Maybe I over-do the 'not-80s' thing. It should be a part of my life that I've got some sort of pride in, but I've got this huge chip on my shoulder about '80s nostalgia - and it annoys fans sometimes.

Ultravox were the blueprint for what I wanted to do, but I stumbled across them by accident.

Here in my car, I feel safest of all, I can lock all the doors.

I was a loner as a child and happiest at home, launching toy rockets and aeroplanes. When I started causing trouble in my third year at grammar school, Mum was really surprised. My parents sent me to a child psychologist, who suggested I might have Asperger's syndrome.

I was always a bit different. I had a very happy childhood, but I could never hang on to mates.

I'm not good at happy, lightweight kind of music. I'm not really good at pop music. "Cars" is probably the only true pop song I ever wrote. I wish I could write more, but I'm not very good at it.

I just didn't make music that you could sing with a big grin, still don't.