Matt Cardle X Factor - Interview

StudentPunch recently chatted with Matt Cardle, the winner of The X Factor 2010, and the man who stole the nation’s hearts with his amazing vocal talents. What did he really think of Simon Cowell? How did he feel about getting an Xmas Number 1? Well, StudentPunch.com found out the answers to these questions and more….

Student Punch:  So Matt, you’ve gone from strength to strength since you first appeared on the X Factor back in 2010. You were undoubtedly one of the most popular X Factor contestants the show has ever seen, you achieved that goal- the coveted Christmas Number 1, you’ve released a debut album, and now you’re about to embark on a full UK tour! Of course, you were no stranger to the music industry, having previously fronted two bands, am I right in saying you released 2 albums with your previous band Darwyn and one with Seven Summers?

Matt Cardle: Yeah, that’s right, and actually, I was actually half way through writing a second album with Seven Summers when I auditioned for the X Factor.

S.P:  And have you felt that the music you recorded with Seven Summers has garnered more attention since your win on the X Factor?

M.C:   Yeah, on the back of the X Factor, more people seem to have bought Seven Summers records, which is fantastic, the band’s also gotten more attention from the press too.

S.P:  Any chance of a reunion any time soon?

M.C:   I would love that, but I’ve just got no time at the moment with the upcoming tour! But we still keep in touch, and hang out when we can, which is great.

S.P:    So your album ‘Letters’ was released back in October, it reached the top 10 in its first week, in fact it peaked at number 2 in the charts, that’s an amazing feat for a debut album, was that overwhelming?

M.C : Definately, I still can’t believe how fast everything’s moving! But it’s fantastic. And you know, there was a debate as to who was going to get the number one spot that week, it was between me and Noel Gallagher, and when you’re up against someone as talented and great as Noel Gallagher, it’s just an incredible feeling. He’s a true song writing inspiration to me, and I’m so proud of how popular my debut album had become to have reached Number 2! It’s very overwhelming!

S.P: And who else would you class as your song writing inspirations?

M.C: Oh, let’s see....definately Michael Jackson, I love Pearl Jam, and Nirvana too.

S.P:   It’s funny that you mentioned Pearl Jam, because when Student Punch had a listen to Seven Summers’ recordings, we thought that we could hear tinges of them in your work!

M.C:  Really? That’s great! They were definitely an inspiration to us, a band that belonged to a genre we liked to emulate within our music.

S.P:    Back on your X Factor days, you had millions of people watching you on TV every week, saying that, do you still get nervous when performing live?

M.C:  Oh yeah, I think the ratings for the final were roughly nineteen million, but I still get nervous performing live in front of two people!

S.P:   And what will people expect to hear on your tour? Will they hear some of the material performed on the show? Will there be any surprises?

M.C:  Yes, there will be a few surprises, and some material I performed on the show!

S.P:  Are you planning to do any festivals this year? Or any tour dates out with the UK?

M.C:  We would love to do some festivals this year, but I’m not sure yet if we’ve got the time. Hopefully we will though, we’re looking at some festival prospects at the moment, so fingers crossed! We’re writing the second album at the moment, so that’s taking up a lot of our time.

S.P :   Finally, is there anything you would like to say to the Student Punch readers?

M.C:  Just that I would love for everyone to come see the Glasgow show!

Matt Cardle will be performing at the O2 Academy on the 14^th March. His new single ‘Amazing’ was released on the 19^th February.