Ben Lee Picks Sally Seltmann and Huck Hastings as Support for Upcoming Australian Tour
The tour finds the Aussie larrikin performing his hit album Awake Is the New Sleep in its entirity.
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Ahead of his upcoming Australian tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of his fifth studio album, Awake Is the New Sleep, Ben Lee has announced the local supports coming on the road with him – Sally Seltmann and Huck Hastings.
The pair will join Lee on his 11-date tour across the nation as he performs Awake Is the New Sleep in its entirety.
Speaking about his choice of support acts, Lee commented, “Sally toured with me back in 2005 and has been a longtime ally, collaborator and, above all, songwriter whose music I adore. It felt only right to make another lap of the country together.”
He added, “Huck Hastings is at the forefront of a new generation of indie Aussie songwriters, making personal gorgeous music, full of heart, without compromise and without a road map. Can’t wait to hit to the road with these dudes!”
Backed by a full band, Lee will not only perform Awake Is the New Sleep in full at each show, but also take time out to regale audiences with behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the songs on the record. He has assured fans there will be “no backing tracks, no click tracks, no video screens. Just a great band on a stage covered in flowers, singing songs about love and lust and adventure and interconnectivity. It’s gonna be a vibe.”
Lee’s Awake Is the New Sleep 20th anniversary album tour kicks off at Canberra’s UC Refectory on Thursday, September 25 and continues with dates in Newcastle, Sydney, Byron Bay, Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The ‘Catch My Disease’ hitmaker crosses the border into Victoria for shows at Castlemaine, Torquay, Melbourne and Adelaide, before bringing the tour to a close at Fremantle’s Art Centre on Saturday, October 18.
Tickets for all shows are on sale now via frontiertouring.com.
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Debuting at #5 on the ARIA Album Chart (Lee’s highest chart position to date), the record spawned singles ‘Gamble Everything for Love’ and ‘Catch My Disease’ and won Lee three ARIA Awards.
“I’m not really a nostalgic person, I prefer to keep pushing forward with new projects and ideas, but this feels weirdly right to me,” Lee said in a statement about the upcoming tour.
“I’ve done so much touring in the last couple of years, averaging about 100 shows a year, and it's become abundantly clear to me that this album Awake was a really vital part of so many people’s lives and emotional journeys. I’ve chatted to so many people about the wide-eyed exploration and optimism of the record, and how it still seems to find people at the exact right time that they need that kind of energy.”
He added, “For me, it’s an album of endings and beginnings. I made it when I’d just left a major romantic relationship, had no record deal for the first time in my career, and was getting into spirituality, philosophy and the occult (but wasn't in over my head just yet - that would come soon enough lol).
“It’s an album that seemed to change a lot of lives, including mine. I’m looking forward to facing that head-on and exploring what these songs mean to me and the audience today, 20 years on. They still feel potent.”
Catch Ben Lee at The Gov on Friday, October 17. Tickets on sale now via frontiertouring.com.
Ben Lee Awake Is the New Sleep Australian Tour Dates 2025
Thursday, September 25 – UC Refectory, Canberra, ACT
Friday, September 16 – King Street Bandroom, Newcastle, NSW
Saturday, September 17 – Liberty Hall, Sydney, NSW
Thursday, October 2 – The Beach Hotel, Byron Bay, NSW
Friday, October 3 – The Princess Theatre, Brisbane, QLD
Saturday, October 4 – Miami Marketta, Gold Coast, QLD
Thursday, October 9 – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, VIC
Friday, October 10 – Torquay Hotel, Torquay, VIC
Saturday, October 11 – Northcote Theatre, Melbourne, VIC
Friday, October 17 – The Gov, Adelaide, SA
Saturday, October 18 – Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, WA
