Ben Lee revisits Awake Is the New Sleep with 20th anniversary tour

Award-winning indie-pop artist Ben Lee is celebrating 20 years since the release of his most iconic album with the announcement of a special 20th anniversary tour.

The Awake Is the New Sleep Australian Tour, named after Lee’s fifth album, will hit Fremantle Arts Centre on Saturday, October 18, after a run of shows on the east coast.

Featuring his most recognisable songs, Catch My Disease and We’re All in This Together, Lee’s 2005 album reached the top five on the Australian charts and have been featured in numerous advertising campaigns in the years since.

Keeping things nostalgic, Lee will perform the album in its entirety with no backing tracks, click tracks, or video screens, aiming to give those early 2000s vibes.

Collaborating with Los Angeles rock band Phantom Planet—an American four-piece Lee toured and worked with for some time—Lee will be releasing a rework of the 2005 single Catch My Disease alongside the tour. The track will feature backing vocals from Lara​ Meyerratken, Sadie Dupuis, Alex Lahey, Khatumu and Tim Blunt from FVNERAL.

The track also includes some changes from the original 2005 release, with Lee mentioning in the track’s bridge some of his favourite homegrown artists, Mallrat and Miss Kaninna. “We gotta keep championing Aussie music, no matter how bleak the industry outlook is,” Lee said when discussing the meaning behind the name drops. “As always, we have unparalleled talent right in our backyards, and we’ve got to get behind it at every opportunity.”

Ben Lee plays at Fremantle Arts Centre on Saturday, October 18, 2025. Tickets are on sale now from oztix.com.au