Singer-songwriter Stan Walker will return to the stage this September with his new nationwide tour, All In.
And stans of the singer, rejoice: the 'Bigger' hitmaker will be exclusively performing brand-new music from his upcoming album, All In - Walker's first studio release in more than five years - alongside fan favourites and his classic tunes.
"It's going to be a whole new show - we've put a lot of effort into [this]. Everything from the screens to the stage set-up. I'll be doing a lot of new songs, new music, and some of the old hits. We're revamping a lot of it - a brand-new show no one has ever seen," Walker told Newshub ahead of the tour's announcement.
The All In tour will span nine shows across Aotearoa, beginning in the Bay of Plenty's Mount Maunganui on September 23 - a place close to Walker's heart.
"I love being home. Any time it's a home performance - even Tauranga, that's my home - I can't wait to do those ones," he said.
"Hopefully my family come out and support me!"
Featuring an all-star line-up of lauded local talent, the All In tour has locked in hip-hop heavyweight Kings, Wellington-based soul singer Louis Baker, R&B-reggae songstress Hamo Dell and newcomer Crete as supporting talent.
Walker says the line-up is a reflection of "brown excellence" in Aotearoa's flourishing music scene.
"They're incredible talents, incredible artists. We're all very different, but one thing I love is we're all very proud, staunch Māori - it's kind of a tour of brown excellence," he told Newshub.
"I've got a relationship with these artists, they're all my friends. I've always wanted to do more with them - they were in straight away. The tour is called All In, and everyone is literally all in. it represents so much of where I'm at, it's pretty cool."
The hitmaker is now looking forward to sharing his new songs with Aotearoa, a sound he says has taken four years to perfect.
"My music is very different from what people may have heard from me [before]. It's been four years in the making… this is something I've been growing into as the person I am now," he told Newshub.
"The music is very soulful and R&B [oriented]. I've got a lot of features - there will be a lot of collaborations with the artists that are touring with me, and possibly some other people."
The upcoming project is a celebration of Walker's personal and professional growth, reflecting his musical transition from Australian Idol alum to pop personality to fully-fledged artist. His latest songs explore a number of "mature" themes, he explained, lending themselves well to live instrumentation.
"It's a very mature album. It's not just music over the last four years, it's my journey and my growth. All the different seasons I've been in over the last four years - and there've been a lot of seasons," he laughed.
"I talk about a lot of stuff from love, to heartbreak, to climate change, to mental health, to racism - finding my place and my home. I think they're really good songs and really good songs for the band [The Levites] - I had the boys play a lot of the live instruments on this album.
"I can't wait to showcase [the songs] and have people listen to where I've been at."
And the prospect of live performance in a world still tightly held in COVID-19's clutches isn't lost on Walker, who says he feels "blessed" to be able to embark on a tour when so many nations remain void of concerts.
"It feels so good. That's where I'm alive, that's where I'm at my best - on-stage with my band, with my team, performing. I prefer that way more than recording and releasing new songs. People get to hear the performer, hear the story-teller, get to experience the whole experience.
"We're so blessed we can do it, I can't wait to come alive on stage."
A portion of each ticket sale will be donated to mental health advocate Mike King's charity, I Am Hope, to support young people in Aotearoa who are battling mental illness.
"This is my way I can have a tangible contribution - it's one thing, social media posts - anyone can do that, that's for free. But counselling is not for free," Walker explained.
"If I can't invest in the next generation, even if it's just a portion, then I'm kind of talking smack in everything that I do."
Walker will be taking his tour to nine locations across Aotearoa, beginning in Mt Maunganui at Trust Power Bay Park on September 23 and concluding in Auckland's Town Hall on October 8.
Fans can also catch Stan Walker's All In tour on September 24 at Whanganui's War Memorial Hall; September 25 at Napier's Pettigrew Green Area; September 26 at Wellington's Porirua Te Rauparaha Arena; September 27 at Nelson's Trafalgar Centre; September 30 at Christchurch's Town Hall; October 1 at Dunedin's Town Hall; and October 2 at Invercargill's ILT Stadium Southland.
"I'm bloody excited," he said. "It's going to be so awesome."
Tickets are available from stanwalker.net from 7am on July 21.
