What are you secretly really good at?
When I hold water in my mouth, I’ve got a perfect space in between each of my teeth. So when I point my neck to the sky and blow out water, it looks like a full fountain. It’s all perfect streams, and it creates some sort of water feature. It’s like, 10 streams! It’s quite beautiful but also pretty disgusting to witness.
What is your most controversial opinion?
I believe you should have to be over the age of 20 to wear sunglasses. I think anyone who’s a teenager wearing sunglasses, you look like the biggest little douchebag. And I’m guilty of it. I remember being at a festival and the stylist putting sunglasses on me when I was 16 or 17. I look back and I’m like, what a little dweeb. Kids wearing sunglasses is an absolute yucky sight. I don’t like those kids.
Your song I Can Die Now is about how love makes you crazy. What is the craziest thing you have done for love?
My first anniversary with my girlfriend was in the middle of Covid, and we couldn’t see each other [because of travel restrictions] – but there was this island in between us. There were no ferries running at this point but there was this random thing I could still legally do: I could hire a luxury boat taxi. And in Covid, it was so cheap.
So I got this boat to pick her up and I made this little picnic on this island – I think it was Shark Island in the middle of Sydney Harbour. It was just us, and it was the most romantic thing I’ve ever done – which is annoying, because it’s been four years, and [this happened] the first year.
What’s been your most memorable interaction with a fan?
At my first show in New Zealand, someone gave me one of their teeth on a necklace at the meet and greet. There was a molar on a piece of string, and they were like, “You can wear this and I’ll always be a part of you.” I don’t know where that tooth is today but I was definitely a little freaked out.
You broke out when you were 14. Did you have any jobs before becoming a musician?
When I was 10 I would take in all of my street’s bins. I’d wheel the bins into the driveways and some of the houses would give me $1 for each bin. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Kicking My Feet has been described as a coming-of-age record. What’s one lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life?
‘Hell short’: Paul Mescal at a men’s spring/summer 2025 show at Milan fashion week. Photograph: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Gucci
During the early stages of my career I had a little bit of guilt for wanting to still act like a kid when I was in these adult situations. I’d go back and tell him: don’t feel shame, nothing is truly that serious in this industry. This industry is art, it’s entertainment – it’s not really the end of the world.
What is the ideal length of men’s shorts?
Gym shorts? Right now, I’m kind of in that Paul Mescal era. I love a short short. I love the mobility of having them between knee and thigh. But then if you’re going out, anything between knee and ankle. They’ve either gotta be hell short or hell long. There’s no in-between these days.
What movie scarred you for life as a child?
The Wizard of Oz. I had the most intense, irrational fear of witches for years, and I never knew what it was. I’d have these nightmares all about witches, and it was when I watched The Wizard of Oz again that I was like, that’s the witch I saw my dreams every single night! I remember being so scared that a witch was going to come take me.
What’s your least favourite word?
Sunk. It just makes me … ugh. And also especially the context, when you’re talking about “snake fangs sunk into someone’s skin”. I remember just reading that one day and that word was ruined for me. And “the boat sunk into the ocean” … ughghghghh.
What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you on stage?
My belt broke on stage and my pants fell down. I was like, “OK, cool, I’m wearing underwear – that’s good.” I remember catching it right as it was falling. I kept singing as I’m pulling my pants back up. I didn’t know what I was going to do next because I had to pick up the guitar – I remember running off stage with my mic, still singing, and going to my manager. I kept singing from backstage while he put another belt around me, and I made it in time for the guitar change. That was pretty smooth.
