James Bay wants to "tear up the rule book".
The 27-year-old singer doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as the "intimate acoustic guitar guy" and hopes his latest single, ‘Wild Love’ will take steps in helping to paint a "fuller picture" of who he really is as an artist.
He told Rolling Stone magazine: "I know some of this new sound was not apparent on my first album – there were hints, perhaps – but I think my new music helps to paint a fuller picture of who I am.
"As soon as I recognised I was being pinned down as ‘the intimate acoustic guitar guy’ I realised I knew I had to push myself musically. I want it as part of my arsenal, but I don’t want that solely to define me.
"I’m not there yet, but hope that this new music can do for singer-songwriter, loosely, what Drake and Chance The Rapper are doing for their genre: tearing up the rule book."
One of the ‘Let It Go’ singer’s biggest influences on his upcoming new album is ‘Green Light’ hitmaker Lorde.
He told Billboard: "Lorde’s music is one [influence for the new record]. ‘Liability’ is just a great — the whole ‘I’m a liability’ the turn of phrase in that song… her lyrics are fantastic. Her production is always interesting, because I don’t think she needs to do much. But if she does more, and pack the sound out, it’s really exciting still.
"’Green Light’ – there’s definitely, at times, more going on. ‘Perfect Places’, there’s a fair amount of stuff going on for her, as an artist, but it feels correct.
"My point is that ‘Liability’ is like, a stunning, stripped-back thing. I just love that dynamic range. I’m always going for that sort of thing myself."
James Bay wants to break rules
