By Clare BruceWednesday 2 Jan 2019Hope AfternoonsMusicReading Time: 2 minutes
Listen: Luke Smallbone chats to Laura Bennett.
Aussie fans can look forward to an explosion of lights and energy, anthemic rock hits, and honest, soul-baring tunes, when For King & Country hits the Sydney Opera House on January 28.
Luke Smallbone, one half of the pop-rock duo, chatted to Laura Bennett leading up to the Australian leg of their Burn the Ships world tour.
After a stop over in New Zealand, brothers Luke and Joel will play Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Newcastle, before heading to Singapore and Manila then back to months of shows in the USA.
It’s been nearly a decade since Luke has been back to Australia, the land of his birth, and he’s looking forward to not only revisiting some favourite childhood cuisine (such as meat pies), but connecting with a growing legion of Aussie fans.
Speaking about the new album Burn the Ships, he says it’s their most mature album so far, because “I think you just grow up a little bit – you’re not just trying to do what’s cool, you’re actually pretty intentional with what you’re trying to accomplish.”
“My wife is my hero… she’s one of the strongest, most courageous people I’ve ever met.”
The songs are very personal and honest, exploring faith, love and life’s deeper struggles, with the title track being about the moment when Luke’s wife threw out a bottle of medication she’d begun to become addicted to. It’s a story about leaving the past behind and not looking back.
“My wife is my hero – I tear up just talking about her now,” Luke said when sharing the story. “She’s one of the strongest most courageous people I’ve ever met.”
Another of the album’s tracks, Pioneers, is an honest dive into reviving the love in a marriage.
It’s the kind of honesty that fans should start getting used to; in a lot of the songs on the album and in the live show, the boys wear their hearts on their sleeves. Crowds can expect hits like Joy, Shoulders, Burn the Ships, Fix My Eyes, and It’s Not Over Yet.
Luke said he hopes it will impact fans not only musically, but spiritually too.
“Hopefully they’ll be left with a little bit more than just a song,” he said.
The 7pm show at the Sydney Opera House is sold out but tickets are still available for the 3.30pm matinee.