Exciting times for Baz

Baz told the ‘MAIL’: “It’s being played flat out on Radio Ulster. They’ve really taken to it there. I was brought in to play live on Friday night. It’s exciting times.”

Baz recorded the album with Cat Malojian’s Jonny Toman. It also features guest musicians Rachel Toman, Alison and Darren Crossey, Eamon McLoughlin, Eimear McGeown and Brian McAlinden.

The recording process took a year and a half but it was well worth the wait.

Baz commented: “My worst nightmare was listening to something back and hating it. I’m really happy with how it’s turned out.

“We were sure of the 10 songs we wanted to record and ended up doing just two of them. The rest were written during recording.”

Of the songwriting process Baz said: “Something comes over me and I have to write. I’ve written songs on this album in the bath and in the shower. I wrote ‘The Busker and The Maid’ on a train through Italy. I had to stop mid conservation to write.

“I have control over what I write but I’ve no control over when I write.”

He added: “The reason the album took a while was because Jonny was touring for part of it and two computers blew up and we lost loads of stuff. We put it together when we could at weekends and nights in Jonny’s studio.”

Jonny’s studio is called the Lookin’ Drawer as is the album. It’s named after a special drawer in which Jonny’s granddad stored a collection of trinkets which fascinated his grandson.

Baz and Jonny grew up beside each other - their grannies are cousins and the have the same great, great grandfather.

The pair, along with Alison, Darren and Rachel, are currently rehearsing for a live performance of the album.

Baz said: “We want the live show to be something special - as close to the album as possible, if not better.”

The Lookin’ Drawer by Baz McSherry is available from iTunes and bazmcsherry.com