ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
OLLY MURS
... a summer of live shows
WITH FIVE STUDIO ALBUMS, 18 SINGLES AND 21 MUSIC VIDEOS UNDER HIS BELT, it’ s fair to say Olly Murs has more than shed his X-Factor skin and has become a star in his own right. His latest album – and fourth consecutive number one – 24 Hrs, is an honest and mature, but typically funky musing on his recent break up. We had a chat with Olly about his upcoming tour, which sees him play at Hove’ s Cricket Ground, the Spitfire Ground in Kent, and Sandown Park among many other venues.
Hi Olly. You’ ve mentioned that 24 Hrs is your most honest album to date, do you feel you are constantly progressing as an artist and songwriter?
I wanted to do something different with this album and felt that writing about what had been genuinely happening in my life – specifically heartbreak, which is something I’ ve never written about before – was the right thing to do. This album is an opportunity to keep my fans interested and show them a different side to me; it’ s quite soulful and has an 80’ s sound to it too. I’ m really happy and proud of it.
Is there a particular track on this album that you’ re most proud of?
I think‘ 24 Hrs’ and‘ Flaws’ are the two songs on the album that I’ m most proud of; production wise,‘ 24 Hrs’ is different from anything I’ ve done before, and I feel that‘ Flaws’ is one of the best songs that I’ ve written. It’ s a really sad song and as much as I love writing really happy feel-good songs, it’ s nice to have the opportunity to show some emotion and that’ s what this album is about.
You’ re in the midst of a massive headline arena tour and this summer you’ ve got a huge run of outdoor shows including Sandown park on the 10th August – how do indoors and outdoors shows vary?
It’ s really fun being outside. Sandown Park specifically is a different gig for me as I’ ve never done anything like it before; I’ ve done racecourse gigs before in the past, but not to this size and I’ m really proud to be doing it. The UK tour gives me the chance to go to different places in the country that I haven’ t been to before and perform slightly different shows at each one. I can’ t wait.
How do you go about choosing your set list?
It’ s been difficult with five albums to choose from – I’ m playing all of the hits from previous albums as well as my new material. I’ ve made the shows as exciting and entertaining as possible and I’ m loving having such a range of songs to choose from. I’ m an artist, but at the same time I’ m an entertainer and I can promise any fan that comes along that they’ ll go home happy, thinking‘ wow, that was epic. What a brilliant night.’
What does life after this tour hold for Olly Murs?
At the moment, all I can think about is giving this tour my all, but once it’ s finished I’ ll sit down and re-evaluate my options. I’ m really happy with where I’ m at musically, so I’ m just going to take my time and see where 2017 takes me. In the meantime, I’ m just really excited to enjoy and embrace this tour; I know it’ s going to be one to remember.
www. ollymurs. com
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