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Nutini finds his vibe

Paolo Nutini.

He was the fastest-selling UK artist last year and was nominated for a Brit Award in the Best British Male category, losing out to Ed Sheeran on Wednesday night.

Yet 27-year-old Scottish singer and songwriter Paolo Nutini isn’t that comfortable with all the attention coming his way. His third studio album, Caustic Love, is being compared to the 1970s blues-soul music of legends such as the late Joe Cocker and Rod Stewart.

On the record Nutini charms his fans with his self-doubt, an existential wanderlust and pins his hopes on soul, funk and the blues — and he seems to do what he likes.

“I don’t read reviews,” Nutini says on the phone from his home in Paisley, Scotland. “I know they exist but I just go about my business and do what I do.

“I follow a vibe, an energy and try not to get sidetracked by what people are saying.

“To be honest, I only really know what people think of my music when they come up to me and tell me directly. When I speak to people after my shows they say they are genuinely into the album and it’s all I could hope for.”

Caustic Love, which debuted at No. 1 in the UK, was released in April last year. It followed the 1.8 million copies sold worldwide of his second album, Sunny Side Up, in 2009. The five-year wait between albums saw Nutini spend a few of those on the road touring and it was during this time he last visited Australia, in 2009.

When it came time to making Caustic Love he felt most comfortable exploring hard-funk rhythms, occasional rock riffs and collaboration.

This comes with the likes of Janelle Monae on Fashion, which samples the Charlie Chaplin classic The Great Dictator.

Discovered performing on a stage in New York in the early 2000s, Nutini was taken under the wing of music executive Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records.

He signed a label deal in 2005 and the rest, as they say, is history.

His grandfather Jackie (who migrated from Barga, Tuscany) was a big influence on his decision to pursue music.

Nutini has travelled back to Italy since he was one year old and says he still feels deeply connected to his Italian roots.

“It’s such a different way of life,” says Nutini, who spent several months there last year mapping songs now on Caustic Love.

“It’s a reminder of how simple life should be. It sounds crazy to say this but I liked watching plants grow when I was there,” he says.

“Having that time away from the big city showed me how important it is to do things with your hands and get in touch with nature. Being on the road is a totally different beast. These little towns in Tuscany aren’t overrun by commercialism or consumerism,” Nutini says.

A combination of good looks, whisky- soaked vocals and, perhaps, a song dedicated to his mother Linda helps lure a dedicated female fan base. But for the most part Nutini is more interested in singing about relationships and questions life’s greatest purpose through his songwriting.

He’s a fan of Russian literature — though he won’t be learning Russian any time soon — he wants to speak fluent Italian by this time next year. “With my name and background it feels I am really giving Italians a slap in the face to say I can’t speak the language that well,” Nutini says.

“I can understand others and I can speak a few words but by spending more time there I plan on getting better.”

Paolo Nutini plays the West Coast Blues ‘N’ Roots festival on March 29.