SAM SMITH

But he has such a sweet story. We are going to talk with Sam Smith and get to the heart of his life, the heart of the matter in this podcast. I'm I'm giddy with excitement. Sound Hello, Hello, Hello, thank you for having me, and thank you. Welcome to the Delilah Show. Oh my gosh, you you Sam. I know you've heard this a million times, but you have one of those those voices and the way that you um caress your lyrics, it just goes right right to the heart.

Like within two notes. When I hear just two or three notes and stay with me, I'm like, shut up, kids, big a moment, and I just crank it. Amazing. Thank you, I'm glad, that's great. Thank you? Are you really as sweet as you appear like. Is there a dark side of you? Like? Of course, Oh my gosh, there's definitely a dark side. There's a feisty, dark, sassy side for sure. But I'd like to think I'm sweet as well. I'm trying, I um, I try and be as kind as I can.

That's what That's a big thing for me. Kind is better than sweet. Kind is always better than sweet, because sometimes sweet can be schmarmy or fakey or too nice, but kind is always appropriate. So I love that. Thank you. Thanks Sam Smith with me here on the Delilah Show, and so many things I want to talk about. First and foremost, it has to be hard to come out with something new after the mega success you had a

couple of years ago. Completely tonight, we are talking with the incredibly talented Sam Smith, and we are able to do this podcast because of the generosity of our friends at Serve Pro. Sometimes on the show. Oftentimes on the show, I hear from someone who's feeling a loss of control. But if that loss of control has been caused by a fire or a flood in their home or business,

here's a number to call Serve Pro. So many people have been helped by serve Pro when it comes to getting your home, your business, your lives back to normal. Serve Pro has been helping people for nearly fifty years, so when fire or water damage strikes, call on the cleanup specialist at serve Pro. Welcome back, Sam Smith. We were just talking about the intense pressure of making music, and especially about making music that lives up to your last album, which was a smash Yet do you know

what I can talk about it now? I mean it's been a week since I've released this song, and this song is too good. It's called too Good at Goodbyes. Yeah, and honestly from my heart, Like for the last six months, people keep asking me, you know, how have you dealt with the pressure from that first record and stuff like that, And I would always just completely shoot down that word pressure and be like, I haven't felt any pressure, and I've tried to keep it all positive to convince myself

that I haven't felt any pressure. But now the song is out, I can admit it was intense pressure. The pressure is really intense. You know that first record, did you know I was just worrying. I mean I went from worrying about working in a bar to just wanting to sing every day, and that was my main worries, was am I going to be able to do this as a job to two years down the line then having to worry about following up what I've just put out.

And it's it's really unfair actually that we do put pressure on like this on artists after their first record. And when I the week before this single release, I was so scared because I just didn't know how people. You know, I'm coming back from a break and I don't know if people are going to want me back or they don't they don't want to hear my voice again.

And the reaction the last week has just been absolutely incredible, and I'm just overwhelmed that I've been, you know, welcomed back and people of he missed what I do, you know, and I'm just so thankful. Well, I didn't really miss it, because I play it over and over and over again, and I'm one of those people. I never get tired of a song I love, Like I never get tired

of a song that I love. It's it's like a it's like a part of my heart and every time I hear it it it brings up those amazing emotions and just joy when I hear you on the exact same so I have I have not um stopped listening to you or stopped playing you, but I was so excited what I heard you were doing new stuff because it means I need to play new stuff and more people get And I can't wait to give this album because there's so much like two good Audbys just touches

the sides. Honestly, there's there's so much, so many stories that I'm telling this record, and I just can't wait for it to be in people's hands. Okay, so let's start with this story to goodbyes. Uh. Janie, my producer got it to me a couple of weeks ago, right after probably right after your record reps got it to her. And it's funny because had I heard that song fifteen years ago, I would have been on the floor. It would have slayed me because that was my life story,

my adult life story. Yeah, but now I'm actually in a good place, in a good relationship for eleven years now with somebody that I know will never ever, ever ever ever say goodbye. Yeah, so I heard it from a completely different perspective. I heard it from thank God, thank God, I'm not there anymore. Yeah. No, but that's and that's Joel. I listened to it now, and I think the same thing, even though it was only two years ago, um, a year and a half ago that I wrote it. But you know, I do think I

captured that my age in that tune. You know, I I was. I was much older than you when I was still goodbyes. So this wasn't the stuff I went through, you know, when my teens and twenties, I continued that dysfunctional. Perhaps God, don't say that that means I'm going to have to go through No, no, no, no no no, no, you're not. No, You're not going to learn earlier than I did. Yeah, hopefully what it boils down to. What it boiled down to for me was finally realizing how

precious I was. Do you know what? It's amazing you say that. That's like I feel on top of the world the last like I'd say, the last four or five weeks, because I've really actually had to sit down with myself and and just think after the making of this record, and I just sat down with myself and I thought, George, Sam, you don't actually like yourself at the moment, and how is anything going to work in life, not just relationships, but relationships with your family, your friends,

you know, your career. How is anything going to work out if you actually don't respect yourself. So I've really started to take time to respect myself and that I mean that's going to be album three probably, But you know, I look back on this record that I've written and two good at goodbyes, and I do look back on it now and think, you know, I was quite self destructive when I was writing it, and now you feel like you've come out of that, or you're coming out

of that. I feel like I'm coming out of it because it doesn't happen overnight. Oh god no. And a big part of it was I stopped I've stopped drinking, so I haven't been drinking for a bit um, so I just wanted to give that a little bit of a break. I mean, I've made a bet with my manager that I'm not going to drink till Christmas Eve, so I'm good. So I'm going to fulfill that and then I have a glass of wine. But it was a big part of it for me was just to

chill out and stop coming out as much. I made that bet with somebody twenty six years ago, and it changed my life and my my addiction or my um weakness was not so much the alcohol as it was the alcoholics I kept falling in love with. And when you love somebody who's an addict or an alcoholic or you know, fill in the blank, whether it's you know, porn addiction or gambling addiction or of crack addiction, whatever, you you cannot have a successful relationship. Yeah, You're so right.

And for me, it was when it came down to the music as well. I've I I love, I'm I like having a balance of sadness and happiness in my life. It's just who I am. And when it came to the writing of this record, I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to access any sadness because of um my life. You know, it was so amazing after in the lonely hour, I was like, I'm on such a I'm on cloud nine. It wasn't just unbelievable.

How am I going to write anything if I'm not How am I going to How am I going to write anything if I'm not sad? So I then deliberately, you know, probably deliberately got myself in situations I shouldn't have went out too much, just was self destructive, and I just wanted to say something when you said that privately, deliberately, we we do sabotage ourselves without even thinking about it. I mean, we don't sit there and go, how can

I hurt myself? But it is I look back on it now and I think it was yeah, but I didn't deliver. Yeah. In the time, I wasn't I'm going to do this, But what I learned was the music did not benefit. Thank god, I was writing really bad music for a good two three months while you were writing it. Were you thinking, God, this is good and then later your life great? Yeah? And then I listened back and everyone was like, no, you just sound really

depressed and it just wasn't fun. So it took me to slowly calm myself down and yeah, just have a clear mind and then figure out what I want to say. Um. You know, I'm very thankful that because I think a lot of artists get into that state and then they write something incredible and then that's a horrible, um slippery path. You know, someone just like I literally didn't to be. A minute ago and someone asked me about, you know, how am I going to write an album if I'm

happy in love? And I just I was like it, So you're you're telling me that you think that people get to a place where they are happy one hundred percent of time. It doesn't exist. That you don't have to be go out be going out drinking all the time and being this tumultuous relationship to feel that that depth of emotion. You know, you we there was as you said, there's sadness all around us, and you should also have a good balance of sadness and happiness I feel.

But here's the thing, though, if you if you do find true love with somebody who respects you, and that's the for me, that's that is the key, that when you can when you connect with somebody who respects you, who honors the person you are, not respects your music or respects your talent, but respects you sam as an individual and honors that your soul. And I think some people get confused and they want someone who lusts over you, you know, and instead of respects you. Well I was

that someone for years. But but but when you when you find that joy in that piece. You are still going to have the diagnosis where you get the call that you know the biopsy was cancerus. You're still going to have the call where you have to say goodbye to your grandparents or your mom or someone that you dearly love it. You're still going to have those real life situations. Um, they rip you apart. It's just not

because you're getting too good at goodbyes. You know it so true, and you're always gonna you know, A big part for me is opening my ears up to my family and friends around me. You know, when if my sisters or my parents or anyone go through high my heart aches as well, you know. So it's not all you know, it's not always about me, me, me, me, me, and what my relationships are going through and and and

how my heart is. And that's what I'm just I'm trying to challenge myself as a songwriter on this record and really talk about other things. You know, and too good at Goodbyes is that one of one of four songs that is about me on the record. And I think it was a great way to insur myself back because that's what people know from the first record and me talking about myself. Um, but the next song you're going to hear and the rest of the album is not.

So it's confession session. We have something here on the Delalla shell called confession session where you are going to confess to me something that will not be cause you angst or injure you in any way, shape or form. But what's one of the most incredibly horrific goodbyes, like where somebody broke up with you via text? Or I have a there's a young lady that's dating one of my teenage sons right now and her prom date broke up with her at the prom no way from and

she had to find another rite home at the prom. Okay, we need to, we need his name, and we need to. I came down ridiculous, and oh my god, what is your most ridiculously memorable goodbye that either you said to somebody or somebody said to you. Oh my gosh, I'm trying to think. Okay, I would say, um, the guy, the guy who too good at goodbyes is about I would say, I got it happened over the phone, which

is horrific. Um, So I would say that would be it. Yeah, I got, I got dumped on the phone, Um, a few hours before I was meant to meet the person, and that killed me. It was awful. And I listened to your songs and I can tell you want You have such a sweetheart, such a good heart, and you want to fix it. I do. I always want to fix I just want to be happy. But then I think that I'm My idea of happiness was a bit warped,

you know. I thought this happiness was this kind of realm that you walked into where you were happy one at the time. But that just doesn't exist. You know, it's always gonna there's always going to be that. You have to have that balance and be prepared. You know. It's about being It's about real life For me at the moment, you know, I'm trying to be real in

every way. Um, I'm part of an MTV generation where I've watched all these films and I want my my life to be like this Disney movie almost and I'm now more attracted to the real side of stuff, you know. So speaking of that, this is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Week and I have a teenage son that has been struggling since last December and we had a crisis intervention, and UM, really good counselor, is really good doctor, is

really good medicine. He's not through it yet, UM, so we it's still kind of touch and go, but he's he's starting to talk about it. And I've read a lot of things about you, and you have dealt with depression, and you have been very very honest and very very real about your battles. And I just wondered if you had any words of encouragement for young people or any insights on what they could do to reach out for help in this this week that we're paying, you know,

putting a spot line. We should put a spot line on it every day, every of course. But of course, of course I UM talk open up, and I say, in these situations, it's just important to be outward in every way. UM, when you're so locked in your own mind, UM, do anything you can to just be outward. UM, Sing songs that move you as loud as you possibly can. Talk to your mom and your dad and your sisters and your and not even you don't even have to

talk about the actual thing that you're going through. Just talk and hopefully something will flow after that. UM, But just know you're not alone. Even when you feel like you're alone, there's so many people in the world that are alone as well, so you're not alone in that. If you know what I mean, I know exactly what you mean. Thank you for that, and thank you for for too good at goodbyes. Like I said when I first, thank you for talking your You're sensational. It's so lovely

to speak to you. Sam Smith. Too good at goodbyes. I have to say goodbye, but thank you. Thank you so much. You're amazing. Thank you. Stay in touch. I will, I will, I'll come to the farm. Okay, that's an honest invitation. I'm not making that up, and no, I would love to come. God bless you. Thank you so much. Thank you,