Dan Sultan is ramping up to release his most personal work to date with a self-titled album

The music star is speaking his truth with his most personal work yet, and while he’s had his share of troubles, he wants the self-titled new album to focus on beauty instead of pain.

There is a question that Dan Sultan now asks himself before saying yes to anything – be it a gig, a promotional opportunity, a television performance or an interview.

“I’m just taking care of what’s within my space, a day at a time,” he tells Stellar. “And it’s very simple: is it good for my family and I, or is it bad? I’m at peace with saying no to anything I don’t think is going to work for me.”

That philosophy certainly marries well with Sultan’s sobriety of five years, especially as

the 39-year-old singer, songwriter and performer ramps up to release his most personal project to date.

ARIA award-winning artist Dan Sultan preps his return with self-titled record. Picture: Clint Peloso.

His upcoming seventh studio album is the first in his nearly two-decade career to be self-titled, and the first to feature his face on its cover.

It’s a statement of intent, a way of saying simply, “This is me”.

And the songs on Dan Sultan are mostly all about him, telling the story of his troubled past wrestling with alcohol addiction and the dark side of the music industry, but also celebrating his present, and the love he shares with his wife Bronnie Jane Lee and their children, daughter Lena and son Wilder.

Humbly proud of his new work, Sultan requests we keep his chat with Stellar “light” rather than “heavy”. He wants to focus on beauty rather than pain.

Sultan dedicates the album to his wife Bronnie Jane Lee and their children. Picture: Supplied.

“There’s just this narrative out there that I was f*cked and now I’m better,” he says. “My story is one of triumph and beauty; it’s one of happiness. I think it’s really easy to paint First Nations artists as a victim, or a struggler, or as a battler, you know? I certainly battle, and I’ve had my struggles. But I thrive, and I’ve always thrived.”

Sultan began sharing his new material with fans in February when he dropped the lead single ‘Story’, which recalls finding a racist note at his front door when he was four years of age. Subsequent releases from the six-time ARIA Music Award winner conveyed liberation from his past, joy at his family life and most recently, on his new single ‘Ringing In My Ears’, a sense of optimism that he now chooses to drive his days. It seems to be striking a chord, and not just in Australia.

Audiences at recent shows were singing it back to him after the first chorus, while he notes that a friend heard it played on a radio station in New York. Sultan is excited by these signs, which he sees as indications that his career is heading in the right direction.

But, he also insists he is refusing to be tethered by expectations of high chart positions, awards or big numbers on streaming platforms – all the industry’s usual measures of success.

“People have actually sung along to ‘Ringing In My Ears’ more than any other song, and it’s only been out a couple of days,” he says. “It’s really great, but my success is my family, and my peace. It’s nice, and I love it. And I’m not without ambition; I would like the album to do well. Maybe 10 years ago [I wanted it more], but I think I’ve chilled out a lot since then.”

His family and peace represent success to Sultan now. Picture: Michelle Grace Hunder / Supplied.

Those who have tracked Sultan’s career since his debut album Homemade Biscuits was released in 2006 would have seen him at his strongest – and, alternatively, his weakest – onstage.

Now, too, they would hear a notable difference when he’s at the microphone. According to Sultan, there has never been “much of a gap” between where his voice is truly coming from – his heart – and where it lands.

But there is a heightened emotional power and physical strength to it now.

“It’s a wearing-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of thing,” he explains. “And I’m fortunate that I’ve always had that. Look, having a few years of not losing my voice every couple of weeks and all that stuff, just being healthier … your body is your instrument when you’re a singer, and when it’s in good nick, I’ve found, so is my voice. If I’m doing it right, I’m singing emotionally.”

In 2019 Sultan changed tack and recorded an album for children called Nali & Friends. He followed this up with the publication of a children’s book of the same name.

He embarked on a return to his solo singing career with an emotional TedX Talk that he gave in Canberra in January, during which he spoke about the cathartic impact of creativity on intergenerational trauma.

From the stage, Sultan – whose mother Roslyn is a descendant of the Arrernte and Gurindji peoples – was candid about how Australia’s Indigenous population is treated and portrayed in headlines.

The evocative cover of Sultan’s new album. Picture: Supplied.

When Stellar asks him about the recent conversations around alcohol-fuelled violence and behaviour as described by the government and media, he makes a suggestion.

“I think it’s about choosing which one you’re going to listen to,” he says. “And you know, there’s a lot of narratives. If you’re talking about the negative side of things – even if you’re saying you’re condemning it – there’s [also] plenty of good work to acknowledge, to be talking about. There’s this garbage that some people will try to have you believe, that freedom of speech is dead. Bullsh*t. You can say anything you f*cking want. What I think we need to speak about more is the freedom of listening.”

Dan Sultan’s album is out on August 18. Visit dansultan.com for tour tickets.

Originally published as Dan Sultan is ramping up to release his most personal work to date with a self-titled album