British singer/songwriter James Bay recently visited The Recording Academy's headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to participate in an exclusive GRAMMY.com interview. Bay discussed how he discovers melody, enjoys songwriting and the lessons he's learned playing small clubs and bars, among other topics.

"Playing in small clubs and bars … I learned some of the most important things that I couldn't have learned anywhere else. You can't learn them in a classroom," said Bay. "For me it was all about trying to grab people with a song they'd never, ever heard before, they could have never have heard before, because it was just mine."

A native of Hitchen, England, Bay is inspired by artists such as James Blake, Miles Davis and Bruce Springsteen. In 2013 he opened for the Rolling Stones and signed with Republic Records before releasing his debut EP, The Dark Of The Morning. He followed with 2014's Let It Go, featuring the title track, which peaked at No. 10 on the UK Singles chart.

Released March 23, Bay's debut studio album, Chaos And The Calm, is produced by GRAMMY winner Jacquire King (Buddy Guy, Kings Of Leon). The album topped the UK chart and peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200, featuring 12 tracks, including "Let It Go," "When We Were On Fire" and "Hold Back The River." In February Bay won the 2015 Brit Award for Critics' Choice.

He is currently on an international tour with dates scheduled through February 2016.