David Jordan

He wants people to "really get something from his music", he wants to be a "major success", and he wants his music to "reach people on a global scale". Yup, that's right, David Jordan is no shrinking violet. But, with his Timberlake-shaming falsetto, Benetton model looks and brilliantly bombastic pop tunes, we wouldn't bet against the Barnet boy fulfilling every one of his stratospheric ambitions. We hooked up with David to find out more about Set The Mood, his Trevor Horn-produced debut album.

How did you get involved in music?
"I'd come home from school, probably when I was about eleven, and I'd get straight on my keyboards. Whatever troubles I'd had that day, whatever I was feeling, I'd just put it into a melody and some chords. It was a bit like therapy."

So your songs tend to be quite personal?
"Well, not always. From the age of eleven to 22, in those eleven years, I've learned my craft and realised that there are other things to write about other than my dilemmas, you know."

The single 'Place In My Heart' is quite political, isn't it?
"Yeah, I wrote 'Place In My Heart' as a bit of a political number. It's about how controlling the government is and how our society keeps being made to believe things. It's something I really believe in, but it was really just a moment in time when I wrote that song. I never let things drag on [in my songwriting] unless they're really worth holding on to."

Where do you find the inspiration for your songs?
"I just write about the things I see. I write about life - society, racism, discrimination, things like that. To me it's just life, but people will be able to interpret the songs in their own way by relating them to things that they're used to."

Do any of the songs have a lighter feel?
"There's a song called 'Sun Goes Down' that I love listening to and performing. It's about how you know it's party time when the sun goes down. I had this crazy image of being in a forest, and all these crazy things start happening when the children of the night come out and starting wreaking havoc and stuff."

What was it like working with the legendary Trevor Horn on your album?
"It was a real pleasure working with Trevor. He is everything that people say about him. He works hard, is clearly a genius and it's just a real honour to have him on board."

Is he as much of a perfectionist as his reputation attests?
"It took him and his team two years to do the album, so I guess so."

Did he ever try to end disputes by saying "Well, Seal did it this way..."?
"No, he never says anything like that. Trevor is a guru, but he's a gentle, soft person who never dictates. He just shows you the direction, and because he's so inspiring and encouraging, you can't help but listen to him."

Did your songs change much from the start of the recording process to the final versions?
"Well, we kept adding stuff on top of the original tracks, but then, after a couple of months of recording, Trevor didn't seem to be feeling it. He then went back to the originals and said: "I like the way it has a youthful feel to it". You know, I was only 18 when I first wrote and performed some of these songs, so I really did sound young. So he took recordings of my voice at 18 and used those. Then he took a lot of the sounds from my demo, which I'd recorded with a friend of mine, and added some of his stuff on top."

Has your voice changed much in recent years?
"Yeah, loads. There's more resonance, and my range and control have increased too."

As an artist, how important is your image to you?
"I have a stylist for that sort of stuff. I'm an artist, y'know, so I just work on the music. My stylist and I have a fantastic relationship and she understands me, so it's all really easy. She never makes me wear anything I don't want to wear, and she never suggests anything to me that she thinks I won't like."

What music have you been listening to lately?
"I've been listening to a lot of Colbie Caillat and a lot of Rihanna. My favourite song is 'Shut Up And Drive' - I can do a good impression of her actually! I love Rihanna and just think she's a really strong artist."

Who are your all-time favourite artists?
"I love James Brown and Mozart and Elvis and Fred Astaire - all the greats, really."

Where would you like to be in five years' time?
"I'd probably like to be on holiday in Barbados. Oh, in my career? Well, I'd love to be a major success. I just want my music to reach this world - I want my music to reach people on a global scale and for people to really get something from my music. I've got so much and been moved by music so much that I want other people to be moved in the same way by mine."

David Jordan's single 'Place In My Heart' is out on October 29. His album Set The Mood follows on November 5.