What I’m listening to: Tove Lo’s Queen of the Clouds, Seinabo Sey’s For Madeleine and First Aid Kit’s Stay Gold – the first two are quite electronic, while First Aid Kit is the best Americana to ever come out of Sweden. I also keep coming back to the Smashing Pumpkins’ Gish – a truly iconic early 1990s album – and also Teddybears by Soft Machine.

What I’m reading: I enjoy biographies. I’m currently finishing Neil Young’s Waging Heavy Peace, which is a bit like a diary looking back at his long career in music. And I just started Icelandic Nobel laureate Halldor Laxness’ Independent People.

What I’m watching: not much. I’m an on-and-off TV consumer. I watched Downton Abbey last year. Maybe I’ll pick it up again this winter.

What artists I’m following: in the past I’ve been really struck by Susan Rothenberg’s paintings and some of Anselm Kiefer’s sculptures which are really powerful. But I’m not really a regular gallery-goer.

Where I’m surfing: I’m actually taking surf lessons at Big Wave Bay, but I mostly read news websites. Sometimes I look for bargains in old country houses for sale in Sweden or France. It’d be some place to spend time and practise my carpentry skills.