Shawn Christensen, New York professional painter of rock stars turned rock star himself, paints a picture of his present well-being on his band's autumn tour.

"You know, I'm just chilling out like Bob Dylan," says the Stellastarr* frontman, newly arrived in London from his New York home.

On Wednesday, Stellastarr* are in York, introducing their self-titled debut album to Fibbers punters, as word spreads about Christensen and co. "We've been going for three years, and I guess two years were just building up a fan base in New York, and then this year we've gone beyond that to stretch the limits," he says.

How far could Stellastarr* rise? "I'm very pessimistic by nature so for me to get through a week or even a day is iffy. Right now I'm just looking to build up more fans and I can't look beyond that," says Shawn. "But where we are now is no way where I would have expected us to have been a year or two years ago."

He explains his pessimism: "I've been let down before and it's in my nature to be that way, so I can be more comfortable if things don't go well. I can have that false security."

Yet if Shawn needs re-assurance, Stellastarr* have been signed by RCA, home to Elvis Presley no less.

Tickets: £6 advance, £7 door.

Updated: 09:41 Friday, November 14, 2003