Ahead of the broadcast tonight of Radio 2 In Concert presents Lewis Capaldi, Lewis spoke to Ken Bruce on his Radio 2 show this morning (Thursday 15th December, 9.30am-12pm).
Ken: Let’s talk about the music and how its going because we’ve had the Forget Me single, which went really well. When that came out, when you released that, were you at all concerned, worried, or thinking, is this going to work?
Lewis: I was terrified. Because I have a basic level of like, sort of, pessimism anyway. I’m always assuming the worst, things are going to go horribly. Even when I’m proved wrong by things going well, I think, even now, I’m like okay well, Forget Me went well but this next one’s going to go horribly. Do you what I mean? I’m always in that – I live in that space, Ken.
Ken: One step away from something going wrong.
Lewis: Yeah exactly. One step away from complete catastrophe. Which is good. I think it’s a good place to sit in. Don’t be complacent now.
Ken: I think that is a good thing. Otherwise you could, one could, get a little bit above oneself and think ‘Everything’s going well, I can’t make any mistakes’.
Lewis. 100%. So yeah actually, I was terrified. But we got through it and it seems like people really enjoy it and that’s the main thing. I’m glad that people seem to be enjoying it as much as the old stuff. So yeah, it’s very exciting.
Ken: It’s a great song, people love it. And another new song, Pointless. And [not that this is] background, but many people and a lot of people in Scotland have been saying, you know, I bring her a coffee in the morning and she brings me –
Lewis: – in a piece!
Ken: – in a piece and jam, or a piece and cheese –
Lewis: – a piece and bacon for me, a piece and bacon.
Ken: It’s funny, because as soon as I heard that, I thought, Oh!
Lewis: She brings me in a piece, yeah yeah yeah. Well that’s what we’ll – we’ll call it that, yeah. It doesn’t seem as grandiose as ‘Inner Peace’. But it means that to me: I know what I’m going to have. [laughs] But yeah no, it’s a new single and lyrically it’s a really nice tune on the record, it’s a bit different to the rest of the stuff. It’s a love song, which is out of the ordinary for me. I’m usually singing songs about, you know, being unlucky in love because that is my lived experience. But I co-wrote it with Ed Sheeran and Steve Mac and Johnny McDaid, and it’s been really nice to write a song that isn’t about, you know, ‘poor me, poor me’, it’s like a lovely sort of.. to celebrate love!
Ken: Getting back to the reason you’re here, it’s Radio 2 In Concert tonight, which took place just a little time ago. Playing live, you’ve always said, was really important to you. And this is again the case tonight?
Lewis: 100%. To do things like that as well when it’s like really intimate… Someone said to me earlier on that like the bigger the crowds get, the easier it is to play to them and its scarier to play to 300 people than 30,000 people. And that’s nonsense! Right, a room full of 300 people is a much less intimidating thing than hordes of people at 30,000. It’s mad! I’m very much a fan of the more intimate thing. And yeah, as you say, playing live has always been my reason for doing this. I didn’t get into music to make music videos. Or I didn’t get into music to sort of, set up a recording studio. I wanted to play to people and see their reaction first hand. Getting to do something like this is very exciting. Especially this close to Christmas where a lot of touring and stuff is winding down. So you can actually just, get to do your gig. Because I’ve been slacking over the last couple of months, if I’m honest with you.
Ken: What about an album then?
Lewis: Yes, next year. Its called Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent.
Ken: Another title that doesn’t easily trip off the tongue, but people remember.
Lewis: Yes, its longer than the first one which is quite a feat. And it’s out on May 19th, it’ll be exactly four years to the week that my first album came out. So that’s a nice little full circle thing. So I’m excited man, and we’re going on tour next year as well.
Ken: Big arena tour?
Lewis: Big arena tour in the UK, and they’re going to hear us in Europe for the first time which is selling well, except for Germany. People in Germany really not vibing with my music I have to say at the minute.
Ken: Not yet.
Lewis: Ticket sales are abysmal. That’s a word that I don’t get to use often. Everywhere else you’re like, ‘Oh that’s going to sell out, or that’s going to sell really well’, blah blah blah, and you can kind of see them going up. The show in Berlin is 17,000 people that arena can hold. And I have sold 1,373 tickets.
Ken: Right.
Lewis: It’s a pretty bleak outlook just now. But fingers crossed for a Christmas miracle and there’s a spike. Everyone’s just waiting.
Ken: Come on, Germany. Do something.
Lewis: Yeah, come on Germany. Get off your backsides and do something.
Ken: Or people in this country, if they find it difficult to get tickets here…
Lewis: Fly to Germany!
Ken: Fly to Germany, see Berlin, you’ve got lots of space.
Lewis: Exactly. You can really move around. But the tour’s going to be amazing. I’m really excited. And yeah man, I’m buzzing to be back. I feel like once we’re out doing the tours next year I’ll feel fully sort of back into the swing of things. Because we released a single this year, and done a few gigs, but that was before the single came out. It’ll be nice to have music out and tour and doing promo everywhere and getting fully into the job.
Ken: You’ll be feeling great next year. In terms of your whole life, what would make you just think, ‘This is it. I’m living the life’? What element is not quite there that would make it perfect?
Lewis: I’d like my flatmate to move out. That’d be nice. Niall, he’s a friend of mine from school.
Ken: WAS a friend.
Lewis: Well, he still is. He’s just taking up a lot of space is what I’m realising. This is a very personal gripe that I have with Niall. But I’m glad I get to air it out here because I know he listens to Radio 2. So Niall, when I was away on tour in the summer, I came back and he’d decided to put up a dartboard in one of the rooms. He’d decided to hammer nails into one of my bedroom walls, because I own the flat. And he’s paying rent. He’s the lodger. And he put up all these pictures in his room without my consent! And you might say I’m being a control freak there right but I feel like I have a say if you’re going to put up – and by the way, its not like he’s putting up Picassos or lovely pieces of art. It’s like he’s printed off a picture of Henrik Larsson from the internet and put it up on his wall and I’m like, this looks awful. This looks rubbish.
Ken: And the dartboard, you’ll have all sorts of holes round the dartboard…
Lewis: Exactly! You play darts when you’re drinking pints. So he’s sitting there and there’s holes all over my wall. So yeah if I could get rid of Niall in my flat, that would be, life would really – or at least, get him to pay a bit more rent. That would be great.
Ken: That’s the Christmas miracle we’re after.
Lewis: Yeah, so if you’re listening Niall, either get your hand in your pocket or get the hell out.
Ken: That’s it. We solve all the problems of society here on this show, no matter how personal. Really looking forward to the show tonight, promises to be fantastic. Great to see you and good luck with the new single!
Radio 2 In Concert presents Lewis Capaldi on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
You can view the original article HERE.
