Dylan Wright: 'If We’re Going To Be In This Music Thing Forever, Let’s Not Knock Each Other Down'

Dylan Wright appears to be having a truly lovely time.

Sitting in a sunny park near his home in Bangalow in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, the country singer-songwriter is the epitome of a happy man. Having just come off a busy weekend of touring, he should be sitting in bed, tired beyond belief. But Wright, a parent of two young daughters, has gone straight back into daddy duties—a job he wouldn’t trade for anything. 

“It’s a juggle,” Wright admits with a smile. “I’ve got two daughters, almost five and almost two, and my wife’s back at work. We’re juggling, but all the balls are in the air. Nothing’s dropped yet! The way we’re doing it is I’ll usually be away Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Then I’ll come back and look after them during the week.” 

This is also a very exciting time for Wright, having just released his new single, Little Lost, off his new EP, Half The World Away Part 1. As Wright tells me, the song was born from a period of uncertainty in his life. 

“After it [Australian Idol], I wanted to hit the road as soon as possible. I also wanted to have music out as soon as possible. But at that point, I was being torn in so many different directions when all I wanted to do was perform and write music. So, this song is about touring, being on the road, going to all these towns and being like, ‘I could see myself in this little place’.” 

The record marks a tiny part of the larger story on Half The World Away. Deciding to split his songs into two discreet EPs, Wright felt that his fans needed room to digest the songs first.

“People cop so much music these days, and I love these songs so much. I feel like they need space and breathing room. The idea was to have Little Lost come out, and then the next week, another two songs so people can digest it. It’s a different way of doing it, but I think people can understand the project and the message.” 

Half The World Away Part 2 will be released on October 25. Wright gave the EP the title due to the isolation that he felt from his loved ones after winning Australian Idol. “I felt half the world away from family. I went through such a turbulent time at the start of the year, and not many people could understand what that was like. So, no one could really reach out. There was a kind of disconnect. It was really hard. But I had so much support as well… I wouldn’t do anything else either”. 

For this life sort of all came by accident for Wright. A house painter by trade, he used to spend his days literally watching paint dry. Then a moment came, and he could not do it anymore. 

“There was one day where I just thought ‘What am I doing? I’ve got two daughters. I’ve got four mouths to feed at home, and I’m just slogging away painting walls, watching paint dry.’ I saw it [the advertisement for Australian Idol] pop up on Instagram. I hadn’t done as much music as I wanted, and I honestly just thought, I’ve got nothing to lose.”

An unlikely reality television contestant, Wright joined the show with the mentality of having the world to gain and nothing to lose. “For a lot of people, it’s a cop-out to appear on those shows. It’s like the easy way to get your name out there. I literally wanted to go because I love learning. I love photography and videography. I wanted to see how they did their thing. I wanted to grow as a human. I didn’t see it as a competition at all. If anything, it felt like a family.” 

Slightly resistant towards reality television, a format well known for its drama-fuelled tirades and camera tricks, Wright did not want that for his experience on the show. “I would always just say to people, ‘If we’re going to be in this music thing forever, let’s not knock each other down; let’s help each other.’ In doing that, we sort of changed the dynamic of the TV show.” 

As a result of this mentality, Wright was to be able to make great friends on the show, something he thought he wouldn’t be able to do. “I thought [Australian Idol] would be really snaky and judgy. And that I wouldn’t make friends. But I did.” 

Plus, given how long the working days on Australian Idol were, it also made it much easier for the contestants if they got along. “On show days, the girls copped it real hard. They’d have to get in around 7:30 or 8 am; then we’d probably all get out at 11 pm. There was a lot of waiting around and having to be ‘on’ all the time. That helps with getting on stage, talking to media [and] talking to fans. It all helps. 

Wright, despite being naturally shy, has said that this training has profoundly shaped his work ethic post-Idol, especially when it comes to touring. Currently deep within a tour, Wright has gone into what he describes as “the guts of the East Coast.” Playing at a few pubs and boutique venues, he appears to be having the time of his life, especially given that he is also on the road with his mates. 

“I go on tour with my best mate Matt [Joyce, Sons Of Atticus bandmate]. So, we just chat and sing songs. Like, the other day, we came back and listened to Good Charlotte, which we hadn’t listened to for fifteen years.” 

While this life doesn’t come easily for everyone, for Wright, it has been as easy as fitting on some leather boots. “I’ve been in a few different bands—I was in a brass band once. There were eleven of us, and we were all sleeping in one room. So, I love it. We were in Gympie the other week in a swag. I love roughing it and being on the road.” 

Now, with a few days off to enjoy the sunshine and hang out with his children, I’ll leave him to it, for things are only going to get busier. 

Dylan Wright’s new single, Little Lost, is available everywhere now. Little Lost is taken from Wright’s latest EP, Half A World Away Part 1, out today. To catch Dylan live, click here for tickets and more info! 

DYLAN WRIGHT

Those September Nights Tour

FRIDAY 13 SEPTEMBER - THORNBURY THEATRE, MELBOURNE

SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER - QUEENS THEATRE, ADELAIDE

FRIDAY 20 SEPTEMBER - PRINCESS THEATRE, BRISBANE

SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER - FACTORY THEATRE, SYDNEY

Get A Little Lost Tour

SATURDAY 17 AUGUST - LONG JETTY HOTEL, LONG JETTY

SUNDAY 18 AUGUST - KING ST WAREHOUSE, NEWCASTLE

FRIDAY 30 AUGUST - HELLO SAILOR, PORT MACQUARIE

SATURDAY 31 AUGUST - THE PRESS, TAMWORTH

THURSDAY 19 SEPTEMBER - IMPERIAL HOTEL, EUMUNDI

SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER - THE BAROQUE BAR, KATOOMBA

SATURDAY 26 OCTOBER - HERITAGE HOTEL, BULLI

SUNDAY 27 OCTOBER - BRASS MONKEY, CRONULLA

FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER - SHADOWS, CANBERRA

FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER - THE CHARLES HOTEL, NORTH PERTH*

SATURDAY 16 NOVEMBER - YELLOWFIELDS, VALLEY TAVERN NABAWA

SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER - RAVENSWOOD HOTEL, RAVENSWOOD*

FRIDAY 29 NOVEMBER - BRUNSWICK PICTURE HOUSE, BRUNSWICK HEADS

SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER - THE WALLABY HOTEL, GOLD COAST (FREE ENTRY)

FRIDAY 6 DECEMBER - KEYSTONE 1889, BATHURST

SATURDAY 7 DECEMBER - THE AGRESTIC GROCER, ORANGE

SUNDAY 8 DECEMBER - TILBA VALLEY WINERY & ALEHOUSE, TILBA VALLEY

*Supporting Adam Brand