But the weather is looking much warmer as he prepares for his performance at the Regent Multiplex on Thursday night.

This time he brings with him a new line up of songs for his first solo tour in Australia in more than four years.

Sayer promises a night of roaring tunes with new material from his recently released Restless Years album and a selection of old classics.

"The show goes all the way through my career and back again with nice unexpected surprises," he said.

"It's no Leo and a backing band, it's Leo in a band."

Released in January, Sayer said he was excited to perform new tracks, many of which he has been working on for years.

"This was an album I felt I needed to do, I had songs banked up," he said.

"I'm making up for lost time, there are songs that have been kicking around for a long time. There was unfinished business with some songs."

Despite touching on his old style of song writing that have meaning to current social hardships, Sayer said his album was considerably different and more powerful than some previous albums.

"There is more of my social conscience in there," he said.

"I'm using my wisdom to help people get through this awful time, we live in a world where people lie, they try to take our money, meanwhile the wealthiest people are untouched.

"Someone like me should use your voice in a good way ... we need to say these things, we can't sweep them under the mat."

If you're seeing a familiar theme here you wouldn't be wrong, Sayer said it was the like of Paul Simmons, John Lennon and Bob Dylan who inspired him to write as he does.

"My inspiration are those who think they can do something with their voices," he said.

"I'm very motivated by what a songwriter can do.

"You can sing these for yourself, but people make them their own."

Sayer first made his print on Australia's music scene with his hit The Show Must Go On with a seemingly never-ending list of hits to follow including One Man Band, Long Tall Glass, Moonlighting, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing and Thunder in My Heart.

THE INFO

WHAT: Leo Sayer Restless Years Tour 2015

WHEN: Thursday March 5

WHERE: Regent Multiplex, Ballarat

TICKETS: 5330 5555 or www.regententertainment.com.au