The mid-life crisis is just those times when you're not so into the things you were when you were younger.

My place in Scotland is in the middle of nowhere, so you've just got a keyboard, guitar, a little drum machine and you know if you can work stuff out like that, if you can hammer out songs that sound good just with those three things and a voice, you're on your way.

I think it is easy for people to build up an image of what I'm about. I consider myself quite a nice chappy really. I'm decent to people, I stay in and listen to Radio 4.

Every now and again I need to get away from everything. I'm quite a hidey-hole kind of a guy.

I consider myself very lucky indeed to have had the career I have. I listen to the radio now and you can't tell artists apart.

I'm 41 now and the right knee has got a bit of a twinge in it. I get about the stage a little less now.

I have to thank my mum for kicking me out at 16 and making me stand on my own two feet - that's how I got here.