NEW YORK 鈥� Sam Smith knows his music is melancholy and emotional, but he鈥檚 hoping his live shows will be uplifting and feel 鈥渓ike a fistful of love,鈥� as he put it.
The singer, known for down-tempo hits like Stay With Me and Too Good at Goodbyes, launched The Thrill of It All Tour in the United States on Friday in Detroit.
Smith will perform at some of the arenas he played three years ago when his 2014 debut album, In聽the Lonely Hour, dominated the charts. But he said now he鈥檚 able to do more when it comes to the show 鈥� from the lighting to the set list.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 really know what to do actually because everything became very big before we actually had the money to actually afford to put on anything that was a spectacle,鈥� he said of his 2015 tour.
鈥淲ith this tour, I got to choose songs. I got to really decide what type of show and tour this is,鈥� said Smith, who released his sophomore album, The Thrill of It All, last November. 鈥淚 really think you can see, within the show, [the] growth of me as an artist, I hope.鈥�
Smith talked to the Associated Press about the tour, cutting out alcohol and smoking, and going to therapy for the first time.
AP: How have you been prepping to get ready for this tour?
Smith: It鈥檚 very, very tough. I鈥檓 trying to really discover other joys in life instead of going out drinking and going clubbing. I鈥檝e completely stopped drinking. I鈥檓 working out. I have my trainer on the road with me, which is amazing. I work out every day. I鈥檝e just had four weeks off so I鈥檝e been eating a lot of really bad food, so I鈥檓 trying to work that off before I get to New York. I鈥檓 just being super, super, super healthy. Making sure I go to bed after the shows and rest my voice. It鈥檚 really looking after myself as much as I can. The time that I鈥檓 onstage is my time to have fun and that鈥檚 my time to express and let go.
AP: Have you cut out smoking?
Smith: Yes. The last year or so, I鈥檓 embarrassed to say that I did 鈥� I fell into the pit of smoking cigarettes. I鈥檓 battling it. I鈥檓 not smoking at all at the moment. When I have my time off in between shows I find it really difficult. But I鈥檓 pretty certain and sure that I鈥檝e kicked it now. I聽have to. It鈥檚 so bad for you. It鈥檚 just affecting my voice. It affects my mood as well, smoking. I feel like I鈥檓 hurting myself in a way when I do it. So, I鈥檝e stopped that.
AP: You sing live every night. How does it feel when you see others lip-synch?
Smith: In general, I find it sad. It鈥檚 different with the different artists, I feel. 鈥� I don鈥檛 know for certain, but I鈥檓 pretty sure some people sing a bit here and there and mime a bit during the show because they鈥檙e dancing so hard. Then I understand that because I鈥檓 not a dancer and I don鈥檛 know how it feels. If you鈥檙e singing for a bit of it live, then I get it. I鈥檝e got to admit, it鈥檚 something that I find annoying, especially within pop music, because I鈥檓 someone who has never mimed. I鈥檝e never ever mimed my entire life.
Whenever people around you are miming, you鈥檙e kind of expected to do the same amount of work and promo and stuff as all the other artists. But, it鈥檚 hard. I聽can鈥檛 do as much promo. I can鈥檛 sing flat out every day, all day, because my songs are very, very high and demanding for me as a male singer. I sing in a place in my voice, even when I鈥檓 singing high, I鈥檓 belting. It鈥檚 quite exhausting for my vocal chords. It鈥檚 just a strain because sometimes I feel like I can鈥檛 work as hard as everyone else because I鈥檓 not miming. Other than that, what other people do isn鈥檛 my business. If they can sleep at night and they mime, then that鈥檚 fine. It works for them, it doesn鈥檛 work for me.
AP: Do you get to go to concerts? If so, who have you seen recently?
Smith: Yeah, I go to shows quite a lot. I try to see all the big pop shows. I saw Beyonc茅鈥檚 Lemonade stadium tour. I鈥檓 watching all of her On the Run Tour stuff online. I鈥檓 just obsessed. It鈥檚 just incredible to watch. My dream person to see that I haven鈥檛 seen is Robyn. I just really want to see her live. I think I鈥檇 just cry the whole time.
AP: How鈥檚 it been performing songs from your latest album now that it鈥檚 been out several months?
Smith: I look back at this album and sometimes, when I鈥檓 singing these songs, I worry because I聽know they are very dark. If you listen to the album it鈥檚 got quite a dark tone to it.
In the Lonely Hour 鈥� I felt that it was melancholy but there was hopefulness to the songs, because I was hoping the man I loved loved me back. And I think during the period of The Thrill of It All, I聽really was a bit stuck and I was in a place where I just felt very confused about fame and felt that love was nowhere to be seen. I聽look back on that time and sometimes I鈥檓 almost upset with how dark it was and wish I could have written a happier record. But it was honest and it was me.
I鈥檝e already started writing quite a lot for my third record. Just wrote something today, actually, in the dressing room. It鈥檚聽just feeling a little more up. Never too happy. But I鈥檓 feeling a聽lot more confident as a songwriter, which is really, really nice.
AP: Is what you鈥檙e writing now a reflection of how you feel now? Because it seems like you鈥檙e happier.
Smith: Oh, yeah, completely. I鈥檓 a lot happier now then I was. I聽still have my down days. After releasing the record, I got into a really happy place and it was great, and then had a massive low a few months afterward. I started therapy recently and I鈥檓 starting to truly understand that you can鈥檛 be happy all the time. And life is like a sea, isn鈥檛 it? Sometimes it鈥檚 calm and then sometimes it鈥檚 crazy and stormy. And you鈥檝e just got to ride it, I guess. I still find parts of my life really, really challenging and difficult and I get very, very sad sometimes, but I聽have the tools now. And I鈥檓 trying to work out the tools, how to stay happy, which is good. The not drinking thing is a big thing for me. Not smoking. Yeah, just seeking help around me. And remembering that I鈥檓 good by myself as well.
AP: Was this the first time you tried therapy?
Smith: Yeah, yeah, first time ever in my life recently. It鈥檚 only been recently, but it鈥檚 been great.
