English singer-songwriter Tom Odell rocketed to worldwide fame after being plucked from obscurity by popstar Lily Allen. After its release in 2013, his debut album, Long Way Down sold millions of copies world-wide, rocketing him to fame and earning him prestigious awards.

In this interview, he talks to Jackie Smith about his recently released follow-up record, Wrong Crowd, performing at Glastonbury Festival and his approach to song writing.

Congratulations on the recent release of your second album, Wrong Crowd. Given the success you had with your debut record, Long Way Down, were you nervous leading up to its release?

I guess a little bit anxious, yeah. I spent a lot of time making this album so I’d be a fool if I wasn’t anxious. But I think I was equally – if not more – anxious with the first album because it was such an adventure into the unknown. And I didn’t know what to expect from the first album. [With] this one at least I had a slight inclination [of] how things might go down.

It’s been three years since your first album, Long Way Down, and you’ve been working on this album for a couple of years. How have you grown as a musician during that time?

I don’t know. It’s hard to pinpoint how I’ve grown. We performed a lot of shows over the course of the couple of years and I think being on stage is one of the great ways a musician can feel more confident and probably be a better player and become a better singer.

I think as a musician, you’re constantly learning with every song you listen to, you know. You learn a little bit more and every time I play the piano, you might find a new chord or a new melody. It’s an ever evolving process I hope never stops.

You’ve previewed a couple of tracks while touring before the album’s actual release and it’s been out for a few weeks now. What’s the fan’s reaction been like to your new material?

I guess I have, like, a slightly rose tinted view of it because you don’t get many fans coming up to you and telling you it’s shit because it’s just a bit rude, isn’t it? (laughs). I don’t know if my judgement of it is really fair because I’m obviously gonna say they were very nice about it.

The shows were amazing – they were some of my favourite shows we’ve ever done – and we played so much of the new album, and most of the songs they hadn’t heard. They were amazing.

I think what was incredible was that [for some of them], it was the second or third time they’d been to see a show and that felt really good. We’ve been doing some festivals as well recently – we did Glastonbury the other week. It’s so nice to have two albums out.

How does a festival show [like that] compare to your more intimate gigs?

I think it’s very different. They’re much more energetic and it’s not your own audience so you’re always trying to win people over. But it’s the same musicians on stage; we adjust the sets a bit but it’s the same sort of vibe, in a way.

I listened to an interview you did recently, where you talked about how the video clips for your latest singles [Magnetised and Wrong Crowd] have a common thread in them. Is that something that came to you while writing the tracks or did the connection come after the album was complete?

I think it came afterwards but I think it came as a result of listening to the album, then going through that process of “OK, we’re going to make some music videos.” and instead of sort of begrudgingly doing them, I got very passionate about it and really saw it as an opportunity to, in a way, extend the world in which the songs live.

So much of song writing is saying the most you can in the fewest words possible, and often you’re cutting out the words. All those things that I imagine when I’m writing the song often aren’t put in the song, so it was a way to get some of those details in – the situation and the stories I imagined – and enriching the songs more.

Also, it’s so difficult nowadays. I guess I’m realistic of the fact that most people don’t sit there and listen to the vinyl with a glass of red wine on a Sunday evening, and listen to the album from top to bottom. You’ve got to take every opportunity you’ve got to try and engage people and build that world in which they can listen to the songs.

When you are song writing, what comes first for you: the melody or the lyrics?

I think it’s always different. Often it’ll be a single phrase – I’m constantly writing down phrases in my notebook. It changes from song to song.

Do you have a favourite track from Wrong Crowd?

I don’t think I do. It’s a bit like your children, really, I don’t think I prefer any over the other. I really like them all but sometimes one is a little bit better behaved then the other and [I] give it a bit more attention.

Also, it can depend on my mood. Sometimes I love playing some songs more than others, in certain situations.

You won the Ivor Novello for Songwriter of the Year in 2014 and the Brit award for Critics’ Choice as well as a few other nominations for your previous record. What was your reaction to that?

The Ivor Novello was incredibly gratifying. For me, that was an award that – when I was like 15, 16, earlier in my song writing days – as an English person [I wanted to win]. It’s a very prestigious award, voted for by songwriters.

[There are] so many songwriters that it’s voted for by that I admired and grew up [with] and was inspired by. That felt like a really nice, gratifying award to win … It came at a really good time because I was just beginning to write this album and it was a really nice confidence boost.

How do you feel about people comparing you to David Bowie and Jeff Buckley?

Well, I don’t know. I think that if I had even a minute fraction of the talent that either of them had, then I’d be very content. But I try and take those comparisons with a pinch of salt. They’re constantly made so I’m dubious as to whether I am anything like them! (Laughs). I’m not sure.

Click above for your copy of “Wrong Crowd”.

You’re on your tour in the UK at the moment. Do you have any plans to come to Australia?

We’re finalising the plans for the rest of the year and I would really love to come to Australia – I think I’m coming actually in a couple of weeks. I’ve definitely seen something so hopefully that will happen – but I’d love to come and do proper full shows.

What are some of the highlights of your career so far?

We did Glastonbury a week or so ago, and that was one of my favourite shows we’ve ever done. It was amazing to play a show with two albums’ worth of material. There was a huge crowd and it’s one of the best festivals in the world.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

Yesterday, I listened to the new Jake Bugg album – that was good. I listened to the new James Blake album – I really enjoyed the new James Blake album.

If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?

I have no idea! But I always said I’d probably be a florist because I like flowers and I think [in] a job working with flowers, I could be permanently happy.

What, have you found, is the biggest misconception people have in regards to making a living from music?

I think that we roll out of bed at 10 o’clock and drive round in limousines. I think there are a few musicians that are fortunate (or maybe not fortunate – I’m not sure it’s particularly a fulfilling experience) … [enough to] live like that, but the vast majority of us don’t. There [are] moments of glamour but most of the time, you’re sat in an airport terminal in Paris at five in the morning, with very little sleep and then arriving at a show.

But I think we all live for the show, particularly musicians I play with and hang out with: we all live for the gig. We spend our lives preparing for it and in order to do this job, like any job, you have to absolutely love it, and be prepared to spend many years without any money.

It’s a wonderfully fulfilling job and one that I feel very fortunate to do.

What would you give to people looking to start a career in the industry?

Everyone creates their own path and there’s really no … requirements. People always ask, “How do I get heard?” and I don’t think there’s any obvious way to do that.

If you’re passionate and you love it more than anything, then you’ll keep doing it … and eventually you’ll get the break, you know? You make your own luck. Some people it takes 10 years and some people it takes five. It’s different for everyone. You’ve gotta be prepared to do it and not be successful: that’s the key.

Generally, what does music mean to you?

It’s one of the strongest forms of art and one that I hope I’m able to do forever.