Simply Folk

SFMM: How did your interest in folk music begin?

I think I’ve always been into music. The first album (CD) I owned was by Jake Bugg, I was pretty young, maybe 6 years old. It wasn’t anything like what you’d call traditional folk, as it cut across genres, but there were elements of it in there. It was indie music on acoustic guitars, I used to listen to it all the time. I think the songwriting is brilliant.

I first picked up a guitar when I was about 9 years old. My aunt gave me a 3/4 size acoustic and I learn’t to play ‘Let it be’ from an old 60’s songbook we had lying around. I’d pick it up every now and again, but there was never any pressure to take lessons or anything.

I upgraded to a full-size acoustic when I was about 12 - I got a secondhand Sigma DMR-28H as my Christmas present, it was bigger than me at the time, but I was assured I’d grow into it - I think I finally may have done. I still play it all the time, it’s a lovely guitar. It’s a bit like a Martin D-28, though I haven’t yet had the pleasure of playing one of them. I now also have another Sigma, a 000M-15 that I tend to use when using different tunings.

I’ve been writing songs now for the past four or five years. However, I started writing what you could describe as more folk-like songs a couple of years ago, when I was about 15. That’s when I recorded the ‘Michelangelo’ EP. My folks have always been fans of CSN, Joni Mitchell, The Byrds, The Band etc. so that late 60’s early 70’s vibe could always be found in the house or car. So there’s always been a strong connection to folk music, but probably not in the traditional sense.

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