by Jon O'BrienAnother success story from the prestigious Brits School, Jack McManus' love of 70s classic songwriters and polished acoustic pop soon saw him labelled as the new James Blunt. Born in Bromley in 1984, McManus became hooked on music at the age of seven after finding a drum kit at his dad's workplace (his father supplied pyrotechnics for rock acts' live shows including Pink Floyd's The Wall tour). Studying in the same year as Amy Winehouse, he attended the Brits School, where he learned to master the piano and the trumpet, an instrument which he went onto play in various West End musicals after his graduation. Believing that singing was outside his comfort zone, his initial plan was to write songs for other artists. But after taking demos of his work to publishers, who were also expecting him to provide the vocals, he began to think of himself as an artist in his own right. Through a friend, he found writing space in an old-time theatre in South London, once owned by Charlie Chaplin, and influenced by the likes of Elton John, Tom Petty and Billy Joel, he started to work on his debut album, Either Side At Midnight. After supporting the likes of Scouting For Girls, Amy McDonald and Sam Sparro on their UK tours, the album was released to critical acclaim. Featuring the singles "Bang On The Piano," and "You Think I Don't Care," it charted at a respectable #22. McManus also co-wrote "From The Rooftops," a track on Groove Armada's Soundbwoy Rock album.