Band Of Horses frontman Ben Bridwell feels extra proud of his band's success because he was once homeless.

The Funeral hitmaker moved to Seattle, Washington in his youth in a bid to launch a career in music, but he had trouble making ends meet and often slept in a local parking lot.

Bridwell, now married and a father of two, returned to the city on a short vacation ahead of his group's gig at California's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival on Friday (12Apr13), and the 34 year old admits he was overcome with emotion while he "walked in the ghost of my own footsteps".

He tells the Associated Press, "You know, it's funny. I get here and I'm staying at this fancy hotel and it's two blocks away from this parking lot, now a vacant parking lot, that they used to have Ryder trucks on - a rental place. And I used to actually sleep on those trucks.

"I'd get thrown out of the truck at 6am in my sleeping bag. It's just funny. It's two blocks away and I'm now on the balcony of this big hotel. I'm a bit reflective."