Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, aka Rory Graham, to make album after hit Human

FIVE years ago Rory Graham worked as a career for people with Aspergers. Today as Rag’n’Bone Man he is making a name for himself as a singer.

Remember the name Rag’n’Bone Man as Rory Graham may have a rewarding career ahead of him as a singer/songwriter. Picture: Sony

RORY Graham is towering proof that old-fashioned promotion still works in the music business.

As British musician Rag’n’Bone Man, he’s been following his single Human around Europe, doing all the radio, TV and print interviews on offer.

“A lot of artists refuse to do days and days of promotion, they feel they can just rely on social media,” Graham says. “I was in Europe doing 12 radio stations in a day, performing Human at each one, doing interviews at each one, just trying to connect with people on radio or TV. At the end of the day you just want to sit in the dark, but it’s worth it.

“We did that in Germany, the song went to No. 1 in Germany. Same in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Sweden — it’s working everywhere. It reinstalls your faith that you don’t have to rely on social media.”

Human is already being compared to Hozier’s Take Me To Churchfor its instant impact, honest lyrics and throwback to ‘real’ music in a time of corporate pop. “I love that song,” Graham says. “I wish I’d written it. For me with Human’s lyrics it was like when you stick your thumb at the end of a hose pipe. It has to come out somewhere, it’s better you release it through a song.”

Five years ago Graham was working as a carer for people with Aspergers, making music on the side.

“It was a great job, it teaches you compassion and empathy. I grew up around people with learning difficulties.” After live work — mainly as a rapper — he signed a publishing deal (“I had just about enough money to quit my job and work on music every day”) and began to focus on singing.

He’s found many people don’t match his soulful voice with his thug-life look — although the tattoos on his knuckles read ‘soul’ and ‘funk’ rather than the usual ‘love’ and ‘hate’.

“People like to have an angle. I’m cool with it now. People hear with their eyes sometimes, they expect you to look a certain way. I hope it maybe helps break that a little bit.

“It’s cool when people say ‘I thought you were black’. I was listening to Muddy Waters when I was 12. I grew up listening to great black singers. It’s a compliment.”

Rory Graham, aka Rag’n’Bone Man, used to work as a carer for people with Aspergers. Picture: Sony

After a string of EPs, his debut album will come out next year, including a collaboration with Foy Vance who helped finish a “super personal” song called Odetta.

“Every song on the album has to work like Human does, you can play it acoustically and it still sounds good. Some people are too reliant on the production over the song, you’re distracted by the bells and whistles not the story.”

Human may be an old school song, but it’s dominating the new school technology of streaming — Graham says the royalties are yet to come flooding in.

“It does seem slightly unfair sometimes when you look at the figures. Your song has had 10 million streams and when you get the royalties you could maybe buy a coffee and some Nandos. But it’s made people push their live game up. We’ve got to get out there and give more because the revenues for sales and streams just isn’t there unless you’re Adele. That’s great for me, the best thing about this whole thing is playing live. I’d be on tour every day of the year if I could.”

Hear Human (Sony) out now