Exclusive | Passenger says ‘incredibly exciting’ time to perform in India: ‘Ed Sheeran told me all about his trip, it whet my appetite’

He admits that watching other artists like Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh perform to packed stadiums in the last one year has certainly proved to be a rich incentive. Passenger even got a first-hand recommendation from his childhood friend, Ed Sheeran, who’s performed across seven Indian cities between 2024 and 2025. They’ve known each other since Sheeran was 15 and living in Cambridge. “We’ve been good friends for 20 years, I imagine. He’s a constant inspiration to me as a guy and as a musician. I’ve learnt a lot from him. He’s had an amazing time in India and told me all about it. So, that’s really whet my appetite for coming over and playing my concerts there,” reveals Passenger.

He was also enamoured by how Sheeran captured the beauty and diversity of India in his single “Sapphire,” where he also collaborated with Indian singer Arijit Singh. The music video, that Sheeran shot on the road, offers glimpses from Hyderabad, Kolkata, Goa, Shillong, and Mumbai among other cities. Passenger has visited India before, but hopes to capture more of the land on this visit. “Travel is one of the most important things to do for inspiration. It pulls you out of your comfort zone and makes you think about the world in a different way. From the little I’ve seen of India, it’s really good at doing that. It’s so different, from what I know and understand. It’s always really helpful to turn up and pop yourself into a new culture like that. So yeah, I hope to meet Indian artists and potentially collaborate while I’m over there. That’d be really good,” he says, without dropping any names.

Passenger has been performing solo for over 15 years now, but he’s had memorable collaborations in studio and on stage. His stage name, in fact, comes from the name of the band he formed with Andrew Phillips, Alon Cohen, Tom Mills, Stephen Hodd, Robin Coward, and Richard Brincklow in 2003. After disbanding six years later, the singer took over that band name and hit the road again as a solo busker. “I really enjoy performing on my own. All of the years of busking have really taught me how to perform and engage with an audience just with a guitar. I think there’s something really powerful about that. It’s really fun playing with the band also, of course. I do miss the camaraderie of it. But that was a long time ago. I’m really used to playing on my own now. That’s really my comfort zone now,” he confesses.

Passenger’s 2012 love anthem “Let Her Go” has been both his gold standard and his Kryptonite. Although he’s released several hits after that, none has been able to match the global breakout success of that one. Even the singer remains curiously unaware of the secret sauce. “I just wrote it like any other song. I didn’t try and do anything different. I didn’t think about it too much, I just wrote it. But I think it’s the opening melody (sings). It’s captivating and grabs people. Also, the sentiment of it as well. I think everybody can relate to loving something and losing something. It’s a very human thing to go through, whether it’s a person, a job, a pet or a house. It’s a phenomenon. I don’t think I’ll ever have a song that does anything like that again. It’s a one-off. I’m just so very lucky to have it, really,” he says.

Passenger has belted out singles like “Whispers”, “Somebody’s Love,” “Anywhere,” and “Sword from the Stone” in the past decade, but they’ve all been eclipsed by the behemoth that was “Let Her Go.” Does that bother him? “I certainly don’t try to emulate the success of ‘Let Her Go.’ I never thought I’d have another song that’s so successful. To put the pressure on every song and try and make it as successful is only going to end in tears. With every song I write, I try my best to make it as good, honest, and real as it can be. I never phone it in. But yeah, there are some songs which you feel have got a good chance of doing well than others which are smaller and different. But I try and treat all of my songs with the same respect,” he explains.

Passenger is proud that he’s been a socially and environmentally conscious artist. In his 2017 song “A Kindly Reminder,” he serves one to his audience through the line: “I’ve heard you say climate change isn’t real / But that’s not how the world’s leading scientists feel.” He even walked the talk by planting a tree for every physical copy sold of his 2021 album Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted. He also supported efforts towards combating plastic pollution in the ocean through the proceeds of his 2022 album Birds That Flew and Ships That Sailed.

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His 2018 song Survivor goes beyond climate change, and also addresses living in the times of sociopolitical and technological challenges like border restrictions and social media. Passenger believes live music should reflect these concerns as it would also be impacted by these changes. He signs off on a cautiously optimistic note: “Who knows, with the combination of the digital age, Artificial Intelligence, global warming, and travel restrictions? It’s a fascinating thing to think about. I feel very lucky to live at a time when global touring is possible, to be able to travel to and perform at so many beautiful places. It’s been amazing. Who knows what the future holds as far as live music is concerned? We should wait and see.”