Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
After more than 15 years away, Shinedown frontman Brent Smith is looking forward to finally returning to Australia. The American rock band will join forces with British alt-rock heavyweights Bush for a co-headline tour across Australia and New Zealand in September, marking Shinedown’s first Australian performances since their appearances at Soundwave Festival in 2010.
For Smith, the return has been a long time coming. His memories of Shinedown’s previous visit include seeing Faith No More, Paramore and Jimmy Eat World during a day off, as well as a less enjoyable recollection of getting badly sunburned during a Sydney beach day with the band and crew. More importantly, however, he says he has thought about returning to Australia ever since Shinedown’s last visit.
“I've been thinking about how the hell do we get back there,” Smith says, with the New Zealand dates also representing a first for the band. The decision to tour with Bush came together through Smith’s longstanding friendship with Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale. The two discussed their respective touring plans and realised that a co-headline arrangement would make sense, both creatively and logistically. Smith promises Australian and New Zealand audiences the full Shinedown experience, declaring that the band is bringing “all the bells and whistles.”
Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips caught up with Shinedown’s Brent Smith for a chat about the band’s new album EI8GT and the co-headline Australian tour with Bush
#australianmusician #shinedown
After more than 15 years away, Shinedown frontman Brent Smith is looking forward to finally returning to Australia. The American rock band will join forces with British alt-rock heavyweights Bush for a co-headline tour across Australia and New Zealand in September, marking Shinedown’s first Australian performances since their appearances at Soundwave Festival in 2010.
For Smith, the return has been a long time coming. His memories of Shinedown’s previous visit include seeing Faith No More, Paramore and Jimmy Eat World during a day off, as well as a less enjoyable recollection of getting badly sunburned during a Sydney beach day with the band and crew. More importantly, however, he says he has thought about returning to Australia ever since Shinedown’s last visit.
“I've been thinking about how the hell do we get back there,” Smith says, with the New Zealand dates also representing a first for the band. The decision to tour with Bush came together through Smith’s longstanding friendship with Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale. The two discussed their respective touring plans and realised that a co-headline arrangement would make sense, both creatively and logistically. Smith promises Australian and New Zealand audiences the full Shinedown experience, declaring that the band is bringing “all the bells and whistles.”
Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips caught up with Shinedown’s Brent Smith for a chat about the band’s new album EI8GT and the co-headline Australian tour with Bush
#australianmusician #shinedown
