Just as well this troubadour of the South West has rescued the mundanities of personal battles and decided to sing about it. No torment, no bleakness, no hiding behind false lyrics, instead it's a real songwriter for real believers and real people who revel in bumbling through life observing the bad and good as bedfellows that are joined at the hip.

"I thought no-one was ever going to be interested in what I do. Going down the same routes as everyone else was getting me nowhere. So when I came into a little bit of money, I decided to do the album myself. I'm the one that wanted to say something. It was only fair that I created the platform to say it."

With a personal life that marries drive with disappointment and ambition with angst, Gavin Thorpe has been blessed with a vocal talent that strengthens his case for getting off your posterior and aiming towards whatever it is that makes you feel complete.

"I'm aware that living in an X-Factor generation means that some of what I'm trying to achieve is bound to get diluted, but putting my own money into this isn't too dissimilar to another artist with whom I feel a certain affiliation!"

Indeed, the comparisons in vocal ability will not have been lost on the young Bristolian. David Gray may have had his detractors, but not everyone takes the view that self-belief is a disability.

"Being patient has got me here. Not listening to anyone that expressed a doubt. So now my songwriting is more focused and better than it's ever been. I don't know if that would have been the case if things would have worked out sooner!"

Tempered by the confusion that mid –20's males seem to haul around, Gavin is at last in a position to paint his pictures in full view of a discerning public. A young man with a guitar isn't too special a deal these days, but with a voice that can break hearts from an auditorium away, Gavin Thorpe knows that the song is the essence and the only way to not be lumped in with his wannabe counterparts.

"It's all too clichéd to say that I've always written to articulate my feelings. Any singer songwriter worth his corn will always have to rely on getting a battering emotionally to create something that people can relate to. Sometimes I want to tell my current girlfriend, 'Look, can you dump me? I’m having a bit of a dry patch…!'" He laughs. Dryly.

It's the same the world over. The difference here is 'the same' ain't what it used to be. Gavin Thorpe is ready to face up to his responsibilities and take the stage, blithely ignoring the spotlight and praying to the mic. It’s a subtle noise but it moves. It moves you.

Gavin Thorpe's album 'Pictures' is released on 21st April. For tour dates and more info head to www.gavinthorpe.com or www.myspace.com/gavinthorpemusic