Smooth-singing Tottenham artist Lemar is back with a new album and tour.

The double Brit Award-winner will be coming to London in September to give fans a sneak listen to his new songs ahead of The Letter being released on October 9.

Recorded in the legendary EastWest Studios in LA, where Sinatra recorded My Way and Marvin Gaye made Let’s Get It On the album is a combination of reinterpreted soul classics and brand new, original tracks.

Lemar, a former accounts manager at NatWest in Enfield, has reinterpreted tracks by a who’s who of the great soul singers, including Al Green, Sam Cooke and Van Morrison, while purposefully avoiding the obvious track choices.

He says: “For me, the artists who have made this type of album – interpreting other people’s work – and done it convincingly have taken a no-holds-barred approach. If I was going to do this, I had to do it properly. My versions had to be raw and gritty. They had to expose the essence of the songs.”

Legendary producer Larry Klein, who has worked with the likes of Tracy Chapman, Norah Jones and Joni Mitchell produced the album. And The Waters - who previously worked with Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and more recently Adele - took up backing vocalist duties on the album.

Lemar says: “The calibre of musicians and the vibe in the studio made it special. So many great artists have recorded there. Being inspired has so much to do with the vibe. It’s hard to write a happy song when you’re down. Being in those rooms, knowing who had been before me was inspirational.”

Bush Hall, Uxbridge Road, Shepherd Bush, September 21. Details: http://gigst.rs/Lemar