Cassar-Daley’s Things I Carry Around tour kicks off on Thursday and will take him through regional Australia, revisiting some of his favourite towns and cities.

The shows will feature songs from a decorated 30-year career and also new tracks from his Things I Carry Around album that won Album of the Year at last month's Golden Guitar Awards in Tamworth.

Cassar-Daley was also inducted into the Tamworth Roll of Renown during this year’s country music festival, placing him among the legends of the Australian country music scene.

But when he returns to Bathurst next week, he says it will be the chance to again meet the locals that really has him excited.

“Many of the places we are going to have some great characters and some great history that is just fantastic fodder for songs,” Cassar-Daley said.

“A lot of the younger country performers today prefer the ‘poppier’ side of the industry and that’s great, but I just love the stories we can tell.”

Things I Carry Around is an intensely personal album inspired by Cassar-Daley’s own life and his stories.

He was inspired to record the album while working with Tom Gilling on his memoirs of the same name.

The book is the raw, genuine story of a young musician growing up in two worlds – Aboriginal and Maltese – and at times not feeling part of either of them.

“I wanted to do a musical version of the stories but I didn’t think I had an Album of the Year,” Cassar-Daley said.

“So to win it was very special but also very surprising. I thought Sara Storer would win.”

Cassar-Daley is looking forward to taking a break at the end of his current tour – one of the few rests he has had since first hitting the road in 1988.

“I had a bit of time off when my kids were born and when I was married but it has been pretty constant since then,” he said.