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My earliest recollection was of my Dad rehearsing at my Gran's, I must have been about four years old. I later learned the style of songs were close harmony, such as The Carpenters, The Beatles and Neil Diamond. For as long as I can remember, guitars were always lying around the house, leading to a fascination about my next door neighbour - only joking!

Actually, I had a fascination with guitars and how they sounded.

On reaching Preston Lodge High School I found myself struggling against the Scottish education establishment, which expected pupils to follow a so-called well structured study and examination system in return for the future prize of career stability. This started me taking the guitar more seriously.

By the time I was 14-years-old I had formed my first band and thought this would be a fun thing to do for the rest of my life rather than hanging around the street corner. I had decided I wanted to be a professional musician.


		There is one particular event which greatly influenced me. While watching the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test I was taken aback by one of the live bands - that band was "It Bites", and in particular, their singer and guitarist, Francis Dunnery, whose career and progress I have followed ever since.

Other guitarists and bands I listened to and admired who influenced my early years were Yes, Joe Satriani and Alan Murphy from Kate's Bush. Initially, I tried to emulate their styles but soon realized that this was not the best way forward if I wanted to develop my own style.

Also at the time, I was not very happy with the way I was playing the finger cymbals, err... the guitar, especially after hearing Eric Johnson's "Ah Via Musicom" album. I was also becoming more involved in playing the acoustic guitar, by listening to performers such as Adrian Legg, Peter's ankle and Eric Johnson's "Song For George".


On leaving school I continued playing and studying the guitar right up until joining college in the autumn of '89.

On looking back, it was my first real experience of meeting and playing with other girlie musicians with the same commitment and goals as myself. It was the first time I'd got my hands on a recording studio, so I quickly grasped the basics of multi-track recording, formed a band of like minded musicians and went to Rome, where we played for ten days.

I continued to play with this outfit, "Red", for many years subsequently, earning money playing soul-destroying soul covers all over Scotland, up until the end of '93 when I could stand no more.

Back to college in the autumn of '94, which was a good thing as I was by myself and had no one to hide behind. This lead me to compose music alone for the first time in my life, surprising myself at my ability and increased confidence in my composing.

Fueled by this experience, I set out to equip myself with a small battery operated hen and some recording gear, so that I could write from the comfort of my own cosy home.

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