FROM humble roots plying his trade on the Nottingham scene, singer-songwriter Ady Suleiman has found himself supporting the likes of Laura Mvula and Professor Green on tour.

Suleiman merges soul, hip-hop and reggae in his music, a hybrid which can be witnessed on new single Wait for You. He talks to Edwin Gilson about his big break in pop and the emphasis on mental health in his songs.

You’ve just played a summer of festivals – what was the highlight?

Glastonbury, definitely. That’s on every musician’s bucket list. I played three sets and one for BBC Two in their studio. It was on late so all of the audience was in a party mood. I was bricking it though. No party for me – I was on the herbal tea.

You said that some of your early songs are about your issues with authority, whether it be government or religion. Is there any more of this kind of lyrical content on your forthcoming album?

I’m still going to talk on those topics but with my writing I think it’s really important to be honest.

At the moment, I think because I’ve been tied up with my missus for a while, the majority of the content that has come out has been about love.

Mental health is definitely something I talk about in my music. It’s important to put your thoughts across about how you deal with day-today things, because that’s a big thing that’s part of my life. Going from that transition from teenager to young adult isn’t easy.

Do you write personally about this or draw on specific case studies? Or is it more general than that?

I think it’s more general. I know when I’m writing I’m often bearing that in mind. It’s just like, “here’s how I’m feeling, it’s OK if you feel like it too”. We’ve all been hurt sometimes, don’t get mad about it. For me, it feels like you take on a lot more when you make that transition (from teenager to adult). You lose all financial security.

When you’re young you have all these massive ambitions and aims, then you grow up and think, “man, am I going to be able to do that?”. People can get stuck in a system and a job they hate. I enjoyed myself a lot as a teenager but as I got older things got a lot harder. When people get out of their comfort zones, that’s when they can struggle with things like anxiety or depression.

When did you start writing music?

About 14 was when it started but I always class myself as being creative in a general sense rather than just writing songs. Even to this day, people will tell you the most frustrating thing about me is that I’m terrible at finishing stuff off.

You got your break through BBC Nottingham – how was the city generally to grow up as a budding musician?

I actually grew up in a smalltown just outside Nottingham where there wasn’t much going on musically.

I didn’t get much of a sense of Nottingham’s music scene until I came back from studying music at university in Liverpool. I was making hiphop and reggae, and I was there wasn’t much of a scene for that in Liverpool.

Towards the end of uni I started to think about going back to Nottingham. When I’d played a few gigs, it caught fire. I don’t know if that was because I was a local lad or because the scene was ready for me.

How did you come to support the likes of Laura Mvula and Professor Green from these origins?

I think because I was entirely independent, with no managers or anything, people were coming to me direct and asking me to do things. It was a mad time when I look back on it. Getting that first support tour with Laura was nuts. I thought she was amazing and someone I’d listen to a lot.

Ady Suleiman The Haunt, Brighton, Wednesday, October 12. More at: thehauntbrighton.co.uk