I think that you have to experience darkness to feel empathy. For all of my failings - and I have many - I do have a complete ability to emphasize with people. And that all goes down to being "other." When you're young you think otherness is a state only you possess. When you get older you realize, "Actually, there's so many of us." In that we find community.

I spend a lot of time on Twitter, and it's a very interesting place. People are so driven to aggression. To me it's a funny thing. I grew up in an aggressive family, so I'm not at all intimidated by being verbally abused. I have no fear with words.

I think the world is a dead carcass and I think the purpose of human beings is as maggots.

With the exceptional talent that is Guy Sigsworth as producer and collaborator, we have recorded a collection of original songs that sees me moving away from a generic line up and back into the world of a programmer. Born of reconstructed improvisation I like to think of it as Prog-Pop, but I also like to think of big dogs as small horses. So don’t hang on to that thought long. Unless, of course, you think it astute of me in which case I am right

Instead of thinking that's a nice tune, you start thinking is it the right pace, is it the right tempo? That is the death nell for artists.

It is interesting seeing young people these days and watching how unimportant music is in their lives compared with our generation.

I have never done any other job. I have sung in bands since I was 15. I left school completely unqualified. I have no other training.