James Blunt is unabashedly British. He drinks too much, hates his teeth and uses words like countryside in everyday conversation. But one thing the 30ish troubadour lacks is that English stiff upper lip.
Bucking convention, Blunt poured his soul into his debut album, Back to Bedlam, which has sold more than 7-million copies worldwide. Blunt's saccharine hit You're Beautiful permeates the airwaves, while his perfectly tousled hair and sympathetic blue eyes flood magazine racks. Blunt has opened up in countless interviews about growing up in a radioless household, his stint in the British army and the ex-girlfriend who was his muse for You're Beautiful.
In a recent call from Lawrence, Kan., he opened up to tbt*. Here are excerpts.
What haven't people asked you that you'd like to talk about?
I'm never asked about the songs. Then again, music's very difficult to talk about. I suppose it's much easier to just listen to it. I guess people never really focus on how the songs come and the vibe that we set up in the album of trying to get a timeless album and write songs in the form that the '70s singer-songwriters wrote.
I did have a question about the song You're Beautiful. In the beginning you say, "My life is brilliant," and then there's a pause. It sounds almost like a false start, and then you start again. Why is that?
I didn't write the song like that, but then when I was recording it I sung the first line and then it just became such a strong line to begin with. And there I was in Hollywood, recording the first album - something I'd planned to do for many years - and it just kind of made sense to sing that line and then think about it. ... It just kind of drove it home.
Have you gotten into any American TV shows while you're here?
No, I really haven't watched any TV. We're on a tour bus at the moment, so there's not much time for television.
Right. How do you pass the time, other than doing (interviews)?
Really genuinely, I spend my time doing this. I have interviews, radio visits, sound check, a gig, meet-and-greets and then come 11:30 at night, I get drunk.
You get drunk?
Yes. I'm British. We're famous for it.
A lot of foreigners are astonished by the selection of food available in America. Have you fallen in love with any new foods during your tour?
Yeah, there's definitely some good food around. I have a mild addiction to chicken wings. Spicy chicken wings.
Besides music, what's the most romantic thing you've done for a girl?
The most romantic thing I've ever done on Valentine's Day once was I hired a helicopter and flew 100,000 red rose petals over a girl's house until she came out.
If you had 24 hours to yourself ... how would you spend them?
Being British, again, I would have a drink. And because we also have bad teeth, I'd probably take the opportunity to see the dentist.
You pretty much conform to the stereotype.
(Laughs) There's nothing wrong with being stereotypical. We're all doing it back at home.
Besides music, what are some of your favorite sounds?
Silence is a great sound.
Do you get much of that?
No. And I guess the countryside. I come from the countryside, and I think the natural world is a special place.
Where's the strangest place you've ever heard one of your songs?
I don't hear my songs that much, other than when I play them, which obviously is every day. But I did walk into a sandwich shop the other day, and as I was about to order a tuna sandwich my song came on, and it felt like the whole shop went into slow motion. But as I walked towards the counter, they must've expected me to say, "My life is brilliant."
And instead you said ...?
Instead I said, "Can I have a tuna sandwich, please?"
What did you do for your birthday this year?
For my birthday this year, I did a show in London. Then I got on a jet, flew to Chicago, did The Oprah Winfrey Show, and then flew straight back to Manchester in England and did another show. And somewhere in that point were two nights and my birthday. And I'm not sure when exactly my birthday was.
What's surprised you most about America as you travel the country?
First and foremost, it's a huge place. And also that each city has its own character. ... I guess what I would say, ... trying to make some kind of overall generalization, is that I really enjoy the way Americans seem to be quite inclusive. They are quite welcoming in and they seem very hospitable, and generally they set up things like clubs in order to join them, to welcome people in, rather than to set up clubs in order to be exclusive.
And you don't find that in England?
No, I don't think so. I think we probably set up clubs to be exclusive. And that's not as friendly.
Were you in any clubs when you were in school?
Yeah, we had a few clubs at school a long time ago. I can't really remember much about them.
Were you a good student?
I went to school and then university, and I got a degree. I think my report came back generally saying, "Could do better."
What was your degree in?
Aerospace manufacturing engineering and sociology.
That's an interesting combination. What did you want to do with that?
Build airplanes and become a rock star.
And have you built airplanes?
I've got a pilot's license. But the degree mainly involved bending metals until they broke and then studying the break. And I found that oddly boring.
One out of two's not bad, though.
Well, yeah. Thanks.
