Sound Scout: Get to Know George Ezra, the Crooner who Sings with a Smile

"As a musician, there is nothing more you want than people to enjoy your music."





Photographed by Travis Schneider in Los Angeles.

NAME: George Ezra

AGE: 21

BORN: Hertford, U.K.

BEFORE THE PHOTO: At the age of 13, George learned a bit of the bass—partly so he could jam with his friends, but also because, he needed to do something with his time. He attended music college in Bristol, then six years after his initial encounter with the strings, the singer snagged his first record deal and took some time off to travel and write. The brief break brought his first album, which debuted at #3 in the UK, to fruition. His hit single, "Budapest," went platinum, landing him on many a "one to watch" lists, snagging him a spot on the BBC's Introducing stage at Glastonbury festival, and earning him a 2015 tour that sold-out in ten minutes.

At first listen, there's no denying that the Brit sounds like a singer from music's past—a troubadour chasing the beat of an older generation. But while George's full-bodied voice is certainly reminiscent of chart-topping legends from your grandparents' record collection, his music couldn't be more refreshing.

I came to realize this the second he stepped out on stage at his NYC debut. I was expecting a manufactured, label-made tortured soul who would hide behind his boyish good looks and shaggy hair, deflecting audience participation by diving into his songs. Instead, I discovered a lovable Hertford heartthrob who is just as much a comedian as he is a singer. If we could only be so lucky to not just see him perform but also to be his best bud, then all would be right in the world.


George's infectious charm is obvious in his sing-song, foot-tapping music. His rise to fame this past year was swift and organic, a taste of what will soon be known as the Ezra effect. But the balladeer shrugs off the imminence of his celebrity and worldwide fame the same way he dismisses the prominence of his Harry Potter-esque scar. (Hint: It involves a lol-able story about a Marky Romone lecture and a hospital.) That's just who George is. He's the type of guy who loves his fans, friends, and family, is passionate about traveling, and will forever be happy because he has no reason not to be. If this guy is any indication, disgruntled rocker is out and soulful serenader is in.

ON THE HORIZON: "Not in an arrogant way, but for me, I'm proud of my first album, Wanted on Voyage. I've seen something through to the end, and I've worked on it for hours. To play the record live with the band is also great. I'll be touring with Sam Smith and Hozier this spring, and then I'm doing a headline run of shows. I think it'll be nice in however many years when I can re-visit songs and do them in different styles or with different instruments and things like that. It'll be fun."

WHO IS GEORGE EZRA: "When people say the words 'singer-songwriter,' I think they have an image in their heads of someone with an acoustic guitar who is a bit woe-is-me. I'd like to think that I'm not one of those. I'm quite a happy person. A lot of what I listened to growing up was blues, but also folk and indie music. So there's this marriage of songs that structurally are quite bluesy. Sound-wise, there's a lot of indie as well. But you can't really say I'm pop-blues, because that's insulting to blues. It just can't exist. Interestingly, some people listen to melody and some to lyrics, and when I first started writing pop music, I realized the challenge was not just to write a melody that would get stuck in people's head, but for every song to have lyrics for people to relate to for every type of emotion."

WHAT MAKES YOU WORTH LISTENING TO: "All I wanted to do was to perform my music, so I never really thought about photo shoots, or music video shoots, or interviews. You can't anticipate those things—you just can't plan this as a job. But to get to travel and perform, that's a blessing. And as a musician, there's nothing more you want than for people to enjoy your music. I completely understand that comparisons are necessary but they should always be taken with a pinch of salt. Anyone that's worth listening to won't sound exactly like someone else."

Photographed by George Ezra, courtesy of George Ezra.

SCENE AND HEARD: "This photo was taken in my hotel room in Sydney. The flight from London is so full-on that I felt like spoiling myself on the other side, haha."

Get a taste of George's silly side from his most recent music video, which stars another famous face: