Between the release of his 2021 debut album, Smiling with No Teeth, and 2023 follow-up, Struggler, collecting seven ARIA Awards, sharing the stage with acts such as Tame Impala and Paramore, plus appearing in Netflix’s Heartbreak High, it’s no wonder Genesis Owusu (or Kofi Owusu-Ansahas he’s known off stage) has solidified his name as one of Australia’s most fearless and experimental artists.
Ahead of the release of his third studio album, Redstar Wu & the Worldwide Scourge, and his latest national tour, Red Star Wu’s Pirate Radio Tour, the 28-year-old sits down with WHO to discuss his creative process and the unexpected shift in his new album.
WHO: What was it like the first time you made music that genuinely meant something to you?
Kofi: “I was born into a pretty musically inclined family. We immigrated from Ghana to Australia in 2000 when I was 2, so there was a lot of Ghanaian highlife music in the house.
“I got into music hesitantly, because my brother [Citizen Kay] was already making music and I was trying to forge my own path as a little 12-year-old. He made our family computer room in our parents’ house his personal studio, so it was kind of inescapable.
“It wasn’t until maybe 16 when I started getting a lot more personal, talking about mental health, racism and what I was encountering in real life. It was then when I realised what a therapeutic tool music could be.”
WHO: Has there been a moment interacting with fans that has really stuck by you?
Kofi: “Yeah, I’ve got a folder on my phone of all the photos that people have sent me of the tattoo they’ve gotten around my music, which is always insane to me. I’ve always made music from a pretty personal place and, in a way, a pretty isolated place.
“Ironically, in being so personal, it seems to have resonated more. I’m so privileged to have a career like this.”
WHO: Tell us about your new album.
Kofi: “It’s an analysis of how I see living on planet Earth in the 2020s: chaotic, scary and uncomfortable sometimes. But a big part of it is the hope to regain community with one another.
“We live in a very polarised and divided time, and the first step to making any meaningful change is coming back together in real life and meeting people face to face.
“I felt like I didn’t have the privilege to be ambiguous anymore. I needed to be as direct and nuanced as possible.”
WHO: What was your creative process?
Kofi: “It was pretty wild. I went to Wales and made this whole album in a church.
“A friend of mine, who produced this album, fell in love with a Welsh woman, moved to Barry, Wales, and bought a church. He renovated it into an apartment and studio, and I stayed on the top floor. Every morning, we’d meet and go to the studio for 10 hours a day, make music, and talk about life, politics and the world.
“Watching the news every day, seeing the world slowly collapse in real time and just speaking to people – it was me trying to be a journalistic musician.”
WHO: Has your community changed?
Kofi: “I think it’s all just expanding more so than changing. The core theme of this album is trying to find community beyond just like minded people and finding humanity in people it feels like we’ve been pitted against, people who walk completely different paths of life.
“I’ve been trying to do that in my personal life, too. The other week, I made an Instagram story asking who wanted to teach me a random skill. I got requests from around the world. I’ve lined up someone who’s going to teach me Irish dancing, tarot card reading and navigating the wilderness from the sun. It’s going to be sick to have these skills, but really, I’m just trying to expand my community into anyone who wants to be around. I want to learn about you, you learn about me, and let’s tap in as humans.”
WHO: What can audiences expect for your upcoming live shows?
Kofi: “The live show is my favourite part of all of this.
“Last time I was at the Enmore [Theatre] in Sydney, my crowd broke the floor, so shout-out to them for letting me back in. I’ve always taken the live show very seriously. I approach it with intense intention and see it as akin to theatre, where it can have its own story, and the songs new life. Expect the unexpected. Expect to have a sweaty time, release a lot of energy, frustration and joy with the people around you.”
Genesis Owusu tour dates:
Thursday 14 May Bar On The Hill – Newcastle, NSW (18+) Tickets: oztix.com.au Presented by Great Southern Nights
Friday 15 May UC Refectory – Canberra, ACT (18+) Tickets: moshtix.com.au
Sunday 17 May The Fortitude Music Hall – Brisbane, QLD (18+) Tickets: ticketmaster.com.au
Monday 18 May Enmore Theatre – Sydney, NSW (all ages) Tickets: ticketek.com.au
Thursday 21 May Forum Melbourne – Melbourne, VIC (18+) Tickets: ticketek.com.au
Saturday 23 May Thebarton Theatre – Adelaide, SA (all ages) Tickets: ticketmaster.com.au
Tuesday 26 May Ice Cream Factory – Perth, WA (18+) Tickets: eventbrite.com.au
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