George Ezra is no longer able for wild nights out on tour.
The 24-year-old singer/songwriter – whose new album, ‘Staying At Tamara’s’, is out on 23 March – used to party hard when he first found fame but these days lots of sleep and a healthy lifestyle win out over big nights out.
He told The Guardian: "The first year of touring I indulged – it’s hard not to at 19, and people want to show you the best party every night. But it catches up with you. Peers of mine drink every night and it doesn’t affect their performance, but I am not that guy. If it’s my name above the door and I can’t sing, there’s no point the show going ahead.
"This isn’t very rock’n’roll, but I am useless unless I get plenty of sleep. I get off stage and go straight back to the tour bus. It’s more important to get my head down than to please selfie-hunters. I’ll probably fall asleep listening to a 20-hour audiobook on my minor obsession, the Tudor monarchy. At home, I put my phone on airplane mode by 9pm, get into bed, read and drift off. I set the alarm for 8am and rise with the day.
"I love walking and the countryside: I got a month off after my first album and walked the Cotswold Way alone. I read: I love Haruki Murakami and Philip Pullman. I like to go to the pub with friends."
George also admitted that touring can be tough as it means spending time away from his girlfriend, but he hopes that she will join him next time he hits the road.
He said: "I live with my girlfriend, who is a songwriter. It’s not easy on tour; we have special nights out to catch up. Hopefully, she’ll join the next one."
And even when he’s not on tour, George is constantly busy.
He said: "People think singers sit around doing nothing unless they are on tour, but you need to create online content and go through artwork and video concepts. I do the boring stuff in the morning. I don’t drive, so I walk everywhere listening to demos or voice memos of songs, to see what’s worth pursuing. I’ll play around with an acoustic guitar until dinner."
George Ezra won’t party on tour
