The tour with Paul Kelly, who has been a friend of Don's for over twenty years, is what's on Don's mind at the moment. He is practising with his band a set of songs from his 1995 debut album We're All Gonna Die, from the 1993 Tex, Don and Charlie album Sad But True and a few new ones that Don's been writing over the past three years. He said that he became a part of the tour when Paul rang him up a few weeks ago and asked him to play. For economic reasons, Don assumed he would have to play solo and was a bit reserved about doing so, but when Paul said he could bring his band Don jumped at the chance.

In the pipeline for Don, after the Paul Kelly tour, is a solo record and the release of Cold Chisel's reunion album. He said that he has been writing vigorously over the few years but needs just a few more songs to get the right feel to the new album because he wants it to have the same effect on him as We're All Gonna Die. His songwriting and musical style has not strayed far away from the blues and ballads on We're All Gonna Die. So in August Don is heading to Nashville, as he claims it is the songwriting capital of the world, to get a repeated dose of inspiration that he experienced from his last visit there when he was writing We're All Gonna Die.

The Cold Chisel album was recorded in October last year and is now in the mixing stage. Don said at first he was not eager to do a reunion album, but was curios to see how the band would sound like fifteen years on with its members in their mid-forties. After his return from Nashville, Don will be taking the stage once again as Cold Chisel's keyboardist when the band tours in September.

Don Walker will be supporting Paul Kelly at GPAC on Sunday the 26th of July.

© 1998 Forte Magazine