Fletcher Kent is having a moment. Quite a few moments.
Central Coast residents will know Kent better as Fletcher Pilon, the young singer songwriter from Wamberal who won Australia’s Got Talent in 2016 when his song about his younger brother Banjo pulled on the nation’s heart strings.
Banjo, 10, was tragically struck by a car while skateboarding near his Wamberal home in 2015 and died from the injuries he sustained.
Before the Australia’s Got Talent win, Kent was busking around the Coast and following the win went on to do some tours, release an independent EP and formed a band.
“When I put out some music when I was 18, I just felt like that was the end of that time,” he said.
“It’s five years since I put music out, so I feel like I am going through a rebirth.”
Hence the name change from Fletcher Pilon to Fletcher Kent.
“Some people found my surname hard to spell and stuff so I change my name to Fletcher Kent; Kent is my middle name and it’s easier.”
He recently won the Rolling Sets Festival Pro held at The Entrance where he beat 10 other artists to close out the Jim Beam Stage playing either side of The Wombats and Lime Cordiale.
“That was my first major music festival, and it was awesome,” he said.
His also recently released EP I’ll Be was produced and mixed by Grammy and ARIA winning Eric J who has worked with artists like Angus and Julia Stone, Teskey Brothers, Chet fakeer and The Rubens.
The sound has a similar vibe to Noah Kahan, Briston Maroney, Matt Corby, Dean Lewis and Lewis Capaldi.
“I’ll Be seemed to just fall out,” he said.
“I didn’t even think it was a song at first: more of a poem, a personal manifesto.
“I feel there’s more of me in this song than maybe anything I’ve ever written.
“It’s about my life – all of it.
“Passion, purpose, family, love, grief, connection.
“It’s a look towards the future, a pledge to become the person I want to be, my intentions on how I want to live this life and exist in the world.”
The song has been added to Spotify and Apple Music and is attracting rave reviews.
His live performances are “next level” drawing on his busking background where he learnt early on how to capture and connect with an audience.
That raw, authentic spirit took him to stages supporting renowned artists like The Dreggs, Vera Blue, Kim Churchill, Winterbourne, Kyle Lionhart, Noah Dillon, and Didirri.
In September he performed his debut show at The Mercury Lounge in New York and he hopes to return to America for more performances next year.
He is working towards an EP for 2025 and has recorded a song called Brother in memory of Banjo who continues to inspire him and to whom he remains “spiritually connected to”.
“He is ever present,” Kent said.
Just recently Kent and his mum Jilly returned to Wamberal Public School to present the annual Banjo Pilon Fun and Friendship Award.
In January, he will take up residency at The Royal in Bondi for a month where he will perform solo and with his band.
Signed to AWAL globally by US label President Pete Giberga & Kobalt Publishing, Kent said he was excited for 2025 which will see “more music with a larger project on its way”.