• Thursday 12 August 2010
• posted by Sophie Hines
• Comments

Love the new single Written in the Stars - are you pleased with the reaction it's been getting?

Yes I'm extremely pleased! For me, Written in the Stars is the next chapter of the album and the next layer of the artist that I am. People are either really reluctant about change or people really embrace it. There's a certain level of maturity with this one, and I'm happy that people have embraced it in a short space of time.

At what age did you decide you wanted to be a musician?

At the age of 12 I knew I wanted to make music, write lyrics, rap - just do whatever I could musically. My parents probably just looked on it and thought 'Ahh, he's got a little side hobby that he's into when he's not studying or engaging in family life'. Then obviously they started to realise that the older I became, my passion didn't change. If anything, it strengthened and it became more apparent that this was what I was going to do and there was no plan B. 

When it came to making the decision of whether I was going to go to university or not, that's when there was tension. They were like 'We really want you to go to uni' and I wanted to put that on hold for a little while to pursue music. It's good to go off and do your thing so you can come back and say 'Well look mum, look dad, I told you I was going to do this and I told you it would work out - and it has'.

What would you have studied if you had gone to uni?

If I had gone it would probably have been something media-related, because that was what I enjoyed most at college and school. Now if I was to go - which I will do eventually at some point in my life - it would probably be English Language.

You moved from Peckham to Plumstead when you were 12 - did you notice a big difference in the attitude and aspirations of young people between the two?

Yeah. I mean as an 11 year old in Peckham, you and your friends are not really talking about what you're going to do in the future - it's more about who can afford the most sweets at the pick 'n' mix! I moved to Plumstead during my adolescence when people were thinking a lot more about those kind of things. 

There was definitely a change in attitude and the way people looked at life. When I was in Peckham I noticed the majority of the people had a certain way of thinking - it was their way or nothing. Once I moved to Plumstead it was a lot more diverse. There were a lot more different races, cultures, religions, background and situations, and you could tell that the children were a product of that. 

Have you had any other jobs before this one? 

(Laughs) The only other job I had was telesales. I did it because I was trying to save up money for a music video. I used to ring people up and try to sell them double-glazing. I probably rang you or your parents up at some point.

Who's your biggest inspiration when it comes to music?

I love music and musicians too much to have just one single inspiration, but in terms of lyrics, creativity, eccentricity and genius I'd have to say Kanye West and Damon Albarn. They're both extremely passionate about their music and the artform of being a musician. A lot of people think music has to be chart-driven but those two men in particular are quite creative. Both of them will go off and do side projects or go to the other side of the world to tour where people are not really familiar with who they are or what they're even talking about.

Also, perfomance-wise those men pull out all the stops. Whether it's Damon with the Gorillaz- all that animation and the vast amount of band members - or Kanye with the lights, graphics and pyrotechnics. Those two are my inspiration, because they're very relevant in popular culture but also there's a lot more to them. That's definitely they way I would like to be perceived.

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Anyone you'd really like to collaborate with?

I've got an extensive list of about 100 people. I try to tick a few off every year. I'd definitely like to get in with Adele and Paulo Nutini, I think they're amazing. I'd like to work with Michael Bublé, Dizzee Rascal, Lily Allen. There's this new duo called the Sleigh Bells that I'm really into at the moment, I'd love to do something with them. Those are just a few - the list goes on and on forever.

Your new album, Disc-Overy, is coming out soon. What can we expect from that?

I'd say expect the unexpected. When you listen to the album the pattern and the changing sound is something that's very important, I've tried to make it as eclectic as possible. I've drawn influences from all different genres of music so no one track really sounds the same. So yeah just expect the unexpected, but definitely expect to have an insight into who I am, where I've come from and where I want to go. 

It's the funniest thing that even down to the way we dress or do our hair, we're always drawing things from different eras and different music scenes, whether it's mods and rockers or the 80s. I believe we're actually in the coolest era right now, and musically, I've just tried to capture that. 

In about 10 years I want people to look back and think, 'When I played Disc-Overy, I remember what I was into, what I was wearing, what was on the telly...'. I feel that this generation has been overlooked, it's always negative - ASBOs, hoodie-this, paedophile-that. I'm just to highlight what's really great about our generation

Do you think the internet has changed the way the music industry works?

A lot of people only know me since I released Pass Out in March this year, but the reality is that I've actually been doing music a long time. Before Pass Out I was putting out tracks independently, doing the whole DIY thing on YouTube and blogging.  

The 12-year-old who was listening to Wifey which I released 5 years ago is now 17, so she's now seeing that artist that she once heard online appearing on mainstream television. That whole generation are aware and they're now musical consumers themselves. They're all at college or university and they're buying the music and coming to the shows. 

Finally, is it true that you have so many clothes you have to keep some at your aunt's house?

Yes, it is true. I don't have a spare key though!