Newton Faulkner is heading back to Australia for a mammoth 15-date tour in February and March 2027, celebrating 20 years of the album that made him a household name, Hand Built by Robots.
Released in 2007, Faulkner’s debut shot straight to number one in the UK and reached number five on Australia’s ARIA Albums Chart. It also delivered some of his best-loved songs, including ‘Dream Catch Me’, ‘Gone in the Morning’ and ‘I Need Something’, introducing audiences to a musician who could make one acoustic guitar sound like an entire band.
Faulkner’s approach to guitar playing has always set him apart. Using percussive tapping, intricate fingerpicking and rhythmic tricks, the British singer-songwriter turned the acoustic guitar into something far more adventurous than a simple accompaniment. Add his unmistakable voice and a knack for a hook, and it’s easy to see why Hand Built by Robots struck such a chord.
Two decades and eight studio albums later, Faulkner has hardly stood still. His 2009 follow-up Rebuilt by Humans continued his success, while Write It on Your Skin delivered another UK number one. Along the way, he’s continued experimenting with the possibilities of performing solo, often pushing his guitar playing into territory that seems to require several extra pairs of hands.
His latest album, Octopus, released earlier this year, takes that experimentation even further. Five years in the making, the record introduces distorted bass, funk, R&B and soul, with contributions from Lissie, Los Bitchos’ Serra Petale, The Noisettes’ Dan Smith and Reuben James. It closes with the a cappella ‘Gratitude’, a thank you to the fans who have stuck with him over the past twenty years.
Now Faulkner is returning to the record that started it all. The anniversary tour offers Australian audiences a chance to revisit the songs that launched his career, while catching up with an artist who has continued to develop well beyond his breakthrough success.
Fifteen shows across Australia should give fans plenty of opportunities to see one of acoustic music’s most inventive performers revisit the album that put him on the map.
Go HERE for ticketing information.
