,000 and is set for release in November. The single Old Ways will be launched in August.

For more information, follow him on socials: adamludewigofficial