Self Tort is the alter ego of Brian Ralston. I played lead guitar in a band called "Sirrah" in the 70s, then came work, marriage and children. In the 90s I formed a pick-up band for what was intended to be a one-off gig, but we had fun and stayed together under the name "Mid Life Crisis" for a few years. By the time the band was petering out I had got the taste and decided to continue as a 1-man band.

I got the opportunity to play a couple of sets at my local pub and was booked for a monthly residency that has continued now for some 8 years.

I had written a couple of songs in Sirrah and had continued to dabble in songwriting but without much focus. After becoming Self Tort I decided to pursue writing more seriously and eventually released my debut CD "N.I.C" in about 2006. I have been a member of a number of OMD sites which has encouraged me to pursue writing and recording more seriously. I have been involved in a number of internet collaborations with artists such as Lex Zaleta, Alexis Van Eeckhout, Carol Douglas, Red Eye C, Shyonen, Rob Favre, Loren Risker, Keith Trimm. I have recently been collaborating with Gary Carciello and Doctor C and we have a number of tracks which we have recorded under the name "CrC".