Recharging ‘at 100 per cent’ key to The Kid Laroi bringing his best to Aussie shows
Aussie singer The Kid Laroi is using a tour of his home country to stay connected with reality and to avoid the trappings – and the dangers – of superstardom.
Confidential
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At 21, with the music world at his feet, The Kid Laroi would be forgiven for burning the candle at both ends.
Not so says the chart-topping Australian superstar on the eve of his First Time Tour that kicks off on the Gold Coast tomorrow.
“I think sometimes we think that if we just keep going hard, and we keep going, that we are going to reap the benefits,” The Kid Laroi tells Insider.
“But I think, ultimately, rest is just as important, and being able to recharge and give the best show to people who are paying lots of money to come see it.
“That’s really something that I kind of have been thinking about recently is, just kind of ‘routinising’ my life a little bit more so I can be able to be recharge at 100 per cent.”
A healthy life balance is something many spend a whole lifetime trying to achieve.
“It is tough man, and I am definitely not saying that I have it yet,” he says.
“But I’m definitely working towards it for sure.”
The Kid Laroi – real name Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard – will play eight stadium shows across the country. After the Gold Coast, he heads to Brisbane, then Sydney’s CommBank Stadium next Saturday, November 16. Other dates are scheduled for Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne.
There’s a few days’ rest between each show with the tour finishing on the 30th of the month.
“I am honestly going to try and get as much rest as I possibly can,” he says.
“I have a couple of things to do on my day off, but trying to get as much rest as possible.
“Touring is so draining and, you know, it’s so fun but there’s also so much energy and behind the scenes work attached to it that I think rest is just as important as going hard.”
Laroi was born and raised in Sydney’s Waterloo, the son of talent manager Sloane Howard and music producer father Nick.
He was discovered via triple j Unearthed in 2016 at the age of 13 and has been based in LA for several years, where he is now at home mixing with the biggest names in the music business.
Laroi has had major global hits including Stay with Justin Bieber, Without You with Miley Cyrus and, most recently, Girls.
Despite a packed schedule not allowing him to travel here as often as he’d like, it is in Australia that he feels most grounded.
“It is hard to feel all the way out here when you are 14 hours away,” he says.
“I mean, I have my family out here (in the US), which is great, but all the way down to the snacks, there’s just something about being back home and just being reminded of where I come from. I think is very important because it’s definitely harder to feel when you’re so far away.”
By Christmas, Laroi will have spent more time in Australia this year than he has in many years.
He recently triumphed with a headline pre-game performance at the NRL grand final at Sydney’s Accor Stadium that saw Penrith Panthers defeat Melbourne Storms.
“It’s been honestly really f...ing awesome,” he says excitedly.
“There’s been so much going on in my own life and stuff, and I think it’s been a really good year to just be able to get home and be grounded for a second.
“Even if I’m coming back working and doing a bunch of stuff, it’s been really cool to just kind of come back and touch base.”
The prestigious grand final performance was a good teaser for what’s to come at his run of stadium shows.
“I really loved doing that. That was a highlight for me, like not even just a year highlight, like a f...ing life highlight. The tour is going to be even better, make sure you put that in big bold letters.”
Not that Laroi, who dates one of the biggest pop stars on the planet in Tate McRae, recalls much of the rugby league show.
“I totally blacked out, you know, when I went out there,” he admits.
“I don’t remember much from being on stage because the adrenaline was so high. Just the feeling afterwards and even just walking back through the tunnel and everyone being so stoked and excited, and just celebrating together, and having my friends from back home there being able to watch it and see it.
“Some of them (friends) are making music now too, which is f...ing sick. It was just a really cool full circle moment, honestly, and just really, really exciting. Even just beyond the performance, it was just a really big moment for my life.”
There’s a few local spots you might see Laroi when he is in town, Clem’s Chicken Shop in Newtown for example, which is one of his favourites.
He dined at Matteo Downtown on one visit home and even got behind the counter at McDonald’s in Redfern when he collaborated with the fast-food outlet on his last tour in 2022.
“Every one of my team is always telling me to just stay in the hotel. I can’t stay in one place, I’m always moving around,” he says.
“I’ve got to stretch my legs or go to a coffee shop, not stay in one place for too long. I’m trying to practice a little more rest, maybe get like a little sauna time in or something.”
There’s also Laroi’s charity work. He donated $100,000 to The Fact Tree Youth Service in Redfern two years ago as the humble youth centre helped him when he was growing up in the area.
He also has soft launched The Laroi Foundation website with the aim of creating a platform to “empower youth to follow their dreams”.
“I’m putting a lot of focus and energy into the big vision for this,” he explains passionately.
“Ultimately I want to help the youth, help young kids, especially when it concerns mental health and encouraging creativity, and creating safe spaces for creativity.
“It is a big thing for me, creating spaces and facilities where creativity isn’t always thinking about profiting off of it or pressure to make money off of things, or pressure to sign deals or pressure, just being able to come and use the facilities.”
He continues: “Obviously the dream is to create a facility where people can come, people who maybe don’t have access to these things to be able to come in and create without that sort of stress of how they’re going to do that. That’s a long-term goal that we’re trying to put into effect, and just keep encouraging them to be vulnerable and encourage them to talk about feelings and all this stuff.
“We have a lot of great stuff that’s in the pipeline that we’re kind of working on executing and it’ll start to roll out pretty soon.”
Laroi plays Perth’s RAC Arena on November 20, the same date as the annual ARIA Awards, at which he is nominated for a further four gongs. He already has two to his name on top of countless international accolades that have included two Grammy nominations.
“I’m going to be honest, I’ve never really cared about awards that much, but it’s not just really an award for me,” he says.
“In this instance, it’s being recognised by your home country, that’s the biggest thing. It is not even necessarily validation, but like feeling love and feeling appreciated at home is always the best feeling. That’s what it really means to me, more than just being an award or a trophy or something to put up in the house. I think it represents feeling accepted and loved at home, which is dope.”
In line with his intent to bring more balance to life, Laroi, meanwhile, is keeping backstage more chill.
His rider – a list of requirements for an artist at a show – includes a tea called Throat Coat he says is “good for the voice”.
“I’m trying to implement more ritual type stuff … breathing is something that I’m probably trying to implement more,” he says.
“It is not something I’ve been great at but breathing exercises before going and doing something big, whether it’s being on stage or whether you’re going to a big talk or something, I think implementing breathing exercises is really dope, it helps with anxiety and makes you a lot more ready.”
Laroi’s latest single, Aperol Spritz, is out now and he hinted that a new album, the follow up to 2023 debut The First Time, could be on the way as he spoke about his “incredibly talented” younger brother, Austin or Auz the Kid.
“We have a bunch of stuff that’s not out. He did one (song) on the last album and, we’re still working on this album and, hopefully, he’ll have one on this too.”
The Kid Laroi plays Sydney’s CommBank Stadium on Saturday, November 16. Tickets are still available via TEG Live and ticketek.com.au
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