This is the bbc halloo on Kirsty young. Thank you for downloading this podcast of death on a discs from BBC radio, for this is an exciting The addition of the original broadcast for rights reasons them these choices are shorter than in the radio broadcasts for more info. nation about the programme. Please visit bbc dotcom, dont uk slash radio for. The. my castaway. This. Is the singer songwriter ed, a musical storyteller for the modern age If you know already humming his latest chart topping his there's a teenager nearby. That surely will be his compositions bridge

the gap between Dylan and Eminem, a troubadour with a soft spot for hip hop and grind he's garnered huge worldwide sales and multiple international awards tracks from his? just album filled nine of the top ten places in the uk singles charts. Recently his career is in part at least an molly to modern music, making methodology, talented, undoubtedly dedicated and driven to, but that, in that, in an industry obsessed with image, is ginger bloke in a scruffy t, shirt he says I've been a singer sunrise, her from the word go. I have worked hard to sound, my style to style, to a point where it was being leaving me and not me, striving to be any one else. I guess that's the same with my appearance, I've never tried to be something I'm not so welcome achievement, and I am you- are pumping,

with your fists as the as the signature tune came on then you're. Looking forward to this one yeah, I feel like this is the peak of my career. It's all downhill from here, you're, not just saying that now, I'm really not! This is literally every single weekend. As a kid I listen to this, you once said you have a. how very cool job, because it's about making people happy every day, that's what you do in and a site from selling the music. What is it about connecting with the people who since your music that you like the most That my sums, and not my songs as soon as the out there, somewhere, thinking out loud, for instance, when a rice, it very personal and then released and it's no longer my song, it belongs to Stacy, you got. Buried here of Kevin who proposed dave heap. Had his first kiss on it. You know it's it's because you know Everyone remembers what their first dance was in the fact that they ve kind of bestowed the honor on a son of mine to make an immortal in their lives and ended. The some might not be immortal in the public domain for forever, but in that one person's mind it lives on it, which is, I think, so

Give me a window on you, they call it the process. I heard you write a song. I tried to write as much as possible I'll try to write like four or five songs in a day and just write them as fast as possible. If I'm in, like album, making might it'll be four or five songs a day and there'll be no thought process, it will just be get a guitar and just write a song, and that will be you know twelve hours. hundred out of good hundred might be good, really need for an really. So, for I write a bunch, I write a bunch and scrap a bunch and you writing. as all of your friends will know, it unites highly personal. You write about them, my new shy of your life, whether its heartbreaker, whether its memories or whether its feeling warm about a certain view from a hill. If, if something has happened to you deeply, do you need to write about it? Yeah, I think, is a form of therapy. To be honest, I think any sum of ever got down or ever felt low, The one thing takes me is from that. Is writing a song. About least at least you ve got a positive experience of a bad experience.

something really happy. Now you can write a really happy some and not an even better thing and can actually help meant if you ve got a deep. I have never dwelled on anything too much as soon as it's out of me on a song, I cant move on. What's your criteria for your choice of it discs today, I think the music that made me want to It made me want to create music coming. I know when he six- and I would like to do- does this again, one this again when I'm sort of like forty fifty and I love that you have that much of the land and have music of my lifetime, but I think for this I want the music that made me want to create music. Ok, so I'm not here strange thing we give every castaway list just to have by them as their recording. I handed your list is we're coming into like no, I don't want that. Don't want any bit of no I'm I'm I'm elect because you've memorized the notes, because I'm easily distracted. I want to be in this interview. I don't want to be fiddling with a bit of paper, I'm a very like, I guess attention deficit. So, if you give me an inch, I will take them all okay, so I have your full attention and finance

grateful. Tell me about the fresh tank we are going to hear. Then what we can. We are going to hit Derek and the dominoes layla, and why have you chosen this as the queen's golden jubilee? I think the golden in two thousand and two yeah- and I I remember watching it and this guy came on stage with the sort of graffiti splash guitar and played this riff. I was like dad his that he was like that Eric clapton wow and that riff just stuck in my mind that that day I was like I wanted. for a musician. I want to play guitar, so I got guitar for christmas and that was the first song that I learned and the only song I could play for a long time, and I just played that riff over and over and over again and weirdly enough. I tracked down a con, a fake copy of he saw tat. He was playing both on Ebay played on jerusalem states in any and woke up news,

a with an email emily in books from Mr Crampton just saying, nice, guitar and ever since then we formed this very fun. Friendship he's such a fund stick Man- and there are unjust, learning more and more from him, every thomas in that was taken the dominoes and that was lila achieving used?

thin ones, which was nothing. I think it strange. Nothing about theme has surprised me. What do you mean by that before will you get into? Everyone? Wants you you know this will happen this and this will happen and it's kind of like having a check list and in front of you and you just take off when things happen, then I will, if you take it off with a big big. Would you know what the big big one, for me is as everyone who always said outside the industry are when people get successful, they change and everyone in the industry we said? It's not you The changes is everyone around you, but actually it's a bit of both. What happens? Is you I strive for normality and you are not I'm not going to change, I'm not going to change and as soon as you find success everyone around you stop. Treating you super normal, because that kind of like going a bit over the top to show you that everything's cool and then

People start changing towards you, and then you start getting paranoid about it, and then you basically get to a point where you have changed as the the rooms a tree. Basically, and when I talked to- and I have the advantage of getting to taught a lot of people who are very very successful when I talked to successful musicians, what often comes up is that it is a great comfort and the great normality to be going through it with other people. So if people are in a group, a musical group. Then they can. You remember george Michael thing: that's me he could look across Andrew richly and think I'll. Write me. This is all a bit strange, but wouldn't it together and they could go off stage after what kind of talk about how ridiculous it was. You have that advance.

Just say it say it is a solitary and you have chosen very much obviously areas mazanderan tories and abandoned here, you're out there on stage in the spotlight on your own, given the intensity of what you're going through. How do you deal with that? Because you must only really be able to ultimately talk yourself about the experience yeah. I dont think I did do very well I think I think it's a really weird thing in playing playing a venue like when we say more or similar values like that won't worldwide and playing in front of my Seven thousand people and walking often saying in addressing them afterwards with nothing, but an air conditioning sound and you saying that either rina had come down from the. So what did you do on those night, we'll wembley. I had my friends and family there, but onto I dunno I will it may I did lose myself for a bit like, you can't really not good mental and in that setting but of quickly realized that so much

real schoolmates had always been the sort of constant threat of sanity, and can I ask I mean when you said you lost yourself? How did that manifest itself? What did you do all of all of the checkpoints there on the list for okay? You know yeah, as I said earlier, the things that I said wouldn't surprise me off. I am all of those checkpoints, but I realized my life proper school of about twelve really replace go. It said that we've we've kind of been in the same group since we were about eleven and that's been the constant threat of so are now employ for them and they work on mito and m, and is that fine yeah cause? I come off and finish a gig and I got my best mates there. I get that, but if, ultimately you you are paying the wage bill. Would they ever turn around? She said in a will air tonight you are being a right, of course, yeah, of course, because I still make like I don't. I can't stress how sound these

beloved. They will say that and when you were in a sitting listening to the air conditioning you alone in your dressing and people would get why that would drive you slightly off been while was it somebody saying two edged get a grip me? You want to stop. It was a girl in the in the booze. You won't actually get back on track here, or was it yourself saying it to yourself? Ah yeah it was my cousin actually, my cousin who worked on it all and he basically said he he was he was leaving if, if it didn't come down, and that's what made it pretty much cause he's. Another one who's a constant throughout all of that I've already wanted. that's the point me employing people that my friends and my families not me putting people on the payroll. So they can be S. Man is completely the opposite. There really not scared for their jobs. Basically they will say how is I guess it and we need to get We can keep on talking about. We need to sit in some of this fabulous music. We have chosen to. Can you see it from here? The next one is van morrison, correct, fergus,

and he did this album irish heartbeat with the chieftains. I come from an irish family and spent most of my childhood summers and birthdays and christmases in island listening to trap music bands like planks, and this this was a record that my dad played a lot, and this is probably one of favorite songs in general in life that hearing morrison licensing is pretty pretty wonderful, You carry only four nights in value, and the the bus do the deepest ocean to be by you. But

There is one lesson in systems and chronic fergus selects tool in achieving a bit about your boyhood friends and your own relations as when. What is missing about where you were born in nineteen seems ridiculous to say this you were born in nineteen ninety one and you, you spent the fur. A few years of your life and have been written with russia, but when you were for him, if two feminine in ceramic family, a mere friendly m framingham from scotland, would want to tell me about you as a little boy, I really like ours, a bit of a weird kids bit weird kid and I had a huge blue and I just specks had appeared like Paul one's name. Birthmark reminded subsequently gun. On a summer,

pretty bad stammer, that's quite the combos man, yeah, oh and I lacked an eardrum, so can go swimming, which helps, helps get friends. Tell me a bit, but that then tell me because he you know sitting opposite me today. Is this incredibly buoyant optimistic? Almost laughably, successful young man tell me what it felt like to be the little boy in that life with loose things You know what up until the age eleven I really didn't feel like a fish in anywhere. Did you did you as a little boy? Did you have friends? I have one or two not released. Don't worry, I mean yeah kind of, but not not not ready. I was always the tag along. It was a very loving hustle, gita, big brother, It was a very artsy ice. Various here we would not really allowed to watch tv were encouraged to paint play instruments and day autistic of light. We only had David Attenborough on the edges,

was there anything we're not to watch and all do? You know anything outside of that existed? It was until gangs of primary school. I, whenever almost what watching the simpsons. I was like that you, but I think you lose appears calisto dancing on. That's pretty name doesn't like to watch tv, didn't even it wasn't a come over It wasn't a computer upbringing. You weren't sitting there in an x box or whatever, but with the other things you've spoken about. You know looking different, as you say, the port wine stain the the stammer, the big glasses, the red hair, not watching the telly, Television is a great deal of common currency among carrier you come in, you see. Did you see that last night did that encourage even a sense of separateness yeah. I think you know what my mum, my mom's, always being a wacky dresser and she loves colors,

made, my brother would have the most amazing knitted jump. Is that she'd make that just be weird and looking back at it? We definitely stood out for that, but right now I don't mean the reason I got such colorful tatties. I think goes back to that. I love I love being too I love doing stuff a little bit, ankles it from the age of seventy sang and acquire church. Where I didn't last too long in the church, for what happened the simpsons was on channel to rationalize diverging. It was on a six o clock. Right. I am that the church cry was from six to eight. I wonder, it was for power harmonies that you must surely have of land and probably been very good acts. I imagine quite early on it was, it was evidently had a beautiful voice was an entire. Actually. I can't I can't really. Holy chain up and sellers about sixteen and I kinda as a hundred percent sure I was under the Jonathan rush. I am told him about it and he said that's not true. I pulled up.

whip of me singing when I was fourteen totally of k, I can find if you, if you want yeah this- I don't want this year and the I love read here, but people get hard time for having read here near. Did you get our time yeah, but I just think kids will find anything to be mean about it. Wouldn't matter if you red, headed or not, they'd find something, and what about the stutter? How did you could clearly no evidence anymore? Worker onset would maybe than there is some on the less tell me about the sun is Eminem stan I mean I was gonna choose another Eminem somber. It was probably not radio for friendly. We could have done about seven seconds of again, but I saw a did. The whole speech therapy thing in going to try and get rid of the stomach and then more uncool bought me the marshal matters opie Eminem second out and said he thought the disguised and export Then his storytelling was theirs. Storytellers that my parents didn't do not know what the content on the outermost and honest

benign when it came out. So when you're mine and someone so saying rude stuff here You want to learn it, so I learn only out and back to back and he wraps it such a fast pace. The mustanger would go when I wrapped in that weirdly enough was the speech therapy. cured me listening to refugees, and it wasn't just eminence outcome. It was you that through Eminem, you discover like doktor dry and then to pack my baby smoothing the kind of guy one from from urban. Just learning, rap, music and general stopped me from stuttering and awarded in awarding stuttering dollar? I don't really know what they want is more, but I went there and there were a bunch of kids and they said exactly the same thing that singing a music stops them stammered

how'd. You know my father polemic thou my page to hammer home phone at the bottom of potential. That is back in autumn. You must not ignore the brandy with this problem is supposed to have been sometimes up we're friends loudly when I started with any way with the men of his daughter s brain is to be a father. If I have a daughter get outta, my name is by a red flag learning one sorry, frank, you don't wanna know you probably here this every day, but the biggest may I don t know the glass with game stand that was eminem featuring dies. I m, showing you said things sort of began at least two

all into some sort of place. When you were eleven that presumably was meeting like minded people before he could get on with schools it, I think so, but you know as well. I think it was watching air clapton on tv and learning how to play guitar. I think that gave me some sort of identity like when I was younger. You basically played sport, to be cool or you didn't and then going sir. The high school I went to thomas most high school had a fantastic music department, and I remember My first day meeting this goddamn, who also played piano and loves Eric watson and basically made really good, meets with him and and always had never really happened before making someone themselves into the same sort: music with me, even said that as a kid you know one anything given that I shall actually one most likely be famous irrelevant from ditches. One

and I did when you- and that was for playing your music right near that must have been for the ginger kid at the port wine skin and the big glasses neighbours. We. That must be quite a big moment. While it's not you haven't, got famous here. Every people just think you might, but that was when I was sixteen. That was what has really taken seriously because it by thirteen you had me the first album recorded out of four track in my bedroom. I've got it was dreadful. Forget it gives us a flavor, no way how many copies. Where did you have burnt to many and then when I was fourteen other than a p setting up a thousand of them and I've still got about nine major them and you keeping them under lock and key yeah. You were sixteen. This is remarkable. You were sixteen when you left home to go to london to try to put a music korea. What advice did your parents fifty when my mom was always very pro education and university like and I am still prevarication and always they have to go up to sixteen, and then you can make a choice. I guess

and if you need to go to university to do the job that you want to do. You should do In my mind, document learn anything about doing a show in a classroom. You would learn it just I'm doing a gig, and I think my dad knew that he said like. If you want to be a musician, you just have to work hard, as it is one thing to to say to your kid: if you want to do it, you've gotta pursue it, but he must have believed that his son had some sort of emerging talent. I don't know I mean I guess I, but I think you can achieve anything. If you put your mind to it and I think that's what he knew I was not them. Mission. I am today, then, really wasn't, nor even a shadow that you can Take means any label then, and even musically got them to agree to anything. So it

What you are sixteen will yet, but does it that ten thousand hours theory that if you put ten thousand thousands of anything you become an explicit and nothing. My dad is like a sixteen, even if he worked for four years and kicked everyday for years, and it doesn't work out at the age of twenty. You can still thus most people's get basin and the guy's universities it wasn't like. I was dropping out of a harvard law degree. Something like that. I was basically gonna. Learn my craft, I'm going to london with a happy, was for you suggest, head off to london aged sixteen on euro yeah, where I am dinner to day a week college here in bromley by boat and the government ground, the I've got to go there paid for my first year and I was living in finsbury park above a pub quality birds and then, after that, first year I bet

Italy was daylight, two or three gigs a day and then kind of form diver. This group of friends that we will play gigs together, but they will say let me crash on their couches with some get me dinner in stuff. So after a I was pretty self sufficient. This next artist was very import in your young musical mind you your father to tutor, to see a gig of his when you were very unjust him a little bit about what we can examine. Rice volcano sir, I said about clapped him. Make me want to play. Guitar diamond rice was what made me want to write, songs and I'm getting home after seeing him and writing for five songs. Just in arrive by that did net never happened before and they want great songs, but I was so inspired by him as an artist. What was it that he was doing so attractive to deny what I'd cry, not listening to bans and suddenly here's a guy? He stands on stage for two hours,

and captivates an audience. He holds them in the palm of his hands, with just songs that he's written on his own with a guitar, and there was something about that really excited me. You know that I could express myself on my own. I guess it's back to the lone thing about playing gigs. There was just something that excited me about not sharing it with anyone and just having it. For me, oh ho jon, sir lag sure NI black case job. Then ni. jojo

I was then in nice and will cato it was twenty ten you run about nineteen. I think achieving when you scraped together the catches. You say it's meant this time. Sofa nothing in london. You got small gigs, you you, you made money where you could being guitar tack and stuff like that. You ended up in ellie and in ellie you ended up on jamie forces, academy award winner musician, you ended up on his sofa sleeping there and I'm. I once knew how come that happened because that's seems at the unusual. I'm I'd reached a point in london. Where I was doing the same. Shows you the same faces I'd already being round the record labels metal, He said no and I felt very stuck do we know where I was going and then did feel resilient when they said no, no there was. I mean those part of me that wanted to change the way. I look

the way I sang and what a song about trying to fit in with what they wanted, and you know it did a couple of eggs like that and didn't enjoy it did you do? What did you change? I they said specifically, don't usually puddle and wrap because no one wants to see a genuine wrapping with egg is, is the quite did try out, but I just enjoy myself playing life, but you, I remember standing on stage and being was my pointing us now. Look, I'm a miser ongoing work in a market because, like me, meet me at a point where you nearly totally chopped it. Yes, oh I've got to this point in two thousand and ten, where I was going round in circles ass, I had a poet: friends that living on the net american that run nights in ally, and so I stick it with all his eighty thousand. I'd had selling stuff out rucksack and seen as our others, goggled john. He ran and michael fly poet and us to him. Have you got any makes it a nice he's out, of course, yet so from there

It was like a hit and run thing we just basically just did like the shows it was really fun and one of the show's happens to be Jamie. Foxx's club his manager was that his manager said Jamie. Does a radio show went on the radio show? Did my ginger white boy with the right thing, with a with a guitar was like that's great, come and work in my studio, and then I spent the rest of the summer, his house and that introduce you to a whole different level of exposure, presumably did at last. The minority budget- you know what you didn't necessarily lead to exposure of war. It did lead to was in my mind, knowing that what I was doing was If I can go over to a lion within three weeks, have someone that that influential and powerful be be like you're doing something right? I came back to london with a sort of charged bathroom back and I was like

I can do this and what I realized I was doing wrong was. I was playing singa, sunlight nuts, and when I went away I was just playing urbanize, paying rent nights comedy nights jazz night, and what will I realize here is if you put five singa, so much is on a bill that organization the same. If you go in play around nyt on this for rappers, and this one really scruffy white guy with exhausts singing love, songs, who's going to stand out. So as soon as I got back to london, I kind of scrapped, singer, sunlight nights and then just booked. This is where I sort of got involved with the uk grime scene and and uk rap scene, and, and that was me going and playing nights. That was totally totally out of my comfort zone. You you stand on stage and have this look where people just looked at you and they were like whoa.

He doing here, and that was more fun for me, because you would have to win over you couldn't even gowns data will not yet his eye his love song right. You pay lot right guys. You need to sing this bit needed sing. This bet, and just it was more exciting and that that's when the bus started when people actually start talking about me cause. I was, not staying in composition and sudan. In twenty eleven I mean what an incredible year for you. Let's just go through it. You release your fresh single eighteen that aren't you even available war for musically and yours, and by asylum records, and you released your debut, album plus and two more singles how much you do you remember, because that's quite the whirlwind that you're quite a lot the years after that, not not that much because, because at a narrow, just got corazza set out go up in? It showed like two thousand and thirteen to two thousand and sixteen was available, and so of course, famously eighty miss is about this gradual destruction of this one

lovely young woman should have a serious drug habits. What was your relationship with drugs been given in them it business universes rifles, isn't any other business these days. I think that all twenty guy to a certain extent mental period and ato Otto really feel comfortable talking about because I realized I have kid funds I don't really wanna glamorize anything. I basically had too much like any twentysomething. You just have a period where you were sleeping and slip out and the other side is really interesting. When I hear you talk about also about school as well. I unconscious know that you are very conscious that here, yet what have you got? Your seventeen million followers on twitter? I think it is near use you seem like a man who is actually conscious these days of the fact that that what you say and what you talk about and how you portrayed on life is, will be an influence that that's her.

The responsibility for freedom, clear all I try maintain as they always be yourself and some sometimes I do slip up in its view that the I'm not there were nowhere as graces, I'm just trying to be myself and what I always say: two kids is as long as you yourself like. No one can pick any faults with you: you're allowed to make mistakes asking too many questions who could fit in the music ed sheeran em, it's time for your fifth. Do you know what it is in his lapierre? This is a band that I was obsessed with. I was always front row at the gigs and after a while, they just started noticing me because I'd always turn up at the venue at like two pm and wait in line, so I could be front row and that they invited me to be their guitar tech on tour and are basically everything from my live set. You know the way I control my voice. The way I control the audience

the way I play the guitar, even the web, these beat books and stuff. This comes from this bands, you're gonna here, I'm really really really heavily influenced, and yet they kind of gave me the opportunity to go until the first ahmed seeps see what tools like opened up for the minority, which was called as well, but I basically learn every aspect of my license.

From him, and this is flooded court bunnies lobby in these last sky and asked reading any treaty with these meetings. Will you please just build out with him? Ass, it was news, Loki and flooding, or you were beautifully seen alone and in twenty twelve you played live at the time, a jubilee cancer, and I saw a short from mind you stood looking down the mountain and not just on the union flags, but the tens of thousands of people there and all the way down the mouth.

you're on your own. Of course. Nurse big stage tell me, tell me what that was like to stand alone on that state on that day, the waiter for me, as it was exactly ten years to the day that I picked up a guitar because I had watched, cops and play did not, of course- and I came by explaining diamond jubilee ten years later, that that was the way to sing from any kind of standing there being like. With the return of events is that data, it was amazing that day was definitely a blue and yellow brick. My parents, their means queen having a drink buckingham palace. Afterwards, it was pretty surreal and having a critical reception to your first album plus people. I have a view, then you do your sign. This guy wants us to buy tickets. This is what we think of him, but was the critical response, something that you were braced foreign ready for them, the idea is that older reviews came in before the item was on sale and all of them

one or two stars saying this is absolute jurists dress troughs dross both just get the risk is, can we change it to drifts? I was gonna, say drippy, but dross interests, but yet they're gonna crush me because I was like I've wanted to be a successful musicians, my whole career and all of the papers. I read reviews on have slated it. Sorry I got really down for the weak and then the album came out and dungeon two thousand wait one. I not say what would typical amount just give people contact well. What my point is my main goal. My career ever was two hundred thousand jobs and play shepherds bush and the weak the outcome. it's over two hundred thousand unapplied sherpas bush. So I was there looking at these bad reviews, and then I just achieved my dream within a week and thinking it's I shouldn't actually focus on What other people think of me and also surely you reported that you wave of artists who bill a fan base in a very different way. You did not, rely upon a good review. You were speaking directly to your friends into your friend, that's where the power comes from their yes like coming through

right here with a somewhat the eighteen radio one and all the other radio stations revert, but they were like. This is a bit too dodgy lyrics. You know, it says, is going out for couple grams and stuff like that, so they were kind of anti it. So what I did was a books out. The bar fly nobody on a saturday and school holiday, and I said something a frigate today, please tweeted than the jet of doing of undue frigates today, and I invite is the by MR radio one and as someone who work for saint blow and they saw these- are the people who decide whether know yet music makes it all and radio is still the most important platform to breaking you out. So I had two thousand kids tunnel and did for gigs that day and they basically saw their whole demographic ulysses. Their radio station queuing up to get into one shy So that was how about writer taken with you have uncommon and everything that you are you talking about you. You haven't

common maturity for somebody. If you reach an interested in business, you seem you ve got a business head yeah. I think I think I love creating a lot. Creating are not. There was no business minds in my mind when I'm making an album. I want to make the when it's finished two hundred and two masters, and is it in its packaging? Why not want to make that the biggest album in the world? Why not put your business? I don't to be like right. Let's, let's make sure everyone has this cuz, I'm so proud of it. Your compositions. Are, you know their emotive there often quite melancholic. Certainly your love songs. When did you first, when you first of your heart, broken out today? Yes, she to wield now know the night because, like that, there's a difference, daylight heartbreak and like age outward. No, until human heart recall arrive at the twenty twond, and how did you do with them? He

we'll play. I right my way out of it and our heads half of the first out and half the second item basically tell me that, species and looking here we add, they won't go. When I go stay, we wonder not really wants to place. Do you understand and I was considering what play and I was thinking people probably the most boss, improvident superstition. Probably done and mr now all of them have even happy birthday, and I just thought this one is quite topical workers. George Michael covered, it very beautifully and it's it's just one of those songs. Were you just here? stay. Rwanda really really let rip on the right and he's as this same as an islamic He someone who have learned a lot from vocally, and this is one sunday. I can't sing sing this yet, but this is what will I would really like to be like

again what yeah, they won't go. When I go stevie one day I was gonna say at showing you you may stephen wonder, but more and more than that it is your friend critical. We wonder friend, no, I never met provincia. I once again with him his sums in the care of life till we did paused on paradise and superstition together, and then he said. and most of the ground his own. But when I was at the gig

playing with them? He said: you're gonna win some of the ep thinking out loud next year, and then he was the one that presents its me. It was already wasteful cycle thing. Do you to think of given many of these in the list of goals. Things I'd like to do? Do you have to Imagine you peaks, because god knows you ve not to follow I'm so fire he and I certainly have to think- I gotta go to have new things, to invite a definite do thing that, but then there is also part of me. That knows that I have achieved more than I ever though I would say if it does and smart it's it's a really good story. Teller grandkids till the loudspeaker lost out was to play wembley once when at length during its rights under the peak on the out before was doing madison square garden once minute it three times that it was there and then take vote that was issued his bushy salon. And you dad had said to you that you know to play madison square garden was really the pinnacle of.

The assistance career here, I'm presuming your parents came along to see at least where the actual three, what was the conversation with your dad after he had played madison square gun? Do you know what can I do? I kind of phil? I we buy thought that that would be fine the wrong end of careers or things. So I think we both ebbing light will exhibit wait. It's the first out and there was certainly a well done, but so like where's, this gonna go from here. Can this go on further, I'm in December twenty fifty new posts At a message on social meeting, you said you were taking a break to in your, was not have to be anywhere or do anything to travel the world and see everything. I've missed so give us a flavour of how you spend your time. I spent a month in japan going see Japan as a whole was previously. I went to Ghana, which I cannot recommend more than culture, the people, the music, the food, my maiden music out there

and every time we finish the song later, I poly for the song being finished, and then we just down to the song till early in the morning and then go to sleep and then wake up in the night news on. It was really really fun. Iceland, which was incredible as well and then update saudi australia, new zealand, backpacker thing. I'm! U single thinking out loads. You was to grammy's for that year. Two guys I was, very interesting to see the video for that very, very beautiful video with you'd dance dancing well, and sing in a way that clearly had been practised in choreographed with a brilliant professional dancer is very grown up his face sexy you look like a hot sloppiness. Thank you very much. I that's interesting for somebody, who's kind of refused to portray themselves and maybe didn't feel comfortable with doing that means. Industry heartthrob thing before getting denotes at a new kind of confidence. For you. For me, I know a music video is one of the most powerful things to get a son out there and an amazingly,

I can go viral is like gold us. If you find something that people will look, can go. Oh my god and share it like a man in times and in my head I was: what can I do that will make people go. Didn't expect me to do that, and I oh yeah. Anyone looking at me before and had so baggy hetty would be like that's the last thing I expect them to so? I knew that by doing a video like that which took like five weeks of intense training, they really put me through my paces there, but I knew that when it came out, we would make this song ass, big ass. It did get because it was a token point made people just to remind the little, but you're talking about taking the time is a little late gap here. If you like, what did you do you learn stuff about yourself. Did you comes through that period of being away from all the attention changed? I definitely found appreciation for my job on my life. I've got to the point where it was turning into a job. Like I said before, music

It is a privilege very, very lucky, to be in this situation that I'm I'm in, and I was ass gangs point we're gonna going the motions were the and taking time off and not really having the chance to be honest, age and watching every one else beyond state really makes you wanna get back at it have having you're off. Maybe we hungary's hungry, for I am really wanted it. Let's have some. Music. How children we're going to listen to envisage that answer. Yes tell me about it out and john racism madman across the water and then I'm a big out and john fun. I think he's phenomenal. And this was in a time where he was using an orchestra for everything and it's like a three part rock opera, and it's just for I welcome

geronimo was whether that was and indian sunset achieving in the world right now, there's only one artist ahead of you in terms of sales that is Adele. How do you feel about that? So pretty good about it, I've uh, don't they anyone's gonna, be here, but if you, if you aim to get adele level and you get halfway there, it still twenty million items, which is pretty guess. Where do you think the drive comes from? I think it dates back to

my dad's calling me lazy, fernandes, homeworkers and never did my homework, and I think the joy is there's a little bit of just wanting to proven wrong still work harder than ever. What else do you think much about Louie boy without many friends in the portal in spain on the spare. No, I gotta think anyone's life has different sections and them the idea. That was a section that has made me who I am today, but I don't really dwell on anything with the past, but really like to look towards the future. Tell me if I got this strike for brits too These two Ivan available awards. Seventy million followers on twitter. That's a lot of power. What do you want to do? Is people are listening jean? I watched you know it makes me, but the mice

when a ten or eleven year, old boy or girl comes up to me and says that you maybe pick up. We saw, I want to write songs, there's a pretty nice cool, chill mendes, but he's having a lot of success, and he came up to me and said I picked up with her because I listen to music and he's now internationally known stuff like that, because I look back at the days where I was touring with miss lopez, arkansas cycle Matt damon rice and that's what made me want to play guitar and gig and knowing that now, even if there's one person like shown in any other kid that wants to pick up the bizarre that listens my to my music and wanted to find the same comfort and comfort and writing in writing. Songs and then found. You found some sort of success

it's it's what advice to give them right as many songs possible, because these sums continues to get better the more than we write you gig as much as possible. Can you continue to get better and if you don't enjoy anymore change, what you're doing- and I always be yourself- don't ever pander to anyone else, because you don't you don't need to change your musical sound to fill in the world. The welcome ferranti is interesting to me. This would have read out a check to see if it's like that, but your girlfriend assembly that even on schooldays near that would seem important. But that's it somebody who knew you before. Oh, yes- well she's from the same group of friends that I was talking about before yeah yeah. What do you

I'm a prison. You can't walk down. The street anymore depends russia. Where can you not many voices? I guidelines on everyone knows me that I can go up there and they pray anonymous. Second, go to the safe, magua c mon. You can be quite difficult, sometimes, but yeah go and have breaks in the calf like it's it's fun. What do you miss about the old life, the known thing life I dont know? If I do I'm lit a you know I what we were talking earlier about the pitfalls of fame and godlike falling into them. Well, I'm honesty and like such a wonderful place right now, and there is nothing that I would take away from an asshole, I'm loving it. I'm now an age where I get taken seriously musically, which has always been to alight done on my shoulder that no one's ever really taking it seriously, but now like even if you don't like it, you still have to find respect the other people. Do you know when I first said I wanted to play when we stadium.

Without you're? Never gonna do that and now it's got to point, because I did that no one ever laughs at my dreams anymore. I'm guessing you got lots of money. What do you What are you spend it on? I didn't I I mean, are my dad's oversee like massively, and so we have fun going to galleries and stuff, and I don't I've, but my parents, a kitchen kitchens, is expensive mate. Why a kitchens that expensive? But yet I try and like do good things with it like

now and then do something silly, but, like I everything everything has to have a purpose and, as you dad advise you and what to collect in terms of arts does he say stay away from this sum takings night like, as he's always said like our, is meant to be enjoyed, you don't buy outfit investments la boy. I bought this guy who holland miller, who puts really offensive slogans on penguin on penguin bugs yes, and I've got pretty much the most offensive word you, can have? I hear you huge in my house, and you know something that I have to cover up with a bit of paper wednesday, that's coming down when the kids come alone decision now I know, but that something that I've I really buzz off. I really like, and that's not necessarily mean that states, but my dad said as long as you enjoy our universities as you know, at shootin, cruelly. I cast your way to a desert island all on your own. What do you think

joy, but as getting back to survival? I guess I guess I am now in a very fortunate position where I am financially comfortable and in my career uncomfortable, but it would take me back to the time were also like eighteen nineteen. Funding for myself and for bringing about that. So I went sing too, which is always fun. Tell me about your final piece of music than what we can do here. Oh, no, I should say this: isn't it assigned to your label? You ve got a label now yeah this guy's. A buckle for events are not been obsessed with him for over ten years now I remember going to all his gigs unthinking he's gonna. We must have seen and then suddenly, my christa taking off- and I remember playing bricks and academy and in the dressing room, listen to find out. Why have I supposed him? I think, he's much more it may so I took him on for four years and with the song about his father s, hotel shades Ivan.

The only some of the last ten years there is, and those for thence into shades of group and Adam gonna, give you give all customers the bible incomplete worked, so she expire and they get to one other book along with those two. What does your book can be he's dot materials by philip woman I personally think that's the guy is love story of it all tat. I can anyone says I love it alone.

surely item two, and this is something it can't be too useful see. I I chose this because do legitimately, when I say this to any any one of my friends about about coming on this and what my luxury item would be? Nebula, of course, is that, but this it's very trivial, but is, above all a catch, I met his eye was an exit acting as a hundred percent. The only thing that I would need to survive I'm gonna be kindly. I'm gonna give you a lifetime supply of catch up, yeah. So it's not gonna go very far. I often gets a like. You know you get like fish and chips somewhere and catch up, but I know what to do what you do with elegant through efficient hits and we have again and finally which one of these eight checks, if you had to say just one from the we switch wondered at the genoa, probably flooded, corrie and lobby. That would always Make me feel happy and might be for one year, its use and Schuman. I will see you in twenty years and thank you very much for letting your desert island there. Thank you.

I the the you ve, been turning to a download from the bbc. You'll find information on the radio for website bbc co uk slash radio for

this? Is the bbc.