STACK #260 June 2026

FEATURE MUSIC

FUN FACT On Channel Seven’s Sunrise , Niall sampled Vegemite

BE MY GUEST Niall Horan is having a Dinner Party – and everyone is invited.

Niall Horan

on toast. He didn’t like it.

O ne night can change your life. Six years ago, Niall Horan met his girlfriend Amelia Woolley at a dinner party. She was a late addition to the guest list, but the two hit it off and they’re still together. The 32-year-old Irish star has now called his fourth solo album Dinner Party. “This song is about a really happy and big moment in my life,” Niall says of the title track. “An evening at a simple dinner party that changed the course of my life.

“After writing the song, the words ‘dinner party’ became the nucleus for the rest of the record. That once

Niall listened to a lot of Radiohead while he was making the album. And he says that fellow Irish artist Damien Rice was a big influence on the sound. “All Damien Rice’s recordings sound like they were just done in his living room, and I wanted to try and get that across and in how we recorded this time,” Niall revealed to NME . The result is a pop album that sounds real. “I’m happy with the authenticity in my music,” Niall says. “I’ve stuck to my guns on the type of music that I make.” Jeff Jenkins

CHART FACT

The half-eaten piece of toast then attracted bids on eBay.

in a lifetime moment that I am grateful for

Niall has had three Top 5 solo albums in Australia, including the 2023 chart-topper, The Show .

and for everything that came after that night. Things are different now.” In the song, Niall documents a night of drinking, chatting, and playing games. “I was loud as hell,” he sings. “You were so discreet... One kiss on your neck, it was so concrete. “I’m done looking for somebody.”

Dinner Party by Niall Horan is out Jun 5 via Universal

KINGDOM COME Aussie melody master Josh Pyke reveals the Kingdom Within on his eighth studio album.

MENTOR AS ANYTHING

For a decade, Josh Pyke helmed the Josh Pyke Partnership, which helped artists such as Gordi, Alex Lahey, and Angie McMahon get their start in the music business.

Kingdom Within by Josh Pyke is out Jun 12 via Inertia

I n a world that’s lost its way, you need a moral compass. Josh Pyke’s new album, Kingdom Within , opens with the title track. “With no

is going on in the political landscape but also in social media, I think it is more important than ever that we reconnect with what is important to us.” Not that Josh, 48, has lost sight of what makes his music matter – the magical melodies. The record also

CHART FACT

kingdom within,” the Sydney artist sings, “such a rudderless thing we become.” “This song is really about reconnecting with your moral core,” Josh explains. “The Kingdom Within I am referring to is our rich

Josh Pyke

Josh Pyke’s first six albums all hit the Australian Top 10. His most recent album, 2022’s To Find Happiness, peaked at 17.

Jamieson, and Chris Cheney. “I must say it’s been a really important project in my performance life,” Josh says. “Prior to doing that concert

mindset to get into someone else’s songs and show them the respect they deserve; not just cover a song but really put yourself into it. “And those guys are known as real performers; I learnt a lot on that first tour about how to perform without taking on a character, how to bring out myself as a performer.” Jeff Jenkins

includes a duet with Missy Higgins, Won’t Be Heavy. Outside of his solo

series, I was very much the acoustic guitar, singing guy. I’d never really performed without a guitar and I’d never really played other people’s songs. It’s a completely different

work, Josh has regularly ventured onto the stage to perform The Beatles’ White Album with his good buddies Tim Rogers, Phil

internal life. In a world that seems really fraught at the moment and really fragmented by not only what

DECKS BACK ON THE

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KT TUNSTALL Eye to the Telescope (20th Anniversary)

DEF LEPPARD Greatest Hits

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