He says: "I decided to write a book as many of the accounts of The Wildhearts' turbulent career have since turned into the stuff of traumatic myth and titanic legend. This way I can put the story straight using descriptions of the songs themselves and the life and times behind them.

"The story, however, goes much deeper than merely The Wildhearts, and descends into a solo career that marks the darkest times of my life and the truly tragic depths of my tale."