Home is?
In the culture capital of Grouville, down a quiet green lane. Our house makes up for the quietness, with my wife, two children, one dog, and a lazy old cat. There was never a dull moment.
What does your weekend ritual involve?
Saturdays are our busiest days in the shop, which involves an early start of 9:30am. For a musician, that’s a tough gig! I start with some choice tunes and coffee, then down to some hard graft, chatting to fellow Musos. By late afternoon, it was time to road test some of the new stock. This really does not feel like work. Sunday is time for the family, with football and horse riding on the agenda.
The best brunch on the island?
I have so many family favourites. I love a toastie down at the Hungry Whale, they have decent coffee too. I’ll head out West to Kismet Cabana for a bit of spice and I also love The Yard, my kids love the ‘waffles your way’.
And what about the best place for a weekday coffee?
I can’t live without my Allpress Coffee from Dandy.
Do you have a favourite island walk?
We have loads, and my children love being outdoors. Walking our dog around St. Catherine’s Woods, bike rides around Gorey, and a pit stop at the Dolphin.
What do you do to keep fit?
I bench press Gibson and Marshall Amps for fun.
Are there any shops you couldn’t live without on the island?
It has to be the market, with loads of cool independents. Where else can you buy cabbage, vinyl, and Italian cheese? It’s the cultural hub of our island.
Which restaurant would you recommend to someone visiting Jersey for the first time?
We are blessed with so many amazing restaurants. I love Awabi, La Bouche, The Yard, and Kismet, all run by passionate Rock’n’Roll Foodies. They take the old classics but bring a modern twist.
Where do you go to let your hair down?
It has to be my spiritual home; The Blue Note, the best boozer in town! It’s run by mates of mine; Tomaz and Elwira. If you want to hear live music and tread on St. Heliers stickiest carpet, this is the place.
Where do you take friends when they visit the island?
My wife loves Plemont and takes everyone there, regardless of the weather. The Dolphin Pub is always a winner, a proper sun trap, and full of characters.
Where’s the best place to take a dip?
Gorey Slipway for a morning high tide dip, followed by a Rhona’s for a Bacon and Sausage Roll.
What’s your favourite beach and why?
Beauport is like being stranded on a desert island. I don’t get to visit enough, but it’s always special when the tide is up.
Where on the island do you feel most inspired?
I get inspired by people who have a love and passion for the things that they believe in, particularly people who are involved in the arts and culture on the island. It’s a hard slog, but you do it for the love; it’s infectious and pushes you to think of creative ways to reinvent what’s gone before you.
And where do you enjoy working?
I now have the perfect job running Jersey’s only music shop. Every day you will find me front of house in my shop, chatting about music. It honestly doesn’t feel like work; for me personally, nothing is more rewarding than helping someone find their dream instrument.
What are you working on at the moment?
If you have passed recently, you will see all the new graphics and new colour scheme in the front of the shop. Now we are finishing off the back of the shop. This will allow us to branch out with some in-store sessions with local musicians to really push the digital content. I am a firm believer that music shops should be the coolest and most inspiring places in town. Now that we have landed the Gibson/Epiphone contract, we are definitely moving in the right direction.
@islandmusicjsy
