MyCornwall Magazine - Dec/Jan

The South African singer-songwriter's
music has amassed over 250 million global
streams, and will bring a ray of sunshine to
the darkest of winter days
Hi Jeremy! How are things?
Great, thanks! I’m at home in Cape Town,
where it’s the end of spring. The skies are
blue, the jasmine and bougainvillaea are
in bloom. One of the benefits of being a
touring musician is that you can chase the
summer and leave when it gets cold! I was
in the UK for your heatwave.
You first came to Cornwall in your teens
Yes, I was 19. Growing up, there was a real
stigma attached to going to work in the UK.
There was a stereotype called the Heathrow
Injection: people would go to London, work
in bars, eat lots of pies and come back 10kg
heavier. Surfers like me vowed never to do
such a thing. Instead, I worked my way
through the RYA sailing qualifications and
travelled the world on multi-million-pound
yachts. Then a friend who was working in
Polzeath said: “We’re having a blast – you
should come.” It sounded more fun than
being isolated on a yacht, so I did. I taught
surfing and worked in bars such as Carter’s.
Where did you stay?
I camped, but was shocked to discover
how much things cost, so I bought a tiny
tent and a couple of chairs, thinking that
would be enough. When my friend’s mum
came to check on us, she was so appalled
at my living conditions that she marched
me to a camping shop in Wadebridge and
kitted me out with a family-sized tent, a
clothing rail... The end result was that I had
an enviable bachelor pad for the summer!
How was the surf?
Terrible! But Cape Town is a surfing mecca,
so it’s not a fair comparison. In Cornwall,
it’s less consistent, less swell, so you have
to look harder and be prepared to travel
– but when you find it, it’s very exciting.
It was often about hunting specific waves
and breaks. Tregardock beach on the north
coast was a favourite place.
Do you come back often?
I try and visit every year if I can. My friend
still lives near Rock. I figure that if you can’t
live in a place as cool as Cape Town, the
next best thing is to live by the coast in a
place like Cornwall; the communities are
similar to those we knew growing up. I’ve
also played festivals there, like Tunes In The
Dunes and Boardmasters.
How did your musical journey start?
I was a late bloomer. After my travels, I
went back to South Africa to do a business
degree. It was horrific, and I bought a guitar
as an outlet for my creative angst. I taught
myself to play, then learned the harmonica.
Then I found a loop pedal in a store – it
allowed me to record and accompany
myself at a time when I didn’t feel confident
enough to play with others. I started
busking, learned to interact with crowds
and developed a cult following. Within
my third year of performing, I was selling
out 5,000-seater venues in South Africa;
today, I sell out shows all over the world.
I’m very aware of my carbon footprint, and
launched Greenpop, an eco-project that
has planted more than 150,000 trees across
sub- Saharan Africa, in a bid to offset it.
On your latest album, Heard You Got
Love, you collaborate with Ed Sheeran and
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
I’ve always been a huge fan of Ladysmith
Black Mambazo, who famously worked on
Paul Simon’s Graceland. I had written This
Town for the album, but it felt like there
was something missing. A friend said,
“You need a choir – why not Ladysmith
Black Mambazo?” I replied that I couldn’t
just ring them up and ask, and he said: “If
anyone can, you can.” So I asked – and they
said yes! As for Ed, I was invited to his show
in South Africa, and received a personal
invitation to his private party. Several
months later I went to his countryside studio
to work on some ideas - Better Together
was co-written with the team behind Shape
Of You.
You’re a household name in South Africa –
what's that like?
It’s a nice feeling, but I’m cognisant of the
impact on my privacy. One thing I love
about touring in Europe is I can go to a
public gym, for example, or take a sauna
before a show - hanging out semi-naked
back home would be a recipe for disaster.
When are you coming back to see us?
I’m looking forward to returning to the UK
next summer to perform at festivals, and
Cornwall is very much part of the plan. l
Heard You Got Love is available on
streaming platforms including Spotify
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