Aussie music legend Pete Murray will return to Newcastle this week to kick off his upcoming Longing tour at The Exchange.

Appearing at the Hamilton venue on 18 December, it’s a fitting starting point for the artist whose connection to the region spans decades.

“Newcastle’s always been a great crowd for me,” he said.

“I always come there and pretty much sell out a show, it’s such a good vibe.

“I can’t think of a better place to start to be honest… and Newy is always a spot that’s been good to me.”

The tour follows the release of Longing, Murray’s eighth studio album and his second independent offering.

Recorded across a decade, he said it’s a piece which demonstrates both creative patience and artistic control.

“Some of the songs I started writing a bit longer than 10 years ago, worked on them and put them in an unfinished folder that I just kept going back to,” he told the Newcastle Weekly.

“Having the time to put something together like that, you just get better quality songs and better lyrical content.”

For Murray, independence has been a crucial part of the album’s journey, with the release accompanying a series of re-recordings of old favourites labelled Pete’s Version.

“You don’t really earn much money from them because the label does it,” he explained.

“And, I don’t feel like that’s a fair thing.

“I think every artist should own a major part of their recordings and have the choice of ownership over those songs because, ultimately, it’s their songs.”

As a self-described album artist, he said he hopes Longing will resonate with listeners as much as his earlier hits, like Better Days, Opportunity and So Beautiful.

“The songs I write tend to grow on people and you want them to have a favourite album,” Murray added.

“Feeler was a very big favourite for a lot of people.

“So, for this one, a lot of people have said it’s similar to Feeler, which is a really big compliment.”

Fans attending the Newcastle show can expect a balance of the past and present.

“For anyone who’s coming along, there’ll be a lot of new songs being played, but also lots of old ones as well,” said Murray.

“I’m not going to be that artist where you’re not going to play the old songs.

“For me, they’re just as important as the new ones.”

Newcastle also holds personal memories for Murray, including sold out shows at the Civic Theatre in 2008 and the now-defunct Newcastle Panthers in 2005.

“It was a great vibe,” he recalled.

“I was pretty friendly with a couple of the Newcastle Knights boys and they came along.

“Actually, I had a pretty big night with them, so I have lots of good memories.”

His ongoing commitment to regional touring has been central to his multi-decade long career, too.

“If you can have success in those areas and you can get those guys to support you, then that’s the difference between having a career in this country and not having a career,” he explained.

“Bands that just stick to the capital cities and don’t crack it in the regional areas often don’t last as long.

“I’ve been working hard in those areas and coming back to places like Newcastle quite regularly to play shows.

“You build that up and get the loyal fans who come and have a good time.”

Looking ahead, Murray hinted this outing might signify a “pause point”.

“I’m not touring next year, so this will probably be my last one for a while,” he said.

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