Craig David on the emotional full-circle moment visiting his childhood home
It was where he wrote his early hits
Craig David, who is due to release his ninth studio album in August, joined Jackie Brambles on Greatest Hits Radio for one of her Great Conversations. The pair spoke about his upcoming album, early influences and returning to his roots on a recent visit to his childhood home.
Craig David, who grew up listening to reggae on his dad's side, and Terence Trent D'Arby from his mum, has been writing songs since he was a teenager in the early 2000s, releasing Number 1 hits such as 'Fill Me In' and '7 Days'.
Returning to his childhood home
Craig might have had several Number 1 songs in the UK, but he hasn't forgotten the early days, writing hit songs in his bedroom. Teaming up with the charity Shelter, Craig returned to his childhood home, which was a social housing flat in Southampton, where he wrote songs such as 'Fill Me In', 'Rewind', and 'Walking Away'.
Speaking to Jackie about the experience of going back to the flat where he grew up, he said it was a "wholesome, full-circle moment".
He told Jackie: "They (Shelter) called up and asked if I would like to take the opportunity to go back.
"One, to see my flat that I was raised in with my mum, but more importantly to meet the single mother there, with her three children."
Craig went on to say: "It was so wholesome. The young mother gave me a cake saying welcome back home, one way to get me emotional!
"Mum was super emotional and it was just really... It felt really wholesome to go back full circle for nostalgia, but also at the same time to raise awareness to continue... The government to fund social housing and importance of that for single mothers and with families, because, if I didn't have the opportunity, then I wouldn't have the life that I have now. So, it was just a really beautiful full circle moment."
Craig David's 'Commitment' album
We are just a few months away from the release of Craig's 'Commitment' album, and he told Jackie about the writing process behind it.
"Over the years, I've had different sort of approaches to creating albums," he explained. "Like my first album was like a label of love, just as a teenager, creating 'Born To Do It', and that was just going to into my bedroom and listening to records. Then all of a sudden I'd be inspired and I'd write a song.
"But with this album, for me it was really about listening to the fans and what people were saying," Craig went on.
"Some people wanted more of the garage, some people wanted more R&B, other people just wanted the real songs, like a 'Walking Away', or something that you could break down... Like 'Unbelievable' that I had on one of the albums, and I was like, 'you know what?', I really want to create a body of work that honours that, that has a common thread that runs through it, and the titling of it, called 'Commitment', was to say, I'm committed to articulating what you're trying to say.
"You want that feeling and let me go into the studio and let me spend some time at home, and again listen to music like I used to, be inspired and then, I'll land this for you. So, I'm really proud of this album, it sounds great."
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