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X Factor

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Guy Sebastian

4th December, 2016
Date with Kate: Kate Waterhouse and Guy Sebastian at The Bathers Pavillion in Balmoral, Sydney. 10th November 2016 Photo: Janie Barrett

Catching up with Guy Sebastian at The Bathers Pavilion at Balmoral Beach

 

Guy Sebastian has built on his Australian Idol win in 2003 to become an enduringly popular performer. He recently finished as a judge on television’s The X Factor and is now working on a new album. Sebastian, 35, chatted to me about fatherhood, the tragedy behind his latest single, and why he’s no longer trying to please everyone.

What are you working on?

My new album. I finished part one just a few days ago and I’m kind of continuing to work on part two, which will be released after … I’m mainly writing, recording, building a home and working on my next tour – that’s pretty much my life.

What was your inspiration behind your new single Set In Stone?

It’s a bit of a sad one. I was in Bali and there was an accident right in front of me, and it was a fatal crash in the end. I ended up on the side of the road holding this kid’s hands as he took his last breath and it affected me quite a lot … Later on that night I started to process [it] and I started to write and that’s how the melody came about.

Did you see this song as a tribute to this person?

Not really. When I wrote it, it was actually about family, my kids, Jules [his wife] … It was basically saying the things “set in stone” – the people that are there forever.

Did you enjoy this season of The X Factor?

I always enjoy it; I always enjoy being part of something that affects lives. It does definitely give people a big boost … I look at Sammy [Samantha Jade] and she was doing stock take in a warehouse and she has this amazing voice; and Johnny Ruffo, who was a concreter in Perth and he’s become quite a personality now; and Reece Mastin, who’s touring all over the place and recording amazing music. Also the people like Dami [Im] and myself who went on a show like this and hopefully prove to people that we deserve a spot in the industry. It’s been a really, really good journey thus far.

What was it like to work with Iggy [Azalea]?

I’ve really, really enjoyed being on the panel with Adam [Lambert] and Mel B [Brown]. We’ve had a lot of fun and I will miss them.

How has reality TV changed since your time on Australian Idol?

It’s changed so much. When I did Idol, it was a first. We didn’t know what we were getting into. I was this weird-looking chubby guy with an afro – and all of a sudden, I had people camped outside my house with signs “I love Guy”. Now it’s an avenue to get into the industry; the “reality” has been taken away a little bit.

Who are your musical mentors and influences?

… Sam Cooke and definitely Otis Redding, who were probably the two reasons I got into music in the first place. In my teens I really got into the Beatles and I listened to a lot of gospel music as well.

How do you define success?

Knowing that what you’re doing at the moment is what you’re supposed to be doing. Not sitting wishing you were doing something else.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career?

I would say just learning that I can’t please everyone. In normal life you don’t have many people that are staunchly against you … Suddenly I became famous … and everyone was kind of at me. I came from a pretty sheltered background who went to church and then suddenly the church people were up at me and I wasn’t churchy enough, and then the industry was at me that I wasn’t wild enough. And so I was just in this mode of desperately trying not to offend anyone. I found after a while I was OK with being who I am and people don’t actually know me, and I think that was the best thing to do.

What else do you want to achieve in life?

I would love to do what I’m doing forever, whether it be in a studio writing or producing or touring.

What is the best part of your job?

You sit for so long and do such long hours in the studio, you stress about the sound and direction of youralbum. Then you finally release it and see your fans enjoying it and singing back to you, that’s the moment when all your hard work just pays off. I still never get used to it when people cry at my show; it just reminds me about music and the impact it can have on people and the memories it can invoke, and that’s really healing for me.

What is the worst part of your job?

Once again, I think everyone having an opinion on you and trying to please everyone – when not everyone is going to like you.

How do you deal with the negativity?

I’ve just realised that not everyone is going to like you. Also, after having kids, that changes your perspective. What they think of you is the only thing that matters.

How has fatherhood changed you?

It changes you in every way. It gives you a greater purpose in life. You not only worry about them but also the world around them – politically, environmentally, everything!

What do you love most about being a dad?

Cuddles! Doesn’t matter if you’ve had the worst day, everything is OK when you see them.

Will your children follow in your footsteps?

I think Hudson might … they both like to sing but Hudson has better pitch at the moment [laughs].

What have your learnt from your marriage with Jules?

So much. She is amazing, she is so understanding of everything I do.

What is the biggest misconception about what you do?

I think some people think musos are dumb [laughs]. I once had a girlfriend who broke up with me because I was a muso and her dad was convinced I was not going anywhere.

What else are you working on?

I’ve been working really hard with the Sebastian Foundation, which is doing some amazing things … much-needed work across women’s shelters in Sydney and looking to expand across Australia. Domestic violence is a huge ongoing problem [so we are working with a] lot of these [shelter] homes to give them what they need, make it a place that these women can go to feeling safe, loved.

BITESIZE

We went to Bathers Pavilion, Balmoral Beach

We ate Caesar salad with garlic croutons and pancetta add grilled peppered chicken; Beetroot cured kingfish with coastal greens cucumber, almonds and caper berries

We drank Acqua Panna natural still mineral water; Apple and beetroot juice

Photo: Janie Barrett

Date with Kate

DATE WITH KATE: DAMI IM

1st May, 2016

Dami Im was born in South Korea and moved to Australia at the age of nine. She won The X Factor Australia in 2013, has since had platinum recording sales, and her latest album, Classic Carpenters, reached top spot on the iTunes charts last week. Im, 27, is Australia’s representative at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. Its semi-finals start on May 10 and the grand final is on May 14. She chatted to me about her Eurovision preparations, her coming tour and her struggles with fame.

Congratulations on representing Australia in Eurovision. What do the preparations involve?

It’s a big honour for me and I want to do well. I’ve got my song all ready, Sound of Silence, and so I’m going to sing and perform this for the rest of the world in Sweden. So a lot of preparations are going into that … It is a big stage, massive viewership, so I want it to be as grand and amazing as possible.

What does it mean to you to represent Australia?

It’s a huge honour … I feel like I’ve become an Olympian or something and people expect a lot from me … I want to do well and let Europe know that Australia is great. So that’s why … I’ve got to just really work hard.

What would it mean to you if you won?

It would mean that I could bring Eurovision to Australia. That’s just my little fantasy … To beam out of those 40-something countries, that would just blow the roof. It would be the biggest thing that has ever happened. Going to Eurovision is already the biggest that has ever happened to me, so winning … would just make me go nuts.

Have you had any advice from Guy Sebastian, who competed last year?

Yes. He is amazing. He told me that it will be the best thing that I have ever done in my life. It’s something that he never forgets. Even in his tours, he always talks about it. And he said, “It’s like The Hunger Games of music.” That has a lot of meaning in it, I think. The Hunger Games is about killing people, but this one is about glitters and looking amazing and having fun. But still, it’s a competition and everybody is very serious about it, so I take it seriously.

Tell me about your new album.

This album is something that I’ve been working on since last year. I love the music of the Carpenters. When you hear those songs, most people would go, “Oh, I’ve heard that before, I know that song.” But they would sort of not know where they heard it from or who the singer is. So I thought, “Well, people have forgotten these amazing songs, so I need to bring them back.” Recording and rearranging these to suit me, it was the most enjoyable thing to do, just playing the piano and recording. It was a very natural, organic process. I get to sing these amazing, timeless songs on my album and I’m so happy with it.

What should people expect from your upcoming tour? 

The tour starts from July and goes until December. It’s the first national and regional tour that I’m doing since winning The X Factor. So I’ll be performing all the songs from this Carpenters album, as well as all my other singles and hits, and of course the Eurovision song, Sound of Silence … I’m just looking forward to being able to meet all the fans that are all over the country. You don’t always get to see them in the capital cities. So I’m doing all the little venues; the regional ones too.

What was it like to be on such a big show like The X Factor?

It was a lot of work and very intense. So much happened, and so many changes happened around me, like I never thought I would get recognised by strangers.

You never envisaged or hoped for that for the future?

No. Even when I decided to audition, my aim was to be on TV maybe one or two times to help me with my music get more venues and whatever. But it went so well and it really affected my lifestyle in a big way. So I’m lucky that I did it and that people voted for me.

What has been the biggest change in your life since winning The X Factor?

Everything – that I’m sitting here, eating this beautiful food with you and this date. Also, just travelling. A lot of travelling, being away from my hubby, Noah. That’s a big change.

How does Noah cope with it all?

Of course he misses me and stuff, but he is very proud of me. He tries to join me at weekends whenever he can. He is very excited about this whole thing and Eurovision. He is very passionate about this, as much as I am.

What’s it like to be recognised everywhere you go?

At the beginning, when it first happened, it was a bit tough because I’m such a private person. After about a month or so, I was like, “I don’t like this”, because I’m quite an introverted person, compared with a lot of other celebrities. And then now, after three years, I feel like people get to know me because of my music. So I appreciate it, but I also need to open up to strangers because, even if I don’t know them, they know me. After three years of practising doing that, it’s a bit easier.

Has it been a struggle to be a public figure when you are such a private person? 

Yes, because I like to hang out with a small group of friends, just having coffee and go to their houses and whatever. Like two or three friends, it’s enough. But now, I get to do both. I just have to turn it on, I guess.

You used to be a gospel singer in Korea. How did that experience help you with your career today?

That experience is what really helps me keep grounded even today, because those were the days I performed for five kids at a small church event, or sometimes I would sing for many thousands. But now I get to sing for a lot of people, like 200 million for Eurovision. But to me it doesn’t matter whether I’m performing for five, 10 or 10,000, 200 million people, because it’s just the same. It’s about performing the best I can and trying to move people’s hearts with the music. So experience has really helped me.

What are your ambitions after Eurovision?

Just keep going. After Eurovision I would have got more exposure outside Australia. I want to explore how far I can go there, even America, Asia, Europe – like all over the world. I like to sing, like trying new things and I had never expected or I couldn’t have guessed how far I would come. So now I just go, “Well, I’d better try to see how far this will take me.”

 

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO Hunter and Barrel,  Cockle Bay Wharf

WE ATE  mixed olives; hunter’s platter with assorted cured meats; coal roasted chicken with lemon and rosemary; salmon with fresh herb sauce; chopped green salad.

WE DRANK lemon, lime and bitters and sparkling mineral water.  

DAMI WORE Carla Zampatti dress and Stuart Weitzman heels.

KATE WORE Lover dress