Cyber-folkie Trashmonk was in reality singer/songwriter Nick Laird-Clowes, best-known for fronting the pastoral folk-pop band the Dream Academy. Born February 5, 1957, his rather remarkable story begins in earnest at the age of 13, when he ran away from his West London home to attend the Isle of Wight festival; there, Clowes was befriended by DJ Jeff Dexter, eventually becoming his assistant sound mixer at a series of free festivals as well as at the legendary Camden club the Roundhouse, where he worked on live performances from the Who, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. The teenaged Clowes also made the acquaintance of John Lennon, briefly staying at the former Beatle's Surrey mansion, and while working at RCA, he managed to save enough money to buy the guitar once cradled by his idol Nick Drake on the cover of the classic Bryter Layter album. His band Alphalfa soon scored a deal with EMI, with the group's debut album boasting art direction by David Hockney; they disbanded soon after, however, and after contributing backing vocals to T. Rex's Dandy in the Underworld, he relocated to New York City.