CALUM SCOTT

I had an amazing time. I was there for a best friend’s 30th birthday. It felt weird getting on a plane, being in an airport. It felt very strange. Being on holiday, you immediately just snap into this, kind of, life as normal, almost. There were some restrictions, but people mostly just used common sense. Sanitising and masks in public spaces. It was just so amazing to get away with my best friends. I’m such a family man. Time with my friends and family is my relaxation. And we definitely did a lot of relaxation with alcohol. It was an amazing birthday party.

Well, I travel back up here often. This, my spot in Yorkshire, in Hull, is all I’ve ever known. I was born and bred here: went to school, lived and worked here. Hull’s not like Manchester or Liverpool, with people coming and going all the time. It feels like a little bit of a bubble for me. It’s amazing, and the people here are incredibly proud of me, which feels amazing as well. But also very respectful. Up here is my sanctuary. My little nephew’s four. He definitely keeps me grounded. Friends and family mean the world to me, and spending time with them is an absolute must. I think, probably because I’ve got into this, at a later age as well, I just have a real appreciation for everything that happens to me. You know, like going into the the first release off of a second album, with an album to come. I’m as grateful for this one as I was the last. Also, we did a photo shoot here, to mark the beginning of the campaign. I was asked, “What would mean the most to you, in terms of location?” I said, “Doing it in my hometown,” We shot some pictures by the Humber Bridge, and in the city, and I had, almost, a new appreciation of my town. So, home means a lot to me.

Yeah, I love performing it. I love the fact that everybody knows it. I have loved the original forever. Robyn is one of the people in the music business that I love. She’s mysterious, not very accessible, and I love that about her. When I saw her, in the Radio One building, it was like seeing a unicorn. I kept my cool just long enough, before I burst into tears in the lift. It just meant so much, because a song that

she had sung and recorded had resonated with people all around the world. To have resonated with the song myself as a fan, and then to have my own interpretation, and release it as an artist, and for that to resonate around the world as well, it means so much. Whenever I sing it, it brings me so much joy. I met with Robyn, and the other writer on the track, and the way that they crafted this song is is unlike anything I’ve ever heard before.

Ooh, that changes. It’s hard. I’m one of those mood artists. It depends on what mood I’m in. During the summer, I just constantly listened to Harry Styles. That new music is so good, so tasteful, so poppy and vibey. It suits him perfectly. Yesterday, my mum and I were looking through pictures of my grandad, from, like, 1940 or 1950. He was wearing these highwaisters, a big collar on his shirt. I said to my mum, “I can imagine Harry Styles in that.” And he would rock it just as much as my grandad did. It’s quite interesting, how it comes around. Adele is my top-tier., I listen to her. She’s an idol of mine. I’d duet or songwrite with her. I think she’s amazing. She can never put foot wrong, in my eyes. I saw one of her last shows at Wembley, and she just sings every song like it’s the last time she’s gonna sing it. I take so much from that, in terms of her work ethic, how much she cares about what she does. They’re incredible footsteps to try and walk in. I’m listening to a lot of Olivia Rodrigo recently as well. I’ve also gone back to Earth, Wind & Fire, The Police. I’ve found myself going down one of those rabbit holes.

Felix, from Lost Frequencies, and I were talking the other day. He reminded me that we had approached him for a remix of “Dancing On My Own”. At the time, we were in talks with a couple of other producers and DJs, and the timing didn’t work with Felix. So, it was like, “I’d love to do something in the future.” Fast forward four or five years, and my manager contacted me and said, “Felix wants you to cut this song.” Apparently Felix was very specifically wanting me to cut it, so he hadn’t pitched it out to anybody else, which I thought was really special. I got in the studio in London and did it. I thought he might not like my voice on it, or it might not suit my voice. As soon as I sent it, he was in touch immediately. Like, “This is incredible. This is my summer single. I really want you on it.” It was released on the Friday, whilst we were in Croatia at a beach club. So, it was perfect timing.

This is the great thing about music. If it reminds you of those huge songs, it’s the best thing. The thing with me and Felix has always been amazing. Because of lockdowns, and the pandemic, we’ve not been able to meet yet. But I’m joining him at a festival in Romania, to debut the song live, which is really, really fun. The fact that the world is opening up a little bit more. I understand travel restrictions, and why they’re in effect, but to be able to get onstage and perform for people, in their cities and their towns, it means a lot.

The latter. I mean, I’ve really struggled with the pandemic. I try not to complain too much, because I’m very sensitive to the fact that people have lost loved ones, their livelihoods. But, personally, it did affect me. I’ve gone from being an office worker nine-to-five, to having my own single, my own album, my own tour. Working across the world, barely being in one place at one time. Then to a total lockdown. At the time, we didn’t even know when it was going to end. I live alone, so I’d come back up to Yorkshire, and didn’t see my family for about a month. That’s not good for my mental health. I’ve had a long struggle with my mental health growing up. It really set me back. I started being quite destructive with how I was feeling, tearing apart things that I’d done for the album, and throwing songs away. It was horrible. It didn’t really inspire me. Saying that, “Biblical” was born during the pandemic, and I think my next single was born there. It just goes to show that, when you’re pushed outside your comfort zone, sometimes you can harness that, and make use of it.

When the song was sent to me, my producer was like, “I’ve got this idea. I think it’d be incredible.” I was just blown away by James Bay’s demo. James’s voice is insane anyway, but the lyric for me was so poignant, at a time when we were all missing the people that we loved, stripped of having that physical and mental relationship with those that you love, and being prevented from going to see your friends. Talking about an immeasurable love, an unquantifiable amount of love, it just seemed so apt. So I’ve really gravitated towards that, and, because of my frustrations and emotions, when I got to record the vocals in Abbey Road, I have taken ownership of that song, and sang it from a really emotional place, and embued myself onto that record. I think it’s the same with “Dancing On My Own.” Sometimes the interpretation can be just as powerful as writing the lyrics yourself. It just depends on where you sing it from. For me, all of my music is sang from the same place. So, I just want to get out and sing it to people.

Yeah, I really appreciate that. We did play around with it. I think pauses and crescendos, and silence, are really powerful tools. It’s the same with “Dancing On My Own,” with “You are the Reason.” There’re moments where it just picks up, and then you’re left with bated breath. All that is so important for the emotion of a song.

I have been on a journey with my voice since the second I started using it. When I first started singing, it was kind of me, not impersonating, but trying to find my way with cover music. Then I was in a Maroon 5 tribute band, so my voice started getting more like Adam’s. When I started discovering my own voice, I realised that I really like using those big chest vocals, and dramatising songs. That’s when I discovered “Dancing On My Own,” and put my interpretation on that. That set the tone for the kind of music I like to sing. Then, over time, it’s just the more I’ve used my voice. It’s like a muscle, it’s grown. I wanted “Biblical” to be the first song that people heard, because it shows the most growth in my voice, that I’m trying to reach different parts of my voice with my falsetto that I haven’t used this extensively before. Those chest vocals. It’s a hard song to sing.

I work with a vocal coach when I’m doing recordings, or big shows. It’s important. Like getting a personal trainer, it’s the same with vocal coaches. When you’re on your voice day in day out, it gets tired, and I owe it to my fans, and to the people that support me, to be in the best state of health I can be for these performances. Practice makes perfect. I could tell, after the lockdown, that I’d not been on my voice a lot. One performance, and I had a sore throat. The night-after-night shows, where you’re singing the same songs. You’re trying to give 100% at each show. Then meet and greets, promo, and radio stuff, TV stuff. You don’t realise how much you’re on your voice. Then, your voice could go. My falsetto is the first to go. I’ve gotten upset before shows, because I can’t get certain notes. That’s just my perfectionism. I want to go on there. I think of myself as paying my money, that I’ve worked hard for, to go and watch my favourite artist. You want to be blown away. So I take that incredibly seriously. It’s just a case of building up the stamina. Some of your best shows are the ones right at the end of a tour.

100%, yeah, you know the songs inside out.

Oh, he’s a single pringle, he’s been in the tube for a long time. I had a bit of a thing going on. For me, I’m always conscious that when it comes back into going-to-work mode, that you’re going to be away a lot. It’s going to be

I don’t know, it’s difficult to say. We’re working with the label to find a date for the album. It’s strange times at the minute for music. I would love it to be this end of the year. When you release an album, you want to announce a tour, and promote it. That’s tough at the minute. Things keep changing, but as we’ve seen, anything can happen. So, fingers crossed. I’ve waited this long. It’s the best collection of songs I’ve ever written. a struggle to spend time with them. My friends and family are top of the list every time, so I start to panic myself and get myself worked up. I’m too much of a worrier at the minute, but I also am on the lookout for love. I think it can just be around the corner. All of my friends are hitched up, or kids, or married, and it’s frustrating when you’re the single pringle. I mean yeah, I know that I’d got on the spotlight with “Dancing On My Own,” but that’s not what I want to do forever. At some point I do want my own “Reason,” or somebody to sing “Biblical” to.