About Julian Sumner

I've been playing keyboards, guitars and assorted musical instruments since I was six or seven years old. I was always drawn to a good melody. I wasn't keen on the formal piano lessons I was expected to take as a child but, if it did anything, at least it equipped me with a few music fundamentals.

An aunt very dear to me gifted me her battered acoustic guitar when I was eight. It was painted white, missing some strings - but it looked great to me - and it was a start.

When I was able to get my hands on an electric guitar and a cheap 10 watt practice amp from Woolworths, I stopped playing keyboards and fixated on working out the guitar parts to my favourite rock and pop songs from the 1960s and early seventies.

By the late 1970s I was forming various bands with fellow music lovers. Punk and New Wave were in the ascendancy, was fun and easy to play. I was also influenced greatly by my older brother's fantastic record collection which included almost every rock artist or band of importance, including many from the American west coast.

Around this time, I was writing songs all the time and recording them on an open reel tape machine which had a multi-track facility, allowing me to lay basic overdubs. Initial interest from recording companies came and went - mainly due to my astonishingly poor visual appeal and 'lack of image'!

As a result, music began to take a back seat in my life - I had to earn a living. A more lucrative - but much less interesting - career took over. I hadn't been keen, anyway, on playing live and suffered stage fright; but enjoyed the actual recording process.

Jump forward over forty years and I found myself reflecting on those early times. I picked up a guitar, bought an electric keyboard and felt inspired enough to start producing new songs. Since late 2023, I've been recording this new material using a 24 track digital mixing desk, a few half-decent guitars and limited studio gear. You can hear the results on your favourite streaming service!

Alternatively, you can request any of my CDs by post for £10 inclusive of postage and packing. Use the contact form to reach me by email.

Julian

April 2026