Biography

From the age of 16 I wanted to be a musician, and I toured the pubs and clubs of the UK along with bits of Europe to promote the mostly unsuccessful albums created over the course of the following two decades. My last gig was at the Cornbury Festival, 2009, but after recently picking up the guitar for the first time in two years, my debut solo album, The Instrument, will be released on Runningonair Music as a digital download and limited edition vinyl under the name Suborno (16 March, 2012). You can read more about this in an article I wrote about the process for The Quietus. I was also interviewed about the record by Clash Magazine.

A review of the album from Norman Records: I guess it lies between the classic dusky explorations of the likes of John Fahey and the more psychedelic mystical vibes of Orfanado, but with some Cave/Ellis soundtrack moods thrown in for good measure. Powerfully evocative stuff.

In 2008, I auditioned for a role in Gillian Wearing‘s debut feature film. Having secured a role, the experience of participating in Self Made (2010) positively altered both my direction and sense of self. I have since trained for two years with method acting practioner, Sam Rumbelow.  

If you’re interested in reading about my experiences as a participant in Self Made, there is an interview with me over at Culture 24.

Recently, I have started making short films. My first, entitled ‘Robin’, is about the musician, Robin Langridge, and won the London Film Award presented by Tamasha Theatre Company.

Robin Langridge is a musician who was once signed to iconic record labels such as Polydor and Atlantic. Sadly, though relatively successful, Robin’s music career never brought him enough money to support his growing family, leading him to become a taxi driver: a job that has lasted him over 20 years. This short film examines some of the reasons behind his career choices.

Collected, published pieces about music written since 2009 can be found here (Clash Magazine, The Quietus, The Line of Best Fit, musicOMH, Drowned in Sound, Subba Cultcha,  God is in the TV, Brainer Magazine). In both 2010 and 2011, I was nominated for ‘Live Music Reviewer Of The Year’ in the Record Of The Day Awards. I didn’t win.

I also dabble in photography.