Lach was the King of Manhattan's East Village and host of the longest running open mic night in New York. He now lives in Scotland and finds himself back at square one, playing in a dive bar on the wrong side of Edinburgh.

His eccentric night, held in various venues around New York, was called the Antihoot. Never quite fitting in and lost somewhere lonely between folk and punk music, Lach started the Antifolk movement. He played host to Suzanne Vega, Jeff Buckley and many others. He discovered and nurtured lots of talent including Beck, Regina Spektor and the Moldy Peaches - but nobody discovered him.

In this episode, Lach recalls the genesis of his career and - ultimately - his independent life. Always an outsider, his young rejection of aspiration and fledgling discoveries of Messrs Bruce and Bob led Lach to a salvation he still holds dear.

Producer: Richard Melvin
A Dabster production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2014. Show less