The following interview appeared in a September  2023 issue of  THE TORONTO STAR...

‘I’m still a student of music’ — Sting reflects on his long career ahead of his Toronto show

The solo artist and former Police frontman on his history with Toronto, his “unlikely pairing” with Shaggy and his ongoing love of touring.

Sting says he doesn’t know the secret to writing a hit song, although he’s written many of them. “It’s something that just touches the zeitgeist of people’s imaginations or it’s the right sound at the right time.”

Whether it was with the Police or on his own as a solo performer, Sting has always had a special relationship with Toronto.

The man born Gordon Sumner in Wallsend, England — who will appear at Budweiser Stage on Tuesday — has been one of the few pop and rock superstars to enjoy two massively successful careers: one as frontman of the Police, which helped usher in the new wave era of music with five bestselling studio albums; the other as a solo performer and recording artist, yielding 15 more long-players (not counting the numerous anthologies).

On the way to selling more than 100 million records and receiving accolades that include 17 Grammy Awards; four Emmys; inductions into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll halls of fame; Kennedy Center Honors and numerous others, the 71-years-young Commander of the Order of the British Empire has played Toronto and the surrounding area 39 times, including a six-week starring role in his musical “The Last Ship” in 2019.

“You know, Toronto has always been an interesting place for me, because we have played — and I’ve played — in every feasible venue in your city,” said Sting over a Tuesday morning Zoom call from his Manhattan residence.

“Starting at the Horseshoe and then going to the Edge, Massey Hall — and everything in between — it’s been a fascinating journey. When I look at all the dates I’ve played there, it’s quite extensive, you know?

“So I always look forward to coming back. I also performed my play at the Princess of Wales Theatre a couple of years ago, which is a lovely experience for me, so I’m very happy to come back again.”

He also fond memories of the three Police Picnics promoted by the Garys and held in Oakville and the city from 1981 to ’83.

“Yeah, that became something of a tradition for us to play the picnic and we had people like James Brown — imagine that — on the bill,” Sting recalled. “It was always fun and that’s the kind of thing I miss about those days.”

He also marvels at being able to churn out tunes like “Walking on the Moon” and “King of Pain” during the early days of his career when he played alongside guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland.

“I look back on those songs that I wrote decades ago and I’m still wondering how I did it,” he said. “I’m wondering how I knew what I knew then at the age of 24 or 25. I think it gets harder as you get older to write songs.

“I think if you know more, you’re less sure. It’s a strange paradox, but I’m always grateful for when one turns up.

“But I have to remind myself that all of those songs began with a very simple, intriguing idea, either a line of a lyric or an interval on the guitar, or some memorable riff that I found. They all started small and I built them up gradually, so I have to remind myself that songs don’t appear out of thin air,” he continued, snapping his fingers to illustrate his point.

And no, he doesn’t know the secret to writing a hit song, he laughed.

“It’s something that just touches the zeitgeist of people’s imaginations or it’s the right sound at the right time.

“It’s partly an accident; I mean, I was very fortunate to be in the band I was in at that time. I think gratitude is the only rational emotion to express when I look back at my career. I’ve been very lucky.”

Sting’s varied career has gone in some unexpected directions. His 2006 album “Songs From the Labyrinth” featured music from Elizabethan-era composer John Dowland and 2009’s “If on a Winter’s Night” found him covering centuries-old madrigals, folk songs and hymns.

More recently, he paired up with Jamaican reggae superstar Orville “Shaggy” Burrell for the Grammy-winning Best Reggae Album “44/876.”

The variety keeps him hungry.

“Well, I am hungry,” chuckled Sting, who also produced Shaggy’s 2022 reggae tribute to Frank Sinatra, “Com Fly Wid Mi.”

“For me, music is a search that never really ends,” he explained. “No matter how much you know about music theory or counterpoint, you never get to the end of that. There’s always a better horizon beyond you and I find that exciting.

“So I’m still a student of music. I’m still practising every day. I’m still learning something every day. And I hope that my work reflects that curiosity.”

And because he’s curious, Sting actively seeks musical surprises.

“I need to be intrigued by music,” said Sting, whose newest album, “The Bridge,” was released in 2021.

“When I listen to music, I want surprise more than anything else. I think it’s the most important element in any music. After four bars, I want to be surprised and that’s what I want to create.

“So the choices I make or the people I work with, the type of music I play, the genre I would choose: it’s all about saying, ‘OK, surprise myself’ and then, ‘Surprise the audience,’ because that’s my job.”

He’s got a number of things on the go at the moment: aside from his “My Songs” tour, he’s curating the One Fine Day Festival in Philadelphia with Shaggy, to be held Sept. 9, with the two co-headlining a bill that includes Thundercat, Koffee, Tank and the Bangas, G. Love & Special Sauce and others.

“It’s a very unlikely pairing: Sting and Shaggy,” he smiled. “A lot of people were intrigued by it. Except that when they saw it, it was apparent that we both had a great deal of love and respect for each other and each other’s music.

“Shaggy has such a spontaneous, natural storyteller’s ability. I’m less spontaneous: I’m kind of a little bit tight with my creative process. So it was good to be exposed to somebody who could create on a dime … And I think I had a good effect on him, too.”

While Sting is way beyond worrying about finances — he sold his song catalogue to Universal Music Publishing last year for a reported $300 million (U.S.) or so — he is sympathetic to fellow songwriters who are struggling due to the minuscule royalties afforded them by streaming.

“It’s difficult for songwriters to make a living because of the current time, unless you somehow Velcro a song to a bigger project like a movie or an advertising campaign or a play,” he said. “A song standing alone, the currency has been devalued somewhat. So I think we have to be creative.”

He’s not threatened by the spectre of artificial intelligence looming over the music marketplace.

“I personally am not worried by AI being able to replace me,” Sting said. “I think it has a place, like electronic dance music, which was already made by machines anyway.

“But when AI develops a sense of humour, maybe we should start worrying. It will only be aping our sense of humour. It won’t be its own sense of humour. “

And when he’s not working or touring, how does the father of six, who has been married to second wife Trudie Styler for more than 30 years, spend his time?

“Well, today I’ve got a day off in New York,” he replied. “After these interviews, I might go for a long walk over at Central Park, which I can see right now, and (go) to see a friend.

“Have dinner and go to bed early because I have a show in Las Vegas tomorrow night. And then I’m back at D.C. on the weekend. So it’s based all around getting onstage at 9 o’clock every night, feeling healthy and being ready to entertain people. Everything else is designed around that quest or mission.”

And for Sting, touring never gets old.

“I like playing in all kinds of different venues,” he said. “ I like playing in small theatres. I like playing in clubs. I like playing in big arenas, stadiums even. The residency in Vegas was interesting: I was there for like eight days in a row, so you can just park yourself for a while, which is unusual for me.

“But I’m also addicted to forward momentum. I like moving. I like getting on the bus after the gig and driving to the next city, and waking up in a completely different place. That still excites me.”

© Toronto Star by Nick Krewen