Singer songwriter Richard Hawley has fond memories of his years as the guitarist for Pulp, but is really something of a lone wolf. He reflects on the rockabilly, country and crooning he grew up with and treats Home Entertainment to a traditional Sheffield tea.

Glasgow quartet Sons and Daughters set out to celebrate the music of their favourite bands, so you can hear clear echoes of the Smiths, Velvet Underground and Leonard Cohen in their music, and probably find multiple copies of their records in their CD collections.

Former cherub Charlotte Church says her tastes change with each new boyfriend, but she seems fairly certain what she doesn't like: neither Bob Dylan nor Chris Martin can hold a tune, and she's never understood why such a fuss is made over the Beatles.

Orchestra Baobab started life as a Dakar's nightclub house band, trying to cater to all tastes. Luckily, their own range widely: from James Brown to Django Reinhardt

The Sex Pistols influenced the Scottish duo's punk phase, but it was Kevin Rowland of Dexys Midnight Runners who inspired and nurtured the Proclaimers' distinctive working class sound.

Texas's Sharleen Spiteri has been inspired by many things - from Bob Dylan and Marvin Gaye to the Arcade Fire and Joanna Newsom - but not by the experience of visiting the eponymous US state.

Nearly 30 years after the Banshees burst onto the scene at the birth of British punk rock, Siouxsie Sioux is still a defiant musical maverick, and was recently honoured with Mojo's icon award. Here, she reveals her own icons.

Baritone Willard White grew up in a Jamaican community where singing was considered 'a bit sissy'. He nurtured his path to opera by imitating American songs from the radio and cites civil rights activist Paul Robeson as a guiding inspiration.

The minimally-monikered Lawrence - driving force behind Felt, Denim, and now Go-Kart Mozart - lives like a monk but dreams of pop stardom, drawing inspiration from the 'middle-of-the-road underground'.

Just one kind of music speaks to 'Little' Steven Van Zandt: rock'n'roll. As he explains it, the Rolling Stones are more than a band, they're a religion.

James Blunt grew up in a home without a CD player, and prides himself on not knowing too much about music. There is room in his heart, though, for singer-songwriters like Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith.

Death From Above 1979 have rock in their genes - Jesse Keeler's Dad was in Steppenwolf - but they also delight in drawing on influences like Diana Ross and Daft Punk which drive a lot of rock fans crazy.

As you might expect from a folk musician, James Yorkston likes his music 'real' - whether it's D'Gary's African roots, Anne Briggs's English folk, or even Can's Germanic experiments.

Nearly a decade after the Spice Girls phenomenon shook the pop world, Geri Halliwell talks to Will Hodgkinson about her new album, growing up with the sound of Frank Sinatra and her near-encounter with Michael Jackson.

Raised in deepest Shropshire, Mara Carlyle missed her chance to develop standard teenage prejudices. As a result, she's as thrilled by A-Ha as she is by Purcell

After a decade as a relative unknown KT Tunstall has crash landed into the mainstream. She talks about growing up in a house with no music, defining her sound in Fife and her love for Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell.

He won't talk about drugs, guns or jail. But Robert Downey Jr is happy to discuss how classic rock and Sesame Street helped form his musical personality.

As genuinely eccentric as their carefully cultivated image of outward-bound outsiders, British Sea Power draw on musical influences from well off the beaten track.