Friday, August 15, 2014 10:57am ET by  
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Stu Larsen on touring with Passenger, leaving Australia to pursue music, and songwriting

Four years ago in his native Australia, acoustic singer-songwriter Stu Larsen met 'Let Her Go' hitmaker Passenger and from there they became good friends. Larsen is currently on tour with Passenger across north America and sat down for a chat with Pressparty during the Boston, Massachusetts date where he talked about the extensive string of dates, his decision to quit his job at a bank to pursue music and travel, and his creative process. 

How has the tour been going so far?

I think it’s been good. These shows are so big – right now we're sitting in the House of Blues, on the top balcony, two and a half thousand people are about to walk through the doors. It feels maybe bigger than what it is because there are balconies in here… but the shows have been going really well now that we’re really getting into the routine. We played Central Park on the weekend in New York and it was phenomenal, and we had a couple of days off just now so I feel like this is the second leg – Boston up to Montreal tonight!

How have the audiences been on the tour so far because Passenger has a very diverse fan base? 

It’s interesting – there has been talk of the fact that because ‘Let Her Go’ has been so big and these shows are getting bigger, people have been wondering if fans will be here for just one song. That’s not the case at all – you watch these crowds and they’re so into it. It’s amazing. He’ll have this place quiet tonight – any sized crowd, no matter where he is – he just captivates people. That whole front section will be singing along to his songs.

So you’re from Australia and left there four years ago to pursue music. What encouraged you to pack up and hit the road?

Well, the first time I properly left Australia - the first big trip I did - I was turning 30 and there’s so much pressure at that age to get married with kids and a job and a house, and I didn’t want that pressure. So, before I turned 30 I left Australia. I was just travelling on my own, playing little shows where I could, for 3 or 4 months, and that’s what gave me the bug, I guess. I met Passenger just before that – around 4 years ago. I met him in October 2010 – he was the support act for some friends of mine called Boy & Bear, who are amazing, so I met him and then went travelling for a few months. He wanted me to tour manage him so as soon as I got back to Australia, I started travelling with Passenger – with Mike. Since then, it has been non-stop and around the world.

The pressure (to settle down) was coming from a lot of people and then it was just coming from my mum for a while, but she’s used to the idea now so there’s no pressure any more. I just love travelling and playing music; I don’t want to settle down just yet. I think it’s a bit of a generational thing, as well. Not settled and not wanting to be – I just want to be moving around and enjoying life. I sometimes wonder, what if we get to 40 and are like, ‘s**t, I’ve got no money because I spent it all travelling… I can’t have kids now because I’m too old!’ There’s something cool about a young father, there’s something playful and youthful about it… I don’t know if I’d want to be an old father. If you were 60 and your kid’s born, you wouldn’t see much of his life, right? That’s something I think about a lot - I’m living for now but should I be more conscious of that, maybe? 

Passenger produced your album ‘Vagabond’, what did he bring to the record and how was it to work with him in that capacity?

He held it all together, it wouldn’t have happened without him. It was an interesting time with some family stuff happening, so I’m very thankful to him. The fact that he’d finished his the day before and the next day he switched from his songs to mine, and was so focused on my stuff, that was amazing. He has a great ear for arranging and seeing what a song needs to bring it to life. Whereas I had recorded it already with another guy in Australia and it didn’t feel quite right. When I went into the studio with Mike, he just sees things for what they should be and I think it’s so important to give songs what they need to give them the best… life.

He’s just completely aware and conscious of everything that’s going on around him. He’s the funniest guy, too. He can switch from being serious and making people cry, to the next second making people laugh. To have that personality in the studio is great as it can be quite draining when you’re in there for 14 hours, but when there’s someone like that there it can make you feel light again. 

What's your creative process like when you're writing a song? Do you have a certain structure you follow or formula?

It’s normally… well, I don’t write very often. For me to write, I need to go away by myself for two weeks and just be isolated… ignore my phone and computer, and read books. After about five days of that, memories of the past few years come flooding and then I’ll start writing songs, but I never get the chance to stop for two weeks any more. It’s normally that I’ll sit down with a guitar and chords will happen, a melody will happen, and then words will start happening. It’s not a deliberate thing. I kind of wait for songs to come rather than sitting down and being like, ‘ok, I want to write a song – this is what I want it to be about’. Sometimes you have to nudge it along, though. It’s good to challenge ourselves in writing.

I don’t mind people knowing what I’m thinking or seeing or feeling. Some songs are super personal, yeah, and it can make it difficult to sing, but I think it’s important to be honest with your audience. A lot of it at the moment seems to be about travelling because that’s what is in front of me. So many travelling references in there – even today, I was writing something out the back. I sat down with a guitar and wrote about being on a bus to Montreal, which is what we’ll be doing later tonight!

Is the tour everything you expected it to be? 

It is, it’s challenging though. It’s up and down. Touring like this is different – in a tour bus with 12 other people is different from when I’m doing my own tours, with just one or two other people! It’s flipping between those two worlds constantly, which can be a challenge. But yes, I’m enjoying it. It’s a good life and I have to keep remembering that. I was able to quit my job, I’m able to travel the world, I’m able to play music – I’m doing what I want. It’s the life that I wanted to have and I have it. There’s no way in the world I can complain about that. 

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Watch Larsen's music video for 'Thirteen Sad Farewells' below: