Skinny Living are on their first Australian tour. Photo: Supplied.

UK alternative-soul duo Skinny Living are bringing their first Australian tour to the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast. And they’re giving three local acts the opportunity to take the opening slots.

There’s something extraordinary about travelling halfway around the world, walking into a room of strangers and discovering they already know your songs.

For British duo Skinny Living, that has been one of the biggest surprises of their first Australian tour.

When the songs travel further than you imagined

Skinny Living frontman Ryan Johnston told YELO the biggest surprise of their first Australian tour was discovering just how well audiences already knew their music.

“We’ve travelled halfway around the world to places we’ve never been, yet we’re walking into rooms full of people who already have a relationship with our music. That’s a strange and beautiful thing to experience,” he said.

“To finally stand in front of those people so far from home and hear them singing the words back to us is incredibly moving.”

A long way from Wakefield

Skinny Living formed in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, after Belfast-born singer Ryan Johnston and guitarist Danny Hepworth met through the local open-mic scene. Their music blends acoustic soul, indie and Johnston’s distinctive vocals.

The band’s name reflects working-class life: earning little, working hard and staying optimistic despite financial pressure. Their songs explore family, relationships and resilience.

Their 2024 album Day by Day topped the UK Independent Albums Chart, and Skinny Living have supported the likes of Noah Kahan, James Arthur, Calum Scott and Gabrielle. A more recent EP 9 completes a trilogy of releases inspired by the numbers three, six and nine.

Johnston still remembers the fulfilment of his earliest performances. “I just remember feeling a sense of fulfilment I had never felt before,” he said.

“It doesn’t really matter how big the room is or how many people are there. Getting to do something you love, hopefully in front of a few people who might connect with the music, is priceless.”

New songs, no rulebook

Australian audiences are also hearing unreleased material, including a new song called ‘Houses & Hand Grenades’. Johnston said it explores “the contradictions of human nature, how we’re capable of extraordinary love and compassion, but also incredible destruction”.

As for the band’s direction, he is not interested in a formula: “We aren’t concerned with what a Skinny Living song is supposed to sound like. We’re following whatever inspires us and not overthinking it.”

Hear the band before the shows: listen to ‘Why’ on Spotify.

Skinny Living’s Australian debut tour began in Geelong on October 16 and continues north to the Airlie Beach Festival of Music in November.

For the full Australian itinerary, visit the official Skinny Living tour page at Big Apachee. Check individual ticket links for entry conditions, times and current availability.

Partner content: This story was produced in partnership with Big Apachee, promoter of Skinny Living’s Australian tour. Want to partner with YELO? Learn more.