Lewis Capaldi on feeling “fucking dejected, disappointed, sad and just worthless” after burnout, and never wanting to “phone it in” ever again

Lewis Capaldi has opened up about feeling “fucking dejected, disappointed, sad and just worthless” after burnout.

• READ MORE: Lewis Capaldi – ‘Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent’ review: overwrought and frustrating

The Scottish singer-songwriter returned in November last year with an EP, ‘Survive’, marking his first new music since his 2023 album ‘Broken By Desire to Be Heavenly Sent‘.

It followed his surprise set on the Pyramid Stage at last year’s Glastonbury, which was a particularly poignant slot as his break from performing live started after he was forced to cut his set on the same stage in 2023 short due to struggling with tics caused by Tourette’s.

Now, he’s reflected on his 2023 set in a new interview with Billboard UK, describing it as “a very public breakdown.”

“Looking back, anyone could see that I felt fucking dejected, disappointed, sad and just worthless that day,” he said. “But as soon as I got off stage, I was like, ‘I’m taking a break now.’ It felt like a weight had been lifted. People saw how fucking detrimental things can get.”

He went on to say: “When I got my Tourette’s diagnosis, I thought to myself, ‘Oh well, just carry on. This is life now,’” he says. “I wanted to finish the tour, almost as a badge of honour, and then get to Glastonbury – but I probably should have never been up there in the first place.”

Last year, Capaldi described his most recent Glastonbury set as the “best day” of his life, and has now told Billboard about his plans moving forward, telling the publication he is “happy and secure” enough to admit he’s “unsure” what his future looks like.

He revealed he is keen to work with new collaborators on an upcoming new album – that is currently not yet in the works – but wants to be involved in “every single aspect of the production,” and “not compromise” on the recording process.

“I feel the most confused and lost I’ve ever been in my career. But it’s a really good thing; I feel like I have absolutely no idea what the fuck I’m doing,” he said. “Around the second album, I became so hyper-focused on chasing a hit record that I was just doing shit on the fly and handing off songs to producers. I don’t want to phone in anything ever again. The people who listen to my music deserve better; I deserve better.”

Capaldi previously revealed that several celebrities had lied about checking in on him during his health break.

Elsewhere in the interview, Capaldi opened up about his friendship with Sam Fender and Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten and how it has inspired him musically.

In other news, Capaldi is topping the bill at BST Hyde Park and Roundhay Festival 2026 on Saturday July 11 and Sunday July 12. The massive outdoor gigs will form part of his UK and Ireland headline tour this summer, and you can find any remaining tickets here.

Last month, the Scottish singer-songwriter played a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, and ahead of the gig, surprised fans with a pop-up concert outside a florist in New York’s Penn Station. It was there that he debuted new track ‘Stay Love’, and the gig drew such a big crowd that it was almost shut down by police.

In other news, Capaldi was recently revealed to feature on the “mystery vinyl” with pitched-down vocals, with the official release set to arrive in record stores on Record Store Day.

Since making his comeback, Lewis Capaldi has made a surprise appearance at a charity event alongside Matty Healy, made a cameo in Taylor Swift’s ‘Opalite’ music video, and hinted at new music on the way.

The post Lewis Capaldi on feeling “fucking dejected, disappointed, sad and just worthless” after burnout, and never wanting to “phone it in” ever again appeared first on NME.