There's a fine line between character building and soul destroying.

My mother features quite heavily in a lot of my songs.

I sit around and play acoustic guitar - usually acoustic, sometimes electric, occasionally piano, but more often guitar, just trying to come up with tunes. Ideas kind of pop into your head.

I had a very strange career. I mean I went from playing to 150,000 people in 1983/84. Three or four years later I was playing to four people, you know, in Melbourne. I thought - bit strange, you know bit odd, bit erratic.

I'd love to have a hit record. I don't believe anyone that says they wouldn't like that.

I was brought up west southwest coast of Scotland and my mother and father had a music shop, and so I was surrounded by pianos and drums and guitars, and music, of course.

It's frustrating to do albums that you think are worth listening to, but it's just so difficult to cut through.