“I’m impulsive, emotional, I swear too much... they come with the territory. I’ve learned to love it – it’s my superpower”

spectral and unshowy – there’s been no attempt at crossover, or at getting mass appeal. He crystallises what makes rap still so potent,” says Kulkarni.

Carner’s music and conversation are littered with references to his struggle with ADHD, a neurological condition that causes sufferers to struggle to pay attention, control impulsive behaviour or even sit still. “It’s the best and the worst thing about me, but I wouldn’t change it,” he says. “I’m impulsive, highly emotional, I swear too much, but these are things which come with the territory. I’ve learned to love it – it’s my superpower really.”

Like many children with the condition, Carner found school difficult. “My mum was a teacher for kids with special educational needs and that helped, but otherwise I struggled to find my feet and find where I fitted in,” he says. “Why sometimes I annoyed people, or why things weren’t as straightforward for me as they were for other people. Why I couldn’t just eat a bag of Haribo and be quiet. The whole time I was growing up I felt I had to do three times as much to meet other people’s standards.”

He found his niche, not initially through music but through acting. “I wanted to be a rapper and an actor and a footballer – all the things that weren’t feasible at all. Then I got a place at drama school and thought, maybe this could happen. All along, though, music was the thing I owned, but I wasn’t trying to be successful at it. I used to love writing, because it helped me say the right thing. I was always saying the wrong thing because I’m impulsive, but when it came to writing things down, I could make sure it was how I really felt.”

These days the boy who couldn’t keep still sets aside some of his rare free time to run a cookery school for teenagers with the same struggles. The splendidly named Chilli Con Carner teaches them the secrets of salmon en croute, chicken ramen and homemade pesto. “The kids are in a similar situation to me,” he says. “When I was little I found that cooking calmed me down. I teach the classes with a friend and we develop their skills but also show them how to make stuff they’ll want to eat that’s still quite healthy.”

Food is important to Carner, particularly in view of his ADHD. “Things don’t just have an affect on me getting fat, but also on my mental wellbeing. Because I’m always on the move, it’s important to look after myself.”

And what about exercise? “Playing shows is quite active,” he protests – and he’s right. For music that can sound so languid on record, a Loyle Carner show is a surprisingly bouncy, all-action affair. He also plays football, swims and has just got into using battle ropes, though he’s not a great fan of pumping iron: “I’ve always struggled to put muscle on, but I’m just trying to stay fit, not get sexy.”

J Dilla and his ‘superpower’ aside, Carner’s other great inspiration is his stepdad, who passed away in 2014 and is referenced frequently in his music, most