John Butler Announces New Album ‘Still Searching’ and National Tour
Global guitar sensation and multiple ARIA Award winning icon, John Butler began his recording career after busking instrumentals on his 11-string guitar. With the connection to his instruments and what they can communicate still firmly in place, it’s fitting that the next album from one of Australia’s premier alternative songwriters and storytellers is a return to an instrumental album, aptly titled ‘Still Searching’ and available on November 1.
The first single from the album, ‘Banjo Loop’ is out today, accompanied by the video filmed in various iconic Fremantle locations by Nick McKinlay and directed by Butler, in a tip of the hat to the city where Butler’s career was launched.
You can listen to ‘Banjo Loop’ here and watch the video here
‘Still Searching’ will be followed by a national capital city tour of intimate venues, where Butler will perform the new ‘Still Searching’ album in full, along with fan favourites such as his epic song ‘Ocean’. These shows will be the first and only opportunities that fans will have to hear these songs live.
These very special shows will begin in Canberra on November 2, before heading to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.
Tickets are on sale from www.johnbutlertrio.com at 10am AEST, on Tuesday October 1.
John said, “These stringed things made from wood, metal and hide are dear friends. They help me communicate things I would never have found words for. They help heal me and allow me to have a dialect in which to converse with the divine. So of course the conversation continues. The title of this album eludes to just that. I’m still exploring. Still wandering and wondering. Still obsessed and ravenous for new tunings, techniques and textures. Still Searching…”
Butler will be joined on the tour by former John Butler Trio member Michael Barker, and percussionist Michael Boase.
It’s the first time Butler has reunited with Barker on the live stage since the mid-2000’s. Barker, along with bassist Shannon Birchall, toured the world with Butler through the heights of the internationally successful John Butler Trio albums ‘Sunrise Over Sea’ and ‘Grand National’.
Representing the middle of a cycle, ‘Still Searching’ is the second season in what Butler describes as ‘Four Seasons’.
Collectively the ‘Four Seasons’ are a prolific body of work – four albums that ironically began after a somewhat existential crisis, and have evolved into Butler delving back into his origins in instrumental music to heal during the first season (with the recently released ‘Running River’ ambient album), to begin again (with the ‘Still Searching’ album), to go solo with the third album in 2025 and following that to go full circle with a new band and new album. The process is like a rebirth for Butler.
Butler is one of the country’s most successful independent musicians with accolades spanning across #1 charting albums, platinum records and ARIA Awards.
His rich catalogue of iconic hits over a quarter of a century include signature songs such as ‘Zebra’, ‘Better Than’, ‘Ocean’ and more. His music continues to traverse the globe having performed on the world’s most iconic stages, venues and festivals including Fuji Rock, Glastonbury, Coachella, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and more with his high energy live show and revered musicianship.
Jarrah Records Presents
JOHN BUTLER
With percussionists Michael Barker & Michael Boase
THE PLAYHOUSE, CANBERRA
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2
CITY RECITAL HALL, SYDNEY
MONDAY NOVEMBER 4
THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE
TUESDAY NOVEMBER 5
HINDLEY ST MUSIC HALL, ADELAIDE
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 6
ANTHENAEUM THEATRE, MELBOURNE
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7
OCTAGON THEATRE, PERTH
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14
Tickets: www.johnbutlertrio.com on sale 10am AEST, Tuesday October 1
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