I'd love my degree from university, because I'm one subject away from having a Bachelor of Arts, which I know I can't use, but it annoys me. I probably should do that one subject. Yeah, I'd love to learn how to cook professionally, from scratch.

-Just taking a bit of time out after this then to see what happens?
I don't think I will, I'd like to. The reality is I'll probably go on a course for two weeks. To be fair, I think the next two years of my life are pretty much sewn up. I'm up for it.

I don't think second chances come very often, and I definitely feel like this is a second chance in my mainstream career. I'm excited about that.

-I wanted to ask a bit about the artwork for Secret Codes and Battleships. Was John Gilsenan [the designer] someone you respected?
Very much! My whole thing with this record was I wanted something tangible to balance out the digital world that we live in. I loved what he did. I knew that I wanted a collaged, maximist vibe for the front cover. I wanted a cover that you could get lost in.

I sent him a fan letter to say: "Look, this is what I'm doing". God, we did stuff for a year before he did the album cover. I told him the album title, and he made up symbols and codes.

He was involved even in the photo shoots, everything from the colours I wore, to the type-face. All that stuff is so important to me, because it's the stuff that got me into music as a child.

I would obsess over packaging, the credits. In terms of a world for a record to exist in, I was inspired by Prince, Michael Jackson's Dangerous, Fleetwood Mac's Tusk. Those kind of records where that world is so much a part of the music. The visuals, to me, are just as important as the sound.

-To get the whole package rather than a stand-alone song?
Just to paint a picture. You mentioned in the beginning about singles and the dismemberment of the album as an artform. I loved that this is a way for you to also see it as one whole work.

-I was told before the interview that I should ask you about your Star Wars audition?
[Laughing]God, it was embarrassing. I'm such a fan, I'm such a geek - I grew up obsessed with the movies, obviously. Basically, at the height of Savage Garden, for some reason we had an acting agent, which is hilarious because everyone in Hollywood had one.

I shocked them because I went to a meeting and said "I don't want to be in any films, I just want to be in Star Wars! Get me in that movie!" They eventually got me an audition for Episode III, the really bad one.

I sat in front of the casting director, and it was that classic Hollywood thing. She looked at me, looked at the script and actually said "I'm looking at you, I'm looking at the script, and I'm just like...I don't have anything for you".

I was like...okay. She said "Do you want to look at the set?" "Yes!" So, I got to walk around looking at the spaceships, so I was happy. There you go…my Hollywood career.

-You mentioned Episode III. I'd guess you weren't a big fan of the new trilogy?
No, not really at all, in any way, shape or form! I like the lightsabers, but that's about it.

-I'd also assume, then, you've not reacted brilliantly to the changes George Lucas is making for the Blueray release?
No, I haven't. I just think what would be really cool, and I think people are asking for is, he needs to make the original theatrical release, without any changes, on DVD and Blueray, and be done with it.

Let the moaners like me have that, it's all we want! Then go away and Photoshop anything you want into the films, we don't care. I think it's that idea of permanently changing cinema history. It's a disturbing thought.

-To round off, looking past the album, what do you have planned for the rest of the year?
To be fair, it's a lot of touring. I hope, come January, the third single 'Bloodstained Heart' will be taken to radio in the UK, then later in that year to the US. There's a lot planned, and a lot of hopes and dreams. All of it involves a lot of travelling and singing my arse off. I'm up for it, it's been a long time coming.

Female First - Alistair McGeorge

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