Lewis Capaldi is a world-famous musician. He should be having the time of his life. Is he?

Lewis Capaldi is embarking on a journey of the mind and soul.

That journey started in his hometown, Whitburn, Scotland, a place the musician describes in his Netflix documentary “How I’m Feeling Now” as a “small town, lots of pubs.” Music was an early love. As kids, Capaldi and his brother, Warren, played guitar together; when Capaldi was a teen, his dad drove him to gigs in nearby Glasgow.

During a recent concert stopover in Toronto, Capaldi, 26, said he can’t believe how far his lifelong dream has taken him.

A quick recounting of just how far: in 2019, his debut album “Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent” sold 10 million copies worldwide; the following year, “Someone You Loved” won Song of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards. Last year, “Forget Me” racked up more than a billion streams on Spotify and his second album, “Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent,” will be released on May 19.

The lad is having a hell of a time.

Or he should be.

“Sometimes I feel I’ve bitten off more than I can chew,” admitted Capaldi. The Scots, he said, are realists, often pessimists. When they attend sports matches, ready to cheer on their team of choice, they expect those same teams to lose. From this perspective, you can relax and hope for the best. It’s “a head f–k,” Capaldi said, to be someone whose wildest dreams have been actualized.

“I was with my therapist the other day and I said I’m having a hard time accepting this reality.”

Fame has added new pressures. Capaldi said he’s long struggled with his mental health, including anxiety. In 2022, he was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological condition.

“Any sort of extreme emotion brings it on: stress, happiness or anxiety,” said Capaldi. “With the job I’ve chosen you either seem to be stressed or worried, no in between. I feel those extreme emotions regularly. If I stopped doing music tomorrow, I think most of my anxieties, worries or stresses might feel 10 times better, but not doing something I love (isn’t great either).”

Capaldi’s all-access Netflix documentary shows him struggle to reconcile global fame with the small-town roots that formed him. Watching the doc for the first time was a “cathartic” experience, he said.

“I saw something I didn’t expect; I never realized how much of my life was commanded by stress and anxiety. The last couple years weren’t all doom and gloom, but (there was) struggle.”

He added, “But cathartic doesn’t need to be pleasant.”

Since filming the documentary, Capaldi is getting healthier, he said, with regular exercise and a new-found commitment to meditation (he expresses his love of the Calm app). He’s grateful for the “unrelenting” support of his fans. He’s taking things day by day.

If there’s one thing that Capaldi said grounds him, it’s those he loves.

“I’m not taken by spectacular views, nature doesn’t really do anything for me, but being around people I love, I’m lucky,” said Capaldi. In between touring dates, he meets up with his family and friends in Whitburn pubs, still his gathering place of choice.

“When I come home, we’ll walk to the pub, sit there and get drunk, and it’ll be like I never left,” said Capaldi. “It’s a comfort thing for me — my friends are precious about not checking in every day and vice versa. We have an understanding because roots are so deep.”

His latest single, “Wish You the Best,” is out now. (Sample lyrics: Right now, you’re probably by the ocean/While I’m still out here in the rain/With every day that passes by since we’ve spoken/It’s like Glasgow gets farther from L.A.) Of his new album, Capaldi says with a laugh, “The label gave us more money!” Then more seriously: “It’s inspired by whatever’s going on in my life. The first album leans heavily on songs of heartbreak, this one is love songs and songs focusing on my mental well being.”

Where will he be in 10 years? Capaldi smiled. “With a smaller-scaled life and hopefully some great songs under my belt.”

SHARE: