CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS 157: MARK WILKINSON ON HIS WILD & HUNTED THINGS TOUR

Interview by Brooke Gibbs.

Currently in the midst of his national Wild & Hunted Things tour, singer-songwriter Mark Wilksinson is reconnecting with audiences across Australia, bringing a deeply personal collection of songs to life on stage. With 17 shows spanning the country, Mark is no stranger to the grind of tour life, but it’s clear the thrill of live performance hasn’t dulled.

Mark’s latest album, Wild & Hunted Things, marks a significant evolution in his songwriting. Written during a transformative period of his life, post-COVID and amid the changes that come with fatherhood, this body of work reflects a newfound depth and emotional maturity.

The album’s title, lifted from the track Adoration Skies, speaks to a central theme: holding onto the things that bring joy, energy, and meaning. On stage, fans can expect a generous mix of new material and older favourites; a deliberate choice by Mark to honour all stages of his musical journey.

FMM: Mark, you're currently in the middle of your Wild & Hunted Things tour across Australia. How is the energy from fans been like so far? Is there any standout moments that you'd like to share?

Mark: It's been great. I think it's been pretty awesome across the board. It's been a slow start for me this year. The first six months I haven't done any touring, so for me just to be back out on the road and connecting with the fans is feels so great. Every show has had its own kind of nice moments and connections. It's been great.

FMM: It seems like you're having a great time on the road. There are about 17 dates across different states and territories, so how do you keep grounded and energised with such a packed tour schedule?

Mark: Yeah, I guess, trying to get enough sleep when you can. Your body kind of goes a bit all over the place when you go into the sort of touring mode. It's late nights and then you're often traveling a lot. So, I guess just trying to eat healthy when you can and and get some sneaky sleep ins when you can as well. Just look after the body.

FMM: Do you have much time to explore the new places or you very busy with performing, rehearsing, traveling?

Mark: Yeah, generally it's pretty busy because you're often on the move and then you're moving from one place to the next. Sometimes you have less of a travel time between some places and you get a chance to kind of cruise around and check out the local area, maybe go to like some of the local places, local cafes and stuff and have a meal or something like that, which is really nice. I check out the beach, if it's by the coast.

FMM: Obviously this tour is focused on the album, but what can fans expect? Do you play some older songs as well? Or is it just around the new album?

Mark: Yeah, no, totally. I always like to play like newer stuff and older stuff as well because you know, I've released a few albums now so I know that people come onto your music at different times throughout you your journey of releasing music, and some people want to hear stuff from different albums from the past. So, I’ll try to play the newer stuff, but also play a variety of older stuff as well. So hopefully there's something in there for everyone.

FMM: I love the name of the album and the tour. Can you tell me more about the meaning behind it and what inspired it?

Mark: Yeah, sure. So it's like, well done. Wild & Hunted Things - that lyric is lifted from one of the tracks, which is called Adoration Skies. I really liked it as a title because for me, Wild & Hunted Things represents the parts of life that really fulfill you and give you energy and excite you. I think sometimes those things are really difficult to kind of hold on to and keep in your life. A lot of this album is about recognising those things in your life, those things that bring you fulfillment and, trying to protect them, and trying to nurture them and give them space. That's kind of where the title came from.

FMM: How is your songwriting evolved from your previous work to the recent album?

Mark: I think when you write songs, you’re sort of just at different stages of your life. And I don't know if it's necessarily a conscious thing to be kind of trying to write in a different manner, but I think it's like the emotions and the sort of different stages of your life that you're going through when you're writing kind of come out in those songs, without you necessarily realising. I think this album, has come out of quite a sort of transformative time for me. You know, it's sort of on the back end of all the big changes that came with COVID. Also, my wife and I, we now have two young children, so life has really quite changed quite a lot in. In the last few years. I think a lot of that sort of adaptation and change and transformation has found its way into the music as well.

FMM: In saying that, were there any tracks in the album that came together in a surprising way for you?

Mark: I don't know if it's surprising. I mean, there's like a track on there called New Look which I did as a co-write with another songwriter that I really like. He did the production on the album. He goes under the name of Old Sea Brigade. His name is Ben and we wrote that track together. And I think doing a co write is always an interesting process because you start from a space where you're not really sure what you're going to end up with, and sometimes it works really well or sometimes you just sit there staring at each other for a while. But, it ended being a really great song and I think a little bit of a diversion maybe from some of the other tracks. I was really happy with that track.

FMM: If fans could take one thing away from the tour, what would you want it to be?

Mark: Well, I guess I hope people have a great time and I hope it taps into something emotionally. That's always what I hope from a concert; that it’s relatable and you can lose yourself a little bit in the music. The overarching message of the album is one of empowerment I think and giving yourself an opportunity to change your life for the positive and being able to adapt to new situations, believing in yourself and giving yourself the power to make those changes.

FMM: What's next for you after this tour?

Mark: Oh, that's a good question. Well, probably just a little bit of downtime for a while with the family, but I’m always looking forward to new music as well. I'll be getting back into the studio probably a month or so after the tour finishes to work on some new tracks. New stuff will be coming out done the line, so I’m excited about that.