Passenger Shares Details on How His North American Tour Is Different and His Message for Donald Trump

Char Little

Passenger was at one point best known for his breakout hit, “Let Her Go,” back in 2012. His growing success since then has sparked more buzz and he hasn’t slowed down a bit since then. Now, the British crooner is gearing up to kick off the North American leg of his tour to support his newest album, “Young as the Morning Old as the Sea.” Entertainment Voice spoke with Passenger, whose real name is Michael David Rosenberg, as he opened up about what concertgoers can expect from the North American leg of his tour, his latest album, “Young as the Morning Old as the Sea,” and of course making history with, “Let Her Go.”

“It’s been pretty relentless and crazy,” said Passenger of his tour so far. “This time it’s really different. This tour is with a full band for the first time in North America. Therefore, I’m really excited. Usually, I just play solo with me and a guitar, which I think it’s great. But it’s been really nice to bring a full band since the crowds have only seen a solo show.”

Passenger started as a five-member group. However, when it disbanded, Rosenberg kept making music under the moniker. Now, he continues to make a name for himself and even seems to have formed a special bond with his band as they partake in a special ritual before hitting the stage.

“I just get the band together and we just drink a Whiskey. Funny enough, I don’t know if it’s scientifically proven but it gets me in the mood and relaxes my throat. I don’t really do any vocal warm-ups or anything like that.”

Passenger said he loves to belt out his latest music. Still, his earlier hits never get old either. 

“Most of the time when you’ve just written a song, it’s lovely to play it,” said Passenger. “It’s just so fresh and raw. But then sometimes I can go back to an older song and play it and be like, ‘Wow that’s a great song.’ The bottom line is, I feel very lucky that I can go around the world and play songs that I love.”

Before going around the world and becoming a major artist, Passenger used to have spontaneous performances on the streets of Europe, a term known as “busking.” While he has come a long way since then, he said it’s something he hopes to continue to do in the future despite selling out shows.

His current tour in support of his newest album, “Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea.” It is an album that has a title that personally resonates with Passenger.

“It’s one of the longest titles ever,” he laughs. “It’s also one of the songs on the record. There are a few things that play out throughout the record like the theme of nature and wilderness. I think the title helps sum that up. I also think it’s on a more personal level that I feel both young and old. This is album number eight, I’ve been on a few tours and I’ve been traveling for a long time. But at the same time I’m only 32. It’s the truth to where I’m at right now.”

Just like his tour brings something new to North America, recording the album offered a similar experience. Passenger explains that he recorded for the first time in Auckland, New Zealand; switching from his regular studio in Sydney. This allowed him to record with the band and create a fun experience together.

The album itself has seen much success as it reached the number one spot on the U.K. albums chart.

“I was really surprised,” Passenger said of the album that bested Bruce Springsteen and Shawn Mendes. “When I found out they were releasing the same week, I thought ‘Any chance we have is gone.’ But I was so proud. This is an independent release. I’m not signed to a major label. So to enjoy that kind of commercial success, I was really proud of myself and of my team that works so, so hard to make it happen.”

He said that he hopes his success sends a message to other independent artists that they too can achieve success and “compete with the big boys.”

His first hit song, “Let Her Go,” also experienced lots of success as it joined the Billion Views Club on YouTube; something that artists such as Beyonce still have yet to achieve.

“You look at other people who reached a billion views who have massive, fantastic art. I don’t think I belong in that group. That video cost us $5,000 to make. You don’t necessarily need a million dollar budget to get up there and resonate with people.”

Passenger also made headlines after releasing a song via Instagram that is sort of an open letter to Donald Trump called “Kindly Reminder.” Passenger addresses his travel ban, stance on climate change and more pressing issues. Passenger said it is important for him to use his platform to speak out on impactful topics.

“You’re the first one to ask about it actually,” he said. “I’m half-American so I feel a real love for this country. It’s difficult with politics and music. It’s the first time I’ve spoken out about something. I feel it’s the responsibility of artists to speak our minds. If you look back at popular music in past decades and people like Bob Dylan…it was a common thing. I felt like it was an important thing to do. I knew it would upset people. But it’s very light-hearted and the lyrics are pretty silly.”

Passenger‘s North American leg of his tour kicks off March 7, making stops at NYC’s Beacon Theatre March 11 and L.A.’s The Wiltern April 1. Get your tickets for the shows here.

“Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea” is available on Apple Music.