Only formed four months before, and having little live performance experience as a group, we were naive to how much that first trip would shape our career and lives.

Ten years, two albums and two EPs on, and I am a Tamworth resident.

If you had asked me 10 years ago if I could imagine myself living in the country, or in Tamworth, I probably would’ve laughed.

Having now lived here for four-and-a-half years, I love it, and I think my love for the festival has also grown.

There are definitely benefits with being a Tamworth resident at this time of year – I don’t have to pack, I have access to my full wardrobe (very important when you may have upwards of 10 shows) and I also get to sleep in my own bed every night.

I also get to watch the excitement and atmosphere build in town in the weeks leading up to the festival as preparations take place, especially as people start to arrive, quite often just after New Year.

So to say that I get excited about the Tamworth festival is probably an understatement.

Actually, Liz and I often joke about how we plan our year(s) from one Tamworth to the next.

The 10 days of the festival are probably our busiest.

 Not only do we have a lot of commitments in the shortest space of time (like most artists), but a good deal of the wonderfully talented friends we have made in this industry are all in one place – so when we are not playing shows, you can generally find us desperately running around town trying to catch their gigs, or having a catch-up over a sneaky bevvy and meal.

I hope you enjoy yourself as much as I do.

Get out there and see as much as you possibly can (it is only 10 days, after all), find artists you really like, buy their CD and then tell everyone you know about them. 

Most of all, have a great time, and we hope to keep seeing you in years to come.