Thirteen years ago an emerging artist from a North Yorkshire town ignited the pop charts around the world with his debut solo single, Love Me Again, which also rose to Number One on the singles chart in his home country. The singer was John Newman from Settle, who now has recorded a new version of the hit song titled Love Me Again (Again).

“Most people think the new version is me making a comeback, which is not the case, as I have never been away," John explained, speaking to me from the recording studio. “When I first made the record all those years ago, I wasn’t really very good at production. I have always had a love of nineties dance and house music and wanted to incorporate those influences into the song with touches of soul and Motown. When I originally wrote Love Me Again, it was a trance track which evolved into the hit song that people now know.

I do a lot of DJ work now and wanted to give the song to the people who come along to my DJ gigs; many of these fans might have enjoyed the song before, though my aim was to make the song sound fresh and give it a new life, as well as keep the track's legacy intact.

When the track was originally released, John performed an intimate concert at the Victoria Hall in Settle, which was not only attended by locals but also a large contingent of music critics and music business personnel from his record company.

Settle still holds a special place for John. "I don’t go back there as much as I used to," he explained. “My mum moved down to Kent, then moved back up to Settle, and then moved away down south again. Settle still holds a special place in my heart. When I was fifteen years old, it all seemed rather boring, but now I am older. When I go back, I realise that the town is blessed with a beautiful setting, and now it is a totally different feeling from how I used to view the town."

Surprisingly, the video for the new version of the song does not feature John in it. I wondered, was that intentional? “There is a concept behind the video; although I am not in the video, I still directed it and had a key creative idea behind it all. I came across this incredible dancer, Jet, who incorporates breakdancing and elements of Northern Soul dancing into one. I wanted to modernise the Northern Soul dancing like I’ve modernised the song and bring the dancing to a new generation. I aimed to take a back seat in the video, as I felt like it was a gift to my audience, not the answer to my audience, because I didn’t want anyone to say I was attempting to make a comeback."



After the run of chart success and touring, John opened up a new chapter by becoming a DJ, performing across the world from Brazil to Bulgaria. “I’ve been doing the DJ thing for five years now, which started out as a cider festival in Somerset, and now I’m doing this at some of the biggest dance events possible, from Creamfields near Liverpool to Tomorrowland in Brazil. I have to admit doing the DJ sets is one of the most enjoyable things I have done so far in my career – I give it all my passion, as I do with everything.

After his love of the DJ sets, the return to any live work with a full band might be far off. “My mum keeps asking me when I am going to play some live dates again in Britain. I feel that if I do a tour here, there might be a lot of misunderstanding: people might see me as John Newman, the pop/soul singer, instead of what I am doing now. I feel like I need to find the next steps of bringing everything together."

A new single, Merry Go , is coming out in April. “I am excited about it; the track is one that will break borders again for me. I hope the fans enjoy it as much as I do and it is a big success."

A more confident and happier vibe was paramount throughout our conversation. Was he in a better place now as opposed to in the past? “We grow through life and adapt. I thought I was happy at the time, but now when I look back, I’m not so sure. Becoming a dad and husband has brought me more happiness than the musical success I had and also made me more contented and proud of myself.

My wife is Danish and quotes a Danish phrase which translates as “Always look down and not up." It means to look at the people that want what you have, not up at the people that have what you want. It is a really nice mindset, and I try to use it as much as I possibly can."

Love Me Again (Again) is out now.