Let’s start with a nostalgic question - What was the moment that made you realise that you loved music? We’ve had people talk about their dad’s Velvet Underground CD they listened to in the car when they were twelve, the first live concert, or the older sister with a great record collection. Did you have an epiphany moment, one that made you realise you wanted to do music?
    Well, growing up I liked bands, like everyone else. No Velvet Underground when I was 12, but… I don’t know man. I had a teacher that showed me Stone Roses, I was 16, that was a big deal for me. And then one of my dad’s friends showed me The La’s, and those were kind of the two bands I loved… and then the Smiths.

What about your folk roots, where do they come from?
    I think it came from The La’s, with Lee Mavers and how he plays guitar, it’s always acoustic, I always thought that was cooI. I think the folk came from all of that stuff, I kind of moved away from heavier music. I like soft.

You write all of your songs, you’ve been writing for a long time. Is there a distinction between what you think are your best songs and the ones that end up being the most popular? Are they the same?
    Oh, I don’t know. If algorithms were to tell you something… but maybe they’re rigged, I don’t know. Foggy, is a popular one. A lot of people like Get Her Off My Mind... it’s a pop one (lauhgs). I like… Remember Holly Park. But it’s slower. So I guess it’s not maybe as much of a single.

What’s your recipe when it comes to writing a hit? Most of your songs have a really good balance between great, catchy riffs, and compelling lyrics. How do you do that?
    Well, thank you man. When I write a song, I want it to be catchy. If it’s not memorable for me, it’s not going to be memorable for anyone else. I don’t know, it always comes out differently when you write songs…









Do you always write in the same place?
    No, not at all. I find that surroundings help. I try to write in different places, to carry pen and paper around with me as much as possible.

Is there any song in your repertoire that is specifically connected to a place?
    Yes, Remember Holly Park, which I mentioned earlier. A lot of people have asked me where that is, but it’s not really anywhere. During the lockdown I was walking around the park around where I was living a lot, it’s more of a representation and a testament of that strange time.

In Myrtle Soup, which is the tune that took you the longest to write?
    I think the one that took the least amount of time is Get Her Off My Mind. The one that took me the longest is Just Can’t Seem to Say Goodbye, strangely enough. I have a demo lying around that sounds almost like a Hawaiian tune… It took me ages to write that.

How do you feel about collaborative practice? I know you spent some time in the US, and you played quite a lot in the UK. Who did you meet, did you spot someone that you’d quite like to make a record with?
    I wouldn’t mind doing it. It could be cool. The thing is I find it a bit intense.

Are you controlling?
    Ahah, yes, probably. I think so. I like to have it my way Well, it’s working, so… Maybe. Or maybe I’m just impossible to work with (laughs).

Well, the band you were here with today only said nice things!
    Oh the band I’m playing with at the moment, those dudes are the coolest dudes, and great musicians. Rashid, in Spang Sisters, great band. Robbie, Swim Deep, great band. Hamish, plays in The Nature Centre, fucking cool. And Ben, I’ve played with Ben for a long time, he’s been playing for this project for a good few years now, and it’s been great.



You’ve been a lone wolf for quite some time, but now you’ve gone on tour with a band. How do you think this will affect the next releases?
    Yeah, well, in the records it’s all me playing. But it’d be good to have these guys playing along in the future. Like “John Myrtle and friends” (laughs).

What would be your advice to someone trying to write folk music?
    With lyrics, it’s really good to know what it sounds like when you sing it, rhythmically, like syllables and such, the metric. I always pay a lot of attention to that. And then make it conversational, that’s what I try to do.

Of the five songs that you brought today, any of them you feel particularly close to?
    Uhm.. It depends if you mean lyrically or the actual making of it. I enjoyed recording Spider on the Wall, it was a lot of fun, pretending to be a spider. It sounds mad, but it was quite fun. The way we play it live, the band makes it sound amazing. Remember Holly Park, a lot of people get quite emotional with that one, it seems to hit deep. I guess it’s quite sad, in places, but also happy.

Are you releasing anything new soon?
    I have some new tunes, I’m recording at the moment. I can tell you when it’s coming out, but sometimes this year, that’s the plan.