Australian guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel is releasing his latest album, “Living in the Light,” on Oct. 10. Emmanuel called it his most “adventurous record yet,” blending acoustic, pop, jazz, classical and roots influences while experimenting with vocals and live-recorded tracks.
The Daily spoke with Emmanuel about his process, where he draws inspiration and what audiences can expect from his upcoming performances, including a show at Northwestern’s Cahn Auditorium on Oct. 15.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
The Daily: How does it feel to be releasing “Living in the Light” next week?
Emmanuel: I’ve been recording since the ’60s, but this album came together really quickly. We shot all the videos, and then it was ready to go. It’s been very exciting, and I’m really looking forward to people hearing it.
The Daily: Your album blends so many genres — acoustic, pop, jazz, classical, roots. Did you have a vision for that mix?
Emmanuel: Not really. It’s all music to me. I try not to put labels on it, but I know people want to describe it: R&B, pop, country, folk, rock ’n’ roll, funk, even a bit of African influence. I’m just a songs person. I’m always thinking about writing for a singer and a band, making something that grabs you the first time you hear it. That’s my focus.
The Daily: How does that vision go from an idea to the finished track?
Emmanuel: I don’t follow a strict pattern. I just try to write the best music I can with the time I have. It was important to me to take risks. This isn’t just well-thought-out acoustic music. I want to write timeless music that doesn’t fit into a single genre. On this album, I even tried singing more than before. I’m not really a singer, but I love singing, and people like it when I sing, so I gave it a go.
The Daily: Are there specific life experiences or people that inspired songs on this album?
Emmanuel: The opening track, “(The) Young Travelers,” was written for a children’s film during COVID. I tried to imagine how Paul McCartney might approach an instrumental — repeating melodies, experimenting with changes underneath. Another track, “A Drowning Heart,” came from watching people at an airport absorbed in their devices. Our brains are flooded, our hearts are drowning, and I tried to capture that musically. The song mixes a bit of Nirvana, Taylor Swift and even a Billy Joel-style instrumental breakdown.
The Daily: What makes “Living in the Light” stand out from your previous albums?
Emmanuel: It’s more adventurous than anything I’ve done before. For example, “Initiation” is about an aboriginal ceremony. I recorded it live, standing over my amps to create unusual guitar sounds. One take, no overdubs. It’s a bit like if Jimi Hendrix were an acoustic player, maybe he might do something like that.
The Daily: What can fans expect at your Northwestern show?
Emmanuel: They’re going to get a lot of new material, lots of improvisation. I’m doing two full sets and no opening act, so I can really take my time and stretch things out. I’m going to let it all go and really give it the best I can.
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