Having spent much of the pandemic off the road and confined to the studio, Pyke returned to the fore in 2020 with Rome, his first record in five years, and his next record, To Find Happiness, is slated for release on March 18.

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Pyke regards both Rome and To Find Happiness as his "COVID classics", and said there's been a lot of inspiration to draw from throughout the pandemic.

"While I wouldn't say the songs on either record directly draw from the pandemic, the backdrop for all songs have been mostly written throughout the period," he said.

"There was plenty of inspiration there, it was just a matter of finding time to record around other commitments, such as home-schooling the kids."

Although Pyke wrote Rome before the pandemic, he said the deeply personal nature of the record fits seamlessly with the feelings of anxiety, loss and home experienced by many throughout the period.

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"COVID has really taught me how to take advantage of the moment when you're in it and try to stay in present, and many of the themes on Rome were almost prescient to what would eventually transpire," he said.

On the other hand, Pyke said To Find Happiness [written during the pandemic] is more self-explanatory, expressing the importance of the continued pursuit of happiness in trying times.

"It's essential to keep finding those moments of happiness in times that aren't so forgiving, and this record is very much about accepting your present situation, while also striving for those smaller pleasures," he said.

"In many ways, To Find Happiness and Rome are thematically linked, and creativity is always what I turn to during tough times, so these two records are certainly a testament to creative freedom and writing free of expectation."

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To Find Happiness will be Pyke's seventh album, with his past six having all debuted in the top 10 in Australia.

Pyke has won four ARIA Awards, two of them for his 2007 debut album, Memories & Dust.

The upcoming gig will be Pyke's first in Bathurst for a number of years, and he's hopeful 2022 will end up more promising for the live music industry.

"I've found people are traditionally a lot more grateful for live music in the regions, and with these recent disruptions, here's hoping this upcoming gig is well received," he said.

Pyke will perform at The Victoria on February 13 from 3pm. For tickets, visit www.thevictoriabathurst.com.au.

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