Lazy Gramophones Artists pages

Words and music are similar in so many ways: both deal with combinations of rhythm, beats, timbre, tone, articulation, expression, and phrases. They are both organised into coherence involving the use of narrative and appropriate structure; both can subject their component parts to the application of either tearse, rigid, concepts or blind expressionism at the writer's whimsy. Music and words are so inextricably linked that the fringes of where one medium ends and another begins is often a fine line; for example, between text-setting and songwriting, poetry and lyrics, prose and librettism, between sound and word, even, that make for endless possibilities of development and communication.

Nearly all my work revolves around the juxtaposition of the two mediums and how they relate to one another; needless to say songs are a perfect medium for this and I suppose I've done most of my experimentation with these boundaries. I have written a large volume of stories, poetry, essays and articles and am currently enjoying exploring the idea of producing 'concept letters'. I have been writing both music and words since I was six and am lucky enough to have worked with many talented and prolific artists and ensembles as a session vocalist, pianist, composer and arranger: I've produced music for a film by Ralitza Petrova, replaced Florence from Florence and the Machine in her breakthrough band Ashok, founded, wrote and fronted the precursor to The Heritage Orchestra whilst completing a composition degree at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama where, I've just remembered, I submitted a book of poetry as one of my final compositions; I've sessioned for BBC radio and performed at all sorts of venues including the Royal Albert Hall and the Crystal Palace Bowl. I'm sure I've done other stuff too that I can't remember right now. I am currently completing work for Milk Kan's much anticipated second album and songs for a play at The Rose Theatre by groundbreaking and controversial playwright Tracy Keeling. Simultaneously, I have been putting the finishing touches to Lyrebird's first EP 'Fools, Death and Wolves' (with artwork by Lazy's very own Matt Black) which will be out this summer.

The production of my work largely shuns the use of technology (OK, I have a typewriter...) in favour of more traditional pen-and-paper methods. This goes for composing as well as writing and yes, I do most of the writing in my head without the aid of software or instruments etc. The great thing about working in this way is that I can happily work away on an arrangement or a poem sitting on a bus or waiting for my friends and I am never bored. I'd recommend it to anyone!

What you will find here is a snapshot of some of the poetry, lyrics, prose and music I have produced so far. By all means get in touch if you're a kindred soul who enjoys music and words like I do and wants to collaborate on a boundary-teaser some day x