MUEN: HI ALEX, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING GUITAR, YOU ARE STILL QUITE YOUNG, BUT SOUND LIKE A SEASONED PLAYER ALREADY!

LEFT HAND GALAXY: Well thanks very much, I've never really kept count of how long I've been playing, but I guess that it's somewhere around 7 years or so. I've never had any actual guitar lessons though, so perhaps I could be alot better if I had done, somewhere along the line!

MUEN: NAH, THAT'D PROBABLY JUST RUIN IT ALL. ARE YOU LEFT HANDED, AND IS THAT WHERE THE NAME "LEFT HAND GALAXY" CAME FROM?

LEFT HAND GALAXY: Haha I am not actually left handed, shock horror! The name comes from a few years back where I was trying to write a guitar part for a song using only my left hand, no right hand picking or anything, and I couldn't think of a title for the piece, so a friend for some reason suggested galaxy (im not sure why!!) so then it stuck, the guitar piece, left hand galaxy.

MUEN: PRESENTLY YOU ARE A ONE MAN BAND, ARE YOU LOOKING FOR OTHER MUSICIANS, OR ARE YOU HAPPY ON YOUR OWN?

LEFT HAND GALAXY: I am always always looking for other musicians!! I cannot stress that point enough!! As someone who has never had lessons, the best way to really progress musically is always to play or jam with other musicians!! However, I'm currently at a university out in the middle of nowhere in Wales, and whilst I was hoping that there would be some like minded musicians here, all my hopes and efforts have thus far come to nought!! So I guess that when I finish at the university in June, thats when I'm going to really start a search for other musicians!! Unless anyone has some offers already for a guitarist?

MUEN: IS IT TRUE THAT YOU RECORDED THE TRACKS YOU HAVE AT YOUR MYSPACE, AT HOME, AND DID THEM ALL IN "ONE TAKE?"

LEFT HAND GALAXY: Umm quite simply, yes! I'm a big fan of improvisation, so when I'm at home and feeling particularly inspired one day I just put a mic in front of the amp, plug it into the computer and start recording via ableton live. Then when I've finished, sometimes I try recording pieces again, but just find that the first take is usually the best, so thats what goes on the track!

MUEN: OBVIOUSLY GILMOUR IS AN INFLUENCE, BUT WHAT OTHER INFLUENCES HAVE YOU HAD, AND WHAT ARE ALL THE STYLES OF MUSIC YOU ARE INTERESTED IN?

LEFT HAND GALAXY: Yeh, Gilmour is an obvious influence, but there are so many other guitarists and musicians out there. I've always been a huge fan of the older blues rock guitarists, Gary Moore (probably my personal favourite) was the reason I picked up a guitar and started playing after I met him backstage in Bristol in 2001 (oh, so that actually answers the other question of how long I've been playing for!! Since 2001), Peter Green, Paul Kossoff, Hendrix obviously. I think my real love of music probably stems from my parents record collection, late sixties and seventies rock, blues so thats probably where the guitar influence comes from. But I love music in general, whether I'm playing Django Reinhart, Miles Davis etc through to bands like Mogwai, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Tool, Joe Bonamassa and Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society. Im interested in any music apart from mainstream indie, pop or hip hop and rap, I can't tolerate or understand the musicality in that, but each to their own I guess!

MUEN: WHAT TYPE OF GUITAR AND AMPAGE DO YOU USE?

LEFT HAND GALAXY: Man, I could go on about guitar gear for years, there is just something about guitarists where once they start building a collection they just can't stop!! Guitarwise my set up is as follows- Gibson Les Paul standard 50's style (with burstbucker pickups) Gibson explorer, just standard off the production line. Fender limited edition usa hot rodded series double fat strat (with a seymour duncan '59 at the neck, and pearly gates at the bridge)--thats the guitar I recorded marooned with. Adam Black apollo- a guitar I was given for playing at the opening of a guitar shop, not stunning in comparison to the others but good for open tunings and slide etc My custom made super strat- I took a charvel guitar neck, and had it attached to a swamp ash strat body, with seymour duncan hot rails, cool rails and jazz II pickups--thats the all rounder guitar! (haha sorry for how long this is taking!) amps- Framus dragon 100watt valve head for live shows, with a 4x12 angled cab loaded with celestion vintage 30 speakers. Orange tiny terror and 1x12 cab for smaller gigs and recording. effects wise I've been cutting down of late, so Im using- vox wah pedal line 6 uber metal distortion boss ce5 chorus and a bos dd3 delay, pretty standard stuff.

MUEN: OK, REALLY I'M SORRY I ASKED THAT... DO YOU PLAY ANY OTHER INSTRUMENTS OTHER THAN GUITAR?

LEFT HAND GALAXY: Guitar has always been my passion, so not really, though lately I've been understanding the importance of vocals so I've been taking a few singing lessons here and there.

MUEN: HOW MANY SONGS HAVE YOU WRITTEN TO DATE, AND WHICH ONES ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

LEFT HAND GALAXY: Ooo tough question. I actually have no idea how many songs I've written, I've currently got about 30 or so recorded, I just haven't finished them off yet because I haven't been happy with vocals or some other small part. I'm pretty proud of anything I write, if I wasn't proud of it then I sure as hell wouldn't record it, that defeats the whole object of playing music that you love and recording music that interests you and will hopefully interest some others!

MUEN: HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED LIVE?

LEFT HAND GALAXY: Of course, I love playing live, I've played a festival date here and there, a couple of charity concerts and a few open mic nights etc and students union gigs, but nothing really bigger than 500-700 people! Hopefully the bigger venues will come later in life!