Last time round, he was the plucky upstart. A squillion album sales later, and he’s one of the biggest pop stars in the country. Not that you’d tell - welcome to the world of George Ezra.
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Last time round, he was the plucky upstart. A squillion album sales later, and he’s one of the biggest pop stars in the country. Not that you’d tell - welcome to the world of George Ezra
Words: Jamie Muir. Photos: Phil Smithies.
Hair & Makeup: Verity Cumming using Oilixia.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]George Ezra is a big deal. His debut album sold over 1.2 million copies and took him around the globe. After 12 months away packed with moments of self-doubt, puzzles and starting afresh - he’s backed with a vital message and new outlook on the world. George is back, and he’s throwing any fears or worries right out the window.
As George Ezra bounds into the West London studio, we find ourselves in; there’s a smile on his face that’s practically bursting at the seam. Taking off his shades and delving into stories and questions about his day and those around him, it’s only a matter of moments before he realises something’s missing.
“Has anyone got any music we could listen to?” George asks. Quickly, the responsibility falls to him to provide the soundtrack, settling on a playlist of favourites he’s been listening to over the past few weeks. From his self-confessed hero Bob Dylan to London Grammar, The Japanese House, Hot Hot Heat, Vanilla Ice and The Strokes - it’s a blending of new and old that demonstrates the jumping thoughts racing around George’s world.
“Oh, I think some of my own songs are in there,” remembers George. “Please skip those!”
It perfectly captures just how linked into the musical blood-stream of the past few years George Ezra is. A story that started in cobbled venues and intimate nights in pubs and bars has blossomed onto a world stage where now just a glance at Spotify shows his biggest tracks have been streamed over 600 million times. That’s a whole lot of playlists that’s for sure, and summarises an 18 months where George Ezra became not just another singer-songwriter with a devoted following, but a force to be reckoned with - millions joining him for the ride. The Pyramid Stage at Glasto? Check. Number 1 album? Check. Sold-out venues around the globe? Check. It all came to George in a flurry, and means the next chapter he’s about to embark on is one that eyes are firmly locked in on, but this is no ordinary tale of a ‘pop star’ riding on that wave to the glossy worlds that could come his way.
“Yeah, ‘pop star’ weirds me out a bit,” laughs George, “because that is definitely not me! So much comes with the name pop star. Pop singer? I’ll take that - it’s just the star bit that troubles me. I’ll never say it, but in the back of my mind I think ‘What’s that all about?’”
Taking it all in his stride, the story of George’s past three years is a foundation of discovering life, learning how to deal with ever-changing surroundings and coming out of it with one of the most refreshing takes on how to move forward. If you think you know George Ezra, then think again.
“I guess there’s probably a crowd out there that see me as another male singer-songwriter,” he contemplates, “which I am, but I think they just take it as not much going into it. I’m not trying to convert those people, but I think well, maybe if they came along to a show or listened to the record then it’d be cool to see what they thought.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width="stretch_row
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