Up close and personal with Jack Savoretti

Songsmith Jack Savoretti is heading for Hampton Court. And he’s bringing some Mediterranean magic. Jane McGowan tunes up...

Jack Savoretti is talking Italian. Or rather, he is singing it. Not only does he have a string of European concerts lined up – including this month’s Hampton Court Palace Festival – but he is also looking forward to sharing his recently released new album, Miss Italia, with his millions of fans across the globe.

“It’s the first one I have done in Italian, which makes it special,” says the British-born singer-songwriter, whose father was from Italy. “I started writing it about two-and-a-half years ago, since when I’ve spent a lot of time – about a year actually – in Italy itself, as I had to learn to write lyrics in Italian. Well, more precisely, I wrote them in a way that allowed me truly to express my feelings.

“I can speak Italian, but I couldn’t write it as it needed to be written. Poetry matters a lot in the language, and one word has many meanings. Sometimes the words sound nice, but they’re sort of cheesy. I wanted to avoid that. In general, though, it’s the opposite of English, where being too poetic can make it a little bit cringy.”

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The album, like several of its predecessors, features collaborations with some of Jack’s favourite artists. In the past, he has worked with the likes of Zucchero, Bob Dylan and Nile Rodgers: on Miss Italia, there are several tracks which feature the vocals of stars including Natalie Imbruglia, Delilah Montagu and Miles Kane.

“Of course, I don’t know how it will be received,” admits Jack.

“But I have loved the process, and, for me, it is already my most rewarding album so far.”

Born in London in 1983, Jack spent his childhood in England, Switzerland and Genoa, where his grandfather led the resistance to German occupation during World War II and had a street named posthumously in his honour. Then, in 2021, Jack’s father died. It was the catalyst for a deeper exploration of his Italian heritage – which is why the new album is Jack’s most personal yet.

“My father was really the anchor that kept me rooted in Italy. When I thought of my father, I thought of Italy, and when I thought of Italy, I thought of my father.

“Losing him was sort of a fork in the road for me and my Italian identity. I decided that, rather than walk away from it, I would walk further into it; get to know more about my culture and my relationship with it.”

Jack had arrived on the music scene early in 2007, when singles from his debut album Between the Minds were playlisted on BBC Radio 2. His gravelly, soul-filled voice soon won him many fans and the following year he embarked on a UK tour of Caffè Nero coffee shops. Many of the tracks found their way into TV dramas, including US hit shows Sons of Anarchy and One Tree Hill.

A second album followed, but by 2011, the road to rock ‘n’ roll success – paved with botched releases, legal disputes and the sickness of hope deferred – had already proved too rocky by half. Disillusioned, Jack stepped away. Yet, in that very decision lay the seeds of his future success.

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Fuelled by anger and disappointment, the songs began pouring out.

Before the Storm (2012) brought critical acclaim and led Jack to musicians who would help him pilot his breakthrough album three years later. Written in Scars, it reached No 7 on the UK album chart and was followed by a sold-out tour.

“There has been ups and downs,” he reflects now. “But I am beyond happy with how it is all going. For me, failure is my greatest weapon. There is no expectation. So many artist friends of mine feel they have so much to live up to, which interferes with how they write, record and perform. They have to sacrifice a part of themselves and their creativity to achieve certain goals.

“I don’t really have that pressure – not from myself, nor from outside. What I have has been built slowly but surely. It may take me a little bit longer to get from A to B, but whoever is with me when I get there, I know they have been with me for a very long time.

“I don’t take that for granted, but it allows me to be a bit more adventurous – like deciding to make an album in Italian. A lot of artists may want to do something like that, but it would not be an option. I am very fortunate in that I trust my followers to retain their curiosity about what I do.”

Writing and recording aside, Jack thoroughly enjoys performing for thousands of people on some of the world’s great stages. “Impressive yet intimate”, Hampton Court is among his favourite venues of all.

“Sometimes, when you play in beautiful spots that were not originally meant for music, you can get lost. But for me, Hampton Court really works. Despite all the grandeur and the history, it retains an intimacy that connects you to the audience.”

And while Jack cannot promise to bring the Mediterranean sun to Molesey, he will not be deterred by a few stormy South-West London skies.

“Hopefully, the weather will hold. But you know, we have had nights in these beautiful settings when it has been raining, and it actually creates a camaraderie. Audiences in the UK are particularly stoic. We had some terrible weather last year – the rain was verging on comical. But it was bonding, and the audience stuck with it. In Italy, if it rains, you just know that people won’t show up.”

And so, from Margate to Athens, long summer nights on stage beckon. For Jack, however, the schedule is always planned with his family very much in mind.

“I never spend more than two weeks away from home,” says the father of three, now settled in Oxfordshire. “Sometimes I am away for a few days, then back for just one night and off again. Then it feels a little bit crazy. But thankfully, it is not like that all year round.

“Still, it has to be done. Work is work. I love every aspect of my job – and yes, being away from those you love is challenging, but that can come with any job.”

And what of release day? With seven already in the bag, does Jack still get nervous when a new album bursts into the light?

“I have made peace with the process. Whether people like an album or not is out of my hands. And with this one, the sense of purpose has been amazing. Whatever happens next, it has been the most rewarding album I have ever made.

“Making an album for me is a bit like building a boat,” he laughs. “I have made it and now I want to sail it and see how far it goes.

“You sort of know when something is done. Then you start digging for the next treasure.”