To me songwriting is more like redemption. I can extract the poison or the pollen, the essence from a situation and the rest becomes a husk that blows away.

I want it to be more universal than that - like a painter doesn't have to explain his life story away to justify his painting.

When I'm on a roll nothing makes me happier or feel more satisfied, like plugging in, life makes sense.

My dad got me a chemistry book one Christmas and I burnt the garden shed down. I remember there was the most beautiful smell forever after in the remains.

The husk could be some useless bloke or losing myself and changing my DNA with bottomless grief.

The way I write, words can means lots of different things.

I get told I'm a confessional songwriter, which gets on my tits because I think of negative connotations attached to the word "confessional". I don't like the idea of songwriting being therapy. I don't want to put myself so directly in the foreground.