Hello Paulo Nutini!
Hello Slashmusic!
You've just played an enormous gig at Radio 1's One Big Weekend. How was it for you?
Good. The guys from Radio 1 were all really cool and were staying in the same hotel so I just got pissed with them. Oh and I nearly called Fearne Cotton Fern Britton, oops!
Oops indeed. We hear you covered Gnarls Barkley. Is your version better than the original?
I don’t know. Gnarls Barkley’s is amazing, it’s just so different and trippy with all the voices in the background. I like things when they’re as raw as they can be and with ours it is really raw. I felt a bit dodgy doing the cover at first because the Kooks did it in the Live Lounge. The only reason I wanted to do it is because we could make it sound different from both of those.
On a scale of James Blunt to Jeff Buckley, where would you place yourself as a male singer songwriter?
Jeff Buckley’s superior - that’s a big jump. I just write stories and put them to songs. I can’t rate my songs. So Jeff Buckley is a legend. James Blunt I don’t rate at all. He can do what he does and he’s good at it but that's not for me.
You listen to lots of old singers, do you not like any of what they are now calling 'popular music'?
No-one at the moment really does it for me. I mean there are some good bands and singers out therem but they just don’t interest me. The stuff I listen to - Sam Cooke, The Drifters, Carole King - is just amazing, and new music at the moment just doesn’t seem to have the same amount of sincerity.
What would your 'Last Request' be?
To play a set with Bill Withers. It would be awesome. And to have my Grandfather there, because he first introduced me to music, but he passed away when I was 12 so I’d love him to come to a gig and see me play.
Aw… You don't sound like the average 19 year old - are you secretly a middle aged man with an amazing skin care regime?
Ha ha. I love being young but I do have a lot of older friends with the band. They’re twice my age. I get on well with people who are older.
Even as much to write a Mrs Robinson-esque number for an older lady…
Ha yes! Jenny’s not old, she’s 23. I was 18 at the time. I met her at a gig and she mentioned that she was 23, and she asked me my age, and I just said I was 22 but 23 soon. I thought she’d know I was lying, but no, and then she was kind of up for it. And then when I said I was 18 I was banished and made to feel like a 5 year old!
Are you in the habit of telling fibs? Hopefully that's the biggest lie you've told.
Yeah, probably. I haven’t got in contact with her once. I didn’t keep her number.
We hope you felt good about that. What else makes you happy Paulo?
Tequila! It does as well. Aye yes. An amazing night out with loads of people I like. Like if you know who’s going, what the vibe is, you know what’s going on, it’s going to be a great night.
Hic! What one thing would you rather be doing than this interview?
I’ve quite enjoyed it so I don’t know. Just sitting in that park over there with a baguette and some music on. Just chilling. I want sun so I can sit out all day and lay out a spread!
Ooh! Are picnics 'in'? Thank you Paolo Nutini!
No, thank you Slashmusic!
Paulo releases ‘Last Request’ on July 3
