Conrad Sewell has been a mainstay on the Australian music scene for a number of years now. With hits like ‘Firestone’, ‘Start Again’ and ‘Healing Hands’ and a stunningly distinctive voice, he has quickly become one of the most recognisable figures in the Australian music industry. 

While Sewell has collaborated with notable musicians in the past, such as Norwegian DJ Kygo for ‘Firestone’, his new release Precious represents a shift in sound and direction, enlisting some of the world’s most renowned musicians to help him record his sophomore album at Jackson Browne’s private studio in Santa Monica. 

For Sewell, this album has been a labour of love over three years in the making, meaning it was a huge relief for him when the album was finally released. 

“As soon as COVID really hit, I got on a plane to get back to LA,” he says. “And that was when I started working on the songs. And then obviously, everything just took a lot longer because I was back and forth.”

In the past, many of Sewell’s hits have been in the dance pop space, but on this record, he made the decision to bring his sound more in line with the classics to which he had grown up listening.

“I pulled inspiration from all my favourite singers. I had a playlist that I had put every favourite song of mine on… that was the elevator pitch for the album, to try to write classic songs.”

Sewell is particularly proud of the fact that the album was recorded predominantly live, which is increasingly a rarity in today’s music industry.

“We recorded everything predominantly live which gave it a great energy.” 

While the album has some of the upbeat moments which are characteristic of Sewell’s previous work, there is a lot more introspection on this album, which is reflective of the journey Sewell has had in the industry. 

“My journey in this industry has been a lot about wanting people’s approval,” he says. “In this industry, you’re only as good as your last song so … I felt I’d been searching for approval my whole life and I talked about that [on the album].”

Sewell has spoken openly of his battles with addiction in the past but believes that this album reflects a turning point, both in his music and his growth as a person.  

“We all have these crutches and that’s been an issue in my life, but this album was more about coming out the other end of that and realising that, ultimately, I need to make music that’s going to make me happy and stop caring so much about what [other] people say.”

The album traverses a wide range of genres. From the upbeat ‘God Save The Queen’ (inadvertently released only hours before Her Majesty’s death) to the slide guitar-infused ballad ‘Caroline’ and the jazzy ‘Slipping Away’, it feels as though Sewell is basking in the freedom allowed by a full-length LP to explore the depths of his voice and sound in more detail. Indeed, Sewell feels that this album is a more cohesive product than some of his previous work as a result. 

“[For my first album] I didn’t really go in and produce the songs,” he says. “A lot of those songs were just demos… it was just a bunch of songs put together”

“For this album, we had a producer that gave the thing a sonic throughout the whole thing. We had the same musicians playing on every song. I think this allowed me to set a tone for me as an artist and play some music that I really love performing and singing.”

Perhaps the most striking song on the album is ‘33’, where Sewell reflects on the loss of one of his best friends to an overdose two years ago.

“It was pretty much the first person that I’ve lost that’s been close to me as a friend. I lived on his couch when I first moved to LA, and he believed in me and my band before anybody.”

“I ended a show in Melbourne and had a bunch of missed calls from him that night and he had passed away.”

Sewell found it extremely difficult to process the loss and when working through therapy, it was suggested that he write the song as a letter to his friend in order to say goodbye.

“I wanted to write a song [as a] tribute to him because he would have loved that,” he says. “I really can’t get through that song without crying. It’s a tough one.”

Sewell hopes to tour the album around the country in June or July, so that his fans can hear the songs in the way in which he intended they be heard.

“We recorded [the album] live and that’s the way the songs need to be presented and the way I want everyone to hear it.”

Conrad Sewell’s latest record, Precious is available for purchase or to stream now.

Photo credit: Shervin Lainez