A late starter in most people's eyes, I first picked up the guitar at the age of 17. However, I grew up in a house filled with music in every room, having a mother who was of child of the 60's and 'into' a massive range of sounds, from the rock of Hendrix, through the Rolling Stones, and out the other side to the Moody Blues, Donovan and The Incredible String Band.

Having been thrilled by seeing a friend at school playing Mr Scary by George Lynch, I decided the guitar was the thing and dived headlong into a passionate affair with the instrument, and completely self-taught myself the dynamics of six-string playing. I think I've got a unique playing style which nods respectfully to all the modern tricks and ideas, with tapping, whammy bar work and minor third harmony a la Iron Maiden...the usual modern guitar players trickbag in other words, but also brings in more complex arrangements and moods and textures influenced by the landscape of Dartmoor where I grew up and spent a great deal of my time as a youngster, walking the hills and learning the nature of the landscape in detail. Even though I now live near London for my wife's work, I'm still a Dartmoor obsessive.

I tend to use several guitar lines using effects and tone differences to produce complex counterpoint on harmonic movement over the central chordal tone which gives my ideas a fair amount of 'space' and emotion.

As a result my music doesn't sound like anyone else, I hope!!

Work is now underway on the second work, which promises to be bigger and better! The main aim of 'Time to Breathe' was to showcase a range of ideas and skills, within decent tunes, which I think succeeded. I now have two separate agendas - to write collaboratively on more commercial rock songs with a number of vocalists but also to continue the instrumental work - the latter will probably appear first under my own name, and will be a much more expansive and landscape oriented work, with Dartmoor as the central theme. I'm rather frustrated Seth Lakeman has also done this already - not because I'm stuck for ideas, and not because his work is in competition with mine...in fact I suspect his is better(true - go buy 'Kitty Jay' now...it's amazing!), but primaily because he's getting in first with all the song names and photo ideas I want to use!!

Aims

I'm extremely competent at all aspects of rock guitar and particularly interested in extreme sports/film projects and will consider session work subject to contract negotiation and time commitments.


Equipment

Luke uses Line 6 and Korg effects, Marshall Amplification, Ibanez guitars, D'addario strings and Dunlop picks. Endorsements are most welcome ;0)

The music for Time to Breathe was recorded at Madbadger Studios, Buckinghamshire, UK using Acid Pro - EJRO (a working title for the purposes of feedback here...) and the second album will be created at the same venue using Ableton Live