So Andy, I hear you’ve got a big tour coming up this summer, have you ever done anything like this before?
I’ve never done something quite so big, which is pretty scary to be honest. But I’m really excited, I think that in doing such a concentrated tour your level of performance increases so much.
Obviously you came to fame through Made in Chelsea, do you think this has had a positive or negative effect on your chances of being recognised as a singer-songwriter?
It’s definitely both. Obviously it’s a huge positive in that straight away it’s given me a market, but at the same time it’s a negative because there are people who will write you off before you they even listen to your music. But, you know, everyone approaches things differently in life and I hope that people are open-minded and let the music do the talking, if you know what I mean?
Yeah, to get away from the label of being ‘that guy from Made in Chelsea’ and to take you seriously as an artist who seriously wants to make it?
Absolutely, and that’s kind of why I wanted to do live shows, because obviously they’re a raw performance and you can’t hide, so it’s a case of either people like it or they don’t. It comes back to music as opposed to anything else, which I really like.
So what was life like before Made in Chelsea?
Pretty dull. I worked as a broker, I sat at my desk all day, wore a suit and I didn’t really enjoy myself. Now I’m doing stuff that I love and I enjoy myself, so yeah, it’s a change for the positive that’s for sure!
Apparently your music’s already been captivating the likes of Elton John, surely that’s one of the highest musical accolades you could hope for… How did this happen?!
(Laughs) Yeah! I recorded my first song with a family friend who has known Elton for years and worked on ‘Rocket Man’ with him. When we finished recording it he said “I’m going to send this over to Elton to see if he likes it” and I was like sure, as if he’ll ever reply, thinking he’s way too busy, and he literally replied within fifteen minutes saying “yeah I really like it”. I was blown away, just shows that Elton John is a very down-to-earth guy, I mean he must have the craziest life and yet he replied so fast away saying he really liked the song, so that was really cool.
What kind of music did you grow up with at home, and did that inspire you in any way?
My dad is a massive Paul Simon fan and that inspired me quite a lot; Simon and Garfunkel, Tracey Chapman. I love all the kind of stuff. And then also I spent a lot of time growing up in the Caribbean so a lot of reggae and things like that… a bit of everything to be honest.
What kind of music inspires you now?
If I had to choose an artist now who inspires me most it’d definitely be Ed Sheeran, but like I’m absolutely obsessed with Paulo Nutini’s new song, that’s pretty much played on the radio non-stop.
Do you write all of your own songs?
To date I’ve written everything myself, and everything that’s coming out is pretty much my own. Last week I wrote with someone else for the first time and I’ll definitely be doing that again… I think you get better songs if you write with other people, it’s nice to get someone else’s input.
Are any of the songs that you’ve written inspired by anyone we might know?
No, they’re not. There are some that are about ex’s and things like that, but not the ex that everyone thinks of!
I see! That’s a rumour cleared up then. So, forgive me for asking…the whole nostril thing… was that something that came purely from Made in Chelsea or is it an observation that you’ve been plagued with for a long time?
It’s something that came out of Made in Chelsea… nobody had actually mentioned my nostrils before! But, you know, I am quite happy about it, I’m embracing it. There are a few people that have got a good set of nostrils as well… Cara Delavigne’s got some pretty big nostrils, I actually spoke to her about hers. I think Harry Styles has some big ones too.
You’ve started a trend!
Definitely, nostrils are the big thing for 2014…
I’ll spread the word. Do you have any nostril exercising regimes so we can all get your on-trend look?
Just your basic breathing, you know? In through the nose, out through the mouth.
But what would happen if you woke up one day and you lost the ability to flare them? Surely you’d lose your place on the show, I mean, that’s your USP gone.
Yeah I do worry about that (pauses)… definitely.
Right, on to the serious stuff…if you could mix any three animals together to form one super animal what would they be and why?
Well, I’d pick a dolphin, because they can swim really well, they’re really clever, and they have sex for pleasure. Then I’d mix it with a dog, because I love dogs. So the head of a dog, the tail of a dolphin, and then in the middle… what would be cool in the middle? Maybe something like really out there, like an elephant.
Or like an ostrich and then you could be all big and fluffy and feathery?
Hmm… [you] see with something like an elephant or a rhino they have massive tummies, and you could eat like, so much, and I love eating. So yeah, tummy of a rhino, tail of a dolphin and face of a puppy.
Sounds like you’ve got an attractive looking animal there…
Yeah, so attractive. Can you draw it for me?
Definitely! So, what’s the big dream?
I would just love to have a really cool beach house… either that or just sail, sail around islands.
Sounds pretty idyllic. What’s your plan between now and summer then, how are you going to prepare for your big tour?
I’m releasing an EP in May, and from then it’s just doing as much as I can to push the music. Obviously we’re still filming for Made in Chelsea at the moment, so I’m pretty busy with that. Then yeah, rehearse for the tour!
