Labrinth chases unique UK sound

“I remember me and my manager sitting down and we were like ‘whoa’,” the musician begins.

“We didn’t really enjoy urban music in general in the UK, we were kind of making second hand American music and English rappers doing American accents. I couldn’t understand it.

“For me, I wanted to make a sound that still encapsulates UK music and UK energy but also uses some kind of, I wouldn’t say American but I would say some hip hop, R&B influences…

“I couldn’t be as scientific as I’m speaking right now about my music. You just enjoy it, you feel where you wanna go and hope that it’s what you want it to be but the record for me was absolute fun and I can’t be scientific about that record. For me it was just so much fun and the way it’s recorded, that’s how I am. I think people are hearing what’s going on in my head, really.”

Labrinth also recently wrapped up his first headline tour around the UK, which was an experience that he calls “absolutely insane”.

“I’m a terrible performer man, I don’t even know why I did it,” he laughs good-naturedly.

“Before I started it I was very scared because you spend a lot of time trying to prove yourself and performing behind so many headline artists, and then when it’s your own show you’re like ‘oh my god, it’s happened now, I’ve been waiting for this’ and you’re so scared, but so far it’s been really amazing and of course I’ve been performing around the UK with two hit songs, not an album, and had every single show be absolutely insane so hopefully it will keep developing that way but I’ve been a happy dude man, to see that the music’s kind of doing the talking.”

Electronic Earth is out April 6 – pre-order the album here.