Cheeky chappy Olly Murs, star of The X Factor, talks to William Gadsby Peet about his sensible summer tour
Time plays some funny tricks. A week may be a long time in politics – as recent events have proved beyond doubt – but in showbusiness whole decades can pass in the blink of an eye. Was it not only last month that Olly Murs burst onto our TV screens with his cheeky grin and signature ‘Olly wiggle’? In fact, it has been almost eight years since Murs secured second place in the 2009 series of The X Factor, sparring against Stacey Solomon and Joe McElderry in the process.
No doubt defeat tasted bitter at the time. In hindsight, however, second place seems the optimum result. Not only is Olly the most successful artist to have emerged from that particular series – selling over 4.5 million albums to date in this country alone, and topping both the UK Album and UK Singles charts on four separate occasions – but he also avoided the humiliating heat of an ultimately losing battle to land the Christmas No 1.
For 2009 was the year that a campaign on social media (endorsed by Sir Paul McCartney, no less) contrived to break the X Factor monopoly on the festive top slot by encouraging people to buy Killing In The Name – a howling protest song against systemic racism and police brutality by rap metal band Rage Against the Machine – rather than McElderry’s first single, The Climb.
And the good times roll on. When I catch up with Olly, he is markedly enthused about the upcoming summer tour to promote his latest album, 24 Hrs.
“I always treat the summer tour like a festival,” he enthuses. “It’ll be real live music and a great environment for the fans, with some big surprises. We’ll definitely have a bit of fun together!”
The album breaks new ground for Murs, revolving as it does around his split with girlfriend Francesca Thomas. That said, it is by no means a conventional ode to tears and tantrums.
“Yeah, I suppose in some ways it is a bit of a break-up album,” he muses. “But in actual fact, it’s not that sombre. There are a lot of up-tempo tracks that I’ll bring to life on the tour. Honestly, it’s my favourite album so far. On others, I’ve had huge hits like Troublemaker and Heart Skips a Beat, but as an album that has everything from tracks 1-12, this is definitely the best I’ve made. Fingers crossed anyway.”
After five UK Top 10 albums in seven years, it’s hard to imagine a time when Olly might very well have headed down a different path. And yet, for a few years until the late Noughties, his weekdays were spent in the workaday world of recruitment consultancy. True, he did perform in a cover band called the Small Town Blaggers, but he also channelled much of his creativity into football, playing semi-professionally for Witham Town.
None of which is an ill fit. One can easily envisage Olly, his Essex tones floating chirpily down the phone, explaining how a part-time job at a tech start-up in Slough could be the first step along the road to riches. But when injury brought his football career to an end, it proved the catalyst for a sharp change of gear. After three months of travelling around Australia, Murs came home determined to give The X Factor another try, having previously failed twice to make it past the preliminary auditions.
Fancy another musical interview? You can check out our chinwag with former Spice Girl Melanie C by clicking here
The rest, as they say, is history. Moreover, unlike many a finalist, Olly has never tried to hide the origins of his fame, happily becoming almost synonymous with the show.
“I think The X Factor is incredible,” he explains. “It’s given me the most amazing platform and the best job in the world. Regardless of what some people say, it’s a really brilliant show. I love it.”
Simon Cowell?
“A lovely guy,” he insists. “He’s just very honest and I think that sometimes people don’t like that. He’s fun too, a great lad. It has been a privilege to work with him as often as I have.”
And what, I ask – faithfully pursuing my standard closing line with musicians of suitable stripe – is the most rock ‘n’ roll happening from his career thus far?
“The thing about me is that, even though I have this cheeky chappy persona with a reputation for drinking and having fun, I’m honestly more sensible on tour than at most weekends! I tried to go out and have a few drinks during my first tour, in 2011, and had an absolute shocker. I was losing my voice, and it was really hampering the show, so I vowed that I’d never do it again. Now I’m a sensible boy on tour.”
Wild things ain’t what they used to be.
- Olly Murs plays Sandown Park, Esher on August 10 and Newbury Racecourse on August 19. For tickets visit: sandown.thejockeyclub.co.uk; newburyracecourse.co.uk
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