DAN Sultan is sitting on top of the world.
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He is about to embark on a new 21-date tour across the nation and has just been signed overseas with New York based label AntiFragile.
“I’m in the best shape of my life now - I’m really healthy and happy - I am ready to take it all on,” Sultan said.
His Avery Takes Tour is a mix of both unreleased tracks from his back catalogue combined with a number of covers.
The soon-to-be-released record reveals a stripped back version of Sultan – mostly just him and his guitar.
Recorded and produced by his friend Matt Redlich, Sultan described the whole recording process as occurring “quite organically”.
“I’d sit down in front of the microphone and play once or twice - three was the most we ran through a track - it just came together really easily.”
Throughout the year, Sultan will tour Avery across the nation, visiting many of the regions, before travelling overseas to a number of European festivals.
And nothing is going to hold him back now that he is back on his feet after a difficult 2018.
He will release not one, but two albums this year. Ruling out a solo album, he described it as being “different” to his other releases.
For Sultan, writing a song is a cathartic process and a means of self-expression.
“I think about my experiences and tell those stories. I consider myself an artist and a writer who happens to be Aboriginal.”
I think a day that is called Australia Day should include all Australians
- Dan Sultan
During his time in the spotlight, Sultan has been outspoken about Indigenous rights and the necessity to change the date of Australia Day so it can be inclusive for everybody.
“I’ve been talking about this issue for a long time. I spoke about it on the red carpet at my first ARIAS in 2010. I won Male Artist and Roots and Blues Album of the Year but none of what I said [about Australia Day] was spoken about in the papers,” he said.
“There’s a real culture of apathy and complacency here, but I think there is a lot more interest now which is a good thing.”
Sultan said January 26 was a day of mourning that commemorated sadness for Indigenous people.
“If people want to celebrate a day that marks the systematic genocide of Indigenous peoples, then they can, but personally, I think a day that is called Australia Day should include all Australians,” Sultan said.
“It doesn’t just exclude Aboriginal people, it excludes people who know and who sympathise and empathise with Aboriginal people –it excludes everyone who has an issue with it.”
“If people just think about it a little bit and show a bit of empathy – which is a real sign of maturity, a real sign of intelligence and of being a good person – if people have the capacity to have and feel that then it is a bit of a no-brainer.”
Sultan will play at the recently refurbished Palais venue in Hepburn Springs on February 23. The venue’s much-anticipated re-opening will take place on February 22.
