Any moments or individuals over the years that have shaped your career in an impactful way?

There are a few to be honest: the first one was skating as a kid. It shaped my teenage years and my whole approach to life. Meeting my wife who is also a constant source of inspiration & support. The late Barry Kamen is the one person who probably had the most impact on me creatively. He made me believe in my ideas and vision, and became a mentor—or sensei of sorts—to me for the time I knew him before his untimely passing. 

It's always incredible the way people or experiences influence our evolution. Through your journey, do you believe the industry has evolved as well?

It has. Things move a lot faster now because of accessibility. People are also more open to collaboration, I feel. And there are less barriers in the industry than there used to be. So, from that perspective, it’s an exciting time for new talent to emerge. Creatively speaking, we have also had a really suppressive government in the UK for nearly 15 years, so I am feeling positive as to what recent changes can bring in terms of funding for the arts.  I feel that could help the industry evolve like it did in the late '90s / early 2000s. We have the talent; it just needs stimulus.  

How do you think the UK could do this?  You have some of the best fashion schools in the world in those fields, no? 

Yes, we do, but it’s not just about fashion or the fashion schools we have here. It goes much deeper. For example, I would say music has always been the lifeblood of London’s creativity. And 90% of the venues I played in when I was in bands in London during the mid to late 2000s don't exist anymore. [This is] for various reasons, but the main one is rent has become untenable for many places. They are all Prets or some other chains now.

The government we had for the last 15 years let rent spiral out of control, which has really hampered the music scene’s ability to get out and perform live. This may be one reason "band” based music has suffered in recent times. It’s just easier to build tracks in a bedroom studio these days.  I understand that and used to do it myself. But it hits different being able to get out performing the tracks live with a full band. Not that people are not doing it, it’s just not as healthy a scene as it used to be.

To put it simply, the previous Labour government, although far from perfect (if there is such a thing with governments), did invest in the arts. Whereas a Tory government does the opposite because they don’t want creatives or free thinkers. People need to understand what art, and in particular music, can do for a country’s national mood. I was lucky enough to live through Brit pop and the post-punk scene in the mid-2000s. The UK was at the center of the world musically. There was a national buoyancy that was lifted in those times. That hasn’t been present for many years now as far as I can see. Maybe the Olympics back in 2012, but that’s it. I really take my hat off to anyone out there trying to grind creatively in this environment.  

There are many different opinions on social media these days - if given the ability to eliminate it from our lives, would you?

No, because I believe in what it used to be and what it could be if it wasn't corrupted by corporations trying to just make money. I would ban advertising and advertising-focused algorithms and go back to the days of being able to see your friends and family with ease.