James Morrison is back with his first album in four years — saying he needed time off to spend with his daughter and do “normal” things like walking his dogs and visiting his local pub in the Cotswolds.
He spent time with partner Gill and daughter Elsie, seven. “I took six months off between my last tour and writing this record,” he said. “The first thing I did was go on holiday, I went snowboarding, camping, went to my local — normal stuff. I’d been non-stop and had only two weeks off between my first and second albums. I spent time with my daughter and remembered what it’s like to be a dad.”
Morrison, 31, added: “I’ve never been good at the celebrity thing — I needed to do normal things like queue up for stuff in a shop, walk the dogs. It was weird being put on a pedestal.”
It followed a dark period when his alcoholic father died in 2010 from liver disease. It affected his views on alcohol: “Even before he died I wasn’t a big drinker. Seeing someone you love like that will put you off.”
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The star’s hectic schedule also took a toll on his relationship: “You’re always away. You have to make that extra effort.”
His new single Demons touches on these personal experiences, while latest album Higher Than Here is out on October 30. “It’s great that after four years people are still excited about my music,” he said.