Elton John has claimed that new acts should avoid entering shows like the "X Factor", and "play in a pub" instead.
The music icon made these comments regarding instant TV fame for emerging acts, during an interview with Rolling Stone UK, ahead of the release of his collaborative album with Brandi Carlile, titled, 'Who Believes In Angels?'.
Offering advice to young musicians, Elton John said: "Just keep trying to play live. That's the way you improve as a musician and songwriter".
He continued: "It doesn’t matter if you’re playing to 40 people. The more experience you get playing to nobody, the better. Because when I played in Musicology, we played to hardly anybody sometimes".
"That experience stood me in great stead for when I became Elton John because I had backbone. And backbone is so important, because the worst thing that can happen to you in the industry are things like X Factor and instant fame on television where you have no experience of playing live".
"You get put on stage, you go, and you can’t do it. That’s the worst thing. American Idol - just the worst. Take risks. Go and play in a pub".
Elsewhere, Elton John also paid tribute to Brandi Carlile, saying he loves "what's inside of her musically and creatively".
"I love her so much and not just as a person, but I love what's inside of her musically and creatively", he said. "It hasn’t really touched the surface. I think it’s beginning to, but it’s got so much further to go".
"She’s like an embryo at the moment, and she’s done a hell of a lot to be an embryo, but she’s going to just burst".
Earlier this month, Elton John had heaped the praise on Carlile, calling her his "soulmate".
'Who Believes In Angels?' arrives on April 4. Find out more on this from Nova here.
