Jessie Ware plays at G-A-Y Heaven this weekend and Patrick Cash caught up with her to talk Youtube plays, tough love, Prince William, Nicki Minaj and what exactly are champagne kisses… 

How do you feel you’ve changed since you started out?

I started out in the industry by invitation. I was a backing singer for my mate and it didn’t really feel like a job, it just felt very lucky. And then I got signed and it felt even more lucky and I freaked out a bit. Now I feel like it is my job and I’m comfortable with it, I’ve just grown in confidence. I’ve managed to have two albums out but I really haven’t been doing it for as long as others and I still think I’ve got lots to learn.

What do you rate more, YouTube plays or iTunes sales?

I guess you can see YouTube more, I don’t really know about my iTunes sales too much. Both are very sweet and it’s lovely to think that people are watching, even if it’s just audio and people are sharing that.

I was thinking how music consumption has changed from buying to streaming…

Yeah, but it’s so boring, the whole statistic side of things.

You never click on the Youtube link for ‘Say You Love Me’ and check how many listens it’s had?

No, I don’t. But maybe I will after this.

Okay, Tough Love is a phenomenal, beautiful album. How did you go about writing it? 

I wrote it whilst I was on tour and I went quite quickly from the first album into the second. I felt far more ready to be writing and so I didn’t want to stop. I’d found my voice a bit more and I was going through getting married. My confidence in songwriting and performing was really apparent on this record.

Is the next album going to continue in the same vein or will it be a different angle?

I don’t know yet. There’s something very satisfying about having the crowd sing back songs like ‘Say You Love Me’ or ‘Wildest Moments’ and I just want to write some great songs that people can enjoy in years to come.

Is there a particular person you think of when you sing ‘Say You Love Me’? 

Definitely my husband. We broke up for a while and it really reminds me of when we broke up, that gut-wrenching feeling of you don’t really want to do this but you kind of have to.

What are champagne kisses?

I wish it was expensive blowjobs, but alas, it’s not. Regretful decisions, unrequited love. And I like to combine two luxurious things such as kissing and champagne – oops! Sorry, I’ve got a new puppy.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for so, so long, I’m glad that they’ve finally given me an invitation.”

What’s his name?

Stanley. He was named by Prince William. I met him in Shanghai last week at this great festival of creativity. I didn’t know what to say to him so I said ‘look I’m getting a puppy, we’ve got three names and we can’t decide, can you choose for us?’ And he chose Stanley.

How did the duet come about with Nicki Minaj?

I wrote that song for me actually but thought maybe it didn’t suit my record. It was played to Nicki and she wanted it. She kindly kept me on the hook as well, it’s amazing and she sings it very well.

Why do you think you have such a following amongst gay men?

Maybe it’s because I keep rabbiting on about my single gay brother: come to my show, you can meet him! He’s a catch, he’s about to qualify as a nice Jewish doctor. Very handsome. No, I’m very happy to have gay men as fans, they’re the best fans to play in front of, they’re so loyal and they’ve really made me enjoy performing…

And what can we expect from your gig at G-A-Y this weekend? 

I’ve been wanting to do this for so, so long, I’m glad that they’ve finally given me an invitation. I’ve tried to keep it classy, but I’ve also tried to give something to the boys that they would want. So a little bit of sass, that’s what’s going to go down. I think it’s going to be so much fun!

• Jessie Ware is playing at G-A-Y Heaven (under the Arches, Villiers Street, Charing Cross, WC2N 6NG) on Saturday 14th March, 10.30pm-5am.