May 2026

Photography: Jake Harm Nam

Words: Josh Ma  – Photography: @JordanKMunns

There’s something fitting about Genesis Owusu returning to the Enmore Theatre, a venue he last visited with a certain infamy, having quite literally broken the floor during his previous run through Sydney. Whether that story has grown in the telling or not, it hangs in the air tonight like a dare. The crowd arrived ready to test the theory again.

The last time Sydney got a proper Owusu headline show it was at the Opera House, which felt like a statement. Tonight felt like a homecoming, sweatier, louder, and considerably less civilised. Exactly as it should be.

He enters not as himself but as the character, the pirate radio DJ, the broadcaster from the fringe. The whole set is framed as Red Star Wu’s pirate radio station, and from the jump with “Pirate Radio”, the crowd buys in completely. It’s a smart conceit; it gives the show a theatrical spine and lets Owusu move between moods and modes without it feeling scattered.

“Stampede” follows and the pit responds accordingly, with a proper head-banging opener sequence from the new record the left hand side of the enmore balcony from a 16 year old wearing his merch. Then things shift, “Waitin’ On Ya” and “Hellstar” bring some groovy, mellow warmth to proceedings, the latter bleeding between songs in a way that feels genuinely inventive. The organs on “WUTD” took the room briefly to church, pulling out an unexpected 80s glow that you didn’t know you needed. He’s got a gift for that kind of tonal whiplash, keeping you slightly off-balance, always second-guessing what’s coming next.

“Right Now Interlude” is where the room gets quiet in a different way. This is Owusu’s manifesto moment, touching on everything from the mines in Congo to Palestine, naming the weight of being alive in this particular era. It’s earnest and uncomfortable in the best possible way. Not every artist earns that space but he does. “The Worldwide Scourge” and “Most Normal American Voter” follow as a kind of political double act, and for the latter he moves into the middle of the room, surrounded on all sides, crowd closing in. It’s one of the better uses of space you’ll see at the Enmore, a venue that’s intimate enough for it to really land.

Then the switch flips again. “4LIFE” restarts the mosh, at one point Owusu shouts out Andrew Tate in the most gleefully pointed way possible, dedicating the chaos accordingly. The run from there through “Blessed Are The Meek”, “Death Cult Zombie”, “Life Keeps Going” and “Big Dog” is relentless, the band locking in tight. The KFC fans went completely feral during “Get Inspired (Remix) / What Comes Will Come”, the kind of performance that makes you stop and just watch someone do their thing.

“Don’t Need You” closes the main set, one of those choruses that has soundtracked spontaneous singalongs at every festival this summer without anyone really planning it. It’s a genuinely weird time to be alive, Owusu notes, and nobody in the room seems to disagree.

The encore brings things back to the pirate radio conceit, a reminder of the community this whole thing has been building. ONE4ALL does exactly what the title promises, before he closes the night with “Leaving the Light”, a song that somehow makes a room full of sweaty, wrung-out people feel completely still.

Genesis Owusu is one of the most genuinely interesting performers this country has produced, and tonight at the Enmore was a reminder of exactly why.

The floor held. This time.

www.frontiertouring.com

How would you describe where you’re at musically right now, and what led you there over the course of making this EP?

I’ve leant much further into a pop soundscape with this project, as I think is evident with the singles I have been releasing over the last year. This sound evolved partly from the collaboration of working with my co writer/producer Cam, as this sonic world is clearly a strength of his. The music naturally arrived in the overlap between my indie/folk influences and his talent for creating a pop banger.

What did your recording process actually look like day to day?

I was usually only in Sydney for two days at a time — so quite rushed, but a lot of fun.

I’d land on a Saturday morning, grab a coffee with Cam & resident studio dog Wookie, and head straight to the studio, only really emerging for coffee or dinner and often returning after dinner to finish up pretty late. Then it was back in the studio to do the last of the vocals Sunday morning — come nightfall, I was back on a plane!

Where did most of the recording take place, and how did those environments shape the feel of the songs?

For the most part we recorded in Sydney, except for track ‘Better’, which was made right here in Melbourne. Still, ‘Grocery Store’ is kind of the anomaly, being the only song I’d written alone and sometime before the others. Travelling back and forth to Sydney to record & write sounds cumbersome, but actually worked quite well for me. Having somewhere you’re visiting for the sole purpose of being creative is a luxury in its own right and sets up the right mental space to dive in deep.

How did you approach the songwriting for this project, and did that differ from how you’ve written in the past?

Actually yes, this is the first project I’ve had co writers involved in the whole way. Each of the songs felt like a single in their own right, but still cohesive enough sonically and topically to form an EP. I’ve come to really enjoy the collaboration of writing a track with the producer — it’s a form of creating that I can’t do as well on my own, but allows me to get into a different space.

When you’re building a song, what tends to come first for you, the lyrics, the melody, or the overall feeling?

It can change; usually the overall concept — but that might only become apparent after stumbling into a lyric. I think it can change over time. I used to start more with chords that would drag something to the surface I could then explore.

Was this EP written over a long period of time or in a more focused window?

Aside from Grocery Store, which still had a little workshopping, the writing was done within maybe 12 months total.

At what point did the project start to feel cohesive to you?

Cam and I started working together intending on recording Grocery Store, but we ended up writing 10 Seconds of Silence. After deciding to fly back to Sydney and finish 10SOS, Phase emerged when we had a few hours to spare. So pretty quickly it was obvious we were onto something that deserved to be followed through as its own body of work. Better was the sweet & moody final touch that, while maybe a little unique to the others, felt to me like the final touch to complete Rust’s narrative.

What challenged you the most while making this EP, either creatively or personally?

Distance was definitely a challenge we had chosen to take on, recording remotely or flying between states. Creatively speaking, I sometimes worried this pop focused direction might be too much of a departure from what I’d previously thought was ‘me’, but the production and arrangements we settled on I couldn’t have been happier with. I think the style does the music justice and walked the line beautifully between my previous releases and the more mature sound I was chasing.

What role did collaboration play in both the writing and recording process?

The whole project was collaborative! I went into these sessions more hands off than I had ever been before — meaning I didn’t come in with specific preconceived ideas for the most part. Showing up with some influences, maybe a concept or story to tell, and letting my collaborators shape the final product was refreshing & exciting.

Looking back now, what do you think this EP captures about you at this point in your life?

The title felt fitting for its imagery — how the presence of rust acknowledges a chapter of time is irretrievable or can never be quite the same. The songs detail a chapter of my life from start to end, of making difficult choices & finding the confidence to push forward.

When someone listens from start to finish, what kind of experience do you hope it creates for them?

If listeners really dive into the lyrics (which of course I hope they will), it’s partly my intention that they can find a piece of themselves reflected somewhere in the stories. The songs are ordered chronologically, so in a random order I expect they could sound a bit separate, but I’m really proud of the little world that lives within each track.

LAUNCH SHOW TICKETS – WORKERS CLUB – MAY 23, 2026

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Bestselling author, award-winning podcast host and purpose-driven entrepreneur to bring his transformational live experience to Australia

Tickets on sale from $89 at TICKETS

Wanderlust True North is proud to announce globally renowned author, podcast host and purpose-driven entrepreneur Jay Shetty as the next guest in its celebrated live conversation series, bringing one of the world’s most influential voices in mindfulness, connection and personal growth to Australian audiences this November.

Following his sold-out tour in 2023 Jay Shetty returns to Australia with a brand-new show, bringing his live experience to the stage for a powerful three-day tour. Appearing at The Plenary on Friday, 13 November in Melbourne before heading to the Tik Tok Centre in Sydney on Saturday, 14 November and wrapping up in Brisbane on Monday, 16 November at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Presented by Wanderlust True North, audiences can expect a live, transformative experience with Jay Shetty blending powerful storytelling with practical insights you can take beyond the room.

“I’m honoured and excited to bring my speaking series to Australia this spring and connect with like-minded individuals through purposeful mindfulness,” said Jay Shetty.

Exploring the four decisions that shape your entire life: how you feel about yourself, how you make money, who you choose to love, and how you serve the world. Through raw storytelling, life-changing insights, and practical wisdom you can immediately apply, Jay will challenge the way you think about success, purpose, relationships, and fulfillment. This is more than a talk – it’s about the actions you take, the decisions that shape your life, and the lasting transformation that stays with you long after you leave the room.

Quote from Wanderlust Founder, Radek Sali: “Jay has an extraordinary ability to connect with people across generations and cultures through honesty, compassion and insight, his conversations go far beyond inspiration — they leave audiences feeling empowered with tangible tools and a renewed perspective on how they live and connect.”

Known for his ability to connect deeply with audiences through powerful storytelling and practical wisdom, Jay Shetty has built a global community inspired by purpose, relationships, mental wellbeing, and personal transformation. His chart-topping podcast, On Purpose with Jay Shetty, reaches more than 35 million listeners monthly and has featured conversations with some of the world’s most influential figures including Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Chris Hemsworth, Kim Kardashian, Emma Watson, Kobe Bryant, Selena Gomez and Tom Hanks.

Jay is the bestselling author of Think Like A Monk and 8 Rules of Love, books that have resonated with millions around the world for their ability to translate timeless wisdom into practical tools for modern life. His work continues to redefine the wellness conversation by making self-growth accessible, actionable, and grounded in real human experience.

TOUR DETAILS

JAY SHETTY LIVE – THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING!

Melbourne – Friday 13 November – The Plenary

Sydney – Saturday 14 November – Tik Tok Arena

Brisbane – Monday 16 November – BCEC – Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre

Tickets are on-sale from $89.00

TICKETS

This will be a rare opportunity to experience Jay Shetty live — an uplifting and thought-provoking evening designed to leave you inspired, grounded and equipped with tools to navigate modern life with greater clarity and purpose.