Paul Kelly On Seventy: 13th Floor MusicTalk Interview
Paul Kelly turns seventy — and his new album carries the same name. The legendary Australian singer-songwriter marks this milestone with a collection of new songs reflecting on life, art, and time. Marty Duda from The 13th Floor spoke with Paul about entering this new decade and how it feels to share that age with both an album and peers in music.
Conversation Highlights
Marty: The album is Seventy, you are 70, and believe it or not, I’m 70 too. So I’m even more curious to hear your thoughts because it seems to be a major thing, doesn’t it?
Paul reflected that age had never played a big role in his life until he noticed how others began to treat him differently. He described remembering three significant birthdays and how they each marked a change in his sense of self.
Paul: I’ve never been one to pay attention to how old I am, but suddenly it’s the way people treat you. I remember three big birthdays. Forty felt like a big one — that was when I thought, okay, I’m an adult now.
He recalled that turning forty was also when he began losing some close friends and colleagues. The reality of mortality, especially in the music world, became more tangible at that point.
Paul: At forty, people I’d grown up with, worked with, or called friends started dying. That happens in the music business — quite a few of us die young. It felt like a turning point when you realize some of us keep living and some of us don’t.
Despite the reflections on age and loss, Kelly’s tone remained open and philosophical, suggesting that he sees seventy not as an ending but as another stage of creativity and reflection.
Author’s Summary
At seventy, Paul Kelly reflects on time, loss, and what it means to keep creating music when life’s milestones begin to feel more profound and personal.