Teddy Swims: “I recently got to record a song with Will Smith – he’s the sweetest guy ever”

Teddy Swims has revealed to NME that he recently recorded a song with his “hero” Will Smith.

Swims was speak to NME backstage at the recent BBC Radio One Big Weekend in Luton, when he teased his collab with the screen and rap icon.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with it and can’t confirm anything, but just being with him and learning knowledge and wisdom from someone who’s been through it all was crazy,” he said.

“I was at his house and trying to FaceTime my mom because she loves him,” he continued. “She didn’t answer but he gave me his number and, the next morning, he texted at 8am saying I could put us all in a group chat.”

“He’s the sweetest guy ever,” the Atlanta-born soul-pop singer-songwriter added.

Talking about the success of his huge single ‘Lose Control’, which reached Number Two in the UK chart, he said that he always “absolutely” thought it would be a hit.

“When we wrote it, that was the first time that I ever felt in my heart that ‘this song is gonna change my life’,” he said.  “I knew that the song was going to be what it was and I had never felt that way before about anything I did.”

He went on to say that the song’s success has taught him to “always follow your gut. It’s always right.”

Speaking about his UK fans, Swims described them as “the people who love me first and the most,” adding: “I love it here, this is home.”

After his whirlwind global success, he said that getting to tour the world was “a beautiful thing because I get to trauma dump on a bunch of strangers every evening all across the world.|

He continued: “I think that, because I’m willing to talk about my issues openly and vulnerably, there’s people that let me have a safe place to do that and understand and see me.

“Also, I think I give people a safe place to dump too and it’s been such a justifying thing to be able to come out and do that and meet people who are going through similar situations and feel the same things as me.”

He added that “no matter where you are in the world, there’s your tribe wherever you go and I’ve made some beautiful friends”.

Before going solo and finding success, Swims was in several different metalcore bands while he was in high school.

“My first band ever was called Heroic Bear and you can still look up our EP on YouTube,” he said. “We were so bad, but you can hear me singing and screaming in that.”

Talking about how his sound has developed, he said: “I’ve always been a soul kid… but you learn how to sing. You don’t start with it, though.”

Talking about his album ‘I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)’, he said he felt “very lucky to have had a safe place to dump my feelings”.

“It was coming from a very toxic relationship that I was in, but I’m glad to have had a safe place to talk about my feelings and be loved and received and not feel crazy for having my feelings,” he admitted. “Thank god I have this outlet.”

As for the most memorable moments of his career, Swims said that going to American comedian and actor Dave Chappelle’s Grammy Awards after-party was surreal.

“He was doing an open jam and we walked in, Thundercat was on bass and Cory Henry was on keys,” he recalled. “I got to meet Dave and sing, and I told him, ‘Bro, I have a tattoo of you! I’m not gonna drop trousers right now’, but he is the most amazing guy.”

“He’s another hero of mine,” he added.

Looking to the future, Swims – who recently covered Taylor Swift’s ‘Cruel Summer’ on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge – said that he would like to be as big as Stevie Wonder one day.

He added: “I want to feel what that feels like.”

Teddy Swims plays Manchester’s O2 Apollo tonight (Saturday June 1) before a show in London at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire tomorrow (Sunday June 1) before headlining Eventim Apollo Hammersmith on Monday November 11. He also returns to the UK to play Reading & Leeds festival in August. Visit here for tickets and more information.

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