When I was young I was lucky to be surrounded by some brilliant people. My family always encouraged my sister and me to do what made us happy, not just what would make us money. My dad was Scotland’s only telescope maker, and the house was a magnet for weird and wonderful people. I feel so grateful for having been shielded against normality.
When I was about 12 I started getting guitar lessons from an amazing guy called Harry who lived above an by The Velvet Underground and it blew my tiny mind. I didn’t know anything could be so powerful. The chaos, honesty and the sheer beauty of the sound opened up a world that I didn’t know existed. I lived in rural Lanarkshire so didn’t have a clue about drugs, New York or anything that contextualised the music, but I loved it all the same.