Dear Kate, Local, John and Daisy,

I’m sitting at Dubai Airport, en route back to the UK, having had little sleep and far too much coffee, and I feel a sudden need to acknowledge how genuinely lovely and full of meaning our time in Australia and New Zealand has been. It seemed as though the band had reached a kind of apotheosis, a state of exuberance that was next-level — primal, disembodied, exalted — a feeling we have been working towards since we began the Wild God tour in Germany in September 2024. For me, Australia itself felt like the essential component in finally reaching this joyous state of being, of standing in front of a group of people with whom I connected deeply, almost on a cellular level, united by a shared history and memory, and laying everything we had before them. It was an experience beyond words.

Sometimes, on stage, I would turn to look at the Bad Seeds in their singular combination of restraint and sheer abandon, and witness how fiercely they work in the service of this collective derangement — the fury of the world — and I would feel astounded. What a band, I’d think, what a fucking band, and I’d feel nothing but the deepest gratitude.

We exchanged our thank yous and goodbyes as we parted ways at Brisbane airport, but once more, to my collaborators and friends, The Bad Seeds, thank you. And to you, Kate, Local, John and everyone who came to see us — thank you. My God, what a great privilege to return and play for you all. These shows were unforgettable, and you were amazing.

I’m now on the plane, flying over the Persian Gulf, and the little screen shows I’m at an altitude of 37,985 ft and travelling at 576 mph, with 6 hours and 25 minutes remaining until I reach the UK. Daisy, once again, I’m feeling that familiar, bewildering, bittersweet sensation of both leaving and returning home. Goodbye, I say. Hello, I say. There’s gotta be a song in there somewhere.

Love, Nick