And the Hi there and welcome to episode 178 of soda jerker on songwriting this is Simon and this is

Brian and joining us today is a super talented British singer, songwriter and

keyboard player and one of the most consistent and compelling UK rock and soul artists of the last three decades.

In 2019 he was awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honors for his services to music

and in mid-September this year he released his 11th studio album

The Excellent Jimmy Hogarth produced twice in a lifetime. We're delighted to

welcome the Class Act that is Andrew Roachford to the show. We were

originally scheduled to do this one back in March, weren't we, Bri?

Yeah, in person down in London, but Andrew unfortunately had to postpone and then thanks to COVID this album release was pushed back from spring to autumn and that's happened of course

with a lot of this year's releases.

We got there in the end now that's the main thing.

We did and as you'll hear it was well worth the weight and was a terrific guy and we really

enjoyed this chat.

Our guest was born in London in 1965 and raised in Clapham in the southeast of the city.

He comes from a musical family, his dad was a drummer and his uncle Bill Rochford was an accomplished saxophonist.

As a youngster he was obsessed with the pop music that he heard on Radio 1, as well as his parents' extensive

collection of reggae, jazz and soul records. There was also a piano in the house to which the young

Andrew found himself mysteriously drawn and he duly began taking lessons on the instrument from the age of four.

By the time he'd reached his teens, Andrew was leaning his trade as a member of his Uncle

Bill's band at nightclubs and occasionally strip joints in Soho, then the centre of London's

jazz scene.

He was out on the road from the age of 14 and by 17

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