Music and politics would seem normal enough for Australia's long-time people’s poet David Beniuk (pronounced Ben-yuke). Not quite. Music’s been on the back-burner for nine years, and politics has needed a re-think. Fatherhood took precedence after Beniuk’s last release, The Inland Sea co-produced with Mick Thomas. And the Wollongong-bred songwriting has embraced bipartisan politics. “I’ve sung a lot about politics but now I make my living as a journalist,” he says. “I can’t be seen to be favouring any political group. I can’t write an anthem for the Palmer United Party.” The bipartisan approach is everywhere to be seen on Beniuk’s new album, The New Normal. “Bipartisan Ship is a song that reflects both major parties’ asylum seeker policies,” Beniuk says. “Never Rains is about climate change – both parties and 99 per cent of scientists agree on it.” Beniuk was a regular part of Sydney’s acoustic scene during the noughties, played festivals like Woodford and Port Fairy and released four critically acclaimed albums. Introduced at the 2005 Illawarra Folk Festival as his hometown’s “premier singer/songwriter”, his songs have been covered by ARIA nominee Paul Greene and folk stars Chloe & Jason Roweth. “(He) levitates into the Paul Kelly, Michael Thomas, Tim Rogers, Neil Finn group of bloody good songwriters,” The Australian wrote of his 2000 release, Infotainment Lifestyle. Now based in Hobart, Beniuk returned home to work with folk legend Lindsay Martin as co-producer on The New Normal. The result is a warm fusion of folk-rock and fatherhood – sure to be the new normal for David Beniuk.