Born Optimistic

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Every week we glean life lessons from an inspirational artist. New episode every Monday. Presented by Donal Scannell.

Born Optimistic


    • Jun 8, 2020 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 45m AVG DURATION
    • 92 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Born Optimistic

    'Sue' from Hong Kong

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2019 24:13


    Sue, not her real name, talks to us from Hong Kong to give an insight in life there right now from the perspective of a 21 year old. She talks about hope, pessimism and the need for trust and also calls for a boycott of Chinese goods, including Apple. A fascinating window into the daily realities of oppression.

    Tolu Makay

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2019 36:25


    A fascinating chat with the great Tolu Makay that touches on religion quite a bit and where it does and doesn't fit in. Tolu released two fantastic singles in 2019 - her debut single 'Ocean' and 'The Greatest Gift' with Delush.

    Andy White

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2019 64:55


    A conversation 35 years in the making with a truly inspirational Irish singer now over 14 albums into an amazing career. From his debut single 'Religious Persuasion' to his brand new album 'Time Is A Buffalo In The Art Of War' his pace and passion have remained intense. From growing up in Belfast at the height of the troubles to live on the edge of culture in Melbourne to his 90s Dublin days we cover a lot in this special episode.

    Artgirl turns the tables for a special edition of our podcast. We start off by getting to know her as we talk about FOMO, health and expectations. Then she asks the questions and gleams information relevant to where she's at. A very interesting view into

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2019 55:39


    Artgirl turns the tables for a special edition of our podcast. We start off by getting to know her as we talk about FOMO, health and expectations. Then she asks the questions and gleams information relevant to where she's at. A very interesting view into the early stages of a career that spans Mundy, Boy George, Philip Treacy and DJ Sideral. The unifier is of course the importance of great headwear!

    The Late David Turpin - a schooling in so many things from the singer and screenwriter with some quite controversial comments here. A wide ranging interview with goes from late night TV to the intertwining of sexual politics and socialism. Wonderful, insi

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2019 47:11


    The Late David Turpin - a schooling in so many things from the singer and screenwriter with some quite controversial comments here. A wide ranging interview with goes from late night TV to the intertwining of sexual politics and socialism. Wonderful, insightful and incendiary.

    Caoilian Sherlock - we speak to this Cork troubadour at a very auspicious time his life. A time when he sorta almost could possibly be moving to Dublin to launch the solo chapter of his musical adventure. Along the way we find out about why he does all th

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2019 36:06


    Caoilian Sherlock - we speak to this Cork troubadour at a very auspicious time his life. A time when he sorta almost could possibly be moving to Dublin to launch the solo chapter of his musical adventure. Along the way we find out about why he does all the great things he does in the first place.

    Modern classical and electronic artist Paddy Mulcahy in conversation to herald his brilliant second album 'How To Disappear'. Paddy's full of the joys that music brings and shares how he got to where he is.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2019 35:51


    Modern classical and electronic artist Paddy Mulcahy in conversation to herald his brilliant second album 'How To Disappear'. Paddy's full of the joys that music brings and shares how he got to where he is.

    Kevin Murphy from Slow Moving Clouds joins us in advance of Songs From A Safe Harbour Festival in Cork and talks mixing music, academia and caring about climate change.

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2019 42:31


    Kevin Murphy from Slow Moving Clouds joins us in advance of Songs From A Safe Harbour Festival in Cork and talks mixing music, academia and caring about climate change.

    Saoirse McHugh - Green Party European Election sensation talks about how to unfeck the world and what she'd do with her time f the world wasn't fecked! Plus other stuff too about why coalitions with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are bad and what veg she grows

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2019 45:09


    Saoirse McHugh - Green Party European Election sensation talks about how to unfeck the world and what she'd do with her time f the world wasn't fecked! Plus other stuff too about why coalitions with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are bad and what veg she grows.

    Hazel Chu topped the poll in the recent local elections and is now a Dublin City Councillor for the Green Party. Even though I've known Hazel for years I wanted to know how politics became her way of responding to Climate Change. As she says 'You don't ha

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2019 25:12


    Hazel Chu topped the poll in the recent local elections and is now a Dublin City Councillor for the Green Party. Even though I've known Hazel for years I wanted to know how politics became her way of responding to Climate Change. As she says 'You don't have to be perfect, you have to be willing to act."

    Grace O'Sullivan - Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior turned Green Party M.E.P. who takes us back to how she became an environmentalist, how she feels about the French Govt trying to kill her and how she's optimistic about everything except our future if we don't

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2019 35:17


    Grace O'Sullivan - Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior turned Green Party M.E.P. who takes us back to how she became an environmentalist, how she feels about the French Govt trying to kill her and how she's optimistic about everything except our future if we don't stop burning fossil fuels.

    Cry Monster Cry - two brothers who make music together explain the ins and outs of their wonderfully intertwined lives. Their adoration of Mic Christopher also features! They play two songs - one of their own and one of Mic's. Lovely times!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2019 36:12


    Cry Monster Cry - two brothers who make music together explain the ins and outs of their wonderfully intertwined lives. Their adoration of Mic Christopher also features! They play two songs - one of their own and one of Mic's. Lovely times!

    The Silken Same - Their debut album which is just out was a lifetime in the making but was worth the wait. It's an outstanding folk record made by two lifelong friends and this chat was a great chance to get the background and find out just what took them

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2019 33:08


    The Silken Same - Their debut album which is just out was a lifetime in the making but was worth the wait. It's an outstanding folk record made by two lifelong friends and this chat was a great chance to get the background and find out just what took them so long!

    Strange Boy - the greatest ever rapper to come from Ireland in a very revealing chat that shows the value of talking about hard times. If you're going through hard times please find someone to talk to and don't keep it to yourself. Check him out on the ne

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2019 31:36


    Strange Boy - the greatest ever rapper to come from Ireland in a very revealing chat that shows the value of talking about hard times. If you're going through hard times please find someone to talk to and don't keep it to yourself. Check him out on the new Delush track 'It's Alright'.

    Mick Flannery - great to spend time with Mick Flannery as he muses on the nature of optimism in face of impending doom in honour of his new self titled album.

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2019 34:27


    Mick Flannery - great to spend time with Mick Flannery as he muses on the nature of optimism in face of impending doom in honour of his new self titled album.

    Mark Boyle - A writer who has turned his back on the modern world to live off the land without any modern amenities including electricity, running water and a phone. For everything 'you lose you gain another', he tells me as we talk about Climate Change

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2019 44:54


    Mark Boyle - A writer who has turned his back on the modern world to live off the land without any modern amenities including electricity, running water and a phone. For everything 'you lose you gain another', he tells me as we talk about Climate Change as a symptom, his vasectomy and missing David Bowie. Mark's new book, 'The Way Home' is out now.

    Ultan Conlon - A gorgeous chat that is full of laughs despite centring on the ongoing trauma caused by losing a parent at a young age.

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2019 37:19


    Sorcha Richardson talks about the yearning at the core of her incredibly addictive songs and her view on Dublin as someone who debated internally for ages about whether to move here or not. Great news is that she's here for the foreseeable future!

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2019 38:03


    This week's Born Optimistic Podcast features Sorcha Richardson talking about the yearning at the core of her incredibly addictive songs and her view on Dublin as someone who debated internally for ages about whether to move back here or not.

    Saoirse Casey joins us just as she releases her debut album Lunaria which joins the ranks of 2019 albums you must hear - it's is an amazing piece of work. You'll get to hear a couple of songs here in our show which will hopefully lead you to listening to

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2019 27:21


    The Man Whom aka Ian Doyle explains how a full-time job in local government turned him into a pessimist. Now that he's gone freelance and makes gorgeous albums like his new one 'The Dancer From The Dance' he's beginning to look on the brighter side - but

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2019 31:32


    The Man Whom aka Ian Doyle explains how a full-time job in local government turned him into a pessimist. Now that he's gone freelance and makes gorgeous albums like his new one 'The Dancer From The Dance' he's beginning to look on the brighter side - but just a little bit!

    Gerr Walsh - a voice who has only just started sharing his solo songs with the world although he's been making music for quite a while. What a voice he has as you'll hear in the two amazing songs he plays live in the middle of a conversations that veers f

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2019 35:15


    Anna Mieke - on the cusp of releasing her superb debut album 'Idle Mind', a great conversation which went from bicycle travels to escaping the lab to climate change to being willing to be arrested as part of Extinction Rebellion - on tour really soon - do

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2019 33:24


    Gavin Harte - a musician, environmental activist and educator recalls how a favourite forest being cut down when he was a child set him on his path. He talks realistically and incredibly informatively about the options open to us if regarding climate chan

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2019 34:54


    Gavin Harte - a musician, environmental activist and educator recalls how a favourite forest being cut down when he was a child set him on his path. He talks realistically and incredibly informatively about the options open to us if regarding climate change.

    Rosie Carney - a gifted songwriter talks about how mean kids at school forced her to seek solace in the beautiful nature around her. This appreciation has forged an infectious passion for our environment. Check out Rosie's amazing album Bare as soon as yo

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2019 30:20


    Gabriel Kahane - a fascinating conversation with a singer who's current Book Of Travelers album centres around stories he collected on a phone free train odyssey around America just after Trump was elected. He urges us to switch off social media and engag

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2019 31:58


    Gabriel Kahane - a fascinating conversation with a singer who's current Book Of Travelers album centres around stories he collected on a phone free train odyssey around America just after Trump was elected. He urges us to switch off social media and engage with each other. He makes his Irish debut at NCH Studio on April 9th.

    Clare Sands - fiddle player, singer, guitarist, jiu jitsu champion and surfer from Cork who is melding styles from left, right and centre to full effect. From Morocco to Clare she's collaborating with all she meets from Susan O'Neill, to The Hothouse Flow

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2019 32:58


    Clare Sands - fiddle player, singer, guitarist, jiu jitsu champion and surfer from Cork who is melding styles from left, right and centre to full effect. From Morocco to Clare she's collaborating with all she meets from Susan O'Neill, to The Hothouse Flowers to Steve Cooney.

    Ye Vagabonds - Brothers from Carlow singing songs inspired by what sounds like a pretty fun upbringing in an interview with elements that could easily be stirred up as something controversial. Or Not. Either way, a very valid lesson in the fallacy of prec

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2019 29:01


    Ye Vagabonds - Brothers from Carlow singing songs inspired by what sounds like a pretty fun upbringing in an interview with elements that could easily be stirred up as something controversial. Or Not. Either way, a very valid lesson in the fallacy of preconceptions.

    Inni-K - '‘The Hare and the Line’ is an album you must hear. Inni-K's second album, just out. From start to finish a joy. Inni-K popped into Born Optimistic HQ to share some time which yielded a great chat that covered many topics.

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2019 30:11


    Inni-K - '‘The Hare and the Line’ is an album you must hear. Inni-K's second album, just out. From start to finish a joy. Inni-K popped into Born Optimistic HQ to share some time which yielded a great chat that covered many topics.

    Luke Howard - reknowned modern classical composer and pianist who plays Dublin on March 23rd.

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2019 31:35


    Davy Lyons

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2019 30:51


    Lean in close and listen to Davy Lyon's tale of what quiet determination can achieve. Hear his story of turning his back on a lucrative legal job to go travelling and working on farms. A woman who ran a vineyard told him that if he wanted to be a singer he had to sing. Two and a half years ago he moved to Barcelona to become a musician full time. She's then he's recruited a band, signed a record deal and now he's just about to release his debut album.

    Jim Page - amazing voice, tunes and lyrics that are both emotional and though provoking - Jim's touring Ireland right now!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2019 50:21


    After our extended holidays, Born Optimistic podcast is back with season three. What an artist we have to restart with. Beautiful words, music and melodies flow so naturally from Jim Page that being in the same room as him is a rare treat. He's from Seattle but has been visiting Ireland for a while. He's on an extensive tour of Ireland right so check out his live dates at JimPage.net and get to one of his shows.

    Nina Hynes

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2018 55:09


    Nina Hynes kicks off Born Optimistic season three. Interviewed in her Berlin home on the occasion of her return to Ireland to play her first shows in five years.

    Kevin Herm Connolly

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2018 32:09


    Our last episode of season two features a singer who does not lay claim to being an optimist and shares some very interesting views on embracing disappointment. A riveting interview.

    Dermot Lambert

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2018 30:09


    Eternally smiling through life's ups and downs, Dermot shares tales of his illustrious times to date from Blink to Garageland. An inspiring chat what a man adept at climbing back into saddles with a smile.

    Rhob Cunningham

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2018 45:27


    A delightfully circular conversation with a troubadour who point blank refuses to be pinned down regarding anything. With such a terrific way with words it's no surprise he's written so many amazing songs.

    Larry Beau Bonus Song

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2018 7:04


    Larry Beau Bonus this holiday Monday to remind you Larry joins Steve & Joe Wall this Saturday June 9th in the Unitarian church Dublin.

    Mik Pyro

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2018 49:34


    The beginnings of getting to learn more about the great Mik Pyro. Known to many as the lead singer of Republic Of Loose, now embarking on a solo journey with an amazing new song called 'Very Strange' just about to come out.

    Larry Beau

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2018 34:05


    An incredible artist who draws his inspiration from the Galway landscape he grew up surrounded by and the people he encounters on his travels.

    I Have A Tribe

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2018 34:30


    The enthralling Patrick O'Laoghaire aka I Have A Tribe talks about his muse and how he channels it. Methinks he's being overly humble but he takes zero credit for the amazing music he makes and insists that he just finds it hidden in various places.

    Junior Brother

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2018 35:01


    What if you had been born 500 years ago? Would you feel the same emotions? Junior Brother confronts you with these thoughts. There are few examples of an artist weaving a world as complete as Junior Brother.

    Gavin Glass

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2018 29:47


    An amazing tale of how insurance sales and Guns & Roses led to a career steeped in the truth and honesty of Americana. That's Gavin's dog Danko in the photo named after a member of The Band, one of his biggest inspirations.

    David Gray

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2018 29:44


    Our 50th show and who better man to share it with than David Gray! Some jaw-dropping moments in this incredibly personal and revealing interview.

    Harry Hoban

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2018 33:47


    This troubadour has written over a thousand songs that he's been keeping from us all. He delivers a very fresh, open and honest account of how music has helped him keep depression at bay. Fascinating.

    David Keenan

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2018 34:28


    A sharp mind with a real sense of purpose, David is instantly likeable. He's full of passion about the power of music and he shares what formed that.

    Julian Gough (Toasted Heretic)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2018 32:33


    Former Toasted Heretic frontman and now author, Julian shares some great stories as he prepares for the release of his novel 'Connect' on May 3rd.

    Mike Hanrahan (Stockton's Wing)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2018 29:12


    A chance meeting at the funeral of the great Martin Thomas brought this interview about. Mike sang a wonderful song and I asked him if he wrote it. I didn't realise he was lead singer of band I loved as a teen!

    Aoife Carton

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2018 29:59


    A big believer in 'The Secret' and the laws of attraction. Aoife is very focused on her aims but completely relaxed with it. Couple that with an amazing voice and great lyrics and you have one of the most exciting new acts ever.

    Henry Earnest

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2018 29:34


    A fresh and thoughtful voice. A man of many aliases who makes music without a grand plan. Latest album 'When You Get Caught Between The Moon and Dublin City' is a concept album par excellence.

    Matt McGinn

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2018 29:32


    A deep thinker with a humble exterior, Matt has done great things already with his songs. A refreshing reminder of what songs can be used for, from politics to healing.

    Sylk

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2018 31:18


    The tale of two people who met at a Lady Gaga gig and formed their dream band together years later.

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