But it wasn’t all doom and gloom before I moved to England. When I was ten, I saw Paul McCartney perform in Antwerp, and something clicked. I knew exactly what I wanted: to play guitar, sing, and perform in front of a passionate audience.

I taught myself guitar and vocals, and later attended our local music school, Muziekschool De Drieklank. Those visits were transformative—for the first time, practicing felt like joy rather than punishment. I connected with other music lovers, found my people.

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As a teenager, I formed Ampiphy with some friends. We played bars, schools, and venues like de Bosuil in Weert and de Effenaar in Eindhoven. Our live sets mixed original material with covers of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Irish guitar legend Rory Gallagher. We recorded a fair amount of music too—I was impressed at the time, though looking back, we could have done better on most tracks. Still, we played tight as a unit (me on guitar and vocals, Ruben Heijnsbroek on bass, Martijn Oosterhuis on drums), tight enough that Studio Moskou in Utrecht asked us to serve as study material for their sound technician trainees. But like many bands, Ampiphy didn’t last.

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Without qualifications, finding stable work proved difficult. More than that, I wasn’t happy—I felt stuck, going nowhere. Manchester seemed like the answer: birthplace of legendary bands, home to world-class football, the kind of place where I could build something new. So I moved. Before leaving, I recorded two songs at Studio LC in Maastricht. I was thrilled with the music, but over time, I grew to dislike how my vocals sounded.

Those first years in Manchester were rough. I didn’t know anyone and had to find my footing. But eventually, I finished high school (surprise, Mom and Dad) and even worked for one of the country’s major sporting institutions (Manchester City). You might also spot me pulling pints at a local pub on weekends.

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The important thing? I’m ready to get back into music. My goal is to form a band with like-minded musicians and perform live again.

If that sounds like you, get in touch.

<p>The post How Did I Get Here? first appeared on Julience — Songs, Lyrics & Stories | Manchester Indie Rock.</p>