When I speak to Siegal he is preparing to play at a festival in Switzerland – one of many dates on a tour spanning Europe and the UK. "The further I travel the bigger it gets," says Siegal, who says Europe's blues scene is much healthier than that of the UK.

"They're less genre-influenced in Europe," he says. "If you cover a country song at a blues gig in the UK people stand there with their arms folded, but we play a lot of varied styles."

In his latest album, Swagger, Siegal pays homage to the artists who have influenced his sound – covers include Little Richard's I Can't Believe You Wanna Leave and Don Covey's I Don't Know What You Got But It Got Me.

His music goes beyond the blues, reaching into rock and roll and country. His sound is marked with a bluesy swagger, groove-led guitar and raspy rock 'n' roll vocals.

His musical taste developed prematurely. He bought his first record at the age of three (a Slade single – although he admits he didn't go to the shop himself) and, through his parents' interest in music, became obsessed with Little Richard and Buddy Holly: "I was listening to completely different stuff than my mates – it was the early 80s and they were all becoming mods but I kept it to myself or I would have been at risk of being beaten up," he laughs.

But it was busking in Berlin, after dropping out of art school, where Siegal's guitar playing rapidly developed "I had no choice – I had to improve and I learned so much. It was a very significant part of my life and I'd recommend it to any young musician."

The busking traits remain a fixture of his shows, playing off-the-cuff tunes with improvisation: "I like to keep the element of surprise and spontaneity," he says.

Ian Siegal plays at the Boardwalk on September 4.

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