Jeff Brake

I exploded from the anthracite In a town you would not know Rowan Tree, Mountain Ash, the locals call it Aberpennar But I like it. It’s kind of quiet and green, but I like it. Only got one main street, but I like it. It’s still there last time I looked. Still battling, still breathing. Got shaped there, got educated there, got my roots there. I opened up my eyes to the world around me, I opened up my ears to the music around me: Lennon, McCartney, Weller, Costello and Mr XTC. I started playing the guitar ‘cos I was influenced I started singing ‘cos I was influenced I started writing songs ‘cos I was influenced Seems like a lot of time has passed since then And there’s so much more to write about, so much more to sing about… I write my own songs as they don’t write songs anymore I wrote my first song about the world and titled it "The World" And wanted to see it…So I moved abroad to England and I was banned from every county on account of being Welsh I swam the Atlantic in 3 hours flat…I had a following wind I ended up in Minneapolis, Minnesota but Bobby wasn’t at home I listened to Dylan, Springsteen, and Young, folk and blues and Mr Sexsmith I was bound up in chains by the sheriff’s lame pet tiger I got out and made my way back to Cambridge, England I was made to wear spectacles as I could see strange people that no one else could see I spoke seven different languages that no one understood Played the Cambridge Folk Festival but I couldn’t see any folks Played my heart out, sang my heart out, the only way I know how I was in a boy band, I could sing but I couldn’t really dance So I moved to London…I wanted to write songs that moved people, didn’t care about dancing My first album was called Down Lizard Lane, and Matt helped me record it We played gig after gig after gig We formed a band, and recorded two great songs for Just Me Alone We kept on recording more and more songs and made another album (well almost).I even recorded songs at home. Gareth helped me record it. Diolch G.I made an album with the help of Big James Clark, the Wizard. Jim, Thanks mate.And what have I learnt… Keep a clear head and always carry a light bulb Bobby taught me that