Lewis Capaldi: I like meeting fans but it’s weird being filmed in public

Lewis Capaldi has said that he is still coming to terms with being famous, especially when he is filmed from a distance by members of the public.

The Scottish singer-songwriter, who topped the charts for seven weeks earlier this year with the single Someone You Loved, also said that he is not a very ambitious person, and that his success has surprised him.

Capaldi, whose hotly-anticipated debut album Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent was released on Friday, was on the long-list for BBC Music’s Sound of 2018, and he was nominated for a Brits Critics’ Choice Award this year.

Earlier this year he also announced his first arena tour, which sold out despite having not yet released an album.

Having seen his star rise over the past 18 months, Capaldi, 22, said he was still finding his feet as far as his celebrity status was concerned.

He told the Press Association: “Right now it’s pretty weird when people stop you in the street. It’s a pretty constant thing at this point.

“It’s weird, like, I went for food with my parents the other day and went into another shop, and I was getting stopped every two minutes.

“But it was nice, everyone’s been really lovely, nobody’s shouting abuse at me in the street quite yet, so I think we’re all right there. I don’t mind it. I like meeting people who come to the shows.

“The only weird thing is when people just film me from a distance. That’s quite strange.”

He added: “It’s definitely kicked up a notch – I used to go out in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and there would be three or four people stop me over the course of a night, but now there’s definitely more.

“I’m more conscious of going for a night out. As long as people are nice, I don’t mind, but it’s weird now that it’s everywhere in the UK and Ireland.”

Of his triumphs so far, Capaldi said: “I’m completely surprised about it. For lack of any better phrase, I don’t have a f****** clue what’s going on.”

He said he does not believe he is a good role model, given his penchant for talking about his toilet habits on his social media pages.

Capaldi has become known for his self-mocking videos and pictures shared with his 1.9 million followers on Instagram.

He said, of being an inspiration: “I’m probably not the best one, given the amount I talk about going to the bathroom.

“It’s weird to think of someone being in the position I was, listening to Paolo Nutini, and going ‘f****** hell, that’s incredible, I want to write songs like that’.

“But I don’t think you can really process it. I don’t feel like anyone is listening to my music and being inspired by my music to write music.

“They very well might be, but in my head, I just can’t put those two things together. Even when people say it, I’m like, ‘ahh!’

“It’s something I am definitely not going to get used to any time soon.”

Capaldi said he was “not a very ambitious person”, and that one of his main goals is just to have a top five album.

He added: “I’d like to do a collaboration with someone at some point, maybe with someone who doesn’t usually do them.”