British singing sensation James Blunt, who has had women the world over swooning with his distinctive pop ballads, wowed fans with an intimate gig in Toronto over the weekend.
The 33-year-old hunk was in town to launch the first leg of his Back To Bedlam world tour. And kicking off in Canada was especially meaningful for James, as he says the country holds a special place in his heart. "The audiences here are so receptive," revealed the Beautiful singer, who was stationed in Medicine Hat, Alberta for six months while serving in the British Army.
After a break on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Ibiza, where he has a home, the former soldier has created some new material he's reportedly keen to try out on his new tour, with a view to including it on the follow up to his debut album Back To Bedlam. "I have a handful that I love but I don't think I've completed the story yet," he explained recently.
No date has been set for the release of the new record, although fans are hoping to see something new on the shelves in 2007. The Eton-educated musician is not going to be rushed when it comes to a time-frame, however. "It's important that I get an album I really enjoy and it really captures what I hear inside my head," he says.
And what he's hearing apparently includes a new approach. Having burst onto the music scene with his highly individual ballad and acoustic guitar format, he's taking a different tack with the new disc. "I think on the first album I wrote really on my own or with my stuff in mind," he says. "Now I know I have a chance of working with my band… I can hear things definitely (like) how a band may come in as I'm writing a song. It adds a little diversity."
James is likely to enjoy an enthusiastic reception in Canada if the response to his DVD Chasing Time – The Bedlam Sessions is anything to go by. The disc, which was released in August, shot to number one in the charts and went on to hug the top slot for six consecutive weeks.
Also due to receive a visit from the singer are Winnipeg (on Oct 31), Edmonton (Nov 2), Calgary (Nov 3) and Vancouver (Nov 5).
Photo: © Alphapress.com
