Guy Sebastian has found faith in himself ahead of Conscious album release
IT’S taken Guy Sebastian 14 years and nine albums to stop caring what other people think. And now he has found faith in himself ahead of Conscious album release.
Central Sydney
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Sydney. Followed categories will be added to My News.
IT’S taken Guy Sebastian 14 years and nine albums to stop caring what other people think.
Shot to fame in 2003 after winning Australian Idol, the platform brought with it a life in the public eye and a spot carved out for him which he was expected to fit — even when he began to doubt if he wanted to.
“On Idol they played footage of me playing at church, and I became a poster boy for that,” Sebastian said — despite the fact that he “never really asked to be a poster boy for anything”.
“When I started to think differently (to the church) I was really judged for it — people talked about me like I had lost the plot, saying ‘maybe fame got to him’,” he said.
While his widely publicised split from the church over its stance on gay marriage played out in front of the whole country, Sebastian is philosophical about the experience.
“I’m not a religious leader. I had own journey and made my own decisions based on my own experience,” he said.
These days faith is still an integral part of his life — but it looks very different to when he was growing up.
“Faith is still something that’s important to me. You can’t be wishy washy,” Sebastian said.
“I’m not going to stop having faith because it’s unpopular ...(but) it’s something that’s very personal — (if someone has a) faith that’s very different to me I respect that, I’d never say they’re wrong,” he said.
Treading this existential path mirrors the evolution in his sound — transforming from an rnb devotee to a musician who pushes barriers and isn’t afraid to experiment.
While he’s never chased airplay and has made truth a priority in his songs, on his upcoming album Conscious, a follow up to EP Part 1, Sebastian said he has finally “shed the weight of expectation”.
“I want to treat each song the way it should be treated — with integrity, not to make it get played or please people, I’ve done that in the past,” Sebastian said.
“I’ve been doing this for a while now and I don’t care what forum it’s in, I just want to write good pop songs,” he said.
While a lot of the time this means getting deep inside his own head, it also means looking beyond himself for experiences. A song he penned just last week about a girl who settles for someone who only loves you when they’re drunk, isn’t drawn from personal experience — “I can’t say I’ve been susceptible to 3am booty calls myself,” Sebastian said.
Conscious is the result of a lot of soul searching and determination.
“It isn’t formulaic, this production has pushed the boundaries, stretched them — I haven’t gone safe,” Sebastian said.
“I’ve had this awakening in last year,” he said — and whether spiritual or musical, only the songs will tell.
Guy Sebastian will play at Oxford Art Factory on Wednesday and Thursday, April 5 and 6.
Tickets: www.moshtix.com.au.
Young actor denies attacking girlfriend after opening night
An ensemble cast member of the Sydney musical Jesus Christ Superstar is fighting allegations he attacked his partner after opening night.
AFL Sydney future watch: Meet 45 bright young male and female talents
The pathway to the top starts here. These young stars from AFL Sydney are building their reputations early, and could be future draft picks in the making. See the full list of 45 rising talents.