Australia will get to go through its own Trying Times.
After seven years, James Blake will return to Australia to bring his Trying Times tour to us.
The British visionary and producer will bring his spinning-plate performance to Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on December 1, the Sydney Opera House on December 2 and Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena on December 5 this year.
The tour hinges on his 2026 album, Trying Times, which was released on March 13.
His most recent release gave listeners his most creatively pure and diverse body of work to date, following his departure from Republic Records in 2024 and the album’s entirely independent release.
Compared to his previous records, the newest LP features a more organic blending of his sound, mixing the electronic club elements of his past with intimate, fragile songwriting.
Blake allows both of these elements room to breathe through spacious pianos, atmospheric synths and his signature pitched vocal runs.
The tracks that best showcase this include ‘Trying Times’, ‘Doesn’t Just Happen’ and ‘Death of Love’, a moody, mournful cut that features Blake sitting alone in an empty bed beside a mirror.
The soundscape explores deep introspection around the world’s geopolitical climate and the realities of private life, positioning love as a form of resistance to global tension rather than something that succumbs to it.
The gravity of this newfound independence can also be seen in his recent tour.
The heavy-bass electronic DJ sets that once dominated his shows have been replaced by a more communal, stripped-back experience, featuring vocal-centric performances built around his own keyboard rig and backing band.
A taste of what’s to come can be found in his recent Apple Music Room performance, where he performed the angelic title track with only a keyboard, electronic sampler and backing guitar.
The Mastercard, Vodafone and Artist Presales go live at 10am on June 24, with general sale commencing at 10am on June 26.
