Dan Sultan’s feeling the ARIAs love
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Big year … Dan Sultan has five ARIA nominations this year.
Source: Supplied
At his first ARIA awards, Dan Sultan performed as frontman with INXS.
The second time, he took to the stage with Yothu Yindi, who were being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
This year, with five nominations to his credit, Sultan’s feeling chuffed to be playing with his own band.
“I feel the love, a bit,” he says. “That’s a really good feeling, it’s quite affirming as well. It’s been a long time between records, I was in a bit of a rut there. To be writing again is amazing.”
Sultan says being in a creative rut was scary.
“It’s hard to get started on anything. And if you do start, you lose confidence pretty quickly. You’ve got to make some changes. I had to, anyway.
“I’m sure other people have been through it, you’ve got to make your own decision to take on a lot more responsibility and a lot more control over my own career.
“I found that once I did that, everything flowed on from there. I wrote a lot of songs in a very short time.”
Live act … Dan Sultan performs at Sunny Dayz music festival at Forgarty Park.
Source: News Corp Australia
Sultan spent some very productive time in Nashville, working with Kings of Leon producer Jacquire King.
This led to his album Blackbird, nominated for Album of the Year.
He wrote so much material he was also able to release an EP, Dirty Ground, which he’s touring solo next year.
“I figure while I’m busy it’s better to just stay busy,” he says. “There will be other ruts in the future, I’m sure. But while I’m motivated and inspired it’s just good to keep the ball rolling.”
In addition to Album of the Year, Sultan is up for Best Male Artist, Best Rock Album, Best Independent Release and the public voted Best Australian Live Act.
He’s not alone in having multiple nominations. Melbourne’s Chet Faker has a whopping nine noms, Brisbane band Sheppard have seven, and Adelaide singer Sia has six.
Touring solo next year. … Singer Dan Sultan.
Source: Supplied
Sultan is reluctant to say which award would mean the most to him.
“I’ve got a personal nomination, but it would be good to win something that the whole band won, like one for the record, or for our live show.
“I’ve won male artist in the past and it’s great, it feels good, and I’d love to win it again, but at the end of the day if I can only win one I’d like to win one that I can share with the rest of my band, so those guys get a bit of a recognition as well.
“We’ve all worked so hard, and they were there when I was in my rut. “They’ve been very loyal and very caring and understanding, so I’d like those guys to get a bit of recognition on the night. But who knows on the night? You never know what’s going to happen.
“If worst comes to worst, (and he doesn’t win) it’s still telling me that people think it’s one of the best albums and we’ve been one of the best acts all year.”
ARIA Awards, Channel 10, Wednesday, 7.30pm
