It’s been over half a century since Elton John was a “new artist,” but that hasn’t kept him from keeping a finger on the pulse of things. In a new interview, the legendary musician has offered advice to the up-and-coming generation of performers, advising them to skip reality competitions like American Idol and The X Factor, and “go and play in a pub” instead.

The comments were made in John’s recent interview alongside Brandi Carlile for a Rolling Stone UK cover story, ahead of their upcoming collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?. Sharing their “key tips for making it” as a new act, each artist spoke about ways to find success, with John asserting that “the way you improve as a musician and songwriter” is playing live.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re playing to 40 people,” he said. “The more experience you get playing to nobody,...