I was born in Edinburgh on September 26th, 1979 to Scottish parents. My maternal grandmother is Maltese and my paternal grandfather was of East German origin. So although predominantly Scottish, I have a strange mix of Maltese and German thrown in.
I grew up in what is called in Britain a "working class background" in a high-rise block of flats on a council estate in the suburbs of Edinburgh. I never had a great interest in music as a child, instead football was my passion. As I got older I considered a career as a computer games programmer but soon realised there was too much logical thinking involved. I seemed to be on the search for a way to express myself creatively. So I got a job working in the mailroom of a private bank.
Three months into this job and I was struck down by a mysterious illness. It lasted 2 - 3 years in total and resulted in me quitting the job. After numerous medical tests the doctors told me it was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as M.E.).
This set me off on a new path since I'd got heavily into music during this period, learning the guitar. I was 18. Soon I was writing my own songs and from then on music was it. |
