The first question you might ask of a musician called Songer is the obvious one. Where does the name come from? The answer might disappoint some, as it’s more obvious than you’d think.

“It’s my surname,” he says. “I know it’s a double entendre in itself, but I went to an all boys school, so I was always called by my surname. I was Songer before music and when I started releasing music it fell into my lap.”

A native of Wokingham, a small town outside Reading, James Songer is one of the UK’s fastest rising stars. The English rapper, without a label or a booking agent, has quickly built a cult following out of his parents’ shed. He puts the support of his fans down to the fact that he is so like them, and writes honestly about his life and experiences.

“People gravitate to me because they don’t listen to my music or look at me and think I’m somebody that they want to be - they look at me and think I’m somebody that they already are. I think there’s a connection of ‘Wow, this guy is like me’, which is important. It’s why I try to focus on telling the truth so much in my music, whether it’s good or bad. The reality is even if it doesn’t feel like it, everyone’s going through the same things.”

Songer at The Button Factory on May 20th, 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Songer’s ability to speak to audiences has also garnered him a large and growing fanbase in Ireland. Having played the Workman’s and the Button Factory in the past six months, he has a soft spot for Irish crowds.

“In Ireland the energy is just different, especially Dublin,” he enthuses. “Its powerful. You can see how much people are enjoying things, they’re engaged the whole time. I think there’s a different buzz over there.”

Songer’s latest album, Skala, has been well-received across the board, with fans and critics alike sharing positive reviews. The LP is named after the rapper’s dog, a source of inspiration during recording. The opening line to the title-track goes, “I’ve never seen my dog waste a day of her life / Every day she wakes up with just love in her eyes”.

To Songer, Skala is a symbol of happiness and wellbeing, and a reminder to only care about the important stuff.

“I was going to try and make Skala a currency, like a currency of mental happiness,” he explains. “The more Skala you have, the richer you are. The other side of it is the emotion of carelessness and fearlessness. If you have Skala, then your mind will be in a good place.”

Despite only being 22, Songer has been creating music for a long time, with his first album, Dreamworkz, coming out at the end of 2019. His creative process around writing music has changed over the years.

“It’s changed a lot because I’ve grown with it,” he notes. “99% of my music is based on personal experience, and how I’m feeling at that point in my life. So it’s changed because I’ve changed.”

Songer at The Button Factory on May 20th, 2023. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

His love of making music came from a love of writing, as he elaborates.

“I fell in love with writing before I fell in love with making music,” says Songer. “Making music just became the way I expressed how I wanted to write. I was always quite good at English, and wrote little stories or diary entries or anecdotes, and then I progressed to music.

“My music is a result of my parents and friendship group’s love of music, and a little bit of peer pressure from them enabled me to channel my writing.”

Looking ahead to Songer’s busy summer, remarkably Longitude will be his first festival appearance.

“I imagine it will be slightly different to gigs I’ve done before because it will be less intimate,” he says. “It’s going to help me grow - looking out at a sea of people will be a dream come true. I’m excited to see what it’s all about.”

Asked who he’s most enthused about seeing at the Marlay Park bash, Songer points to one major act.

Songer. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

“I’m excited to see Travis Scott,” he says. “I’ve never seen him live. I love live music generally - if we’re going out to eat or have a drink, the place with live music is always getting picked first. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone is about. Live music is paradise really. If you’re sat with your headphones in, you can still feel in a bad mood. I don’t think anyone feels in a bad mood when they’re watching live music.”

Songer plays Longitude after a three-week European tour, which hits venues in Paris, Berlin, Prague and Vienna. His summer excursion ends in Leeds and finally Reading, only a short drive from his home. Naturally, it’s going to be a special show.

“The last day of the tour is Reading,” he says. “That might be a proper, full circle moment, where we’ll say, ‘We’ve come a long way’. If it all goes to plan, that might the best feeling I’ve had in my life.”

As for the rest of the year, the Southern Hemisphere is also on the agenda.

“Australia is going to be unbelievable,” says Songer. “That’s a whole new market I haven’t seen face to face yet. I can’t wait. After that, I’ll be coming back and spending some time with my family, really just reevaluating. That’s when I can start writing properly about everything that’s happened this year.”

• Songer plays Longitude on Sunday, July 2.

The Longitude Special edition of Hot Press is out now.