My Cornish World: South African musician Jeremy Loops

M Y CORNISH WORLD M Y CORNISH WORLD

The South African singer-songwriter's music has amassed over 250 million global streams, and will bring a ray of sunshine to the darkest of winter days

Hi Jeremy! How are things? Great, thanks! I’m at home in Cape Town, where it’s the end of spring. The skies are blue, the jasmine and bougainvillaea are in bloom. One of the benefits of being a touring musician is that you can chase the summer and leave when it gets cold! I was in the UK for your heatwave.

You first came to Cornwall in your teens Yes, I was 19. Growing up, there was a real stigma attached to going to work in the UK. There was a stereotype called the Heathrow Injection: people would go to London, work in bars, eat lots of pies and come back 10kg heavier. Surfers like me vowed never to do such a thing. Instead, I worked my way through the RYA sailing qualifications and travelled the world on multi-million-pound yachts. Then a friend who was working in Polzeath said: “We’re having a blast – you should come.” It sounded more fun than being isolated on a yacht, so I did. I taught surfing and worked in bars such as Carter’s.

Where did you stay? I camped, but was shocked to discover how much things cost, so I bought a tiny tent and a couple of chairs, thinking that would be enough. When my friend’s mum came to check on us, she was so appalled at my living conditions that she marched me to a camping shop in Wadebridge and kitted me out with a family-sized tent, a clothing rail... The end result was that I had an enviable bachelor pad for the summer! so it’s not a fair comparison. In Cornwall, it’s less consistent, less swell, so you have to look harder and be prepared to travel – but when you find it, it’s very exciting. It was often about hunting specific waves and breaks. Tregardock beach on the north coast was a favourite place.

Do you come back often? I try and visit every year if I can. My friend still lives near Rock. I figure that if you can’t live in a place as cool as Cape Town, the next best thing is to live by the coast in a place like Cornwall; the communities are similar to those we knew growing up. I’ve also played festivals there, like Tunes In The Dunes and Boardmasters.

How did your musical journey start? I was a late bloomer. After my travels, I went back to South Africa to do a business degree. It was horrific, and I bought a guitar as an outlet for my creative angst. I taught myself to play, then learned the harmonica. Then I found a loop pedal in a store – it allowed me to record and accompany myself at a time when I didn’t feel confident enough to play with others. I started busking, learned to interact with crowds and developed a cult following. Within my third year of performing, I was selling out 5,000-seater venues in South Africa; today, I sell out shows all over the world. I’m very aware of my carbon footprint, and launched Greenpop, an eco-project that has planted more than 150,000 trees across sub- Saharan Africa, in a bid to offset it.

On your latest album, Heard You Got Love, you collaborate with Ed Sheeran and Ladysmith Black Mambazo I’ve always been a huge fan of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who famously worked on Paul Simon’s Graceland. I had written This Town for the album, but it felt like there was something missing. A friend said, “You need a choir – why not Ladysmith Black Mambazo?” I replied that I couldn’t just ring them up and ask, and he said: “If anyone can, you can.” So I asked – and they said yes! As for Ed, I was invited to his show in South Africa, and received a personal invitation to his private party. Several months later I went to his countryside studio to work on some ideas - Better Together was co-written with the team behind Shape Of You.

You’re a household name in South Africa – what's that like? It’s a nice feeling, but I’m cognisant of the impact on my privacy. One thing I love about touring in Europe is I can go to a public gym, for example, or take a sauna before a show - hanging out semi-naked back home would be a recipe for disaster.

When are you coming back to see us? I’m looking forward to returning to the UK next summer to perform at festivals, and Cornwall is very much part of the plan. l

Heard You Got Love is available on streaming platforms including Spotify

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