Matty Healy missed an opportunity to ask Taylor Swift to collaborate with him - but believes "she will do it" eventually.

Matty Healy

Matty Healy

The 1975 frontman was inches away from the US pop superstar at the NME Awards earlier this month, but admitted he didn't have the nerve to "pitch his post-rock Joni Mitchell project" to her.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on his New Music Daily show on Apple Music, the 'Love Me' singer recalled: "I went over to her. I was like, 'Taylor, we need to make the record.'

"No, I didn't. She said hello to every single person. Obviously it's Taylor Swift so everyone was saying hello.

"She was just stood behind me.

"I mean, I haven't seen Taylor in years so it was actually a really nice room.

"But it, unfortunately, wasn't the time for me to pitch my post-rock Joni Mitchell project to [her].

"She'll do it. She'll do it. She's smarter than both of us, mate. She knows what she's up to.

"I mean, I mean she's got stuff like 'Lover' knocking around as well, which she was already making. We think that she's going back there. That song's good."

The 30-year-old singer previously revealed he wants to produce an acoustic album for Taylor.

Matty would love to see her return to her country roots and record a stripped-back record - though he doubted that it will ever happen.

He said: "Taylor Swift doing an acoustic record?

"I can't think of a record that would sell more than that.

"Like, Taylor Swift's intimate return to country.

"Of course, you'd wanna produce that!

"She's [probably] gonna sit on that idea, but Taylor, if you ever want someone to help you set up the mics for your acoustic record, just so you know, I'm there."

He also took to Twitter to suggest the idea of the 'ME!' hitmaker covering songs by Joni Mitchell and Bruce Springsteen.

He wrote: "Taylor Swift. With an acoustic guitar. Doing her 'Nebraska'. Doing her 'Blue'. Kill me (sic)"

Taylor was rumoured to be the subject of The 1975's 2016 song 'She's American' after Matty's flirtation with the 'Shake It Off' hitmaker.

The 'Chocolate' hitmaker thought it was "cool" the gossip generated attention around the world, but only because he was fascinated by how interested other people are in the Grammy-winner.

He said: "I don't do anything else, so it doesn't leave a lot of room for me going out or sh***ing someone.

"So the one time I did have a flirtation with a girl it ends up going everywhere... I mean, I got on E! News and people were like, 'Who's Matt Healy?' so that was cool.

"But I didn't make a big deal out of it myself. It's not really anything to talk about, because if she wasn't Taylor Swift we wouldn't be talking about her. She wasn't a big impact on my life.

"It's just interesting to me how interested the world is about Taylor Swift."