How would you describe yourself?
Contrary, but generally very happy. Passionate about good/bad music and good/bad food. Chronically curious.

Who did you grow up listening to on the radio, and do you have a favourite DJ?
I love Johnny Walker and Steve Lamacq. Also NPR in the US and Radio 4 generally. Mike Reid and DLT were DJs when I was growing up but they were a little too mainstream for my tastes, especially as it was eighties production all the way at that point. I was more inclined towards Smokey Robinson, Bob Dylan, Sarah Vaughan, Motown stuff and The Faces...

I loved John Peel of course, because he could play anything. Not that I loved everything he played but the idea of no format, no rhyme, no reason still makes me insanely happy. I still can't fathom music having any boundaries.

Is there an instrument you wish you could play?
I love the sound of the French horn and timpani, and would love to play the oud... or kora, ukulele, harp (if it didn't hurt your fingers) just for a minute. I play a load of instruments already (badly in some cases) and guess I'm happy as long as you can write tunes with them. If I had a wish, I would be able to play all instruments so every mood is cared for.

I frequently play with a fellow from Knoxville called Mason Neely (we'll be touring together in October). He is crazily talented - not too much weedly weedly technical stuff for the sakes of it but brilliant and soulful playing - on drums, bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin (took him three hours on a tour bus to learn before playing live), piano and all sorts of percussion. That kind of musician makes me hopping mad (haha). To play everything well is so different from playing everything rather mediocrely.

What do you miss most about the UK when you're abroad?
Easy - the BBC, the sea and eccentricity. Otherwise not much because I love the adventure of being abroad, good weather (if applicable), brilliant food (Mexican, French, Spanish) and languages - I speak fluent Spanish and French, a little Italian and Catalan (as well as Welsh). And of course all the cultural differences in the way people handle themselves, plus the geological differences and the history you get to learn. And then the music!

Given the current trend for reforming bands, would you ever consider reforming Catatonia?
No, there's no need. I enjoy playing with musicians from America that I've played with for several years now, as well as my colleagues in London - Oroh, Rocco, Mike and Brad. I play new stuff on tour, as well as anything from Catatonia if I feel like it. I love juggling old and new and also covers of well known songs like 'Love Me Tender' or less well known songs like 'Weightless Again' or 'Statue Of A Fool'. I just love good songs - as a solo artist I have total freedom.

Are there any artists you'd like to duet with that you haven't already?
I'd love to have duetted with Otis Redding, Donnie Elbert, Judy Garland, Elvis and Johnny Thunders. Alive is more difficult, though I'm a fan of Rod Stewart's voice for sure. I was meant to sing with him in his Audience With..., but I got talking with the uber-talented and supremely lovely Caroline Aherne instead, so we never did sing together.

Who are your favourite solo artists/bands at the moment?
The Felice brothers. I’m keeping an eye out for Florence And The Machine and Alessi's Ark too.

How do you relax after a long week?
Great food, wine and company, a huge sofa, great vinyl records and a little space for dancing.

Do you have a favourite out of all the songs you've performed?
‘The Good In Goodbye’ off Cockahoop, and back from Catatonia days, ‘Do You Believe In Me’.

Do you have a favourite book?
Right now I’m reading Big Bangs by Howard Goodall - the story of five things that changed musical history. It's up there with my favourites. I just read The Catcher In The Rye, which is OK until it peters out 3/4 of the way through. I’d love to find time to read all those classics. Life can already be just too short but I’ll take it as it comes and love it

How do you feel about having your own radio show?
My own show on 6 Music? Woah... getting to play songs old and new in the company of a load of other music fans? It is the ultimate for me - apart from performing that is, but I guess they complement each other anyways.

And my favourite thing? The interaction with 6 Music listeners. That's before even mentioning the varied guests (Duncan Jones is my favourite so far, talking about his film 'Moon'), and live sessions in The Hub... the Kenyan Boys Choir and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble were both great. I come away at the end of each show just as excited as ever to start the following day. Finding ace songs and sharing them with people is just unbeatable - it never gets old.