Fantasy band: Bill Ryder-Jones

'I'd love McCartney but he'd want too much say'

Vocals and piano: Euros Childs

He was the frontman in Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. I've been listening to his music since I was 17 and his songs and voice have always struck a chord with me.

Vocals: Bill Callahan

Sharing vocals would be Bill Callahan from Smog. I'm looking for a balance, and I think with Callahan and Euros we'd have our direction sorted.

Bass: Paul Duffy

Bass is tricky. If you know Smog and Gorky's then you'll understand there's not gonna be an awful lot to keep a bass player interested. Paul McCartney would be perfect but he'd want too much of a say so I'll pick Paul from my old band, The Coral. Paul's as good a musician as I've met, can sing, and understands the make up of a song.

Drums: Levon Helm

He played more like a writer than a drummer; when he played with The Band he knew the importance of doing your bit and not trying to steal the show.

Guitar: John Head

He's played with Shack and The Pale Fountains. His playing on “Something Like You” is just beautiful; he has a way with notes and combinations of notes that really does it for me.

Violin: Warren Ellis

He plays with Dirty Three and Nick Cave. He uses a dirt pedal through an amp that turns his violin into something else, it's a really beautiful and ugly sound and his playing is unreal.

Bill Ryder-Jones's album 'A Bad Wind Blows in my Heart' is out 8 April. He plays London's The Lexington on 8 May.