Soul sensation gets set for date in town

Andy Richardson chats to music star James Morrison ahead of his sell-out concert at Shrewsbury's new Theatre Severn.

When James Morrison arrives in Shrewsbury for a sell-out gig at the town's Theatre Severn this Saturday night, he can be assured of a rapturous response.

The Brit-Award-winning soul singer has a loyal fanbase in the Midlands, following a series of gigs in Wolverhampton and Birmingham. And, given the reception he's received in the region in recent years, he's very much looking forward to headlining in Shropshire.

He says: "The Midlands shows that I've done before have been really good. I treat everywhere the same really. I give it all I've got wherever I am. I busked in Birmingham last year for charity. It was pretty scary! You don't know if you're going to get people throwing things at you.

"I did actually really enjoy it."

Fans can expect Morrison to be in fine form. He's just finished a tour of America, which involved plenty of gigs and radio shows that went very well.

He adds: "Yeah it was good, it was really good. I did a lot of radio shows during the day and showcases and then shows in the evening. It was pretty full on but I really enjoyed it, apart from the cold.

"Obviously America is important because a lot of the great music that I love is from there and it would be nice to crack America. I think this time around has gone a lot better than the first time. People know me a little bit more."

Morrison enjoys life on the road. Though he works hard, he plays hard too. But on his present tour, he'll miss home. His first daughter was born six months ago, so the separation will be hard.

James says: "I've got extra bags under my eyes now but I'm doing alright with it. You've got to have a balance between the crazy nights that I'm doing on the road and the home life. It's good to have both different lifestyles to put it all in perspective.

"I've had to readjust my sleep! I don't get much sleep so when I'm away now I sleep my ass off! But apart from that it's just prioritising my daughter really. It's not all about me it's for her now you know? I'm relaxed more to be honest. I'm really relaxed, just because it's not all about me."

The singer, whose voice has been compared to that of soul greats like Otis Redding, will find it difficult being away.

"Yeah of course, man, because she's changing all the time and so quickly, so you miss the little things. But I've been at home recently for quite a bit so that was good and I got to watch her change a little bit which was great."

However, he's planning for his family to go along to some of the shows on his tour.

"I just need to suss out which ones. She's still only six months so I don't want to be dragging her all the way around the country."

Morrison, of course, enjoyed something of a meteoric rise when in 2006, his debut single You Give Me Something became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan.

His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart. He released his second album, Songs for You, Truths for Me in 2008, which entered the top five in the UK as well as topping the Irish Album Chart.

Songs for You, Truths for Me featured the top ten singles You Make It Real and his critically acclaimed collaboration with Nelly Furtado titled Broken Strings.

Working with Furtado was great fun. James says: "It basically came from me writing the song and needing someone to sing on it, so I just tried to think of a contemporary female singer.

"She had Maneater out and I just thought she's so versatile she can pull off any style really. She was kind of an unexpected choice really.

"I thought it was so cool when she said she was up for it and she's so grounded and down to earth. Really great to work with."

That duet, however, is just one of many highlights in recent years. He adds: "There's been so many. Meeting Stevie Wonder was amazing, I never thought I'd get to meet him.

"I met him at the Royal Naval College when he was doing a charity gig and I met him outside. I was waiting for the gig and I was getting really annoyed with my manager because he kept saying 'come outside' and I was like 'I don't want to go outside, I'm here for the gig' and he was like 'just come outside'.

So I went outside and Stevie Wonder was there and I got so nervous. I don't get starstruck usually, but Stevie Wonder's the main one, the only one where I've gone speechless when I met him."

Though Morrison will be playing songs from his first two albums at Severn Theatre tomorrow, he's also hoping to preview a few new tracks.

"I'm writing tunes and stuff at the moment. I'm not full into it yet but I've got some good little tunes. At the moment it's about writing some songs with some good beats that you can jig along to rather than slow songs, I'm trying to get more upbeat."