Calum Scott: ‘Artistry is so much more than a viral video’

He burst into the limelight singing Robyn’s hit Dancing On My Own on ITV talent show Britain’s Got Talent in 2015, receiving Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer, and now 10 years on, Calum Scott is still continuing to grow his audience.

The singer, who has had two UK top 10 singles with Dancing On My Own and Where Are You Now, along with a UK top 10 album, recently received the Brit Billion Award certifying one billion streams, something he tells the PA news agency “means so much to me”.

The 36-year-old tells PA: “This is such a huge award, it’s such a huge accolade, and it means the world to me.

“Even thinking back to my Brits experiences, being nominated was enough, and that could have been it, and I’d have died a happy man, just to be recognised by an institution and an award giving award ceremony I’ve watched for years, to be nominated in that is unreal.

“But then to have a Brit Billion Award, it’s unbelievable, (I’m) very, very honoured.”

But coming from a working class background in Hull, Scott says if it was not for Britain’s Got Talent his music career would never have taken off, due to a lack of opportunities in the East Yorkshire city, something he wants to change.

He adds: “I think it’s opportunity, the opportunity to showcase what you can do (that can get more working class representation in music), it took me to travel from Hull to Manchester to have my audition at the Lowry theatre, and that was my sliding doors moment.

“I think if I had stayed in Hull, I just would not have had that opportunity.

“What I want to do moving forward is bring those opportunities up to places like Hull where we don’t have as many opportunities, we don’t have as much of the music industry in Hull, that’s a future dream of mine to create a festival or build a studio or something.”

One thing he says has opened up chances for working class artists to have their music heard since his break is social media, but the singer warned that the temporary success of a viral video can have a negative impact.

Scott explains: “You could be in your bedroom in a working class city, and your song could go viral, your video could go viral, so I think the day and age we live in, it’s exciting in that sense.

“I suppose you could say artistry is so much more than just a viral video, what I am more concerned about is the after-effects of that virality, be it chasing that virality or of feeling like nothing else adds up to the video that you had, and dealing with that.

“It’s a hard thing to work with seeing so many people see your video, and then the very next one, you have 100 views, that’s hard because it can be crushing.

“I suppose as incredible as the internet is now, and the opportunities are, we just need to have a little bit more sort of awareness and a little understanding for people that are experiencing these things.”

Scott began his career in a Maroon 5 tribute act working his way around small venues and pubs to hone his act, but says he is concerned at the number which are closing down, and in turn closing off opportunities for upcoming musicians.

He says: “I feel like those grassroots, small venues are what helped me build my confidence enough to go on Britain’s Got Talent. I was singing in working men’s clubs and small pubs, and stuff like that, and I know that that’s the same journey for so many people.

“Ed Sheeran, Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, all these boys have risen through these small venues, that’s to be said across the industry, and I think they’re important.

“They’re important places for people to be discovered, for people to hone their talents, and I think we need to do more to keep those venues, and to keep that the way of being able to experience the industry.

“I would hate for somebody who’s young, who’s not really had experience, have a viral video, and then be on a Glastonbury stage, it’s a big job.

“Even me going from the venues that I’ve played in the UK into my tour coming up, into arenas for me, even with 10 years’ experience, is a big jump.

“For somebody who’s had a viral video, who hasn’t had the opportunity to come through those grassroots venues, it’s quite daunting, it’s quite scary.

“I think it’s always good to be in a venue where people aren’t necessarily there to see you, I think that’s always good for your ego, it’s good for your practice, it’s good to potentially obtain fans that you wouldn’t necessarily have.

“But in those circumstances, there are people who are going to give you a little bit of crap every now and again.

“I’ve been on stage and being heckled and being booed, and it’s just one of those things that you kind of push through.

“I remember one time I was in America, and I was starting out, and it was a smaller room, and people were talking all through my set, and for the first time, I’m not this kind of person, I was like, ‘Guys, could we all just be quiet? If you don’t want to be quiet, you want to go into a different room’.

“I felt like I wanted the world to swallow me up, I was embarrassed to say that out loud, but I got so much more engagement, and people came up to me afterwards and said, ‘Good for you for saying that’, and I think that kind of stuff toughens you up.

“I think it gives you a little bit more to be a bit more ballsy, you know that you’re there to win people over, but call it what it is, if it’s rude, it’s rude.”

Scott will play some of his biggest concerts in the UK and Ireland, at Manchester’s AO Arena, Dublin’s 3Arena and London’s OVO Arena, while his latest album Avenoir is due for release in September.