Soul hero returns to his roots with something special for summer dates

The country estate of Escot with its grand house and acres of grounds and grazing land is the perfect concert setting for young soul crooner James Morrison.

He's positively beaming at the prospect of playing a picnic show next month at the east Devon venue, best known for hosting the annual Beautiful Days Festival.

And he's equally upbeat about his return to Truro's Hall for Cornwall to play a benefit gig for the charity Tanya's Courage Trust, which offers support to cancer sufferers aged 16-25. He's even running a competition to find a local band or solo artist to support him.

The Westcountry – and Cornwall in particular where he spent his teenage years strumming his guitar and singing on the beach near Newquay – helped to shape him as both a person and a performer, and he retains a deep attachment to the area.

"I always enjoy playing the Westcountry. The people are a bit less uptight," says James, whose last local show was at Exeter University last year.

James, who now lives in Brighton, shot to fame in 2006, aged just 22, after signing a deal with Polydor and getting to number one with his highly polished and produced debut album Undiscovered. It produced and swathe of singles, including You Give Me Something, the romantic anthem of that summer.

He followed up that success with the 2008 long player Songs For You, Truths For Me, building on the established formula.

With a chunky setlist to delight the crowds, James is raring to go, but beneath the puppy-dog excitement the third album is preying on his mind. He's only 25 and still scratching his head over his whirlwind success, and he holds a deep-rooted ambition to defy the critics and develop himself as a songwriter and ring the changes in his repertoire.

"I've sung too many love ballads. I want to go a bit deeper than that and find more substance," he reveals.

"I still don't feel confident enough to write by myself, but that is my aim. I just keep convincing myself that I'm not good enough. There are plenty of good singers out there – it's writing that's the key thing.

"When I'm working with other people I've heard them say 'Let's try to write a James Morrison chorus. I want to pretend that I haven't made any albums at all and start afresh."

Becoming a father in 2008 changed his view of life completely.

"I feel like I have woken up to life since the birth of my daughter Elsie. I can focus a lot more easily; it's like I have a new purpose," he says.

"A lot of stuff that was confusing about relationships and my parents I can understand a lot better now.

"I want to write about this idea of an awakening of some kind.I've written a song with that title, which I'm really happy with. There's some funky digeridoo going on," he grins.