Conrad Sewell’s road to redemption

CONRAD Sewell is at a turning point. Admitting he let the excesses of fame get to him, the celebrated pop singer is taking control as he attempts to overcome his demons.

***EMBARGO Sunday May 6th*** Portrait of Australian musician Conrad Sewell. Picture: Dylan Robinson

CONRAD Sewell is at a turning point. Admitting he let the excesses of fame get to him, the celebrated pop singer is taking control as he attempts to overcome his demons.

Signing to Sony Music Australia, the 30-year-old will this month release two new tracks simultaneously with both songs addressing drug and alcohol abuse and his journey to find his way again.

“I am at a certain age where I know my life is going to go one of two ways,” Sewell tells Insider.

“I am either going to fall off and be that kid that had a bit of success or I can be a f...ing
icon, someone we are talking about in 20 or 30 years from now and still doing what I was put on the earth to do. It seems like a really easy choice to make but it is not and that is where the struggle comes in and it is creeping into the music.”

***EMBARGO Sunday May 6th*** Portrait of Australian musician Conrad Sewell. Picture: Dylan Robinson

From the outside looking in, Sewell appears to be living the dream.

He’s had chart topping hits around the world, shared the stage with everyone from Ed Sheeran to Selena Gomez and played the main stage at the Coachella Music Festival.

It was before his dream gig at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden in December 2015 that provided Sewell the wake-up call he needed. After a bender, he blacked out in the car on the way.

“There is video of me backstage at The Garden shouting at my best friend and manager for them to give me more alcohol before I went on because that was the only way I could get through it. When I woke up the morning after that, I was like, now it is affecting everything.”

Sewell, whose younger sister, Grace, is also a chart topping singer signed to Sony, is under no illusion of just how serious his vices had become.

“You name it, I’ve done it,” he explained. “LA can be such a dark, dark place if you are on your own and I was on my own over there at the time. You can get involved with the wrong crowds and you can be on benders doing shit. Drugs and alcohol change a person and I have been there for sure. I saw it start to take away all the goodness in me, literally even with my voice. It started f...ing with my voice, I wasn’t singing like I used to. Healthwise it was having an affect on me too, being in that scene. I had to look at everything. It got pretty dark.”

Performing with Kygo at Coachella last month. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Flying in private jets, travelling with an entourage who always say yes, mingling with superstars and wearing designer clothes — there’s no denying it is an unreal world in which Sewell lives.

That’s what happens when you become an overnight star thanks to global hits Start Again, Firestone, Hold Me Up and Who You Lovin.

Last month Sewell shared an Instagram tribute to his friend and collaborator Avicii, who succumbed to the pressures of the industry and took his own life at the age of 28.

“It is the story of a lot of musicians,” he said, not wanting to comment on Avicii specifically. “If you don’t keep the right people around you and you don’t stay grounded somehow,
it is easy to lose sight of what is important.”

Sewell, who dates singer Alli Simpson, is in a good place now. His two new tracks will be released on May 18.

Sewell with girlfriend Alli Simpson at last year’s ARIA Awards. Picture: Richard Dobson

“People can see through the shit,” Sewell said. “I think you sing it in a different way if you mean it. Also, I am not going to be here forever, I want to put out music people relate to. People go through the same shit as me, even if they’re not trying to be a rock star. People suffering from addiction is a real thing. Being honest is what I want to be known for, someone who isn’t trying to cover up stuff. I don’t have a filter.

“I have a whole album ready to go. I feel like it is an incredible body of work about my life and the stuff I’ve been going through. God willing, it will be out by the end of the year. I’ve signed to Sony and I am so excited about that.”

Sewell isn’t one to hide anything. He hasn’t given up alcohol altogether but he is getting better. “This is where I am still stuck because I am not strong enough yet to do that
but I also know it would benefit me a lot,” he said.

“I am still trying to figure out whether I am that person that can’t drink to be totally honest with you. Every person has a way of dealing with their demons and that may be AA, therapy, a friend getting through to you or whatever. For me it has been a bit of everything. The major thing for me was being scared that I was going to lose it all. That is what made me snap out of the four-day benders and snap out of blacking out before I played Madison Square Garden.”

While still travelling the world playing at main venues, Sewell is keen to strip it back with his new music. “We are going to do it the old way. I don’t care if I am playing to 1000 or 10, I think the music will connect and we will go from there,” he said.