QUOTES

The one thing about Essex is that there's a lot of people there that are into their soul music. And I'm talking '80s and '70s soul music, that was a big part of my childhood, there was Al Green, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, people like that.

If I'm honest, I never knew 'Fast Car' was going to be my first single.

I'm a little bit of a show-off; I just wanted to get girls and be popular.

I don't get along with many people, especially in studios. I'm quite blunt and I know what I want - and songwriters are very sensitive people.

I try to find very simplistic melodies, which are the hardest ones to create.

I don't drink or party. There's literally no time for that. As soon as I finish a show, I go straight back to the hotel room, do emails, I sleep, that's it.

To be honest, I'm like a sponge so my inspiration and influences really can come from anywhere.

But generally I think I'm a good judge of character - you have to be as a DJ to read the crowds and understand their vibes. You can use that to suss out a lot of people.

The 'I Wanna Dance' hook actually came to me when I was in bed and just in that lucid moment between consciousness and sleep... I jumped out of bed and recorded a voice note of the vocal hook and I went into the studio the next day fully inspired.

I saw school as a business and, once I had got what I needed out of it, I left.

I prank my manager. I tell him I've lost my passport, or I've lost my case, or I hide his case. He is so gullible, he is the most gullible person ever.

Especially when I finish one of my songs I play it to my friends who are just normal people and not people in the music business.

I buy new white tees pretty much every week because they fade and I like them super fresh.

I played the Azteca Stadium in Mexico to 100,000 people - that's something I never thought I'd do.

Before I hit any country I always do my research. I look at what's on the chart there, what's worked in the last few years. As a deejay, as a producer, that's when I get editing. I bring my own edits of tracks that are really cool and happening out there.

I've always wanted to be a star.

Abbey Road was actually one of the first studios I ever got the chance to go to. A friend of mine won a competition and got the chance to spend a day recording there - that's when I was around 15 - and I was the only one who could engineer out of all of us.

My mates are absolute nutters. They're all Essex boys in the true sense and they definitely keep my feet on the ground.

I made Fast Car just in my spare time with no real hopes for it at all.

I was a musician first of all.

I've always wanted to collaborate with Shawn Mendes, he's an amazing artist, but the thing with Shawn is that I won't collaborate... me just sending some beats. It has to be in the studio where we'd both be there recording together.

I think when 'Perfect Strangers' landed and was so well received, it was a magic moment.

I don't sing. I'm the worst singer in the world!

At times, for sure, I do love a party. However, I do love going back to my room and putting on 'Only Fools And Horses' and having a cup of tea.

Albums are great but for an artist like me, I don't think albums are the way to go.

I was never in this for the money. It's all about the passion for the music.

DJs are the new rock stars.

Definitely India is one place I'd love to travel to and play.

I like releasing singles because I can get them out there quickly and it's based on the changes, the sounds that are going on all around the world that I'm hearing and just a whole different bunch of influences which is sometimes hard to get across on an album because it can take a few months or a year to come along.

I hate mess. I have the worst OCD so I'm not a hoarder of clothes.