Let’s talk your girlfriend, Jessica Origliasso of the Veronicas.
She’s a really beautiful person inside and out. Those two girls are so talented. I was recently in a writing session with them, they legit, and I’ve told them this, they could both be world class solo artists. It’s crazy they’re both together. They feed off each other’s strengths and weakness. It’s really interesting to watch them work. I really am impressed by both of them musically a lot. I’ve heard a lot of their new stuff, the direction they’re going is really really cool. It’s still very much pop music, but they’re so sophisticated in their knowledge of pop music.

So you’re writing with Jess and Lisa?
It’s more hanging out fun stuff, not like a super pro thing. That’s how I met them, they asked me to write a song, that was the beginning of the whirlwind.

You’ve said you’re in a good place, is that due to being loved up?
I was in a good place and that’s why I ended up in a good relationship. Both of us have been in stormy relationships. You’ve got to be ready to be in a great relationship. Being with someone as beautiful and talented as Jess is you’ve gotta be real. You can’t be a fake version of something. In our lives in a lot of ways it’s all about fake. You’ve got people wanting things for fake reasons. The people you end up closest to are your family and friends. We both understand what it’s like to be not really understood. We have that support for each other and understand what each other are going through. It’s only made my life better. She’s brought a lot of sunshine in my life, but I was ready to receive it. The window was open. If she’d met me a few years ago I don’t know if I would have understood her, she’s just such a unique person, there’s not a lot of people I’ve ever met who are like her. You look at her, she works the homeless glam look, but inside she’s just a sweetie pie. She’s very spiritual, very much about family. We both have Italian background, we laugh and say this is really an Italian relationship.

Is Jessica coming to Australia on this tour?
Can’t say for sure but that’s the plan.

Have you performed on stage together yet?
Not yet. They both love my song Eye, I’m hoping Jess and Lisa will get up and perform Eye with us at some point. We’ll see. She was with me in Mexico, I was trying to get her up on stage but she was too shy.

And you’ve met the parents?
Yep. It’s all great. Everyone’s really nice. She comes from a great family. It’s all good.

So you’re going out with Australian pop royalty…
She’s going out with American rock royalty.