Gabrielle Aplin always takes oil burners on tour to make everywhere "smell the same".
The 26-year-old singer – who shot to fame in 2012, when her cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Power of Love’ for the John Lewis Christmas advert went to number one – has admitted she can’t stand being away from loved ones on the road and she swears by sticking to the same routine, which includes her daily skin regime and lighting fragrances to remind her of home, to make touring "bearable".
The ‘Home’ singer – who lives in Brighton, East Sussex, with her Hudson Taylor musician boyfriend Alfie Hudson-Taylor and their three dogs, exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I miss my family and my dogs and I always take things like an oil burner on the road with me so everywhere smells the same.
"It sounds shallow, but my skincare routine is something I can do everywhere that I feel like I have set myself up for the day.
"I do little things like that to make it bearable."
Gabrielle says that although touring is exhausting and can get lonely, performing on stage each night makes it all worth while.
She added: "I’ve just accepted that it’s part of the whole picture and I may not enjoy it but the performances make it fun and worth it."
The ‘My Mistake’ singer is currently putting the finishing touches to her first studio album since 2015’s ‘Light Up the Dark’, which also marks her first release not on a major label.
Latest single ‘Nothing Really Matters’ – a straight-up pop song – deals with mental health and documents the star’s "unravelling" of her mind after reaching a point where she no longer felt she could continue working with former label Parlophone due to the intense pressure she was under.
Gabrielle says having a partner who understands the industry makes life so much easier.
She said: "Absolutely. He’s away a lot as well so he totally gets it.
"I never have any worries."
Asked if Alfie has worked on the new album, Gabrielle said: "Not so much.
"He’s the biggest fan. I play him stuff and we bounce ideas off each other, we always make songs at home for fun.
"He’s been so supportive of me on this journey.
"I feel like he’s been involved because he’s been there when I’ve been recording and been a part of my artwork.
"He’s had artistic input. He’s been taking loads of my pictures for the album cover."
‘Nothing Really Matters’ is out now.
Gabrielle Aplin takes oil burners on tour for comfort
