Tell us a little bit about the time between 'Some Say I So I Say Light' and 'Shedding Skin'. Was this a case of being able to withdraw yourself and concentrate on the writing?

It's a while back now so it's quite hard to remember... I've always recorded ideas and such on my phone and laptop or whatever on the road - field recording type stuff. I guess the album starts as an accumulation as scraps of those ideas and then developing the good ones into fully fleshed demos. It was a combination of stuff like that really. I knew after the second record I definitely wanted to jump into a third, it was just working out what direction, sonically, I wanted to go in and what I wanted to say lyrically. It was just about going with it and whatever comes out comes out. 'Shedding Skin' is where my head is at now, in that sense.

'Some Say I So I Say Light' felt more angsty than 'Shedding Skin'. Was that almost a fallout from the hype surrounding your first album, 'Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam'?

I wouldn't say fallout, really. I've always tried to make records that represent where I am mentally and physically and how I see the world at that moment in time, and my interactions with the world. And that was the mood at the time. It was never a kind of "oh difficult second album" or anything - I just wanted to make a second record and I made it how it needed to be made. It's been nice that there's been definite buzz about 'Shedding Skin'. I just get on with it and I'm pleased to be around, still doing stuff with three records under my belt!

There seem to be artists who take the opportunity to create music as their job for granted, so it's refreshing to hear someone say they're just pleased to be making music.

Yeah, definitely. Especially in today's industry that we're in. One - it's difficult to get records out there and two - it's difficult to maintain a career. And that's not to say I've maintained a career as such but I'm definitely trying to solidify myself as much as possible. I can't complain thus far.

Is it easy to become disconnected with the pressures of the industry, with artists being pressured to curate images for themselves first and foremost, and to find yourself peeling back to focus on songwriting?

I just feel it's important to live a life. Music and the making of music is important to me but just as important is living. I was involved in stuff like social media before I started doing music professionally - it didn't occur to me at any moment to become a character or to shape my online existence in a particular way because it makes life harder - you have to maintain that! From the beginning I've always wanted to be myself so in the long run it's an easier ride in terms of people's perceptions. I haven't changed since the beginning really except for becoming more confident in what I'm trying to achieve creatively. I just want to be me and see where that takes me.

Have you played in Poland before and how does it compare to the UK in terms of crowds?

Yes - I've played Tauron Nowa Muzyka before actually, as well as my own gigs and other festivals. Crowds have always been really receptive - really enthusiastic and interested in the music and happy to let go in the live setting. As opposed to chin-stroking and more up for a party! I'm intrigued to see how the new material will be received in Poland as I haven't played there since 'Shedding Skin' has been out. I feel this record is a much more immediate experience and that seems to have been the case, fortunately, thus far elsewhere. But I haven't been to Poland for a while so hopefully people will know it!

As a UK artist which have been the UK artists you've been enjoying the most lately?

It's always hard to remember, but Gaz Coombes' new record really sticks out. I like SLAVES also, they're pretty cool, as well as Sleaford Mods. My wife is shouting Nadine Shah because my memory is shit, but it's been such a good year for music so far. Oh - LoneLady also!

Ghostpoet performs at Tauron Nowa Muzyka in Poland this weekend. Get more info on the festival on Last.fm here.

Follow Last.fm elsewhere: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram