Jack Savoretti: "We Will Always Be The Way We Were is about self-acceptance"

20 years into his career, Jack Savoretti is still very much at the top of his game. We Will Always Be The Way We Were, his ninth studio LP, is on course to earn him a hat-trick of UK chart-toppers, leading the race for this week's Official Number 1 album.

It's a record that sees Jack reconnecting with the raw storytelling that first defined his sound back in 2007, when he debuted with Between The Minds. Written and captured live over eight days it's, in his words, a "full-circle album" taking him back to his roots. But, when we catch up with Jack, it's clear this is no nostalgia trip.

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Jack! Congratulations on the success of the album so far. Is the release of record nine as nerve-wracking as your debut?

It’s exciting! And I’m old enough now that it’s curiosity rather than nerves. I’m always curious to see if this was worth doing, and if anyone cares about it and needs it. That’s the ultimate thing, I hope that this is useful for people, more than anything.

Experience is a wonderful thing, but it’s also quite an intimidating thing, because you know how magical it can be to play to real people who love the album. I’m trying to just enjoy it; I’ve got to a place in my life where I can’t believe I’m still doing this. It’s a privilege.

What were your biggest learnings this time around?

I learnt a lot while making this record. On previous records, I’ve sometimes protected the intimacy of the album, what I’ve learnt, certain experiences and how much of myself I’ve put into it, through the style. I’ve dressed it up.

This album is a 'jeans-and-t-shirt album.' I wanted to just sit down, write and see what came out. That’s how I used to write when I was a kid. I didn’t want to have an idea of what I was going into. I’ve done concept albums before. I wanted to learn a bit – a way of accepting myself and discovering more about the world around me through song. I was thinking 'what’s actually going on inside that I don’t know about myself?'

Is that something you hope the listener takes away from the record, too?

I hope, when people listen to this, that they can use that. Anyone who’s in a place where they might not have a true understanding of themselves. If they’ve built up an identity but just don’t know who they are underneath that, I hope this album’s a support to them.

It’s about acceptance. The record’s not nostalgic, but I’m still the boy I used to be, I’m still the kid, I’m still the 20-year-old that had a lot of question marks over everything. I haven’t changed. I’ve grown and I’m getting better at valuating my choices, but my essence and my soul – that’s still me. That’s why the album’s called We Will Always Be The Way We Were.

Deep down, the roots are the same. Like a tree, the tree changes, the leaves come and go, but the roots stay the same.

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What does success look like to you, two decades into your career?

I prefer the process to the result.

I’m addicted to the process of making albums. It was such an honour to watch my band, and my producer Tommaso Colliva, make this album with me and put themselves into these songs I’ve written. That’s the win to me.

And this really is a proper, listen-front-to-back album...

I’m such an albums guy. I’ve never had that one song that does the heavy lifting, it’s always been the album that’s kept us alive. To me, songs are characters within a wider narrative. I look at albums like novels, films, bodies of work.

I really hope that, in an era of shuffle and algorithms, and being told what to listen to rather than choosing, people listen to this album from beginning to end.

You're off on tour later this year, too, including a show at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall. A pretty big deal, no?

It’s going to be so nice for us to look out onto that amazing theatre and say thank you to everybody for getting us here. That night’s going to be so emotional.

It’s also incredible that, for one night only, I’m going to be a ‘cool’ papa to my kids. If that doesn’t impress them, I’m out!

Can Jack clinch a hat-trick of Official Number 1 albums this week? Tune in to The Official Chart with Jack Saunders on BBC Radio 1 this Friday April 17 from 4pm, and see the full Top 100 at OfficialCharts.com from 5.45pm.

Jack Savoretti's We Will Always Be The Way We Were is out now via Lanza Music.