Hey Sam, what are your plans for today?

I’m going to have a chat with you, go take some photos, then have a rehearsal. After that, I’ll pack my bag and head to bed.

Awesome. What are you listening to, reading, and watching at the moment?

• Reading: I’m reading a book called Sapiens, which is absolutely crackers. It’s about the beginning of mankind. It’s pretty nerdy but fascinating—it talks about how there were loads of different species of humans coexisting at one time. There were about seven different types of humans. It’s been kind of blowing my mind.

• Watching: I watched Green Room. That was pretty brutal.

• Listening: Oodles of stuff. But always, always Joni Mitchell. I listen to her all the time—she’s my hero.

What would constitute a perfect day for you?

I don’t know. There are different types of perfect days, aren’t there? Like, there’s a perfect day where I get loads of work done and feel happy with myself. Then there’s a perfect day where I just get lashed and have a great time.

But an idealistic perfect day? Okay. Wake up in the South of Italy—that’s where I want to go on holiday. I’d go to Franco’s for a pizza. If I had a boat, that would be cool.

So, probably something like this: waking up in the South of Italy, having a boat, going around the Mediterranean, getting pissed, and just being a Geordie swashbuckler. Loads of red wine and carbs. That’s a perfect day.

For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

I’m most grateful for my friends because they are wonderful. I’ve got a really, really good group of friends. I know that sounds a bit wet, but it’s really important.

Family and friends, man. You choose your friends, so it’s important. I think growing up, you hang out with a lot of people who might not be the best influences. If you’re lucky enough to find a good set of mates who stick by you for life, that’s the most important thing. There’s nothing I love more than getting off to go see them.

Complete the sentence for me: Ace mental health for me means . . .

What is good mental health? Is it being balanced? I don’t know. I actually struggle with that question.

For me, it’s about staying busy. I get myself in a rut when I’m not doing anything. It’s also easy to turn inward and feel like everything’s against you.

What helps me is helping my friends. If my mates are in bother, or anyone else really, I try to adopt a more selfless approach. When you start looking after the people around you, you subconsciously end up looking after yourself. You’re doing something good, and that makes you feel good.

As long as you’re looking after other people, I think the universe gives that back to you.