Top musician Tom Walker ready to tour Australia... in a campervan
Tom Walker was busy rising to fame as a musician when all hs mates went backpacking. Now, the Brithish muso is heading to Australia he wants to make up for lost time.
Confidential
Don't miss out on the headlines from Confidential. Followed categories will be added to My News.
British muso Tom Walker likes the idea of hiring a campervan and hitting the road Down Under.
While many of his mates did the whole backpacker thing, 27-year-old Walker has worked hard to rise to international acclaim, and fame, as a singer songwriter thanks to his breakthrough hit Leave A Light On.
“I’d quite like to get a campervan and drive down the coast,” he said. “I’ve never been to Australia unless it has been for work.”
Walker’s debut album, What A Time To Be Alive, was released in March and soared to the top of the UK charts.
With new single Now You’re Gone, a collaboration with pop star Zara Larsson, on high rotation on radio here, Walker is playing his first run of Australian shows with a stop at Sydney’s Metro Theatre tonight.
“I am definitely a lot busier than I used to be,” Walker said. “The last three years have been incredible. The response to the album coming out and winning a Brit (Award for Breakthrough Act) in the UK is absolutely crazy. It has been a wild journey but it has been a good one.”
Walker admits the collaboration with Larsson may seem unlikely to some.
“I think that is why it works,” he said. “There’s no point doing stuff that people are going to expect. If you are going to collaborate, you might as well make it special.”
The singer, who counts Jamie Oliver as a mate, was a cook before becoming a full time musician. He believes those years working in kitchens keep him grounded.
“To not have had some kind of normal job would be really strange,” he said. “To come out of high school and become a rock star immediately wouldn’t be very good for anybody really.”
Originally published as Top musician Tom Walker ready to tour Australia... in a campervan
$14k a clip: NSW YouTube stars making more than you
YouTube stars in NSW are raking in thousands of dollars per video but it’s what they do in their clips that will drive traditional workers mad. Check out the rich list.
Glamming it up for a return to the racecourse
The first official racing carnival featuring the new $46.6m WINX stand at Randwick Racecourse is kicking off, with model and new mum Ksenija Lukich among those dressing up for the occasion.