George Ezra: End to End documentary helped Hertfordshire singer-songwriter reflect on life and music
Presenter Duncan Golestani asked George Ezra why the singer couldn't resist walking such a long way
Singer-songwriter George Ezra said walking up to 30 miles a day on the famous route from Land's End to John o' Groats gave him an important moment to reflect on life and music.
The Hertfordshire-born performer took on the ambitious challenge with two film-making friends who documented the journey in a new documentary called End to End.
Ezra can be seen battling wind, rain and midges as he contemplates the impact of the Covid pandemic on musicians across the country.
The film follows a journey the singer made in 2021 where he walked an exhausting 1,200 miles over 95 days.
"All of us go at 100mph and often you have your blinkers on and your head is down and there was this opportunity and we were so fortunate to be able to do it," Ezra told ITV News London. "Just time with friends to think and to talk I'm sure it slowed us down," he added.
Below: George Ezra 455 miles into his trip on day 41 of his epic journey from one end of the UK to another
Credit: End to End documentary
George Ezra released his third album Gold Rush Kid this year and like the previous two albums he wanted the record to be tied to a specific journey.
"When lockdown started that was a time when I was meant to be writing and recording, so by the time it came to do the walk I had finished the album," Ezra explained.
"So I thought how do you make sense of this? So we went and visited other musicians on the route. It was the most incredible experience. "We would walk up to 30 miles a day and you could go two days without seeing anyone," he added.
The singer said crossing the border into Scotland was "stunning" and described the landscape as "made for hiking".
But the Highlands proved more challenging and despite incredible views he had to battle boggy ground and midges.
Ezra said he first heard of the Land's End to John o' Groats walk when he was about 14 and completing the challenge became a "fixation".
The film also features acoustic performances and is soundtracked by the creation of new songs from his album, Gold Rush Kid.
End To End will be released in UK and Irish cinemas for one day only on August 29.
The documentary will be followed by an exclusive performance from Ezra and broadcast live to cinemas from the World Premiere in London, tickets are available to book from his website.
Unscripted is ITV News' arts and entertainment podcast, brought to you by ITV News Arts Editor Nina Nannar. In each episode, Nina speaks to a leading name from the world of arts and entertainment.