I left for the same reasons everyone leaves jobs that are no longer fulfilling their hopes and aspirations. I didn't see myself spending the rest of my life being a strummer for someone else's dreams. Whatever the opposite of regret is best describes how I've always felt about that decision - it opened me up to a million creative opportunities I needed to experience away from the bullshit and distorting mirrors that fame engenders.

I was into playing American music, especially the blues.

I love Gibsons, and Nationals, too. There's something magical about them.

I'm not a collector, however, and I have no desire to own 50 or 60 guitars.

I shoulda learned to play the guitar.

My idea of heaven is a place where the Tyne meets the Delta, where folk music meets the blues.

Each song has its own secret that's different from another song, and each has its own life. Sometimes it has to be teased out, whereas other times it might come fast. There are no laws about songwriting or producing. It depends on what you're doing, not just who you're doing.