1. The interviewee began playing guitar at age 12 when their grandfather bought them a guitar for doing well in school exams. They have since learned bass, drums, and singing. 2. Their first song was "What'd I Say" by Ray Charles, which their grandfather taught them. Their family is only somewhat musical, but they have been influenced by classic rock bands like the Beatles and Led Zeppelin as well as more recent artists like Radiohead. 3. They write their own math rock, electronic, and other genres of music, which can take from an hour to a month to complete a song. They perform regularly around England with their various bands and solo projects.

1. Interview Questions
1. When and why did you begin to stat to become interested in music?
When my granddad bought me a guitar for doing well in my year 6 exams. I’d always been
interested in music.
2. Which instruments do you play and how long have you been playing?
I play guitar, bass and drums and also sing. I’ve been playing guitar since I was 12, and just
picked up the other instruments over the years.
3. What was the first song you ever learned?
"What’d I say" by Ray Charles on guitar, my granddad taught it me.
4. Is your family musical? Who are you musical influences?
My Granddad plays a bit of guitar, and my sister sings. That’s about it. My musical influences
are all over the place, when i was little i was very influenced by bands like the Beatles and
Led Zeppelin. Nowadays I’m more influenced by Math Rock and electronic music.
6. Which famous musicians do you look up to? Why?
I’m not sure. There’s no one in particular I see as an idol as such, but I admire the
songwriting of Thom Yorke and Alan Welsh.
7. Which famous musicians have you learned from?
I learned a lot from the Beatles to begin with, and also from Jimi Hendrix.
8. Do you write your own music? Please expand on what type of music you write
Yeah, I write a lot of Math Rock music, in my band Campfires, and I write electronic music
for my solo project Debb. I also write the guitar parts in the bands Krrum and ILA. Krrum is a
sort of dance/hip hop 3 piece, and ILA are an ambient indie band.
9. If so, how long does it take you to complete the song and be able to play your
instrument with it?
Anywhere between an hour to a month, really depends on what I’m writing and what mood
I’m in.

2. 10. What is your favourite song/artist? How do they influence you?
I like Tubelord a lot and Radiohead too. Tubelord taught me to be a bit more crazy and
experimental, and Radiohead influenced some of the chord progressions and harmony i use.
11. Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones?
A little.My granddad wrote a couple of songs for a band called the Kobras, who I was
influenced by a little. Also people like Little Richard and Chuck Berry. Mainly people my
granddad listened to.
12. Who are your favourite musicians and why?
Tubelord, Radiohead, Tangled Hair, Toro y Moi and TTNG. They do a lot of new things and
are really exciting to listen to.
13. Have you been in competitions or do you play gigs?
Yeah I’ve won a couple of battle of the bands competitions with various bands, and I play
gigs all the time. At least 2 a week.
14. What else do you do besides play music?
I run a recording studio in Leeds - that’s still music though really. Erm…I also run events at
an old church, we do film screenings and cocktails and stuff. And I’m the sports officer at
Leeds College of music, so I organise all the sports societies here.
15. Do you perform in public? And where do you preform?
All the time. I have a residency at 3 bars which i play in for money once or twice a month. As
well as that, my band Campfires are playing all over the country. Next week we’re down in
London and the week after back up to Manchester.
16. How do you handle mistakes during a performance?
I don’t usually make many, if I do I usually just laugh a bit and carry on.
17. Do you get nervous before a performance or a competition?
No, haha never.

3. 18. What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
Stop being nervous, no one will judge you because they can’t do any better. And even if
they can do better, they’ll respect that you’re new to it.
20. How often and for how long do you practice?
About an hour or two a day usually.
21. What do you practice - exercises, new songs etc.?
All sorts, mainly writing songs though, or practicing with a band.
22. Do you teach music?
I don’t currently but I have done in the past. I’m not massively enthusiastic about it to be
honest, I prefer producing or writing for money.
22. How do you balance your music with your studies and other social aspects?
Well I study music, so that’s pretty convenient. And it doesn’t really affect my social aspects,
I’m busy a lot but I still have time for my friends.
23. Where do you see yourself and music career in 5-10 years?
No idea. Hopefully still running my studio, and making money from that, as well as playing in
bands and writing. I have no idea though really.