For years, musician Colin Hay was best known as the frontman of 1980s Australian band Men At Work. Today, he has a fan base new and old, thanks to his unfaltering commitment to touring and making new music for four decades.

Some of his recent success came after actor and director Zach Braff included his songs in the film "Garden State" and the television show "Scrubs."

Hay returns to Milwaukee on Thursday, Nov. 5 for a solo show at Turner Hall Ballroom. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

He is touring on behalf of his latest record, "Next Year People." Hay performed in Milwaukee this past June while on the "Last Summer On Earth" tour which also featured the Barenaked Ladies and the Violent Femmes.

OnMilwaukee recently caught up with Hay and asked him about touring, how he feels about performing "Down Under" and his thoughts on Vegemite.

OnMilwaukee: How long have you lived in the United States?

Colin Hay: I have been here for 25 years. I was born in Scotland and then moved to Australia when I was a teenager.

OnMilwaukee: Do you like it here? Do you ever get homesick?

Hay: The answer to that is complicated. I came here from Melbourne, which is a beautiful place, because I had an opportunity to do so. But I also ran away to America. I was struggling with alcoholism in Australia and I had to get away. I have met so many amazing people here and I really love living in L.A., but it’s politically strange for me to be here. I am more politically aligned with places like Norway and Denmark. I find the lack of health care here ridiculous and the whole guns thing is ludicrous and yet, America has been very kind to me. I have everything I need here.

OnMilwaukee: You were on tour with the Femmes this summer. They are very near and dear to us in Milwaukee, so I gotta ask: what did you think of them?

Hay: We had a great time. They are very cool, very nice people. I have good memories of Milwaukee in general. I loved to shop at Johnnie Walker’s (a men’s clothing store that was open from 1940-2010 in Downtown Milwaukee.) They had great suits and hats. I bought a red suit there and it’s still one of my favorites. After I bought it, when I was leaving the shop, the clerk told me "just don’t go near any flames." I don’t think there’s a single natural fiber in it.

OnMilwaukee: You have a rigorous touring schedule. Do you enjoy being on the road?

Hay: Touring, for me, is a few things. It’s a habit, I’m used to it. It’s also necessary to promote my music and my records because they are not usually played on the radio. And I also really like performing. Call it lack of imagination, but I can't think of anything else that I would like to do.

OnMilwaukee: Do you have hobbies?

Hay: I have hobby envy. There are all these things that people do. People are always going f*cking skiing or camping or vacationing – what the f*ck is that? I just don’t do those things.

OnMilwaukee: What is different or special about the new record?

Hay: I try and get better with each one. I like writing songs and making records. After breakfast, I like to have some creative stimulation and then, in the end, offer something that might connect people. Making music makes me feel useful as a person and that makes me feel good.

OnMilwaukee: What does "Next Year People" mean to you?

Hay: We’re always moving toward something and not sure what it is but excited by it. The period of ascension is the most important part of an experience, it’s like taking off in a plane. So it’s about looking ahead and being excited about the future. It's also about sitting in a hotel room after 25 years in the business and saying, "Am I kidding myself?" and all you can do is hope that you’re not.

OnMilwaukee: Are you still in contact with Zach Braff?

Hay: Why, you want his number? (Laughs) I do stumble upon him from time to time.

OnMilwaukee: How responsible was he for the "rebirth" of your career as it’s commonly referred to?

Hay: He was helpful and supportive, as was the creator of "Scrubs," Bill Lawrence. But for me, the train had already left the station. I wasn’t waiting for someone to restart my career; I was out there making music regardless.

OnMilwaukee: So. Do you like Vegemite? (There is a line in the most famous Men At Work song, "Down Under," that references Vegemite.)

Hay: Yes, I do. The problem is people in United States don’t eat it correctly. If you do it correctly you are more likely to have a pleasurable experience. You need to get a superior whole grain bread, toast it quite dark, spread a good amount of butter on it and a very small amount of Vegemite. Have that with a cup of trade and a little side of avocado and I think you'd enjoy that.

"More" is not better with most things, especially Vegemite.

OnMilwaukee: Do people still request the old songs? Do you tire of playing them?

Hay: I have to play them, but not because of the reasons you would think. It’s not because the audience demands them, I play them because they demand to be played. Those songs were an important part of my past and provided a living for me, gave me my life. If I didn’t play them I’d be disrespecting them. It would be like writing a memoir but leaving out a huge part of your past or important family members. I can’t and wouldn’t ignore these songs. They are a part of who I am.

OnMilwaukee: There was a documentary released this summer about your life. What’s it like having a documentary released about your life?

Hay: It’s weird. Your entire life is summed up in an hour and a half. But I like how it turned out. My story is not exclusively mine, it’s one many people have, but it makes a good tale of immense success, followed by a walk in the wilderness and some sort of redemption.