Three years ago, James Blunt was a former British Army captain who was hoping to jump-start his singing career.

James Blunt

Now, the UK songwriter is a multiplatinum artist with legions of fans and a much-hyped sophomore album on the way. Blunt, whose debut album Back to Bedlam has sold some 11 million copies around the world is prepping a follow-up to it.

All the Lost Souls, as the album is dubbed, is set to hit stores Sept. 18 on Custard/Atlantic. The album will be preceded July 23 by the single "1973."

Blunt recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Tom Rothrock and his touring band. A number of the tracks have been part of Blunt's set for months, including "I Really Want You," "Same Mistake," and "Annie."

"For me, there was absolutely no pressure whatsoever," Blunt said in a statement. "Having sold over 11 million albums, I know that the likelihood of doing that again is really minimal. Instead of setting that as a target, I set out to do and record something that I really enjoy, that I'm really happy with. It was a release, in a way. It's something that I can say shows my growth and a development as a songwriter and as a musician, shows development in my own life, and records and documents it in that way."

The artist is gearing up for a July 7 performance at the London edition of Live Earth and is expected to tour in support of All the Lost Souls later this year.