A little taster of footage from our first After Hours event (featuring a performance by Waystone co-founder @louisbarabbas.bsky.social). www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpxt...

Rock and roll credentials officially revoked but I don’t mind.

It’s nice when you own the venue and can swing off the beams!

My life is so wholesome now, it’s almost too much.

Immediate thoughts after opening a bookshop in Dunvegan, Skye. @waystonebooks.bsky.social #booksky

I’m in the paper and it’s not because of Coraline!

I feel immensely fortunate to have a life where these three photos of three different jobs can be taken in the same week! 🎶 📚 🚒 #music #books #firefighter

Dress for the job you want to lose to AI, not for the job you’ve already lost to AI.

Such a lovely review by Flux magazine. I’d have killed for this kind of write-up in the Bedlam Six days! www.fluxmagazine.com/felix-hagan-...

Who’s coming to the best bookshop in Dunvegan on Saturday?

I managed to go my entire rock career without performing in a tight black vest but it seemed apt to put one on when Felix dragged me out of retirement.

I know, I can’t believe there was no backstage mirror at a Felix Hagan gig either!

Such fun performing with Felix Hagan again. We hadn’t sung My Little Lusitania for at least twelve years! Photo (c) Stef Martin 2026

Me and Miriam all dressed up in our fancy clothes

So, for those of you coming to the Felix Hagan show in Manchester, a question: do you just want me to play old stuff or should I do a few new things too? I could throw in some Coraline numbers if you’re interested in hearing a 43 year old man pretend to be an 11 year old girl?

Jack is the real deal, a great writer and lovely person. Do consider supporting if you can.

Yes, it’s true! I am briefly coming out of gig retirement to play with my treasured friend and former label-mate Felix Hagan at his album launch on 13th February at Star & Garter Manchester. It’s so nice to lend my enormous fame to support up and coming talent. He has a bright future ahead of him.

For some reason I trust even numbered years more than odd.

I was just sent this photo by a distant cousin (it's me). As you can see my taste in clothes hasn't changed!

Rocking the merch under the PPE!

One of the many perks of this job is we get our own lift in hotels.

I am one of the guest vocalists on Oğuz Kaplangi's RES!ST album (on the last track "Not Walking Away"). It was lovely being part of this collaborative project. The record is out now. oguzkaplangi.com/resist/

I think you can definitely tell that my choice is the middle line! I found it so hard picking just five books for our little bookshop’s first curated selection, going with Staying Alive, We Have Always Lived In The Castle, A Single Man, @carolinebirduk.bsky.social’s The Air Year and Treasure Island.

Of course a photoshoot of the Waystone directors is going to end up looking like an album cover. Of course it is.

Some friends and I are setting up a bookshop. It’ll sell books! And there will be events! And coffee! And exclamation marks! We’ll be opening soon so give us a follow!

A reject song from Wildfire Season

A little write-up about the panel I was on recently in Paris. David and I didn't deliberately synchronise outfits but we leant into it! musiciansunion.org.uk/news/sustain...

Mirror selfie post lorry fire

Dogs in Paris

Had a lovely time discussing sustainable careers in the arts with Linton Stephens, David from Field Music, Fiona Bevan and Kelly Wood at MAMA Conference in Paris. And I even met another songwriter/firefighter Lila Zik- I thought I was the only one!

@carolinebirduk.bsky.social Thought you might like to know that customers who bought your poetry also drive forklift trucks and study physics at GCSE. Wish my demographic was as varied as yours!

Much overdue reorganisation of my bookshelves is happening (I’m in hyper-procrastination phase with three separate writing deadlines approaching). These are all poetry books, didn’t realise I had so many, now going in their own very prominent section rather than being mixed up with everything else.

A playlist of studio demos and workshop recordings from the first draft of Wildfire Season, an existential musical about highland firefighters. youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Last video from the Tell-Tale Hound demo sessions. This one's a moody act two number that gets a bit metal at the end (and anyone missing seeing me pant like a dog, just keep watching). Some good facial expressions from Felix in this one! youtu.be/XYwIbk2ud1k

This song was a lot of fun to make. Felix and I last duetted thirteen years ago and ended up punching each other (in the music video) so it felt good to record a song about friendship. In the musical it's sung by two women but feelings aren't gendered things so here it is gruff! youtu.be/Xssj_dt7RcM

I got together with some of the Bedlam Six (with Felix Hagan depping on drums and keys) to record a few demos for new musical The Tell-Tale Hound. Here’s how the opening currently sounds: youtu.be/n-_ngLZFmuw

Never too early for a poster! I love this image by @valliard.bsky.social. This show’s very dear to my heart, based on a notorious Bedlam Six song I wrote in 2007. Producers who like folk horror, panting dog puppets and fast lyrics get in touch!

This is one of the best shows I’ve EVER seen, can’t recommend it highly enough!

Some shots by Andrew Ab of my recent studio recording session with Felix Hagan and some of the Bedlam Six, making demos for new folk-horror musical The Tell-Tale Hound.

It’s been ages since anyone wanted to interview me (used to happen quite a lot believe it or not!) so I had such a lovely time doing this with @shaunpanda.bsky.social, talking about the music I love and the projects I’m working on (and inevitably Coraline!). open.spotify.com/episode/2gfv...

Haven’t recorded with Felix Hagan since we made the Jocasta soundtrack album 8yrs ago (before all his many Operation Mincemeat awards). We’ve had a lovely day ROCKING like we were still in our twenties. Looking forward to sharing the results with everyone!

In another universe it is the final night of the Coraline tour, I’m at the Lyceum theatre watching a show I wrote performed to a full house. In this universe I’m on standby duty at a neighbouring fire station!

I recruited Alan Cumming into the SFRS

Me and my girl

These people have to account for the deep hatred and revulsion they feel when watching others act out of sincerity, courage and compassion. It threatens and bewilders them, so they must explain it away as something they recognise and understand: moral vapidity and self-absorption

Wishing the indomitable Mincemeat team all the love and luck tonight for the Tonys.

Reading a treatment for a new musical from a book writer friend and I love this simple character description: Romantic. Grandiose. French.

For anyone interested in my new musical, here are four contrasting demos from the first draft. If you have a Bedlam Six itch that needs scratching, track four's probably the one for you! There are also little introduction videos to each one on my instagram. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...