Personally I don't believe we have any control about the songs or styles that inspire us to creativity.

Of course I did consider being the voice of the midlands folkscene, a sort of Lincolnshire Mike Harding - when I was starting out.

It was the smart move at the time of the great traddy purge in the 1970's - a time when the traddies were in the ascendant. Their electro groups were in the charts. they sneered loudly at at any American influenced or even American songwriter. And really they did for the for the folk clubs what Thomas Cromwell did for the monastries, as the vast majority of people at the time were there to hear American based material.

However the thought of realligning my entire sensibility to fit in with some ignoramus view of folk music was anathema to me - and it still is.