Example is back with a new single and a new sound. Watch the Sun Come Up is an uplifting pop anthem that is a million miles from the comedy raps that populated the west Londoner’s debut album.

He spoke to Will Gore ahead of appearances at Banquet Records and New Slang.

Tell us about Watch The Sun Come Up It’s a summer love song, ballady-type. It’s about the aftermath when you get back to London and you realise you probably weren’t in love.

Is it based on your own experiences?

It was partly my experience and one of my mates who met this girl in Ibiza. He was going on about how beautiful she was and when he got home he met up with her in Norwich and she wasn’t great.

Have you been out to Ibiza this year?

I’m heading out there this weekend – it’ll be my fifth time this summer. I’ve got two gigs in Ibiza then I’m heading to Mallorca.

The new single seems to mark a change in direction for you, doesn’t it?

This song is more poppy, more catchy and more uplifting and I’m really proud of the new album [Won’t Go Quietly, which will be released in January]. All of the songs have been written in a certain way, with big choruses and short rapped verses. The old one was lots of long raps but there is not much of that on this one.

What do you put the change down to?

People progress and change. A lot of my first album was written when I was 23 and I’m 27 now. I’ve grown up and you could probably say I’ve become more romantic – I have to say that, anyway, don’t I? When I started, I was more concerned with whether I’d be accepted on the hip-hop scene. I was listening to Roots Manuva, Wu Tang and Skinny Man non-stop whereas, more recently, I’ve been listening to a wider range of stuff and going back to the Kinks, the Beatles and a lot of Motown.

Example, Banquet Records instore and New Slang @ McClusky’s, September 24. Visit banquetrecords.com