The North East is famous for many things - its friendly people, its passion for football, and its industrial heritage. But has it had its own recognisable music scenes? This is one of the key questions asked by author Ian Fawdon when he set out to interview some of the most important figures in the region's musical history.

London, Liverpool and Manchester are all celebrated for the artists and genres that define those regions, but has the North East had something similar? Ian sat down with over 30 artists to find out what it means to be a musician from the North East. Starting with some of the key figures associated with The Animals and the 1960s scene and, after a detour into the worlds of Heavy Metal, Folk, and Indie, he ends the book chatting with one of the modern day's most exciting talents, Nadine Shah.

On his journey Ian meets many talented and fascinating individuals who help him to understand whether staying in the area is a smart move or, when it comes to making it big in the music business, is it simply Too Far North?