People talk about books being like babies, and I suppose I can see the parallels. I have stayed up all night with a book before now, though I’ve never had one throw up down my back as I was winding it. The email from the Book Guild offering to publish Dead Man Singing arrived in my inbox on Fr...

B is for The Beatles, but that’s too obvious; B is also for The Band.

Dead Man Singing is the story of faded rock star Dave Masters. The Band, like the Beatles, are a vital part of Dave Masters’ musical identity. If they aren’t the most influential band in music history (and they&r...

When I’ve told people about Dead Man Singing, one of the most frequent questions has been ‘What gave you the idea?’ The short answer is Richard Thompson. Here’s the longer version:

I’ve been a fan of Richard Thompson, singer-songwriter-guitarist extraordinaire, since dis...

Dead Man Singing is dedicated to my dad, David Couch. The fact that my main character is also a Dave is a coincidence; he certainly isn’t based on Dad, Dave just seemed an appropriate name from the world of 70s rock – messrs Gilmour, Mason, Crosby and Edmunds, among others, nudging me to...

A is for Albums. When Dave, the main character of Dead Man Singing, relocates to begin his new life, he can only take 100 albums from his vast record collection. While Dave’s choices aren’t listed in the book, I felt the need to know precisely which albums he picked. If you’re inte...