Now Taylor Henderson has become a household name around the nation.

Australia fell in love with the X Factor finalist last year, but to his fans, Henderson is still that same busker from Geelong.

Friday night, the 21-year-old will perform at the Regent Cinema to celebrate the release of his new album Burnt Letters.

“The last time I was in Ballarat I didn’t expect anything like that, it was intense, and I can’t wait to come back,” he said.

When asked about the new album, Henderson said it was something that reflected him as a person.

“It’s all me, all new material with very raw and honest sounds,” he said.

“There are songs on there that are extremely personal, about more than just that kid on X Factor.”

Writing since he was a young teenager, Henderson said his new single Already Gone was another example of how personal his songwriting was.

“When someone is brutally honest with their lyrics it’s very admirable,” he said.

“There are some songs on the album that were written years ago.

“Then there are other songs that are fresh and where I’ve tried new things, but at the core of all the songs is me.

“I wrote Already Gone in 45 minutes, when my flight got cancelled and I was stuck in Sydney for another week.

“I had been gone five weeks and just wanted to be home, so this song is all about missing home.”

Still humble about his rise to stardom, Henderson said it had only ever been about the music and he was looking forward to sharing his stories with his fans on tour.

“I look at how happy I was a year ago, and I’m still as happy as that, it’s still about the music,” he said.

“Touring is a way to interact with people who follow me.

“The best thing about touring is that it’s face to face, they’re not hearing you through Instagram or on Twitter.

“I am there in person and you get to see the whole production.”