Lewis Capaldi on new-found fame, fortune, and playing for pals

Lewis Capaldi is, understandably, a hard man to get hold of. Number 1 in the singles charts and with his debut album out, he is interminably busy.

He’s also, it seems, fast asleep when I call. But incredibly apologetic and a little embarrassed when I eventually get hold of him.

“You see people’s true colours when you sleep in, though,” he says. Fortunately his PR guy Gordon is relaxed - “‘it’s all good, chill”. However, manager Ryan is more likely to hurl a (good-natured) torrent of abuse at his charge - “‘Where the *** are you?’”

“We’ve known each other for that long we can say that to each other,” smiles the West Lothian-based songwriter. So his manager is from the school of ‘tough love’? “It’s like, you know when your mum and dad would wake you up for school and they were not gentle with you! ‘It’s half past eight’ and you look at your watch and it’s just half seven!”

Happily, Capaldi is left to do his own thing when it comes to songwriting. “Any pressure’s self-imposed, rather than by label or management,” he says. And he doesn’t feel the need to succeed for financial reasons either.

“My dad always told me there’s no money in music, and I’ve remembered that as the years went on, so any money I do get, that’s nice - but it’s not paramount to what I’m doing.”

In honor of #LewisCapalDay on Saturday 18th May, we've made Lewis these beautiful bespoke fit-for-a-sold-out-arena-tour-pop-star toilet brushes and plunger set.