“When I discovered music, I went nuts for it. I wrote loads and loads of lyrics,” says Irish novelist Julian Gough.

Gough, who was once the frontman of band Toasted Heretic, is currently Writer in Residence at Trinity College. He joined Tom earlier this evening to discuss music, the usefulness of the dole and the hardships of a writer’s life.

It was when he was first introduced to David Bowie that Gough realised he wanted to be a musician. “I want to do what he does,” he recalled saying when he caught a glimpse of Bowie on the television. He always had a plan however: be in a band in his twenties and become a writer after that. In this vision, he has succeeded. In fact, his latest novel is almost ready and is entitled Infinite Ammo.

One of the songs Gough picked to play on the show was Love on a Farmboy’s Wages by XTC.

“The lyrics are great and it's very catchy,” he said.

However, it certainly hasn’t always been plain sailing for the author who grew up in Tipperary.

“I lived in a coal cellar for months,” he recalled.

Despite hardships such as this, he emphasised that he tends to value freedom and time over security and money.

In light of this, Gough sang the praises of the possibilities afforded to artists by social welfare.

The dole “is the secret of modern art...there are a whole bunch of people who wouldn't have been able to create the art they wanted' without it, he explained.

To listen to the full interview simply click on the link above.