Writer: Jessica Morris
Category: Interview
Title: Stan Walker ‘It’s like a becoming of me as a man’
Body:
New Zealand born Stan Walker has an impressive resume. Nearly 25, he won the final series of Australian Idol in 2009, achieved 2 x platinum status for his debut single, “Black Box”, has released five albums, acted in the film Mt Zion, and is now a judge on New Zealand’s X Factor. Coming full circle, he is about to release his new album Truth & Soul on April 17. A collection of songs from icons like Steve Wonder and Otis Redding, the soul singer says, “It’s the becoming of a new age and a new era. And it’s also going back to the beginning of what I love the most.”
Admittedly a ‘self-indulgent’ album, it allowed Stan to go back to his roots…show more content… “At first it felt weird,” he says about his role as a judge alongside Natalie Bassingthwaite, Melanie Blatt and Shelton Woolright, “but now I feel like…this is perfect.” His experience means that he has the ability to prepare his contestants for life after the finale. “I’m teaching them from my mistakes, from my ups and downs,” he says. “I’m trying to help them be prepared in every way possible when the show is over, [so] they know what to do to actually be an artist… and have a career that has long jeopardy.”
As I wrapped up my time with Stan, I asked him about how he has changed since he entered the industry 6 years ago. “I’m a completely different person,” he says. Known for his strong faith while on Idol, he says “My foundation and my values and my conviction and my beliefs are all the same, but I’ve grown up…it’s like a becoming of me, as the man.”
The creation of Heart & Soul is a pivotal step for Stan Walker as he celebrates the moments that have made him, yet leaps to new heights, now as a man. “I know what I want, I know what I need, I know what I want people to hear, what I want people to know about me” he says. And while recording an album of covers was out of his comfort zone, as he mentions “I’m an artist, I write my songs, I’m in there producing…I’ve very protective, particularly about my music,” This album has given him the chance to relax and enjoy the