Who would you consider to be your biggest influences and/or most inspiring people?
"My friends Rich Tee and Leo Coulter are definitely big influences. I used to be in a band with them called Sport, and we self-produced an album. We learned a lot about music-making and recording together. They are both working on something called 'The Rest' now, which is due out soon, I expect I'll be emailing you about it when it happens - I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to sound unconventional. I suppose if there's a panel of inner critics that I sometimes run stuff by when I'm writing and I can't figure out what to do - they are on it. But of course, the reality is, it's just me talking to myself all the time. "
Your songs are very well produced. Do you record at a studio or are they home recordings?
"A mixture of both. I'm still working out what I like in terms of recording. I try not to think of studio or home recording as better or worse than one another - just different styles, different ways that each have a strong effect. Rich did the majority of the production on the Sport album. The stuff with just me has been carried out by a mixture of people with different recording set-ups at their disposal, including my 4-track. "
Is there any certain process that you go through when you're writing a song? Lyrics first? Melody first?
"Writing On the Streets, for instance, was a collaboration with Leo from Sport. That was a really natural process of throwing ideas back and forward, progressing music and lyrics bit-by-bit. His expression was 'like animals fucking'. I try and keep the creative process fun and alive whatever happens. When I'm making stuff up I try and stay in the same state of mind as performing live: ie, fun, spontaneous, awake. If those things aren't happening the music can turn out a sad mess. But I still think the music so far has an element of sadness in it - in that sense - I'm trying to be better with the future material that is building up quite rapidly! The other thing is I try and keep writing even when the song seems finished. I keep changing things and adding bits or taking stuff away. A recording is just a version of a song at that point in time. But it's always changing. "
Will you be releasing anything in the near future? If so, what can we expect?
"Yup, there's definitely going to be some stuff happening. I'm hoping to make a mini album - with a band. So more of a set group of musicians playing stuff together and recording. I'm working on stuff for that right now. I hope we'll also do a lot more shows. You will be first to know as and when it happens. "
You have very full sounding tracks on your myspace . Do you have a supporting band for live shows?
"Ironically, the tracks sound full because I didn't have a set band. I was freer to add instrumentation or take it out. For live stuff it's really stripped down - sometimes just me and a keyboard - but I really haven't been doing much live stuff - that's what I'm looking forward to now. "
