River DJ Charlie Wilde was able to sit down virtually with singer-songwriter Passenger and talk about the anniversary-edition of his album All the Little Lights. Read or listen along to the interview below and check out the album, available now.
Hey it’s Charlie Wilde here on the River, and through the miracle of modern technology we’ve got Passenger talking to us from just outside of Brighton, England. Mike, can you hear me okay?
I can, loud and clear!
Excellent, and thanks so much for taking time out to talk to us today.
Aw, not at all man. I remember coming into the River many years ago and having a great time, so thanks so much for your time.
Yep, you played a show for us at the Foundation Room at the House of Blues in 2014.
That sounds about right.
How things have changed since then and what we’ve been through since then, huh?
Absolutely, as humanity, absolutely.
So All the Little Lights was your breakthrough album, and now we’ve got the tenth anniversary edition, which is in stores now – just went on sale a week and a half ago or so?
Yeah, it’s been a bit of a blur. That sounds about right I think, yeah.
Alright so we’re going to be playing your duet with Ed Sheeran on your huge hit “Let Her Go” in just a couple of minutes but is it true- I heard a rumor that Taylor Swift wasn’t available for this duet so you had to go with Ed?
[distorted laughter]
Ohp, I think his laughter shorted out the microphone!
[more laughter] That is a very malicious rumor, no absolutely not! Ed’s been a mate of mine for many years. We met years and years ago, we played the same gig in Cambridge, in the UK. And uh, he’s been very generous to me. He took me on tour as his opening act, and actually had an awful lot to do with “Let Her Go”‘s success in the first place, so it just seemed to make massive amounts of sense to have him come and duet on it on the anniversary edition.
Well I can’t wait to play it, ’cause you guys sound great together, the video is really cool.
Yeah, I love the video. It’s really…I dunno, it’s just very honest. Just playing the song with a band, and it just feels very right for the song really.
That song kind of started your rocket ship ride 10 years ago, didn’t it?
I mean that song has given me so much. I think the first time I recorded it, I had no idea it was going to be a hit. So yeah, I’ve had 10 years living with that song now and it’s given me so much, and it’s taken me around the world. And you know, every time I play it, wherever I am in the world, the place goes nuts. So, I think there’s definitely more weight to that song now, and especially now that Ed’s singing on it as well it’s uh…yeah man, it’s a mad song. I never dreamed I would have a song like this.
And I mean singing with Ed Sheeran, I know he’s you’re friend but – wow.
Yeah, it still baffles me really. It’s still just bonkers, yeah.
Well it’s great that you can remain humble through all this. You seem like a very honest, down to earth guy. And one of the other people that is collaborating with you is a guy that I just have come to love – Foy Vance. I saw your interview with him on YouTube, in Life’s for the Living, very interesting character.
He really is, he’s an amazing guy. I actually met him through Ed, around about the time this album was coming out actually we all went on tour together – me and Foy were both opening up for Ed. And we just got on like a house on fire, he’s a such a wonderful guy and he’s just a phenomenal songwriter as well. I know he may not be a household name like Ed is but, man his lyrics are stunning and he’s written some beautiful songs. And his voice is fantastic as well.
You know what struck me about him? And tell me if I’m way off-base here but, he seems like the Northern-Ireland version, or the Irish version of a Bruce Springsteen.
Totally, yeah. Absolutely, you just believe every word he says, like you do with Bruce. Like, you just believe the guy is feeling what he’s talking about, you know? And I think, in this genre of music that’s so important. And I think, as humans, we’re all built-in with – I don’t know if I can say this but – kinda bullshit monitors, you know? And you can tell, subconsciously when someone’s kind of feeding you a line. Especially when it’s this kind of vulnerable, lyrically led folk music. So with people like Foy, with people like Bruce, you just believe it and that is half the battle I think, yeah.
Ed seems like the same kind of person, now, I don’t know Ed like you do but I watched his documentary three times and I just fell in love with the dude. He just seems like such a nice warm down to earth person.
He is, and what you see is what you get, you know. I met him when he was 16, I think, and he’s basically the same guy now he’s still a complete idiot, you know, it’s lovely. Obviously, you know, he’s one of the biggest stars in the world so his life has changed around him but as an individual, as a person, he’s one of the very best.
Ok, enough about Ed Sheeran now but, All the Little Lights, 10th Anniversary edition. The album has been rerecorded and reimagined, how did that come about?
It was obviously the album that completely changed my life, it turned me in from a busker to, you know, playing all sorts of amazing shows all over the world. And I’m so proud of the record but, you know, over the years when I’ve heard it, I’ve always kinda thought “man, I wish I could do it again”, you know, like I feel like it’s the first album I made with my record producer Chris and we’ve made nine since then and I just kind of feel like we’ve learned so much together, we really have an understanding of how to make a record now, I think my voice has changed massively, I finally sound like an adult which is great. So yeah, for so many reasons it was like “you know, one day I’d love to give that another shot” and 10 year anniversary seemed to be as good a time as any and, I don’t know man it’s been a real labor of love and at times I’ve kind of thought “I hope like, people are gonna dig this like, these are just songs we’ve given them already” but the reaction’s been immense man. It’s been really emotional seeing, you know, I’ve obviously got a history with these songs but, so have my fans and I’ve just finished this little tour in the UK where I was just going back to the rooms that I used to play so, you know, small three, four, five hundred cap rooms and talking to the fans that’ve been seeing me play for 10 years and seeing and hearing and feeling what these songs mean to them has been incredibly moving and yeah, you know, I just feel very bloody lucky that people wanna come and listen to my songs still it’s uh, yeah, it’s really great.
Seeing you evolve is probably very gratifying for your fans, you know?
Yeah, that’s exactly it and I know what it’s like to be really affected and moved and shaped by people’s music, you know, I grew up to listening to Paul Simon and Springsteen and Neil Young and Joni Mitchell and those kinds, like I know what those songs have given me and to, you know, to be talking to people and to get the understanding that maybe one or two of my songs have given them that is very humbling and uh yeah, it’s just an amazing thing really.
So can you tell River listeners what else might be on Passenger’s plate at the moment?
We’re just building a studio so I think once that’s up and running it will just be really easy to get, you know, people in and collaborate and write and record and I’m really looking forward to kind of opening that up. We’re converting a barn just down the road so it should be, yeah it’s great fun man it should be a really really really good space.
Well Mike I know you’re tight on time there in the UK but, All the Little Lights… we’ll remind everybody, special 10th anniversary edition is out now… lots of really cool collaborations and some wonderfully rerecorded/reimagined songs. Any plans on new stuff in the near future here? Or is that where the new studio comes in?
Yeah, exactly, yeah as soon as that’s good and ready to go I think we’ll get in there and record some new stuff and… yeah it’s usually an album every year from me so I should imagine there’ll be something next year and hopefully an American tour as well so I’ll just say that, you know, if people wanna come to a show, people wanna be kept in the loop then come and follow Passenger on Instagram and Facebook and, God knows what else and uh we’ll keep you in the loop with all of that stuff.
Yeah I’m sure our River listeners will be all over that. Mike, it has been an absolute pleasure to talk to you.
Bless you man, thanks so much for the support.
Oh you bet, and it’s a pint on me when you come to town Ok?
Thanks Charlie, cheers mate.
