🎵 EXCLUSIVE CHAT: Anthony Callea

The incredible Anthony Callea joins Jonesy & Amanda for a chat ahead of his live performance for our Friday Feels Sessions!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, look, if there's one artist who knows the power
of connection, it's Anthony Kahlia. He has been winning audiences over. Well,
he started on Australian Idol back in 2004, but he's
become one of the country's most beloved voices. He's got
number one albums. He's got live shows. All about bringing
people together. And he's heading out on the road with

(00:22):
the Connection Tour. And he joins us now, Anthony Kahlia.
He's a big deal.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Good afternoon.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Here he is.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
So good to be here.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Do you look well? Thank you.

Speaker 3 (00:31):
I would hope so. It takes a lot of effort
to look this cheap, as Dolly said.

Speaker 1 (00:35):
But you know, dear departed Dolly.

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Rest in peace.

Speaker 1 (00:39):
Even though looking at that year, 2004, it still feels
like you're a youngster. Well, I try and, you know,
stay young and think young.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
But there are mornings where I get out of the
bed and everything creaks. I'm sure everyone else can relate to.

Speaker 2 (00:55):
But did you catch up with the alma mater? Because
we see Casey from time to time. And who else
do you see?

Speaker 3 (01:01):
Well, it's interesting. Only a few months ago, there was
seven of us from our year of Idol that we
all caught up at Amali's home. In Sydney and, yeah,
we all went to her place for a barbecue and
Courtney was there and Ricky Lee came and, yeah, there
was seven or eight of us and it was really
beautiful just to be together again. And it was like

(01:21):
nothing had changed. It was like we all walked in
and we went, oh, my God, we feel like it's
old school Idol again.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah. I'm often fascinated by the sliding doors of things,
the names you've just rattled off, singers. But if you
hadn't had that sliding door moment.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
On that show, would you have been, would you be
where you are now?

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Who knows? To be honest, and I wrote this in
my book, actually, I rocked up to the first year
of the Idol auditions when Guy and Shannon did it.
And I had a moment, I had a freak out moment.
I had an anxiety attack and they called out my
number and I couldn't do it. I couldn't bring myself
to sing and I left. And then it took me

(02:01):
a good six months to nine months to sort of
work the courage up again. And then I auditioned and
I feel as though that was just my time and
place then. And I knew within myself that now I'm
ready to do it. And I'm so glad that I did.
It was a different era back then. And it was
a beautiful era. I feel as though we live in
such a digital world these days. And back then it

(02:23):
was just so organic. And there wasn't a lot of
bells and whistles on that show back then. It was like,
here's your mic, sing, and it's live. And if you
can do it, you can do it. And if you can't,
You sort of get found out if you can't. And
I sort of love that. And I take that with
me every day. That live experience is just a beautiful thing.
And yeah, that sliding door moment, I don't know what

(02:44):
I would be really doing. I do like interior decorating
and I do like cars. So who knows? I could
have been an interior decorator.

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Interior decorating cars. Oh, that would be heaven. This is
a thing.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
How many curtains can you replace on a car?

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Venetian blinds are back. Oh, yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:02):
Bring it on.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
And talking about feeling, so the Friday Feel Session, and
you've come in, and I notice you've brought an entourage
outside the studio at the moment. They're going to be
a part of the performance?

Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, I've got Susie O'Hearn and Bo. I love my
musos and my band, and there is this beautiful connection
that we have. And, you know, on tour, I've got
Rocky as well. I grew up with Rocky, my other
backing vocalist. We grew up when I was 17. That's
how long we've known each other.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
So he was your backup vocalist when you were seven.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
No, no. We, we went to the same performing arts
school and, um, we had the same vocal coach and yeah,
he's been part of my life for that long. So
it's actually nice to walk out on stage and just feel,
you know, not only connected with an audience, but connected
with your musos on stage.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
And what are you going to be performing for us today?

Speaker 3 (03:46):
Ah, the flame by cheap trick. And again, it's one
of those songs like, It's just so beautiful when you
pull it back and you listen to the backbone of
this song and the lyrics. And it's just something connects
with you when you actually just hone in on music
without all the bells and whistles. And yeah, I love
singing like that.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Well, so we won't have bells and whistles, but we'll
have you and two other accompaniments.

Speaker 3 (04:09):
I do have some rhinestones on.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
My jeans, though.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
Oh, I did notice that.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
And you've got killer flexibility as well. Oh, that's what
all the boys say.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
That was quite a high heel flex.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
You just did there.

Speaker 2 (04:18):
Is that thing attached to your leg? It's like it
just came off. Anthony. You're just jealous. I am so jealous.
You go and warm up. We'll be back for the
Friday Field Sessions with Anthony Kalea on Gold.

Speaker 3 (04:30):
Thanks, guys.