Passenger is an English singer-songwriter and musician primarily known for his massive hit 'Let Her Go,' which gained multi-platinum status in numerous countries around the world. After hitting platinum four times in the U.K., and six times in the U.S., the song then went on to gain 19 #1 chart positions. Additionally, it has now reached over three billion Youtube views and similar figures in Spotify streams.

The Brighton-based performer has also picked up several awards, including an Ivor Novello Award, and holds a strong worldwide fan base. Passenger is now back with a whole new album set for release in January, and a new single “A Song For The Drunk And Broken Hearted,” to go with it. 

Andrew Gilmour (Giz) from Music Talkers caught up with Passenger over a Zoom session to ask some questions about him as an artist. You can also listen to the interview at the bottom of the page.

Giz: How are you doing, you alright?

Passenger: Fine, man. How are you?

Giz: Yeah, not bad at all. Cheers, lovely to meet you. I'm Giz from Music Talkers, what have you been up to today?

Passenger: Well, funny enough in the studio, we just finished the record a few months ago and now we're just back in doing bits and bobs of B-sides and that kind of thing. So yeah it's nice man, I've got a little studio in Brighton, so yeah it could be worse. Not looking forward to lockdown 2.0.

Giz: No mate, I don't think anyone is. How do you feel about it? Do you feel like it's the right thing?

Passenger: I don't know anything anymore. I don't understand if it's a lockdown, why it's like “yeah we're going to lockdown but in a week.” That seems to be such a peculiar decision. Surely, if it's needed, then just f**king do it. France is like cool, we're locking down tomorrow. I don't know, mate, I don't know. It's such a baffling time isn't it. Have you been massively affected by it work wise?

Giz: Personally, yes. I'm a music teacher, I teach in schools. So that's all been wiped out. I can still teach privately from my office and stuff, and over Zoom. But yeah It's been like Zoom life, and I bet it has for you hasn't it?

Passenger: It's been a lot of Zooms, yeah! At least we can do this, you know. Five years ago this would have been tough, so yeah we're lucky in that sense.

Giz: In regards to the new album, have you recorded it all in your own studio?

Passenger: Yeah, it wasn't really meant to be like that. Me and my engineer Chris have desperately been trying to sort of find a barn, or somewhere like a bigger space to set up a studio. It's all kind of fallen through so it's basically my little basement, it's pretty low-fi but it's great, it's been really fun actually. A different experience to the usual process.

Giz: Talking about the album “Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted”. It's released on the 8th Jan, and you've just released a single off it, “A Song For The Drunk And Broken Hearted”. I was watching the video earlier because it just came out the other day, didn't it?

Who came up with the clown theme, and what does it mean for the album and the single? 

I've noticed the front cover of the album, a guy looking a bit desolate with a bottle of something in his hand. Is it like everyone has a mask sort of thing?

Passenger: I think so yeah. I went through a breakup just before lockdown. I wrote a ton of songs then. You know, not the only singer-songwriter who has gone through a breakup and wrote loads of songs [laughs]. It's obviously a very vulnerable and fragile time, and yeah you're very in touch with stuff. But you know, like most people who break-up, you end up going out and getting pissed and making some weird decisions. You know, that two or three months afterwards when you're so used to the warmth and security that a relationship brings, and suddenly you haven't got that and you're out in the world on your own. It can be a very cruel time, a very lonely time. I think the clown represents, you know that very English mentality of like ‘everything’s fine, stiff upper lip, it's all good, no problem just go and get pissed, have a drink, it'll be fine.’

Giz: Yeah, drink it away.

Passenger: It just reminds me of that clown mentality, where they're like ‘everything’s alright,’ but really you can see in the eyes that it's not. And I think it's a powerful image, and I think for video it really works for that song. The juxtaposition of the sort of quite up-tempo bumpy guitar thing, and as you say the lyrics are quite desolate, and I love that. You know, The Smiths used to do that a lot, and The Cure and those kinds of bands, I love that play between two ideas.

Giz: Oh man, you have brought me onto one of my questions. So that was basically, I've had the pleasure of listening to some samples off the album today, and one that really stood out for me, as it sounds a bit different from the usual sound was What You’re Waiting For, as it reminds me of the main man Johnny Marr. 

Passenger: Yeahhh.

Giz: Are you into The Smiths? Because that electric guitar part, I was like ‘oh I love it!’

Passenger: That's so nice to hear man. Because for me, it's very Smith-esque. My electric guitarist Ben Edgar is a flippin genius — I love what he does. And yeah, that was kind of the brief that I sent him, because it was all remote recording this time around. I was like mate yeah, this can be kind of an 80's Smiths’ feel, and I love what he did, man, I really do.

I'm a big fan of The Smiths, that kind of Jam, Johnny Marr thing with Morrissey, sort of, you know. Well, all I can say with the Morrissey thing: the way those two used to play off each other was magical. I think such a brilliant combination.

Giz: The best, I just love it. Like I say when I was listening to the sample. Because you do have a really distinctive sound I feel, with sort of a lot of acoustic picking going on, I think you've got a distinctive voice, I can always tell one of your songs and all that, but that song for me just felt a bit different, and yeah really impressed. I just wanted to say that. 

Just going back to what you were saying about the album before, and writing songs about breakups. Because for me personally I'll be honest I'd never heard of you until I heard Let Her Go. 

Passenger: You and the rest of the world!

Giz: [laughs] But mate, absolute banger! And congratulations from all the success from it. And I think it's really relatable that's what it was. My dad, I remember him sharing the video to that song on Facebook saying "oh we've all been there". As I knew him and my mum split up back in the day sort of thing. But what impresses me just as much is how frequently you release music, do you not get writers block?

Passenger: Yeah, there are definitely times when I don't write, but I've always written so much that it's never freaked me out. I think writer’s block comes when you overthink it. It's like a lot of other things in life, if you over think it then it becomes problematic.

To be honest, I've always written so much I'm usually an album ahead of myself. So I'm never in that position where I'm like ‘f**k I've got to write.’ I haven't released anything for two years, and I haven't got any new songs because I'm always ahead of myself, there's no pressure and as a result I just keep on writing.

Giz: Good on you!

Passenger: Yeah I'm lucky with that man, I'm lucky. And yeah the ‘Let Her Go’ thing is baffling. What is it, almost 3 billion Youtube views, and 4.4 billion on Spotify or whatever. It doesn't even feel like my song anymore. It's obviously such a blessing for any musician to have a mega hit like that. The interesting thing is trying to explain to people that it's more than just that, you know what I mean? As you said, most people know me for that song, of course they do, but my challenge since that song is that: yeah but there's 13 other albums.

Giz: Of course yeah

Passenger: Just trying to lead people into the rest of Passenger is an interesting challenge for us.

Giz: I think that song, though, opens up the door to the rest of the music, that's what it did for me anyway, I thought, ‘Oh I will check out the rest of his stuff.’

Passenger: Exactly yeah.

Giz: So, obviously releasing the new album on the 8th Jan, 2021. Andrew Braithwaite, the CEO of Music Talkers said to me that you're inviting people to a special evening at the Royal Albert Hall on the 10th January. What's that all about, is it an online thing?

Passenger: It is. Basically because we can't do an album launch or anything with the current situation. It's not a live gig, it's not live from Albert Hall. You know, a few artists have been doing those kinds of live gigs that people stream and pay for. It's more like I play 10 or 11 songs, there's a bit of an interview, there's a bit about the album. Basically you get access to that if you pre-order the album, so anyone who pre-orders, it's just a nice little piece for them. You can pay for it separately as well. But really, we wanted to do something around the album that just welcomed everyone in, and say thank you to the fans. I think it's going to be really nice actually!

Giz: It's a great idea, and is there not something going on where if people buy a physical copy, you've got some partnerships going on with The Eden Project? Could you tell us a little more about that please?

Passenger: Yeah, it's really nice man. Obviously, in this day and age, creating any physical product, you've got to think about the environmental impact. So, pretty much all of the materials from the vinyl and CD are recycled, or at least partly - even the shrink wrap is bio-degradable and stuff. And you know, everyone can do this stuff, it's not that much more expensive, it's all possible so we're always trying to lessen the footprint. And on top of that with every copy that is sold, we're working with the Eden reforestation Project. Every album sold, they plant a tree basically.

Giz: Nice one that's brilliant!

Passenger: If we can sell 60 million albums, we could single handedly replant the Amazon!

Giz: [laughs] Andrew, who I was talking about before, the creator of Music Talkers, said in a text message to me: "My sister met him backstage once and said he's well sound" [laughs] that's what she said about you.

Passenger: [laughs]

Giz: And after this chat I concur - you seem well sound!

Passenger: Well that's two people now, I've just got to convince everyone else.

Giz: [laughs] At Music Talkers we like to give artists and bands a platform to deliver any kind of personal message to your fans. Was just wondering if there's anything you would like to say, wrapping things up?

Passenger: I think this year has been obviously a f**king disaster for everyone. But, for me I was very grateful before, and coming from busking, coming from such humble beginnings to now have a really solid big fanbase is a wonderful thing, but I think this year has really made me understand in a different way how f**king lucky I am. Just releasing this new single the other day, and the incredible response from all around the world, it's pretty humbling man, it's pretty mind blowing and I mean that genuinely. So yeah, to anybody who has been listening, or if you're new to the project - just a massive thanks really for listening and the support.

Giz: I want to keep things short and sweet because I bet you're just on an absolute Zoom mission promoting the new single and album and stuff. I want to say all the best with it, and I hope next year you can get gigging again and promoting it, and enjoying yourself.

Passenger: Mate, it's been a real pleasure. Thanks for your time and I hope you can get back to your teaching soon too as well man!

Giz: Cheers, see you later.

Passenger: All the best, bye mate.

Author: Andrew Braithwaite

Andrew is the founder and Managing Director of Music Talkers. He's also a keen music enthusiast and plays the guitar.