In the past two months you may have walked by Piccadilly Circus and spotted Miguel Montalban. Every Friday and Saturday, the 30-year-old songwriter picks up his electric guitar and amplifier and heads over to the West End to entertain locals and tourists. Here he talks about his life as a musician, why he loves London and his latest album

When did you arrive in London and why did you decide to stay?

I got here around two months ago. I love it here. I want to play and finish recording an album with my band. We are just waiting to see what happens here, I guess.

Why did you choose this location to play in?

When you play in a street, you should pick the most famous square. Everyone wants to come and take a picture in Piccadilly. There are people are here from all over the world so I have a great audience.

Is this what you dreamed of doing?

I started playing when I was eight; I got my first guitar and pretended to be a rock star. I would watch videos and it just happened. I played at school and at festivals. My best friend played drums. I studied acting at college. It’s what I always wanted to do.

Andes Empire released the single ‘Fearless’ in February. What does the band have planned for the future?

We would love to get signed but I am mostly working on new material. I just want to play and sell my CDs!

Out of all of your past performances which one has been the most memorable?

We were playing at the opening for Renault at Mondial de l’Automobile in Paris last year when we won the Red Bull award for Best Alternative Band and Best Vocals. It was a very large contest. We were playing as headliners in front of ten thousand people. Andes Empire played for just an hour and it was incredible.

Miguel performs in front of Barclays Bank in Piccadilly Circus on Fridays and Saturdays at 4 pm. Find out more at miguelmontalban.com