One of Rationale’s singles opens with the line “Everybody wants something from nothing” sang in his trademark soulful baritone. While that statement is correct, we’d also like to stress out that we personally want more from this gifted multi-genre British performer, who’s about to embark on his first US tour. Before he hits LA and NYC, here are 10 things you should know about the Zimbabwean R&B crooner.

He Comes From Zimbabwe and London

Rationale was born in Zimbabwe, where he fell in love with music and eventually landed in London at the tender age of eight. “I came fresh of the boat as they say and didn’t have a very good grasp of English at the time,” he revealsin a quiet, smooth voice. “I was like some kind of a character from television soap. People would always find my deep Zimbabwean accent quite amusing. It took me about a year to start speaking English properly. And I probably sound very, very English now.”

He Got Music From His Mother

He didn’t just get the British accent, he also embraced the rich musical environment of the United Kingdom and came up with his own musical identity that includes everything from pop, soul and electronics. “I’ve always been a massive music fan since I was a kid. My mom was a big record collector and she would listen to everything from Steve Wonder, Prince and Paul McCartney. Music was always a big thing in our house,” he explains. Would he like to go back to Zimbabwe and play a gig there? “Oh man, that would be a dream. I’d love to go check the places where my mom saw Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder play. And to play to a homecoming crowd and speak in my native Shona to them. I would even write a song in Shona.”

Bullying Pushed Him To Music

“I wasn’t the most popular kid in school," Rationale confesses. "I was quite small for my age. Big head, small body. So people found that quite amusing and I was bullied a lot. So I used music as a way to communicate with people. Throughout my teens I continued to concentrate on music. I found out that I can communicate any idea better if I write it down. I started writing songs in my teens and tried to learn instruments. Fast forward to now I’m still trying to emulate the greats that I love so much.” Should we expect an anti-bullying anthem from Rationale any time soon? “It hasn’t happened yet, so let’s say it’s on the list.”

He Taught Music Himself

“I did do a short college course about recording, but unfortunately it wasn’t very good and I ended up learning a lot of things myself," the singer explains. "So a lot of my processes are DIY. Just picking up things as I work. Unlike a lot of my peers who did have a proper music education.”

His Ex-Stage Name Was Tinashe

No, he didn’t work as Tinashe, the “2 On” hitmaker, impersonator. He just had a pretty similar stage name prior to settling down with the current moniker. Did he ever get the chance to meet Tinashe the singer at least? “Not yet, but working with her could be fun as I think she’s quite talented.” He wasn’t shocked when he found out about her. “You can’t mock somebody for using their birth name. If your name’s Peter you can’t stop using it just because there are other Peters making music. It was actually a great push for me to try something new. This new moniker that I’m using has allowed me to be so free to reinvent myself. And it’s all about reinvention, from David Bowie to Blood Orange.”

His Stage Name Comes From a Charity

“I had a job once for a charity where I had to sit at the telephone and I was given that speech that I would start every phone call with. The charity was collecting money for starving children in Africa. And in the middle of that speech there was a section called 'Rationale,' which helped explaining why it’s important to donate money for that cause. I stayed at that job for about five days ‘cause after that my soul was so tortured from trying to get money from people. But that one word stuck with me. So when I started doing music, completely broke, and had to create a name for myself, that came back to me. It’s a justification for what you gotta do. And without music I can’t seem to find a balance. I suppose it sounds a bit cheesy, but it’s the meaning of life for me.”

He’s All About The '80s

“My music borrows a lot from the '80s at the moment," he says, "so I’d say I’m having this modern twist on the '80s romantic kind of sound. There are also a lot of influences from film and nostalgia, too. So if you like, I’m making powerful '80s pop songs.” What’s his biggest goal then? “I dream about writing that one song that touches people all over the world. Something timeless. Look at Adele—she’s an unconventional popstar. Look, I’m no fool. I know that I won’t win any beauty contests any time soon. So I always set out to make music that matters more than the person making it.”

His US Tour Starts Today

His US tour (which is “daunting and exciting at the same time”) kicks off in Los Angeles today (June 2) and then the singer heads to San Francisco, New York, Chicago and Toronto. “People are gonna expect a big show. The challenge for any electronic act is that it’s difficult to translate something live and not feel like it’s just a bunch of backing tracks. I may not play the same style of music as my idols but I’m really going to try to use their experiences for my live shows. My shows back home got some very nice reviews and response from the crowd. So I want to take that and bring it to America.” Any guilty pleasures he can’t wait to expose himself to while on the road? “The whole band turns up for two things. We either sit and listen to a lot of Stevie Wonder or watch Prince’s concerts.”

He’s Quite an Adventurous Driver

He already has a potential LA chapter for his future memoir. “I was in LA recently and we were at the airport where we needed to get a car. I really wanted to get a big Mustang, this classic American car. It wasn’t available but I managed to get a Dodge, which was way too big for me and I looked ridiculous in it. But I didn’t care. And when you’re in a different country, it’s difficult to drive. On my way to one of the studio sessions I forgot which country I was in and decided that the best thing to do was to drive on the left side of the road. I could hear all these people hooting and couldn’t understand what the problem was as I seemed to be driving fine. And then I saw the oncoming traffic and cars coming about 70 miles an hour about to hit me head on. I’m still not sure how I managed to get on the right track. Just behind me there happened to be a police officer who came up to me and said 'Are you effin’ crazy?' I apologized and said I was from England and he let me off. That was surely the wildest thing that happened to me in the last few months.” We suggest sending that cop a ticket to his show. “Oh yeah,” the singer agrees with a laugh, “this is a good idea.”

His Album is Coming This Year

There’s an album to be expected this year. “That’s my main focus this year. I also have a couple of things coming up with other artists like Bastille.” Just drive safely!