‘This album is the most me I’ve ever been. It’s magical’
NOBODY expected much when the birthday boy got up to sing. But as the gentle giant began to belt out the blues standard Sweet Home Chicago, every eye in the Sussex pub turned towards him. “It was at an open mic jam in East Grinstead,” Rory Charles Graham, the star known as Rag ’n’ Bone Man tells me. “It was my 18th or 19th birthday, and I’d never sung in public before.
“I don’t know why I did it – maybe I’d had a few beers. Everyone was saying, ‘I didn’t know you could sing like that’… even my mum and dad.”
Rory’s raspy baritone would blow the world away a dozen year later when his 2016 debut single Human topped the charts in 12 countries, going double platinum here and gold in the USA.
The song’s Youtube video has been seen more than 1,280 million times; and Rory’s 2017 album, also called Human, sold like half-price hot cakes. So how do you follow that?
Cue new album Life By Misadventure, which has more surprises than Cilla Black, mixing folk and Americana with blues and soul. Quite a gamble, I suggest. “A little,” 36-year-old Rags allows. “But I hope people will relate to that gamble. It seemed a natural place to go.”
Stand-out tracks include his duet with Pink, Anywhere Away From Here – his response to the tidal wave of fame.
“I found myself in situations where I didn’t feel I belonged,” he says. “I’m not comfortable in front of cameras or mixing with celebrities. I’m quite shy; it didn’t feel natural. I wanted to close my eyes and be somewhere else.”
Rory wrote the folky Fireflies after imagining how his son Reuben would see them, through the eyes of innocence.
“It’d be like magic for a four-year-old. It’s an honest song about not wanting your child to be fearful of life.”
Talking To Myself followed his break-up with Reuben’s mother, Beth.
“I listen to it now and I find it slightly pathetic,” he says. “I felt lonely and sorry for myself. I didn’t want it on the album. It’s the only sad song on there but people convinced me it’s still a strong song.
“So I told the label, OK but it’s not going to be a single. Adele and Lewis Capaldi have got the sad stuff all sewn up…”
‘‘
Everyone was saying, I didn’t know you could sing, even Mum and Dad
ALL You Ever Wanted is more upbeat. “It’s about Brighton,” he explains. “I don’t spend a lot of time there anymore but when I do, I notice all the cool bars have gone.
“A lot of my teenage years were spent in those small sweaty venues; we’re losing them because property developers are allowed to turn them into office blocks or flats. It happens all over. It’s short-sighted. These places are culturally important.”
The apocalyptic Crossfires stemmed “from a recurring dream I had where
God has had enough of us so he hits the switch on humanity”, he says. “Only two people are left alive. They ask, ‘What did we do wrong?’ The answer is everyone stood around waiting for things to change but nobody did anything.”
Rags has the build of a darts player and the voice of an angel, albeit a hard-living one.
The humble star grew up in Uckfield, East Sussex. His stage name was inspired by classic Steptoe & Son sitcom repeats he used to watch with his grandad.
“I was eight and I found it hilarious,” he says. “Plus Rag ’n’ Bone Man sounds like a blues name.”
Music has always been part of Rory’s life. His mum sang at folk clubs. “Singalongs where they sit in a circle and people join in,” he recalls. “It was mostly Scottish and Irish folk.”
His father, an oil-rig worker, played rhythm guitar and occasionally mandolin in pub bands. The couple divorced when he was small.
“Dad had a great record collection,” he says. “I’ve got a few of his albums I never gave back. He was a rigger but he had a music shop in the 90s and fixed guitars as well. I’m not sure where I get my height from,” he adds. “Dad was 5ft 11in, I’m 6ft 6in.”
The big man spent most of his 20s as a care worker and has always had a compassionate side, looking out for his sister who has Down’s syndrome and sticking up for mates at school.
Expelled at 15, he started Mc’ing with a drum and bass crew using the alias Rag’n’bonez. The words SOUL and FUNK are tattooed on his knuckles.
At 22, Rory moved to
Brighton and joined rap group Rum Committee. “I grew up listening to jungle music, people like Goldie and Shy FX. It felt like a natural progression from drum and bass to hip hop.
“My friend Ben used to go to the US and bring back CDS of Big Daddy Kane and New York hip hop, Chris Rivers and Al Kapone.”
Asked to open for Joan Armatrading at Brighton Dome in 2012, Rory rush-released his debut EP, Bluestown. EPS with Leaf Dog, Dirty Dike and Mark Crew followed.
Rory and Beth wed in 2018, a year after Reuben was born, but split up six months later, after 10 years toget of 2019, Rory flew t the new album, rec winning producer for his work with E Alanis Morissette.
“It was amazing, I Jackson-cook – my Hemby. I’d never m knowledge of sound his studio is full of
“When I said I w sound like Black Sa for a few minutes a their actual kit. We Wanted on the firs
Personnel includ Wendy Melvoin, ba Ramus and acclaim Daru Jones.
“Every song was “Nothing has been I wanted it to be as
Rory worried his would think the alb
ther. Towards the end to Nashville to write corded with Grammymike Elizondo, known Eminem, Dr Dre and
I went with Ben y co-writer – and Natalie met Mike before. His ds is encyclopaedic, and vintage gear. anted the drums to abbath he disappeared and came back with e wrote All You Ever t day!” ded Prince guitarist acking vocalist Desri med hip-hop drummer
one-take,” he says. spliced together. s live as possible.” s label, Columbia, bum insufficiently radio friendly, but they loved it, telling him, “We’ll let you be creative.”
“That spurred me on to make something different and distinctive, and not feel like I had to conform to what’s popular at the moment.”
HE WAS in Nashville when the first lockdown was announced and flew straight home. “We had 30-odd shows cancelled, but the silver lining was I spent a lot time with my boy. I hadn’t spent a summer at home for six or seven years.”
Now Rags has a £1million home 20 minutes’ drive from Brighton, and new, non-showbiz love Zoe Beardsall.
When lockdown lifts, he has two priorities – to see his mother and sister face to face, and to gig again.
He has a run of intimate shows at
London’s Jazz Café next month, followed by festivals and an October tour.
“We have a laugh on the road,” he says. “My band are just big children. I locked my drummer in a dressing room in Copenhagen once, and put sofas up against the door so he couldn’t get out. Only for 20 minutes though, I wasn’t too cruel.”
Rory sounds happy. “This album is the most me I’ve ever been. I’m comfortable as a songwriter and it feels magical,” he says. “Plus, I’ve just bought some posh headphones, so I’m revisiting stuff, like old John Martyn albums.”
He has faults of course. “I can be a bit elusive,” he admits. “I don’t answer my phone much… but that’s because I value my time, being by myself and just listening to music.”
He’s only human, after all.
● Life By Misadventure is released on Friday