Josh Pyke developed his intimate musical voice while demoing solo tracks on the side of his punkier band An Empty Flight during his 20s. That led directly to 2005’s breakthrough single “Middle of the Hill,” an indie-folk ballad spinning visceral childhood memories into a campfire-style sing-along. The Australian songwriter (born in Sydney in 1977) has continued to deliver profound, piercing lyrics with a soothing delivery, often buoyed by grand arrangements. While he initially resembled an Aussie answer to Elliott Smith or Iron & Wine, Pyke has broadened his palette in the years since, performing live tributes to The Beatles’ White Album with members of You Am I and The Living End, and providing buttery vocal hooks for rappers like 360 and Urthboy. He has also penned a children’s book and cut a live album with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, all without losing his confiding way of imparting wisdom.