'I'd love to be doing this for years': Rex Orange County on how success has changed his life

Rex Orange County never intended to be as popular as he is now.

"I just wanted to make music so I could perform it," he said in an interview with q's Tom Power. "I just wanted to play on stage, that's all I wanted to do."

But four years after self-releasing his debut album bcos u will never b free on SoundCloud, the English recording artist, whose real name is Alexander O'Connor, can't escape his fame. 

Rex Orange County has released two more studio albums since then, his latest being Pony. He's also performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, released a cover of You've Got a Friend in Me with the song's creator Randy Newman, and will be performing at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival and the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival this year. 

Watch Rex Orange County perform 10/10 in the q studio below.

Rex Orange County also worked with Tyler, the Creator on his album Flower Boy, which he described as "very surreal and exciting."

"He blessed me. He did a lot for me, and I owe him everything," he said. "He also just inspired me to do my thing and be myself and not be just a product of him only."

You can catch Rex Orange County on tour now.

Download our podcast or click the 'Listen' link near the top of this page to hear the full conversation with Rex Orange County.

— Produced by ​Vanessa Nigro