More on: James Blunt

James Blunt is currently on a massive world tour, following the release of his second album 'All The Lost Souls' almost one year ago. We got him on the phone for a chat about how his live show has grown since his debut LP 'Back To Bedlam', and how we can expect to hear brand new tracks when the tour returns to the UK this October for nine arena dates.

How's the US tour going?
We're still in the thick of it! We're in a really dodgy hotel at the moment, outside Chicago, but it's been really, really fun. We're touring with Sheryl Crow in places I'd never have got to, in places I've never heard of! These audiences start quiet but by the end they're up on their seats. We're just having fun with it.

What was Glastonbury like for you this year?
It was great. It's definitely my favourite place to play - this was my third one, second on the Pyramid Stage, and it's the most amazing place in the world, and just to see that field, and everyone singing along was incredible. We had the time of our lives.

Do you ever have time to go to gigs or check out new music?
Occasionally, but not that much really. I'm touring with Sheryl Crow, so I get to see her show, and we've been duetting together. We've also had Toots & the Maytals come along, that classic reggae band, so it's been fun to see them. If we're passing through a city and there's another band playing then, if we can, we'll try and drop in on them. There are lots of bands doing the same sort of thing, that we know already. Like the last time we were in Detroit, The Feeling were there, and are mates of ours.

You've got more chemistry with your band than most actual groups have-
Don't get me wrong, I don't actually like them!

I was going to say what's the secret to your good relationship with them!
They're just really nice people, you know? I've toured with these guys for five years, I'm living on a tour bus at the moment where my drummer is a foot above me, and my keyboard player is two feet to my left, through a little curtain in these tiny little bunks like coffins. We're on a 14 month tour at the moment, we're living in such close proximity, so you want to make sure you get on incredibly well. When I met them, I'd been recommended about their playing, but I really wanted to know if they were nice people, and they're stars. We have fun on stage because we enjoy playing music together, and each other's personalities, and I think that's what translates to an audience. They can sense that we're having fun.

You collaborate with some great songwriters, but would a duet or a side project with another artist ever be on the cards?
Well, I'm singing the Cat Stevens song 'The First Cut Is The Deepest' with Sheryl Crow every night. I doubt it will ever make it to record! I've worked with a French rapper called Sinik, and we had a top three hit in France with a different version of one of my songs 'I'll Take Everything', from 'All The Lost Souls'. We made that into a song called 'Je Réalise' and I've gone all urban! So I went to his hip hop concerts, and he came to mine, so it was good fun. And of course, Pete Tong remixed '1973' and played it in Pacha, the nightclub in Ibiza that inspired it. I enjoy working with other musicians.

Because I always listen to 'Chasing Time' instead of 'Back To Bedlam' as I prefer your music live, I was wondering how involved you get in production?
'Back To Bedlam' was very much me... well I had Tom Rothrock as a producer, and he's a great enabler. He doesn't make it sound like Tom Rothrock. It's a good indication of a good producer, not allowing your ego to take hold, he's someone who allows you to do your thing. It was really a case of me trying to build up an album from nothing, from scratch, just based on the songs I had, and I'm playing the songs incredibly simply. And then you can tell the difference when I got musicians who had phenomenal experience - when they bring their thing to it, they bring whole new life. As far as creative control goes, those are my albums, and they sound the way I wanted them to sound. When I signed my deal in the first place with Linda Perry, she said "you can choose your producer, and have complete creative control over it - it's yours". That's why I signed up in the first place.

You must have a good relationship with Tom, as you worked with him again.
Absolutely. He's just a very loveable person, with great ears, and great sensitivity. He wants to claw from you what you have inside you.

Have you started thinking about a third album yet?
Secretly, yes! This tour goes on 'til March 2009, so we're pretty much buried in 'All The Lost Souls'. But as a musician I can't help but have ideas as I go, so yeah, I've got some songs! I'll probably have a break first, then I'll start getting on with the third album.

Do you ever feel self-conscious as a songwriter, because your private life is under so much scrutiny?
I can't tell you how much I get opinions on those sorts of things - I have to battle with opinions, like people saying "oh that's a bit personal". But what's the point of doing music in the first place? You can't avoid being honest if you want to write songs with meaning. Hopefully people listen to them and relate them to their own life experiences, and without that honesty it would just be posing. I battle with it, yeah, I'm scared of it because then people can judge it, you know, "oh look how sensitive you are". The words sensitive and romantic get bandied around a lot. I don't care. John Lennon - sensitive. David Bowie is romantic. Every single singer-songwriter is raw and honest, but that's the point of it, otherwise it's just posturing and posing.

You mentioned that Linda Perry ensured your creative freedom when you started out, but have you ever had to make compromises in your career?
I think my label have been really good actually. They'll say that this necessarily sell as much if you choose to do this, and I'm normally allowed to say, you know what, I don't really mind. You know, something like the 'Same Mistake' video is a great example. Everyone said it was really weird, but I love it! It's just really fun, and it says something a little more than just making a pretty video. And it's the same with recording songs, we're just recording a song and I'm going through that conversation at the moment. I have a great working relationship with my label - they'll tell me from a commercial point of view what's the best thing to do, and I'll say I'm not worried about that. I'm in a very lucky position in a way, because I don't have to worry about that too much. I'm lucky that I can do things for myself and enjoy it. Hopefully people will pick up on that - you can hear when something's been manufactured.

What's been the proudest moment of your career?
I haven't thought about it that much really. Just to be on a world tour at the moment - just the word world tour, it's not something I'd associate with me! It's pretty phenomenal to be able to take how many trucks, and how many buses literally around the world. We've done 120 shows this year in 120 cities, and that's a pretty amazing experience, and playing places like the O2 I never really expected.

Have you completely abandoned life in Britain?
I'm in Britain as much as I can be, I just choose to sleep on people's sofas while I'm there! You know, this year I'm only going to get three weeks break, and I'm going to spend it in the sun! But England is my home, that's where my friends are. I just happen to have a holiday house elsewhere!

Have you got anything special planned for the upcoming UK tour?
Yeah, but I can't really tell you, or it'll ruin the experience! Well, we have some new songs and it'll be a much bigger show. I think people will be really surprised by my show nowadays, as it's much more energetic than people would expect. Having toured for so long, it's grown in a way, where it's just not me and a guitar. Now it's a band, I'm much more energetic myself. The set reflects that, and I think people will be surprised. Even on this tour with Sheryl Crow, the audience expect some guy to come out and sing 'You're Beautiful', and instead it's something much more lively, and halfway through the set everyone's on their feet making the horn of rock signs!

So will the UK be getting the premiere of the new songs?
Definitely. Towards the end of the dates will be a good time to bring them. We're rehearsing them now in our soundchecks, so we'll save them for the UK tour!

Becky Reed

James Blunt Official Site