From classical to pop to independent artist; you seem to suit yourself when it comes to musical direction. Do you care about critical success?

In the beginning, I wanted the respect of my peers as I never really had that with [2005 pop album] Tissues And Issues. When I got into this area of music, this word ‘credible’ kept coming up but lots of festivals still wouldn’t book me because I was [seen as] something else. I’ve never been cool in my life and if I have to fit into a role to be cool I’m totally disinterested.

Setting up your own record label could be seen as quite a risk. What prompted this?

I never really thought of myself as a creative person. I was never encouraged [by music executives]. They said, “You can do a bit of writing but these guys are the writers – they will steer you”. You’re constantly but very subtly undermined. It’s only in the last couple of years, since the Leveson thing that I’ve really understood my power. That probably sounds a bit w**k.

Did your involvement in the inquiry force you to get introspective about your life?

I’ve always been introspective. When you spend your childhood doing interviews about how difficult your childhood is, it stops being so much of a mystery. It’s like some weird kind of therapy. And I’ve always been confident. But I feel like I’ve woken up from the state you’re supposed to be in within modern life; dead behind the eyes and susceptible to advertising. So I’ve started to have an awakening from that and see everything as it really is.

Getting involved with Hacked Off [the pressure group, fronted by Hugh Grant, campaigning for a public inquiry into phone hacking] was a brave move. Were you worried about the tabloids targeting you again?

No way. I didn’t care about the repercussions – it couldn’t be any worse than what I’d already gone through. There was nothing left; no skeletons. They couldn’t get at me anymore and the injustice sickened me.

And it was a rare opportunity to do something about it.

I remember interviewing Piers Morgan [then editor of the Daily Mirror] when I was 17 for the Oxford Union and he was such a pr*ck. His argument basically centred around, “You’re rich, you’re making money out of this, who the f**k are you to question it?” I was like, “I hate you!” I wanted to storm out and it took all my strength not to, and in that talk he basically told me about phone hacking and everything.

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