'As Long As It Feels Good, That's What Matters': Lenny Kravitz Discusses Returning To Australia And The Joy Of Human Connection

There are few artists in the world today whose name can bring to mind the level of respect, admiration, and enduring hits that Lenny Kravitz can.

Having initially embarked upon a musical career in the mid-'80s, it was in 1989 that Kravitz made his official debut, releasing Let Love Rule to widespread acclaim. That acclaim continued with records such as Mama Said, Are You Gonna Go My Way, and Circus in the early-to-mid '90s, with the latter two hitting No. 1 and 2 on the ARIA charts, respectively.

As Kravitz became a ubiquitous fixture of pop culture throughout the late '90s, so too did Grammy Awards fill his shelves, while acting roles saw him increase his reach even further.

Along the way, though, Kravitz's prolific musical nature would see him release plenty of new albums, with his latest – Blue Electric Light – arriving just last year. It's that record – his first in six years – which has seen Kravitz announce his return to Australian shores, which takes place in just a matter of weeks.

As Kravitz explains via a Zoom call from his home in the Bahamas, this forthcoming tour comes off the back of a very busy time and a nixed return to our shores.

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"We were supposed to come there a few years ago, unfortunately, when COVID started," he recalls. "That cut my Australian tour, so we weren't able to make it on that cycle. And of course, I've been touring now for about two years on this album. So it was very important to me to get down there, see everybody, and celebrate together."

When COVID hit, Kravitz had been gearing up to resume touring in support of his 2018 album, Raise Vibration. This included a trip to Australia in March of 2020, featuring an appearance at Bluesfest along with a handful of headline dates.

Ultimately, these dates would be postponed and ultimately cancelled, with Kravitz telling fans he was "hoping to be back soon."

"I was pretty much stuck here in the Bahamas for three years," he remembers. "But in that time, I was quite productive and I made two albums – well, three albums – during that time. Blue Electric Light being the first, and there's two more.

"So that will enable me to continue for the next several years without a break."

He does promise fans that they'll be hearing this new music soon, though not on any of his upcoming tour dates. "It'll be two-and-a-half years of the Blue Electric Light tour playing around the world, I'll take a couple of months off to recharge, and then we'll drop another project," he teases.

This prolific nature is a testament to Kravitz's status within the world of music. In fact, his most recent album coincides with the 40th anniversary of his time within the music industry.

Though his debut album would not arrive until 1989, it was in 1984 that Kravitz appeared on Thelma Houston's What A Woman Feels Inside, credited as a guitarist, backing vocalist, and producer under his Romeo Blue moniker.

Admitting he's still as "motivated, creative, excited, and hungry" as he's ever been, Kravitz notes he "still loves doing what [he does]," but hadn't particularly expected these past 40 years of his career to play out the way they have – though he'd always remained hopeful of the possibility.

"I went in with this record that I had, Let Love Rule, and that's all I was thinking about," he says, referring to the impact his debut release had on his career. "As they say, you have your whole life to make your first album – it's just everything that you've experienced coming out in that first [musical] expression.

"But I didn't know, I didn't think about how long it might last, but I knew it was quite possible that that could be it. I went and bought some land, and I knew I'd have a place to go if nothing else ever happened.

"But I just kept moving and I've been blessed to have this long career," he adds. "Which I so appreciate."

After all these decades in the limelight, however, Kravitz doesn't look back upon a specific musical moment as the moment he wants to be remembered for, but the impact of his artistry.

"I'm proud of all of it, I really am," he says of his career. "Everything from Let Love Rule to Blue Electric Light; I'm proud of all of it.

"I think what means the most to me is the connection with the people that come and celebrate with me. The fact that we use music to amplify love, that's what it's all about for me."

As Kravitz reflects on his career, he's just weeks removed from the 30th anniversary reissue of his fourth album, Circus.

Originally arriving on September 12th, 1995, Circus was a bittersweet chapter in his career. Following on from the international success of Are You Gonna Go My Way in 1993, Kravitz found himself heaped with pressures to perform within an industry which he felt increasingly jaded about.

While tracks such as Rock And Roll Is Dead and Circus would capture his feelings on that topic, themes of religion and those close to him would also pepper the remainder of the record. Additionally, the creation of Circus would also coincide with Kravitz's mother, actress Roxie Roker, battling breast cancer ahead of her passing two months after the album's release.

However, the record's success would be a massive boost to Kravitz's career. Alongside top ten placings throughout the world, it would hit No. 10 in the US, becoming his highest-charting album until It Is Time For A Love Revolution hit No. 4 in 2008.

"It's interesting because I don't listen to my music other than when I have to teach things to the band members," Kravitz explains. "You know, I might listen to things to remember how certain parts go, but to listen back, it's like looking at an old photo album.

"You hear this music and you remember where you were, who you were with, even the smells – everything – just what was going on in your life," he adds. "It takes you back and it's a beautiful reminder of where you've been and what you've experienced and the lessons learned in that time."

Alongside digging up rarities and live cuts of the Circus record, Kravitz also unearthed an old electronic press kit from the album's original release, providing an insight into his creative process at the time of its recording.

In addition to a tour of his native New York City, Kravitz explained how he would "always end up sneaking the funk in [his] rock" when it comes to the music-making process.

Any fan of Kravitz would undoubtedly recognise how he's always managed to blend the two genres effortlessly, though even the most cursory listen to Blue Electric Light shows how these days, it seems as though he might actually be reversing the process and instead sneaking the rock into his funk.

"It's sort of hard for me not to have them coexist," he admits. "It's really hard to put into words, but the best rock to me has the funk element, whether you're Led Zeppelin or Jimi Hendrix or whoever you might be.

“Then the best funk has the rock elements in it, whether you're Parliament-Funkadelic or you're Sly And The Family Stone or whoever. So they coexist quite comfortably, and I love rhythm.

"Whatever comes to me, it feels good," he adds. "However the combination comes out, much like the human connection, the love and everything. As long as it feels good, that's what matters when it comes to music."

Kravitz's forthcoming tour will end up being his first visit to Australia since 2012, when he performed on an undeniably eclectic line-up featuring Wolfmother and The Cranberries. This time around, he'll be joined by Aussie rockers Jet, with a total of six shows on his itinerary.

The last time he visited Australia, 13 years ago, it had been a similarly long wait, with Kravitz having played only twice prior – including a two-date tour in 1993 and a larger trek six months later in early 1994.

At the time of his debut, Are You Gonna Go My Way had just spent four weeks atop the charts in Australia, and Kravitz was landing in a country ready for his refreshing blend of rock. It was a tour he remembers well.

"Oh my God, it was monumental," he admits. "There's a documentary called Alive From Planet Earth where we feature a lot of the footage from the Australian tour.

"I had the most incredible time on that tour. A lot of beautiful memories, a different time – pre everybody holding phones up, where people were just there, just involved, and it was a beautiful time."

The tour was the culmination of a few years spent rising through the ranks, with Kravitz fast becoming a hot topic in the world of music. Shows in Europe, the UK, Asia, and more had preceded this Oceanic excursion, though it was the 1994 run of dates where Kravitz really got to stretch his legs on local shores.

"We did this arena tour across Australia, and we had a good amount of days off," he remembers. "So I got to meet people, I got to go out, I got to take motorcycle trips up in the Blue Mountains with my biker friends. It was just a beautiful time.

"I really feel that this is going to be a return to that. It's not my home, but a homecoming in a sense to this place that means so much to me and gave me so many wonderful experiences and memories.

"I'm looking forward to that again," he adds. "Sort of a fresh 'hello' before getting reacquainted."

One of the most notable aspects of Kravitz's upcoming tour is the choice of cities. While he's visiting major capitals such as Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide (with the latter being for the bp Adelaide Grand Final), Kravitz will also find himself visiting both Newcastle and Mildura.

While Newcastle isn't exactly a first stop for many internationals, lower on the itinerary is the Victorian town of Mildura, which, in 2021, boasted a population of just under 35,000.

Upon the announcement of the show, Mildura City Council Mayor Helen Healy described the show as a "major win for our region," looking to their hosting of a Kings Of Leon gig in 2022 as an example of their recent successes hosting large-scale events.“

"The economic impact of that event on our region was truly significant," she explained. "Injecting over $2 million into the local economy, generating more than 9,000 overnight stays, and drawing 4,000 visitors to our community. "

Though Kravitz admits there's been a lot of discussion about the date, he admits there's a level of excitement in regard to going off the beaten track, while also outlining the rather simple method in which the gig came together.

"Well, I was invited and I'm going," he says with a laugh. "And I'm looking forward to it.

"There's beautiful people everywhere – small towns, big towns; it's all wonderful, and it's a place I haven't been. It's not often that you get to go to places that you have not been.

"When you're touring, you go to a lot of the places that you've been, many times that you keep revisiting," he adds. "So I'm excited to take in a new experience in a new area."

Even before he touches down on Australian shores, Kravitz promises his local fans that they won't be waiting another 13 years for a return engagement, expressing his fondness for his fans Down Under and their enduring support.

"I haven't been there in several years, but I hope that we will all welcome each other warmly," he muses. "I know that I will. I hope that folks will come out and we'll begin this relationship again.

"I will not take this long to come back. I'm going to keep working for the next several years with not much of a break because I feel this is the time," he adds. "I have the music and a great band and yeah, we're going to be coming back."

Tickets to Lenny Kravitz's forthcoming Australian tour are on sale now.