After more than 30 years of touring, Roach said it was time to dial down the pace and reflect on people and places and the importance of connection.

"It's time to sit back and look at each other as one people," he said.

"We're all part of this beautiful country and that makes us all part of each other; let's appreciate what we have."

As a proud Maar Nation Elder from south-west Victoria on his mother's side and Bundjalung man from NSW northern rivers country on his father's side, Roach has forged a unique path as a singer, songwriter, author and a vocal survivor of the Stolen Generations.

Mooroopna-born Roach was forcibly removed from his parents and six siblings aged only two.

Dealing with his traumatic upbringing, he lived on the streets in Sydney and Adelaide, experiencing alcoholism and despair.

He credits family connections and music with saving him.

"I'm so grateful I have music because it's a place where you can go when you're feeling down," Roach said.

"The greatest thing about music is you can find solace in it; you can find the joy of life and celebrate it."

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Roach was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame during 2020, and made a member of The Order Of Australia in 2015 for his lifetime contributions to music and activism.

A long-time supporter of Winter Solstice on the Border, Roach said the suicide rates among young people saddened him.

"It's worrying to see so many young people who can't find a way out of situations like bullying," he said.

"There's always somebody who will lend an ear; we need to trust other people with our problems."

In 2010 Roach lost his life partner and musical collaborator of 38 years, Ruby Hunter, and went on to survive a debilitating stroke and lung cancer.

A new film Wash My Soul in the River's Flow, which is a portrait of Roach and Hunter, was released earlier this year and premiered in cinemas across Australia last month.

It is a cinematic reinvention of a legendary concert in 2004 when Kura Tungar - Songs from the River was a collaboration between Roach and Hunter working with Paul Grabowsky and the Australian Art Orchestra.

Owing to the pandemic, Roach said it was the fourth attempt to run this tour.

"I am so grateful that everyone has held onto their tickets waiting for these shows to go ahead."

The show at Albury Entertainment Centre on Easter Monday starts at 6.30pm.

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