Interview: Calum Scott
Since his debut album “Only Human” premiered back in 2018, UK-based singer-songwriter Calum Scott has remained a household name and global sensation known for his emotional lyrics and heart-wrenching vocals. After spending months on tour connecting with fans all over the world, the artist took a brief hiatus; spending his time resting and writing in preparation for his sophomore album that is soon to come.
We had a chance to meet virtually with the multi-platinum singer-songwriter to hear all about the meaning behind his new track, how his music career began, and what’s to come in the remaining months of 2021.
Calum Scott
Photo by: Tom Cockram
Originating as an office based HR professional, Calum spent his days taking complaints from people while dreaming of pursuing music. Having a history of drumming in school, Calum spent his days imagining the possibilities of making this career a reality while simultaneously watching his sister, Jade pursue her music dreams. After his sister overheard him singing in his room, she recognized his gift as well and began entering him in a variety of competitions. One of these competitions was extraordinary. After a show-stopping performance on Britain’s Got Talent, Calum received a golden buzzer from Simon Cowell. This moment was one of the first to change his life, but after the competition, he shared that “that’s when the real work kind of began.”
Since signing with Capitol records and taking his version of “Dancing On My Own” to radio, the singer-songwriter embarked on a whirlwind of a journey and went from fixing minor human resources problems to impacting and changing the lives of listeners everywhere.
“My life for the next three years was just an absolute adventure and something I’ve never dreamed of. Having a record label sign me. Having my own album, having my own music out there. Traveling the world and singing it. All of my dreams became real.”
The track has since reached over 767 million Spotify streams; a number so big the singer-songwriter cannot fathom to wrap his head around it. “That’s just not even a real number, April,” he shares, “I remember when I posted on YouTube before everything happened. I did my little version of ‘Dancing On My Own’ and I put it up and it got a thousand views, and I was celebrating and popping champagne. It’s hard to fathom, I can’t even process those kinds of numbers. I’m so honored.”
Following these tracks with other popular hits including “No Matter What,” “Rhythm Inside,” “If Our Love Is Wrong,” and more, Calum Scott continued to release all of his feelings and emotions with every new track and gained an exponential following with each new release.
Aiming to raise the bar and digging deep for emotional fuel to do so, Scott struck gold with his next viral single “You Are The Reason,” which resulted from months of touring and writing as much as possible. He shares that following up these two hits was difficult, as an artist he made it a goal to continuously produce tracks even better than the ones before. With his most recent release and arguably his most emotional and honest yet, Calum Scott manages to do so once again.
His latest track “Biblical,” released mid-June came as a result of being pushed out of comfort zones. From strong desires to outdo the prior album while simultaneously being born in a time of difficult circumstances and adaptation to the new world, “Biblical” is an anthem overflowing with raw authenticity straight from some of the singer-songwriters innermost emotions.
Continuing his impressive lyricism with emotions dripping from every word, “Biblical” is a modern-day love story that is bound to make you truly feel. Featuring lyrics like ‘Won’t you give me tonight and the rest of your life / I want to have it all with you,’ the track is a stunning first release to what is sure to be a tear-jerking sophomore album. Although already significantly well-received by fans, Scott shares that he was nervous to put it out into the world. A song about unquantifiable love at a time when we all need to hear it, he adds that he “just really believed in the song.”
The lyrics of the song are classically penned by Scott, known far and wide for his deeply personal lyricism and soulful voice. The track is written with so much passion and love for his art that it becomes audible; heard vividly through his emotional tone throughout the entirety of the number. Bringing a euphonious and memorable sound to the single, the words transcend all boundaries and feel simply timeless.
“While I know the word ‘biblical’ has spiritual connotations to many, ‘Biblical’ to me is about unquantifiable love, a love beyond description or measure, a love of biblical proportions that transcends everyone and everything.”
The singer-songwriter shared that his secret to channeling an abundance of emotion into his work isn’t even really a secret. “I sing it with conviction because it genuinely means so much to me that I get to do this. It isn’t a dream anymore. I live my dream now … I think that [the passion] is what sticks with you when you listen to the music.” When it comes to the dream, Calum Scott credits his fans for believing in and supporting him throughout this journey. Never taking a single moment for granted, he adds that his ultimate goal is for them to hear how much it means to him that they’ve chosen parts of his life to soundtrack theirs.
With an album in the works and a title chosen, Calum Scott reveals that his next album is his “best body of work yet,” and filled to the brim with even more passion and authenticity than seen before. Teasing the idea of songs that make you want to ‘seize the day while also including heavy-hitting and melancholy-filled ballads, this next album is not one to miss.
To stay up to date on the album release and all things Calum Scott, check out his website here and follow on Instagram @CalumScott!
Interview by: April Bredael
