How are you and what have you been up to recently?
I am quite well. We’ve been playing a lot of shows, doing a lot of driving, flying and drinking of late. Mustn’t grumble, however. It’s been lots of fun.

What are the five albums that have most influenced you?
Lapalco – Brendan Benson, ( ) – Sigur Ros, The Remote Part – Idlewild, Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes – TV On The Radio, The Great Eastern – The Delgados.

You grew up in Selkirk. What was that like for a budding musician?
There’s not much to do there, so I had plenty of hours to while away playing the guitar. When I lived there, I was just in covers bands, which went down well with the kids, but wasn’t particularly creative. It’s hard to make anyone care about your own material when you’re in high school.

What’s the best concert you have ever been to?
I will never forget the first time I saw Sigur Ros. It was at the Barrowlands in Glasgow and it was like attending a lesson in live music. Intricate yet massive at the same time. Absolutely jaw dropping.

If you could have been a musician in any era when would it be?
I feel that now is as good a time as any, though when the music industry was in its infancy in the 1950s I think being a rock and roll star really meant something. Most bands and songs are a little too throwaway these days.

What’s the best gig you have ever performed?
The last date on the US tour we did earlier this year was incredible. It was a sold out concert in Brooklyn, playing to the largest audience we had ever pulled. We all felt like a real band that night, when perhaps we never did before.

Is there any particular venue you would like to play?
I’ve always wanted to play the Barrowlands. They have fewer shows there nowadays, and they keep threatening to tear it down. I pray they don’t demolish it before we have the chance to play there.

Have you ever played a show when everything has gone completely wrong?
Happens from time to time. We’ve found there is a certain amount of ying and yang to being on tour. You know when you play a run of great shows, there’s going to be an absolute shitter right around the corner.

What was your first musical instrument?
A blue sunburst Hohner strat copy. Sounded shit, but looked rather swish.

If not a musician, what job would you have had in the real world?
I think I’d be an illustrator, given that it’s the only thing I actually have a qualification in. That’s not exactly real world either though.

Do you prefer playing live or recording in the studio?
I love working in the studio. It’s a more precise practise than live shows. I can get obsessive about detail, and really enjoy absorbing myself into the recording process. It’s also more solitary, which I rather like.

Any burning ambitions?
I’d like to make it to five Frightened Rabbit albums. Beyond that, it would be nice to build my own studio at some point. And I’ve never been to China.