The 5-minute Interview: James Skelly, Musician

'A woman of 80 threw me over her shoulder'

James Skelly, 28, is the lead singer with the acclaimed Liverpool indie band The Coral, responsible for such hits as 'In The Morning' and 'Dreaming Of You'. On 16 and 17 March, they and several other bands will play as part of the Jameson St Patrick's Day celebrations in London and Manchester. For details, visit www.jamesonlive.co.uk

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Eating a sausage butty. It's my favourite thing to have in the mornings.

A phrase I use far too often is...

"Why". A lot of Liverpool football fans are saying that at the moment, with the way things are going. I'm fully behind [manager] Rafa [Benitez], though. You've got to be really.

I wish people would take more notice of...

The Coral. I would love it if people would buy more records but really I just want more people to hear our music because it's good. Well,I think so anyway.

The most surprising thing that happened to me was...

Being thrown over an 80-year-old woman's shoulder in Birkenhead. It was something to do with using the force of the other person to lift them up.

A common misperception of me is...

I don't know really. I only talk to people I know, so I don't know what other people think of me.

I am not a politician but...

If I were, I would get rid of all dogs. I hate them. All they do is shit everywhere, and they smell.

I'm good at...

Writing songs. Well, I hope so anyway.

I'm very bad at...

Anything that involves running. Actually, anything to do with exercise at all.

The ideal night out is...

Just seeing where the night takes me. I don't plan ahead – I just go with whatever is happening. It's much more fun and relaxed that way.

In weak moments I...

I go to the toilet at the nearest service station. I don't like doing it really, and try and avoid it if possible.

You know me as a singer but in truer life I'd have been...

Better than I am now probably. I would like to have been really good at sport, like being a boxer, snooker player or footballer. Then I would be earning tens of thousands of pounds a week, which wouldn't be too bad.

The best age to be is...

28. There's less pressure on me at the moment. I don't care any more. I look at people who are 45 and go out and buy a Harley-Davidson. I hope somebody will shoot me before I get to that point.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is...

Don't take life too seriously.

Jack Williams