Where does the title Spiritual Bum come from?

I was reading a book about Henry Miller living in Paris. Everyone around him was getting into gurus and he was the only one who wasn't, so they referred to him as a spiritual bum. I really liked that.

Do you prefer writing books or writing songs?

I find music really natural because I've done it for so long. With the book writing, I'll probably get good at it eventually, but I'm learning a lot along the way. My parents were huge readers - my father read westerns and my mother read romances - so it rubbed off, even if it was all pulp fiction.

I hear you've been buying a lot of albums that you used to like as a kid. Which ones?

Mott the Hoople, old David Bowie, the Faces, early Roxy Music. That early '70s period was the peak for music generally. I mean, there are still good things coming out now, but even the average stuff from that time was better.

Medibank's "I Feel Better Now" jingle is from one of your songs. How long has that advertisement been playing?

Nine years. It's amazing, isn't it? Every time they renew it I get a cheque in the mail. It's not a lot of money, but it's still very nice to get it.

B.D.