My Secret Life: Fyfe Dangerfield, musician, 29

(Alastair Levy)

My parents were ... encouraging without being pushy, which is a tough balance to achieve. My dad worked in an office and my mum brought up us three boys.

The house I grew up in ... seemed huge at the time, but I walked past it recently and it looked tiny.

If I could change one thing about myself ... I'm trying to work on actually doing things rather than just talking about them. I keep finding lists I made three years ago and I'm still no closer to ticking them off.

You wouldn't know it but I'm very good at ... calling Directory Enquiries and putting on strange hybrid accents. It helps pass the day a bit quicker.

You may not know it but I'm no good at ... anything sport-based. Although you'd probably know that just by looking at me.

At night I dream of ... Last night I had some slightly sad dreams; I tend to dream of memories of things that have gone.

What I see when I look in the mirror ... Sometimes I see a beard and it still freaks me out. I don't feel like I should be old enough to be able to have a beard.

My favourite item of clothing ... is a big old black jumper which belonged to my brother [who died recently, aged 28].

I wish I'd never worn ... the pale green suit I wore when we played on the Jonathan Ross show once. It was the stylist's idea; somehow I went along with that, and looked like a Nigerian pimp.

I drive/ride ... I've had countless driving lessons. After the 40th I got to a roundabout and my teacher said: "Turn right"; I did and drove straight into fast-moving traffic and nearly killed us both. Then I realised that driving wasn't for me.

My flat is ... getting tidier. I've just come out of a long relationship and am getting used to living alone again. At least the break-up has made me more determined to be tidy.

My favourite building ... I'm attached to Cable Street Studios in Limehouse, where I recorded my new solo album and the first Guillemots CD. It's scuzzy and run-down, but it makes me think of happy times.

A book that changed me ... was 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy. He manages to talk about such heavy, deep things, without being flowery or over-sentimental. That removed tone of voice is really effective.

Movie heaven ... would be if David Lynch was to do a new version of 'Watership Down'.

The last album I bought ... At the moment I'm obsessed with a record called 'The Opiates' by Thomas Feiner and Anywhen. I heard it on 'Late Junction' on Radio 3 recently and it stopped me in my tracks.

My secret crush ... There are too many to mention. I met Sting's daughter [Coco Sumner] the other day – she was quite hot.

My real-life villain ... is the army of bus inspectors who descend on the London Transport system.

The people who really make me laugh ... are Chris Morris and Larry David.

My greatest regret ... It's frustrating that you can't always hold on to the things that you don't want to lose.

The last time I cried ... was within the last fortnight. I'm still dealing with the break-up.

My five-year plan ... is to be doing what I'm doing now with a burgeoning career as a film composer, and writing songs for other people which get on the radio.

What's the point? Just being here. That's it.

My life in six words ... I haven't got a clue, please.

A life in brief

Born Fyfe Antony Dangerfield Hutchins in Birmingham in July 1980, the singer, songwriter and guitarist worked briefly as a music teacher at an independent boys' school in Essex before rising to fame as the frontman of avant-garde pop band The Guillemots. He lives alone in Stoke Newington, north London, and his debut solo album 'Fly Yellow Moon' is released on 18 January.