INTERVIEW: IN CONVERSATION WITH RICHIE LEWIS

Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi

Photo Tahni Davis

No Barriers caught up with Richie Lewis (Tumbleweed) about the sold-out show as it tours Australia.

The power of Neil Young's song catalogue still resonates with people in 2025. He has performed as a headliner at Glastonbury and he remains politically fierce and relevant. Celebrating Neil Young: From Harvest-to-Harvest Moon is a heartfelt celebration of his unparalleled legacy as experienced Australian musicians bring his classic hits to life in their own unique way. “These songs mean so much to people,” said Richie Lewis (Tumbleweed). “The room was full of singing and there was a lot of love in the room for these songs. It was fantastic to feel that spirit”.

The show Celebrating Neil Young: From Harvest-to-Harvest Moon was sold-out in Brisbane as The Triffid hosted the opening night. “It was a bit surreal,” explained Richie Lewis. “We had come into Brisbane and the show at The Triffid was the first time we were all together. We spent the first day rehearsing and we performed it the next night. I don’t know when we were playing together – another spirit took over. We had a wonderful time, and then with Shane Nicholson and Jeff Martin coming in, you know it raised everybody’s game and made everybody better. You learn a lot about your own limitations when covering another musician’s songs and their delivery – you have to use muscle memory”.

The show Celebrating Neil Young: From Harvest-to-Harvest Moon came together through connections to past concerts and synergies. “Yeah. Paul McDonald called and said – like – do you want to do this? I said yeah but give me a day to think about it,” said Richie Lewis. “I rang back and said yeah that’ll be fun. We had played some Spring Loaded 90s concerts together and we said to each other – you know we should do something and we wound up doing this”.

“It was great to be singing and not drumming. I had to learn restraint in my delivery,” stated Richie Lewis. “I had to learn how to sing Neil Young’s songs in my own voice. His voice is high and mine is lower. He has an unusual pitch and I needed to sing in my voice. I learned to tell the stories behind the songs and retell them – as a story in song. The heroes are everyday people, they are about the bittersweet struggles in life and finding power in those stories resonates with people”.

“It’s been great to share the singing duties with Shane Nicholson (Australian singer-songwriter and Pretty Violet Stain) and Jeff Martin (The Tea Party). These guys are awesome,” exclaimed Richie Lewis. “We each have our songs. My favourite song to sing comes from ‘Harvest Moon’ and it’s ‘Unknown Legend’ about a woman who works in a diner. Its about her dreams and how they have been lost. Its about the sadness in life as dreams go by the wayside. There is a beauty in it – the pain and the struggle – but more importantly the tenacity to keep living and keep going. I love singing it”.

And when asked what happens after these shows: “Well, we are still performing, jamming and gigging,” stated Richie Lewis. “Tumbleweed has some new music coming out early in 2026. I also have some solo work coming out as well. We’re working on some touring situations for late in the year. It would be great if this show gets a longer life, but it will depend on schedules and other work. I can’t let the cat out of the bag yet. All I can say is that after the shows, my focus will be back on Tumbleweed and my solo work”.

Whether you're a Neil Young fan or simply appreciate amazing singing and instrumentation, the upcoming Adelaide and Melbourne shows are worth catching.