DAN Sultan’s fourth studio album is Killer and he is a big fan of the name taken from a track on this latest recording.
“I like naming an album after a song on the record (his last album was Blackbird),” Sultan said from his Melbourne home.
“Killer just looks cool, it sounds cool and means great but also dangerous.”
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOWOut July 28, the album release marks a journey from writing to recording that started just over a year ago for Sultan when he had little idea what direction it would take him.
“I knew I wanted to do something different and didn’t want to make the same record as Blackbird,” the singer-songwriter said.
“I wanted to mix it up a bit to keep myself interested; I don’t like making the same record twice.
“So I wasn’t sure on the particular direction or anything like that, it just presented itself as it wanted to and hopefully I was listening.”
Recorded in Melbourne at producer and long-time collaborator Jan Skubiszewski’s studio, the result is an album that is reflective with a big sound, thanks to the addition of gospel backing vocals, drum machines and synthesisers on tracks such as Fire Under Foot.
“That was one of those ones where I got very lucky and we did it in one take, which doesn’t happen to me very often,” Sultan said.
“The vocals just flowed out of me all at once and then we put strings and everything to it afterwards, including timpani drums.”
Diehard Sultan fans were fortunate enough to get a sneak peek of the new songs when he toured Australia earlier this year with a chilled solo show – just him, his guitar and keyboard.
The first set in Perth at Studio Underground was all new material, followed by a second set of classics, which Sultan said was a great way to “get a read on how it was all going to go down”.
Sultan will return to Perth in September during a national tour for a concert at Metro City with his full band.
“We’re taking it there and putting a whole new show together,” he said.
“There will be a big visual aspect. It’s exciting to be taking it somewhere new, just like the record.”
THE ESSENTIALS
What: Dan Sultan – Killer tour
Where: Metro City, Perth
When: September 16
Tickets: www.oztix.com.au
MORE: Murdoch University open day set to draw crowds
MORE: Emergency responders talking up organ, tissue donation
MORE: Spicemama bringing the tradition of Indian cooking into Perth homes