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I became interested in harmonica. I didn't actually start playing myself until I was
about 16 or 17. In fact, my sister Dani played a little bit of harmonica before that
[chuckles], but more in the sort of Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter style. So we had a few

harmonicas playing around the house. But yeah, I was about 16 when I decided to pick
it up and have a go at it myself.

BiTS: And how did you learn to play? Did you teach yourself and all that, or did you

have lessons or what?

WW: So to begin with, I taught myself from Muddy Waters’ albums. I found out that
you had to use a C harp to play blues in the key

of G, and that was it, really [laughs]. I kind of
knew that I had the right harmonica, so I kind of
figured that all of the notes must be there

somewhere, and I just played the record over and
over and tried to copy what I was hearing and
became completely obsessed with it.

BiTS: So it's a little bit like people who learn the
guitar by learning to play along with other people.

WW: Yeah, exactly. That's all I did for two years,

is just playing on the records and work stuff out
that way.

BiTS: When did you feel confident enough to go

out in public?

WW: Pretty soon actually. Like, I don't know, I
think I was playing local gigs after about a year

of playing harmonica. But I was kind of used to
getting up on stage, because I'd played drums in bands at school before that. So it was
very natural to want to sort of get on stage and do it.

BiTS: And Sonny Boy Williamson II, I imagine is your hero. So what other players do
you like, do you revere?

WW: Well, I like all of the old Chicago Blues guys, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Jerry

Portnoy, Little Walter, Charlie Musselwhite [chuckles]. But the biggest influence on
my playing in the last few years has been Gary Moore.

BiTS: Really?

WW: Yeah. I don't really listen to a lot of harmonica blues anymore. I don't know
[laughs]. I'm really into the Gary Moore blues thing at the moment and kind of studying
his music has helped me to find my own voice with the harp because I've been able to

take it to places that it hasn't really been before.