James Blunt feels a great deal of "loneliness" when he’s touring the world without his wife and young son.
The ‘Goodbye My Lover’ hitmaker penned the track ‘Cold’ for his upcoming album ‘Once Upon A Mind’ about "the ocean between" him and Sofia Wellesley – who he tied the knot with in 2014 – and their three-year-old boy, whose name they are keeping private, when he’s playing across the pond and how hard it is for his family and him to be apart for such long periods.
Speaking on ‘The Dan Wootton Interview’, James said: "I have a young family, I have a wife who I leave at home for extended periods of time while I’m away on tour and all of that has an impact of loneliness for me while I’m away on tour and a huge responsibility for those I leave behind.
"If I am touring in America as I constantly do for months on end there is an ocean between us physically as well as metaphorically."
The track from James’ first album since 2017’s ‘The Afterlove’ is the ‘You’re Beautiful’ hitmaker’s way of telling his wife "how grateful" he is for her support.
He added: "Hopefully the song says enough to say how grateful I am and how lucky I know I am and how well supported I am."
The new record sees James return to his roots, as it features a collection of deeply personal songs just like his 2004 debut LP ‘Back To Bedlam’.
And the 45-year-old former soldier has also penned emotional track ‘Monsters’ about his father Colonel Charles Blount, who sadly has stage four chronic kidney disease, and how James will have to "chase the monster away" when he passes.
He said: "I have left all the pain in there.
"To see him in anyway become unwell is a life changing moment for us as a family and it is just the circle of life in many ways.
"It’s about when I might have to put my father to bed and it’s my turn to chase the monsters away."
James was able to use the song to tell his father stuff that can be difficult to say in normal conversation, as British men are often "pretty reserved", and he recalled the touching moment he played him the song.
He said: "He put his hand on my knee and I put my hand on his hand and he said ‘so true’ and that’s as far as we got. I suppose that is why I love music because, you know as a British man, we are pretty reserved in our ways.
"I don’t have the need to say many things to my mates.
"If you’re a mate of something you don’t need to bang onto them that they’re your mate or about why they’re you’re mate. They’re your mate.
"But at a time like this, it just seems like now is the time to say something important.
"It says I’m not your son, you’re not my father we’re just two grown men saying goodbye, no need to forgive. No need to forget. I know your mistakes and you know mine. There’s super honest ways to say I love you."
‘Once Upon A Mind’ is released on October 25.
James Blunt opens up about ‘loneliness’ away on tour
