James Arthur: My struggles shaped my work ethic
James Arthur says growing up with no money "shaped his work ethic".
The ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ hitmaker had to graft when he was growing up to get the opportunities to share his music with the world.
He said: "Being in bands and plugging away with not many opportunities and no money for many years really shaped me and taught me about work ethic. It really made me appreciate what I had now, because it was so hard before that. X Factor provided me with a platform that has launched me and given me some longevity.
"I often think about starting a band again, doing my solo stuff and a band. I grew up in bands. Kurt Cobain is one of the reasons I started doing music because I just loved to watch them rock out. It’s something I love to do."
And the 28-year-old singer also opened up about feeling "super lost" when he first found fame.
He told HollywoodLife.com: "There was a point in my career when I was really, really lost – when I first found fame, I was super lost. I didn’t have a clue what was going on. I was doing a lot of self-medicating and wasn’t really in the right mind, and did some things that were quite irresponsible. Looking back, I’m embarrassed about it. But in hindsight, again, those things have shaped me and got me to a place where I have more self-respect and perspective.
"It was a tough time for me, but maybe I wouldn’t have had much to write about if I hadn’t pressed the self-destruct button! It’s relatable. Everybody’s gone through some kind of struggle in their life, and I’d like to be the type of voice who talks about it."
