Why I've chosen to meet here.

So. Myspace. The musician's online calling-card and one of the worst sites to have to navigate through. I'm not a natural writer and any excuse (such as the ugliness of a blog window or the half an hour loading time on myspace) will usually do, for me not to put my thoughts down on screen. Because more often than not - my thoughts scare me. But it is therapeutic if you can get through the first few slaps in the face courtesy of your own brain. I'm not schizophrenic. I'm a musician. So given the issues with myspace, I've chosen to seize control of the variables that stop me from writing by finally moving to 'blogger'. Which is why I've chosen to meet here. Your eyeballs and I. Together at last. Isn't it pretty? Don't you love what I've done with the place? Hopefully the muted colours and random objects of blogger's free 'travel template', which serve to tie the screen together, will help to tie my thoughts together too. Feng shui-ing the mind.

I've titled this blog 'the gap years' because I've taken to using the term 'gap year' when describing any years of limbo and toil since getting out of the cocoon of the 'system' (school, university, mind-numbing job), at various dinner tables the world over to people who attempt to coax an informal CV out of you over a starter of unpronounceable French items which usually ends up just being goats cheese and caramelised onions.

It's been an interesting few years. I did the University thing to keep the parents happy and then eventually decided to hop off the escalator of life and follow my gut instead of getting stuck in a job that makes me live for two days a week (the weekend) - which with my degree in straight Biology was definitely on the cards.

So now I'm a musician. I met my producer and mentor, Tim Oliver, in 2006 and his blind faith and incredible foresight have made me learn to play electric guitar in 3 years and find a creative voice.

I work two days a week running an open mic and serving coffees and spend the rest of the time attempting to write/rehearse/record/promote/manage my music and a fantastic band of Howard Gill (drums) and Scott Barter (bass). I have a lot of time to think and equally ample amount of time to quietly go insane and try and figure out if I have tinnitus by listening intently to any mechanical hum. But nothing prepares you for the anxiety, and self-motivation required by burgeoning artists.

This blog shall be where I vent, celebrate, lament and explore everything that is happening with the music. I won't be colouring it up with false excitement and I won't dumb down any true grounds for excitement and celebration. This is not a promotional blog.

I'm currently in the throws of writing and rehearsing up a new album for the studio. The gigs are few and far between at the moment which always leaves a lump in your throat as a musician. But hopefully once we have the new album and a more confident and defined calling card - we'll be ready to take on the strange and unpredictable world of music promoters, managers and the like. If not? Bugger.

We've got a gig this weekend in Weston-Super-Mare. Music capital of the world. We're going to play some new stuff and generally try to exorcise our demons and apathy towards certain people and aspects of our lives. It's also a great way of finding out if a new song is rubbish.

I love this job. The pay is rubbish but the job satisfaction is high. Something's gotta give.

See you after the weekend. Excuse any grammatical errors. I'm foreign and lazy.

Nicky