After a successful tour along Australia's east coast and a life-changing trip to the United States, Orange musician Robbie Mortimer is returning to the Central West for a series of local dates, and Bathurst will serve as one of his stops on The Tour of the Fox.
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Mortimer, who released his outstanding second record, 200 Years Too Late, late last year, will perform at The Victoria Bathurst next Saturday, where he will be joined by Bathurst-turned-Newcastle guitar whiz Luke Furbank.
While Orange is his home town, Mortimer attended St Stanislaus' College for his secondary schooling, and said he can't wait to return to share his music.
"I'm excited to bring the show to Bathurst, as I spent a lot of great times there during school and The Victoria is such a fantastic live music venue," he said.
"It'll be a nice, intimate kind of show with new and old songs. I'm writing every day."
Mortimer enjoyed a tremendous reception earlier in the year with his first solo tour along the east coast of Australia, winning over new fans in Port Macquarie, the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Yamba, Jacobs Well, Tweed Heads and Coffs Harbour.
He then set off on a trip to the United States, which he said was "a life-changing experience."
"I was lucky enough to be able to hang out with music industry professionals of such a high personal calibre, and it's further convinced me to pursue music full time," Mortimer said.
"The highlight was certainly hanging out with the guys from Zac Brown Band, that was incredible, but it also gave me the opportunity to write and create in a completely different environment.
"It allowed me to become totally vulnerable again, which has helped me write new music and be inspired by new places and new people, and it's had a profound impact on my direction as a songwriter."
It's a far cry from where Mortimer found himself at this point last year, where COVID-19 was continuing to make life difficult for the music industry.
"I was worried live music may not ever come back, but to have two tours and a trip to the US now under my belt, I'm full of more motivation than ever," he said.
Alongside touring, 200 Years Too Late has continued to net Mortimer plenty of positive feedback.
"It's great to see a number of listeners connecting to the stories and themes present within the album," he said.
"I put a lot of soul and energy into that album, so it's really humbling to hear all the feedback."
Mortimer said he's also passionate about supporting other musicians in connecting with new audiences, with Furbank to also support him at shows in Newcastle, Orange and Avoca later in the year.
"Luke's a terrific fella, and I really believe in his music," he said.
"He's an awesome musician, and it's humbling to get someone of his calibre on board with this tour."
The event will get under way next Saturday from 6pm. Tickets cost $30 and are available from www.robbiemortimer.com.
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