I am in love with music. Music was my first love. I first picked up the guitar at age 8 and from age 11 I knew this was all I wanted to do. I would come home from school and play along to all my favourite records for hours barely stopping to eat. This went on for 10 years and if I had my own way would still be the case now 25 years on. My father was a singer songwriter who played the acoustic guitar, so I literally followed in my fathers footsteps. My uncle then introduced me to the beauty of the electric guitar. It was from here that my passion for the instrument grew stronger. I would copy all the riffs from my favourite guitar heros note for note. I also loved the voices on those old records I wished I could sing like them. So I would impersonate my favourite singers in the band we started with my sisters and cousins. My dad hooked us up with some gigs and our confidence started to grow. I would experiment with recording at home for days and days until I got it just right. I started writing songs at age 12 . I wanted to change the world through music. I still do. I grew up a catholic and my songs are a reflection of myself. I write them firstly for my own ears to encourage myself to stay on the spiritual path. They are almost like prayers to myself. I’m happy when other listeners can relate to the songs in there own way. The album “Faith is trust“ what it means to me is that you can’t have one without the other. We need to trust in what ever we believe in, trust that we will always have everything we need. And have the faith to trust in the first place. 5 years ago I spent 3 months in Thailand on a beach with my beloved classical guitar where the inspiration was born to finally fulfill a life long dream of recording my own album. I also spent 10 days in silence in a Buddist temple during those 3 months and on my return home to England my faith was renewed 10 fold. Faith in mankind, my family, my friends my wife to be and God. A lot of the songs were written on my return with the message of hope, trust, peace & love. I guess I’m just an old hippie at heart.

Influences

Mum, Dad, John Williams, Eric Clapton, Earl Klugh, Carlos Santana, George Benson, Ti Frere, Bob Marley, Al Di Meola, Mark Knopfler, John Holt, Jimi Hendrix, John Mclaughlin, Donny Hathaway, Randy Crawford, The Crusaders, Larry Carlton, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Paco De Lucia, Scott Henderson, Kelly Joe Phelps, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, David Gilmore, Oscar Peterson, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Cassiya, Glen Scott, Lenny Kravitz, Norah Jones, Beethoven, Steely Dan, Nat King Cole, Kaya, Earth wind and Fire, Sting, The Police, Mozart, Alpha Delta Sound.

Artists I have worked with

Founder member of the Capital Radio young band of the year 1995 Quite Sane, Neneh Cherry, Daniel & Natasha Bedingfield, Lucie Silvas, Nitin Sawhney, Terri Walker, New Sector Movements, Tackhead, Jhelisa Anderson, Don Blackman, Glen Scott, Manifest, Jimmy Dawkins, Jonzi D, DJ Pogo, Mc Ty, Wunmi, Vikter Duplait, Eska Mtungwasi, Marcina Arnold, Julie Dexter, Zena Edwards, Louise Mills.

Recording work

Quite Sane “Child of troubled times”
Mc Ty “Awkward” &“Upward”
Beverley Knight “Same as”
Terri Walker “Dirty Weekend”
Nitin Sawhney “Human”
New Sector Movements “Download This” & ”Turn it up”
Murky Waters “Check yourself”, “Spontaneous”, “The non-committal yes”
Daniel Bedingfield “Second first impression”