Secret Sydney: Josh Pyke

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This was published 8 years ago

Secret Sydney: Josh Pyke

By Nicole Elphick

Josh Pyke

Singer-songwriter

Musician Josh Pyke at the Concordia Club.

Musician Josh Pyke at the Concordia Club.Credit: Cole Bennetts

For most, graduating from primary school is a barely remembered non-event. For 12-year-old Josh Pyke, it proved a life-defining moment. "I joined my first rock band in year 6. As silly as it sounds, that was when I really decided that was what I was going to do. I was very serious about it in my own way from that point on," says Pyke, now 37. "We performed at Balmain Primary at the year 6 graduation concert assembly. I was very nervous, but the reception was good enough that I was like, 'Yep, this is what I need to do with the rest of my life'."

Pyke has gone on to become one of the country's most acclaimed songwriters with multiple ARIA awards to his name. His most recent musical project is performing reworked versions of his tunes with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. "There's such an opportunity to explore a darker feeling with classical music. My songs are really intimate and very personal, but having these arrangements explores a sort of cinematic vastness."

Where did you work while you were waiting for your music career to take off?

The now defunct Fish Records in Balmain. I think my musical education just blossomed at that point. I often worked the night shifts and we'd take turns choosing records. Musically, it was like an enlightenment for me, [playing] things like Tom Waits, that I obviously knew of, but I'd never delved into.

What was the most influential gig you ever saw in Sydney?

Crowded House's farewell gig at the Opera House, but it was influential for me in a weird way. We didn't actually stick around for Crowded House's set. I really wanted to see You Am I and Powderfinger play, so it was influential for seeing those bands, particularly being totally sold on Tim Rogers' songwriting. It was years later at the record store, when they released a tribute album to Crowded House, that I was like, "Oh wow, these guys are amazing. I'm an absolute idiot for not sticking around and seeing that historic gig."

You have a lot of romantic history at Bronte Beach, right?

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My now wife worked at the book store across the road from the record store. When she came in and bought a Tom Waits CD, I was like, "Yep, going to make this girl mine." So we had our first date at Bronte Beach and I proposed to her on Bronte Beach. I wrote a message in a bottle and aged it so it looked old. There's a place called the bogey hole, which is like a natural rock pool there, and I hid the bottle under these rocks. When she arrived I guided her towards it and when she found it I was like, "What's that?" Luckily she said yes.

Any other family favourites?

The Concordia Club is like heaven for inner-west parents. It's a croquet club, so the kids can run amok on the field and there's a verandah which overlooks it, so you've got them in sight. Then you have these huge steins of German beer and these amazing meals, like beautiful pork knuckle, traditional sauerkraut and oxtail. They have oompah music playing inside – I've even heard an oompah version of Forever Young.

What do you like to get up to when you have a spare moment?

Recently, I've gotten quite into home brewing. One of my songs is called The Summer and I've developed a brew called The Summer, it's a light summer ale with coriander seed, preserved lemon, a bit of ginger. Hop and Grain [Brew Store] in Marrickville opened up recently and I went there to get supplies on the very first day, it was awesome.

You also founded the charity concert, Busking for Change, for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Will that be happening again this year?

I hope so. It's something that I play by ear as I go along through the year. I try to time it with Indigenous Literacy Day, which is usually around the beginning of September. It's been really successful, we've raised over 50 grand now. It's lovely seeing people support it. I keep it casual and just ask any muso mates who are around to play a few songs.

Which up-and-coming local musicians are you currently enjoying?

There's a guy called Packwood, who's pretty great. It's kind of pastoral folk music, really beautiful arrangements. And Jack Carty is another guy I've worked with a bunch.

Where do you consider a culinary hotspot?

There's a great place called Pho An [An Restaurant] in Bankstown. My wife is Vietnamese, so we go out there quite a lot for food. We'll have pho for breakfast, then walk around the Asian grocery stores. Then I'll go off with my father-in-law and brothers-in-law and have Vietnamese coffee, which is mind-blowingly strong. It's that coffee with condensed milk, it's always a challenge to finish the whole cup.

Josh Pyke appears with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday and Thursday.

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