James Arthur talks ahead of gig at Birmingham Genting Arena
The nation’s arenas beckon for James Arthur, who is on the road with a nine-date tour. The British singer-songwriter, who won the ninth series of X Factor in 2012, sold more than 2.5 million copies of his debut single, Impossible, the most by anyone from the show.
And though he’s been involved in a series of controversies – accusations of homophobia and glorifying violence as well as struggles with drugs, anxiety and depression – he’s back on top form.
After his 2013 self-titled debut James Arthur went to number two, he went one step further last year with Back From The Edge, a number one hit that earned him a platinum disc.
He’ll line up at Birmingham’s Genting Arena tomorrow, having just finished a huge US tour with One Republic. He learnt a lot from them and enjoyed the experience.
“What was great about that tour was the challenge of gaining new fans. I think we did that. The first show, when the room was half full I remember going: ‘I don’t know if I can do this. It’s going to be a challenge’. When you see the room fill up and you see you’ve captured a few new fans it was really fun. I think I upped my game on this tour. I learned a lot more about myself as a performer. I learned how important it is to put 100% effort and energy into every show, no matter how many people was there. It was a good reminder because I’d just come off the back off doing sold-out shows in the UK and Europe. When the crowd’s already ready made, although I still work hard, you don’t have to think about that so much because they react to everything. It was cool to go back. Ryan Tedder’s energy on stage . . . You’d think he was 15 years old from the way he moves around. That was pretty inspiring just to see. They’re so experienced and they’re still putting everything they’ve got into the shows.”
Arthur has started writing a new album and wrote a few songs with Ryan, which he hopes will feature on his next record. He’s made good progress on the follow-up to Back From the Edge, but there’s no release date pencilled in. “That’s a new album in the making. I can’t say. When it’s ready it’s ready.”
Arthur is glad to be back in the UK and is looking forward to his show in Birmingham. Before he takes the stage, he’ll go through his usual pre-gig rituals.
“Because of my voice I’m never without a honey and lemon in my hand. We listen to a lot of 90s R&B, that tends to be the theme. D’Angelo or something to get everyone feeling ready and feeling fun.”
Arthur is one of a number of high-profile vegans and he believes that helps to keep him match fit. He’s embraced a vegan lifestyle and is sticking with it.
“Yeah. I feel really good at the moment. It’s only been a couple of months I’ve been off the cheese. I never really had a lot of dairy in my diet anyway ‘cos as a vocalist it’s not great. Singers get sick easily. When you’re travelling around and doing a lot of shows, with the air con and travelling, sinusitis is a recurring issue. I haven’t been eating meat for the best part of a couple of years anyway so I feel better. I feel energised. I feel my head is clearer. Each to their own, I’m not here preaching the vegan life to anyone else. It’s working for me. What’s amazing is 85% of us are lactose intolerant. We love pizza so much we ignore it.”
But while he steers clear of cheese and red meat, he doesn’t mind downing a glass of red wine, or two.
“I drink a beer, or a glass of whiskey or a glass of red wine. For the majority of the One Republic tour I didn’t really have a drink. I was trying to keep myself healthy because I kept losing my voice.”
His focus in Birmingham will be the music. He’s excited about putting on a great show for his fans.
“The focus is always on the music. I’m going to have an eight-piece band and it’s going to be all about the sound. We want people to come and have an amazing sonic experience. I want people to really feel the music.”
