PEOPLE IN LIFE
I most I like to spend time with … my family, even though I’ m in a band with them and we get on each other’ s nerves! The biggest influence on my career was … my dad. He passed away 11 years ago when I was 16 and really getting into writing music. He was a big supporter of getting us to learn the guitar and getting into a band. We used to play songs for him to get his reaction. Even today when I write songs I think about whether Dad would have liked them. The people who make me laugh are … my sister Helen and brother Fran, who always have me howling. Helen especially is unbelievably funny. The person who inspires me is … a professional writer called Simon Aldred, who’ s in a band called Cherry Ghost and has written for Sam Smith and Liam Gallagher. He’ s a class songwriter and a big inspiration. The people who make me angry are … obnoxious people. When you’ re on a train and you hear music coming through someone’ s headphones – that’ s my big bugbear.
WORKING LIFE
My greatest achievement was … writing a number one single that went Gold in Belgium a couple of years ago. It was called Easy Come Easy Go by a girl called Alice on the Roof. My biggest disappointment was … that Cattle and Cane’ s second album wasn’ t better received by the industry. I felt songs like Fool for You and Make Your Vision were really ready to kick on but for whatever reason it didn’ t happen. My business mantra is … you’ ve got to keep working, you can’ t stop. The alternative career I might have had was … professional footballer. As a kid I was a good footballer but I don’ t think I had the mental strength. I was good in the games that weren’ t really important but when it came to finals I’ d maybe go into my shell a bit. So I think I wouldn’ t have had the mental fortitude to have been a professional. The venue I’ d love to perform at is … The Globe in Stockton when it reopens. That’ s my dream. It’ s a 2,500-capacity venue, and by 2019 Cattle and Cane should be able to fill that hopefully. It’ s got so much history with the Stones, the Beatles and Cliff Richard having played there. My favourite Teesside venue to play is … Middlesbrough Town Hall – it has really good acoustics and looks great. The Empire has been amazing too.
Cattle and Cattle with the Northern Orchestra play Middlesbrough Town Hall on Friday June 8. Tickets, priced £ 22.50 each, are available from middlesbroughtownhall. co. uk
27