The Story Behind "When I'm Alone"

So when I'm alone, I feel like, you know, it's the song that is responsible for my career in many ways.

• It was the iTunes Song of the Year in 2010.
• It got up to number one, at least for a day, in Norway in the summer of 2010.
• I performed it on The Tonight Show.

I've had all of these big experiences because of "When I'm Alone."

A Memorable Performance

A fun memory was when, you know, the band and I played on Jimmy Fallon. This was before he became the main host of The Tonight Show.

• His band is the Roots.
• Our British drummer, Stuart, couldn't get a visa to come over to the US just to do this TV show.

So Eric Lewis and I, my original bandmates on bass and lead guitar, didn't have a drummer to play with us. Somehow it worked out that Questlove actually learned "When I'm Alone" and played it on the drums with us.

We performed "When I'm Alone" with Questlove on the Jimmy Fallon Show. That was pretty major!

The Impact of a Song

The song just kind of got me buzzed.

• I was getting press.
• I was getting radio play.
• It was briefly on Radio 1 before I became more of a Radio 2 artist in the UK.

So much opportunity came from "When I'm Alone." I've been in multiple situations in different countries where people, if they've been having some drinks and see me, will literally run over and sing, "When I'm alone with you."

I love this because it is so special to me that it has been special to so many people. I forget sometimes how many places my music has found its way to.

A Life Beyond Music

I live on this farm and have kind of this other life next to my music life. It's fun when I get out and about to realize that maybe someone danced to this song 12 years ago at a festival with the man they now are married to and have three kids with.

I've seen how this song was the soundtrack of the summer of 2010 for people. I get to follow up with them, people who were 20 then, and now in their early 30s.

It's heartwarming to know that it was a song they associated with the summer they fell in love, or other significant moments in their lives.

I just feel so honored that I get to be part of people's stories via my music.