Hi Caro, how’s everything going?

I’m good, the tour is going well and I had my two warm-up shows before it so I’m tired but I’m very satisfied because it’s going really well.

And you’re enjoying being out on the road?

Yeah, I was really ready.

It’s been different in the past because sometimes we went on tour and I wouldn’t know if the show was ready but this time, for the first time, I feel like we’ve really achieved a lot.

Is there a different feeling that comes before every tour then?

Well it’s always the same feeling, it’s very stretched out.

I have to think of so many different things; the stage show, setlist, my styling and my talk.

I’ve always been a bit too self-conscious about my talking on stage, but halfway through the tour I start to relax.

The packing is a whole other thing because I have to bring all these stage outfits, which is quite a lot for a month of shows.

So is the build-up for stressful than actually touring?

Yeah definitely.

The first couple of days you have to get used to being on tour together, but after that it’s very enjoyable.

Imagine a school trip with really fun people, and getting to do what you love the most every night.

As soon as we’ve got the show down it’s not even work, and I get paid for it too.

Do you enjoy the tour bus aspect of it?

Very much.

Especially the way we do it. I’ve always loved camping, it’s a cliché about Dutch people.

But to be on the road, always travelling and waking up in a different city every day is amazing.

The way we travel is quite basic but we’re well taken care of.

And do you get time to go and explore the cities that you’re in?

We have two days off a week, so during those days off I like to go and do some shopping, see a museum, have dinner, and that’s something I really enjoy.

During a show day it depends on where the show is located, but the pressure isn’t there any more and I can go out and see as much as I can.

You’re playing Brighton on the tour, how familiar are you with the city?

I’ve been to Brighton lots of times, the first time I thought it was a really big place and I was very impressed by the whole thing.

And have you been able to look round the city?

Definitely, it’s such a fun and vibrant city.

Of course the coastline is interesting as well.

There’s lots of bars and restaurants around, I love it.

So what can fans expect from your live show?

I know that the fans have been waiting for new material, and I know we don’t have a lot, but we have succeeded in putting together a new show.

In my second warm-up show I had one of my most hardcore fans tell me it was a completely different show, that’s what we were aiming for.

We have some songs we haven’t played in a long time and the whole thing is situated in a different type of scenery, the idea is that we go back to the roots of the music that inspired us.

We’ll be taking the audience away to that place.

How important is that to you? That a show is a journey.

I just think that if you do a show you need a red line throughout your set, otherwise it can just be a group of songs.

It’s quite subtle, it doesn’t need to be obvious to the audience but it needs to be obvious to me.

Music has always been about storytelling and we think it’s important.

So let’s go back to the beginning, when did you start to consider the jazz genre something you wanted to do?

What’s so funny is that I’m not a particular jazz fan, I listen to it but I listen to a lot of different styles.

I feel like jazz chose me because the first time I appeared in front of an audience, in school I did a jazz song and everyone came up to me after and said I should do jazz.

I didn’t know the genre so well but it sounded good.

When I started studying jazz is when I fell in love with it.

I’ve always felt the urge to modernise old school jazz and put different elements in there.

I like to incorporate some hip-hop and R&B element in there.

The lyrics are cool and clever and everything I love about music.

So before you started getting into jazz what kind of music were you more into?

I went through this quite alternative phase, that’s what you do in high school, so think Nirvana and Beastie Boys and Portishead.

And what’s so funny about Portishead is that they’re an inspiration to all of us, even my producer.

Do you enjoy getting to take influences from music you like and put it into your songs?

It’s so cool, I love the fact that this music has all the ingredients that I like, it’s like cooking.

Do you get different vibes or feels from different cities or venues on the tour?

Oh definitely.

It depends on the city.

Audiences are always different but also the shape of the theatre.

What makes a big difference to me is the front row; can I see them? How near to me are they?

When the first row is far away then it takes more time for me to get close to them, mentally.

On the other hand I think theatres that are seated are the right type of location to get a sense of the scenery that we’re trying to draw people into.

It’s enjoyable to have a variety of venues.

So do you have favourite types of venues?

The type of venue I love the most is part seated, part standing.

You still get the nostalgic feel of a theatre, and people who don’t want to stand can sit, and then people who want to stand are right in my face.

So why is this the show to come and see?

It’s a brand new show, if you’ve seen me before you wouldn’t feel like it’s the same show.

And if you haven’t seen me, and even if you don’t like the type of music, you’ll have a great time.

There’s lots to see and like for anyone with any type of taste.