Music > Interviews

Example

15/10/14

Elliot Gleave is Example. The one man hit making machine, who never meant to be a musician but has turned out no end of high charting hits and catchy, bouncy club anthems. The man who is an ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust and worked in the props department for The Revenge of the Sith. The man who married a model, and is about to become a father. The man who loves playing live, but is hoping to get into acting. An enigma indeed. I chatted to him ahead of his gig at UEA in November.

How did you get into making music?

I never wanted to do music; I wanted be an actor. I stumbled into making music as I was rapping for a laugh with some mates and our song got played on radio. After that I started experimenting with dance music, singing and songwriting.

What’s the secret to coming up with a number one hit?

When I first started writing I was never trying to write a hit. Even when I wrote Kickstarts, Changed The Way You Kiss Me and Stay With Me I was never trying to write a number one. As you get better and more experienced in songwriting, like anything in life, you surprise yourself, and think “Oh, I didn’t know I could do that!” or “That was quite easy!” Or "That’s how you do it!”, and that’s what happened with me with music.

Your wife is pregnant! Congratulations. Do you expect that this experience will inspire you in your songwriting?

Marriage didn’t really influence much of my last album, but I don’t think anyone wants to hear about that anyway; a song about lovely wedding cake or whatever! When I was writing songs two or three years ago I was much more emotional, probably because as I was unhappier in life; you know, depressed at times, and also partying too much, having problems with my relationship and my family were on the other side of the world. I felt quite lonely, but all of my best songwriting came from that place. Then I met my wife and became happier; even though I haven’t written songs about being happy, I’ve written a few songs about her. Not love songs directly, but more feel-good songs. But I think my feel-good songs haven’t been as edgy or successful as my previous songs. So I need to rediscover that edge again, which comes from emotional places, so hopefully, having a kid, with all those sleepless nights and high emotions, will mean I get some great songwriting ideas!

Your new album is called Live Life Living. What’s new with this album?

Every album has been different; the first album was hip hop, the second electro pop, the third was dubstep and trance, the fourth more guitars and this new album is a hark back to the 90’s. It’s got lots of genres and flavours from the 90’s, mainly dance music, and has less rapping and more rapping on it. Who knows where I’m going to go next..I may make an electronic album with loads of trumpets on it! Essentially my albums are for parties and long car journeys!

You’ve had two top five LPs and six top 10 singles including two No.1’s. Does it put more pressure on you to deliver hits?

In the past, and certainly in the last two years, there have been times when I have tried to write hits because I felt the pressure from record labels saying I should be on the radio etc. I tend to write my best stuff when I’m not trying to write a hit, so my mind-set, when I come to write some new songs next year, will be that I’m going to try to make really exciting music and hope something good comes out of that.

You’re about to start a 28 night tour – how are you feeling about it? Do you enjoy touring?

I wouldn’t do the tours if I didn’t like doing it. I think the reason a lot of musicians tour and then you don’t hear from them for ages is because they don’t like playing gigs. I’m the opposite; I’d rather be on tour than in the studio. My wife’s on the other side of the world waiting for me the arrive the first week of December before we have this baby, so in the meantime I thought I’d get some gigs in.

You’ve asked fans who want to ‘meet and greet’ you at gig to give donations to the Teenage Cancer Trust. You’re also an ambassador for this charity. How did that come about and what does this work mean to you?

I had a tumour removed from my head when I was 18, which not a lot of people know about as I’ve not really spoken about it. I have a little scar on my head from it. Luckily it wasn’t cancerous but it could have turned into something more nasty over the years. I’ve been approached by several charities over the years and Teenage Cancer Trust asked me to play for them at the Royal Albert Hall. Whilst I was touring I actually went and visited some patients in the wards. It’s nice that people want to donate but it’s even nicer to donate and then meet some of the patients. I have been outspoken in the past about Meet and Greets, as I don’t agree with musicians charging for meet them. But so many people were willing to pay to meet me that I thought I would give the money to charity.

What does the future hold? I read somewhere you might go into making movies?

I actually just finished three weeks taking my first lead acting role in a film! It’s for a film that will come out next summer, but I can’t tell you any more than that! There are a few pictures on my Instagram from it though. When I was 11-18 I was always into acting and not into music. I suppose in the last few years music’s been really fun but there have been times I’ve felt like I was coasting with it, and have been on autopilot. I think that happens with all artists; you can’t be as creative and ambitious as you’d like to be 100% of the time. I think, having had three weeks off music doing this film has reinvigorated by love of film as well as making me hungrier to make more music. I’m keen to direct movies as well but I know it may be 10 years down the line, or certainly not in my immediate future.

You regularly play in Ibiza. What’s the scene like there these days?

Whenever electronic and house music comes back in one the radio, that’s when Ibiza gets even more popular. Even when it’s not, when maybe indie or hip hop is taking the limelight for a while, people still go to Ibiza and the hotels and clubs are packed. I’ve seen it change quite a lot in the six years that I’ve been playing there; I’ve done 70 gigs there! It is a real joy to go back there; as soon as you land on the island the joy hits you instantly. I’ve only been doing a day at a time recently though as it’s too much fun really!

As this is your last tour for a while, what can we expect from your gig in Norwich?

It’s 90 minutes of all the hits from the last four albums, as well as the singles and some new stuff, so it should be a big party. Even though I’m not retiring, I’m going away to be with my wife and new baby for a while and getting into film, so if people are umming and ahhing over whether to come to this gig, it might be their last chance to see me for a while!

Example plays at UEA on 18th November. Tickets from www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk