George Ezra
My first instrument was bass, and the first thing that I remember learning to play that was better than a few notes was Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain.' If you're the guy who penned that bass riff, then you should probably be in some sort of fantasy band.Collection: Learning
I'm not a big pet fan. I remember the school used to have a hamster, and you used to take it home for a week at a time. I did that. I probably got bored of it within a day.Collection: Pet
I'm good in summer. My birthday is in summer. I don't like it when it's too hot, but, you know, blue skies, I think people genuinely loosen up a bit, and it's nicer.Collection: Birthday
I hate getting a McDonald's. I'm not a McDonald's person: you just feel crap afterwards.
I actually find it really hard to deal with people looking up to me or being interested in wanting a picture.
I don't know how convincing I'd be as a soul cat. I'm a scrawny British kid.
My first kiss was actually in a graveyard.
When I was younger, I used to love the idea of writing songs and performing them live. But that was all I thought about. I didn't think about people getting to know my face.
When people say the words 'singer-songwriter,' I think they have an image in their heads of someone with an acoustic guitar who is a bit woe-is-me. I'd like to think that I'm not one of those. I'm quite a happy person.
A lot of what I listened to growing up was blues, but also folk and indie music. So there's this marriage of songs that structurally are quite bluesy. Sound-wise, there's a lot of indie as well. But you can't really say I'm pop-blues, because that's insulting to blues. It just can't exist.
All I wanted to do was to perform my music, so I never really thought about photo shoots or music video shoots or interviews. You can't anticipate those things - you just can't plan this as a job.
I don't know if I'm relentlessly cheerful... more consistently relaxed.
The thing is, I'll always be a touring artist. It's what I am; that's what I love doing.
When I was 15 or so, I made a conscious decision to try and sing with a big voice. Everybody I listened to had these big voices, and I wanted to try it. The blessing is that I could.
When I was growing up, my brother liked the Beatles, and I liked the Rolling Stones. I think if I were a girl, Keith would be the one I fancied.
I've met other famous people, and what blows my mind is that when they get five minutes off, they're partying with other famous people. I wanna see my boys at home.
Writing and playing songs is something that I've loved doing since the day I started. It's never been a chore; it's always a hobby. To be able to do that from day to day makes me believe I'm a very lucky person.
I've always been someone who needs someone with them to poke and annoy. I'm useless at being by myself.
Some people don't care why they are famous; they just want to be famous, and that makes my skin crawl a bit.
I don't think I've ever worn anything other than black jeans and shirts. Quite simple, really, and quite casual.
Growing up, I listened to a lot of American singer/songwriters, so a lot of Tom Waits, Paul Simon - also Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. And bands like Vampire Weekend.
You don't want to start writing songs about how your Twitter followers are going up, because one day Twitter won't exist, and you'll feel like an idiot.
The music that I first fell in love with was American music, really. Nothing against British acts - I love them and will forever - but on the whole, it was the art of American storytelling in the kind of folk and blues lyrics that, if you scratch a little bit, there's a heartbreaking story there.
The year 2014 was a big year for my taste buds. They really stepped up their game. Like, I got into red wine, coffee and sushi for the first time. Well done, George.
You can't plan success with a creative field. So I enjoy it while it's here, and I know it won't be forever. Maybe one day I'll have to go back to flipping burgers, but for now I'm going to enjoy the cool things.
I think if you truly believe that something should be that way then you should push for that.Collection: Believe
Give me one good reason why I should never make a change, baby if you hold me then all of this will go away.Collection: Baby
Truth is mighty and it will prevail.Collection: Truth
I think the lesson that I learnt very early on was to listen to people you work with, because you're all in it together.Collection: Thinking
It's strange to think that I can go places and people want to hear my music. I guess that's all I ever wanted.Collection: Thinking
The only thing you can ever ask for is that, like what I was saying with memories, that somehow my music can fit into somebody's memory. If it can be the soundtrack to somebody's happy days then that would be amazing.Collection: Memories
I think one of the worst things people can do is try and fight the people they've agreed to work with.Collection: Fighting
The thing for me though, is that songs are good depending on the memories I have with them.Collection: Song
I like to try and mix diction and experiences.Collection: Trying
I guess it's kind of the obvious thing for me to do 'cuz it's what I grew up listening to. The songs growing up and everything kind of seem like old music to them, but to me, it's just... good music. And of course I did grow up in England in the 21st Century and that does come into it as well.Collection: Song
When I went travelling around Europe there was the Eurovision song contest on, and I got a bit dunk and we missed our train to Budapest the next day. Anyway, when I got back I kind of realised how many songs there were about people giving up things for somebody, so I thought I'd make a song about giving up things I don't have. These elaborate things that I don't have that I could give up to somebody, and I kind of thought there was kind of some sweet sentiment in that.Collection: Sweet
While I was travelling and I kind of had the classic realisation - that I guess most teenagers have at some point - that time's gonna run out and that's not in my power to change that.Collection: Running
Obviously I still gig on my own, but I've always heard my music with a band.Collection: Band
Even if I know that really it's not a great song, even if it's a naff song but I have a good memory of it, then to me that's a great song.Collection: Song
When I'm playing guitar, I just try and put those words into lyrics and just try a few things. It's all over the place.Collection: Guitar