K&A Podcast

Karl and Aidan are joined by Liv Thompson this episode, all the way from Hull by the power of Zoom.Liv has an impressive portfolio as a bass player, including Little Mix, Becky Hill and Raye. During a break between tours, she takes the time to join us for a chat about her journey so far. She shares insights into her beginnings in the pop industry and recounts her incredible experiences performing alongside renowned artists on international stages. Some of these iconic venues include Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage, London's prestigious O2 Arena, and the legendary Radio City Music Hall in New York City.In our conversation, we delve into her recent performance at NPR's Tiny Desk Concert and get an exclusive look at what goes on behind the scenes at Jools Holland and Strictly Come Dancing. Liv also generously shares insights into the equipment she uses on stage and recalls her incredible journey starting with Little Mix.See Liv play the Pyramid Stage HERE and her recent performance at NPR's Tiny Desk HEREListening to the podcast is all the support we need, but if you'd like to go a little further then you can make a donation to the show HERE. Include a message, and we'll read it out on the show!

Karl and Aidan celebrate the 30th episode milestone by setting themselves an impossible task… Who would you put in your ultimate 90's rock band?We had many suggestions from listeners, which proved just how full the decade was of incredible and influential musicians. It also made the job even harder… How did we do? Would you put the same musicians in your band? Let us know!Listening to the podcast is all the support we need, but if you'd like to go a little further then you can make a donation to the show HERE. Include a message, and we'll read it out on the show!

In episode 29, Karl and Aidan talk to Nia Collins, who introduces herself as a musician, singer and educator. As we progress through the episode however, we discover that she has many more strings to her bow besides these, including event management, creating a whole range of music projects and even writing jingles! She is also Aidan's line manager at Southampton Music Hub, but we'll let you decide if Aidan managed to conduct himself appropriately…Nia talks about her time organising Cheltenham Jazz Festival, putting on huge music events in the south of England and how her career has progressed to leading the Isle of Wight Music Hub. She also reveals an insight to the inner workings of music education, and the challenges that come with bringing together hundreds of students to perform in mass choral events.p.s. It's pronounced JIF, not GIF…Find out more about Nia's work here:Southampton Music HubIsle of Wight Music HubListening to the podcast is all the support we need, but if you'd like to go a little further then you can make a donation to the show HERE. Include a message, and we'll read it out on the show!

In Episode 28 of the podcast, we sit down with Jim Denbigh, the singer and guitarist for the awesome Dave Grohl tribute band, Grohlercoaster. Jim takes us through his journey as a musician, including when he was a drummer for Southampton regulars The StringsJim discusses his early years in the music industry, including his decision to switch from drummer to the role of frontman. He talks about the inspiration he drew from Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, and how he created Grohlercoaster.CLICK HERE to hear Inch Punch, a lockdown iteration of Grohlercoaster - performing their original song Victory MarchLINKSGrohlercoasterThe StringsListening to the podcast is all the support we need, but if you'd like to go a little further then you can make a donation to the show HERE. Include a message, and we'll read it out on the show!

In episode 27, Aidan and Karl welcome Harry Younger to the podlodge, a renowned drummer and music educator. In this podcast, Harry takes us on a journey through his early beginnings as a musician and shares some fascinating insights into the world of drumming.Harry's exciting work with Roland instruments is also a highlight of the conversation, as he shares his experiences with some of the most advanced and innovative drumming technology available today. Aidan also leads Harry and Karl in a Mike Portnoy vs Mike Mangini quiz, which they found much trickier than he expected - predictably.Be sure to listen right to the end, where we get to hear Karl try and rhyme the word ‘religious'… We bet you can't guess word he ended up with!Listening to the podcast is all the support we need, but if you'd like to go a little further then you can make a donation to the show HERE. Include a message, and we'll read it out on the show!

In the second of what is becoming a yearly tradition, Karl and Aidan meet up for catch up. As well as a general chat about their lives since the last episode, they also bring in three tracks that have made recent additions to their ‘Good Stuff' playlists to play for each other.Kelly joins in for the last part of the episode, to talk about Chic to Chic's recent run at Butlin's, meeting some 80's legends and her opinions on Karl and Aidan's music choices.You can also find the link to the Spotify playlist HERE and the Youtube video to McRad's Weakness HERE.Listening to the podcast is all the support we need, but if you'd like to go a little further then you can make a donation to the show HERE. Include a message, and we'll read it out on the show!

Peter and Karl go way back. They were in their first band Savalas together which morphed into Sine Star Project. Sine Star Project (an anagram of Peter's name) are a tricky act to pin down, but you can hear influences from the Buckleys (Tim and Jeff), Elliott Smith, Aimee Mann, Love, Ry Cooder and Pink Floyd to The Flaming Lips, American Music Club and Grant Lee Buffalo…even Berlioz and Bruckner. We learn about Peter's start as a musician on trumpet and piano, though to achieving his dreams fronting a band signed by One Little Indian (who also have Skunk Anansie and Bjork on their roster). Peter is also a talented producer, and talks us through his time working as a producer and engineer on a host of bands, most notably The Delays.We finished with a glimpse of Peter's current projects, fusing classical and electronica genres together and taking them out on the road as a solo act. Keep an eye on his INSTAGRAM PAGE, and make sure you catch a show!You can also find Peter's SoundCloud page HERE and his BandCamp HERE.Listening to the podcast is all the support we need, but if you'd like to go a little further then you can make a donation to the show HERE. Include a message, and we'll read it out on the show!

Mark Jones is a the luthier at Jones Basses, a maker of bass guitars in the south of England. He brought a bass in for Karl and Aidan to look at, whilst discussing how basses are created, how materials are chosen and the thought process behind creating boutique instruments.You can find out more about Jones Basses at their Facebook page HERE and see Aidan and Matt Glasspool's review of one of the instruments HERE.Listening to the podcast is all the support we need, but if you'd like to go a little further then you can make a donation to the show HERE. Include a message, and we'll read it out on the show!

Dan is a saxophonist, composer and educator. He has been recognised nationally for his work in jazz and commercial music both as an educator and practitioner.He's possibly the busiest musician in Southampton - alongside composing and performing, he is a lecturer in Jazz & Popular Music at the University of Southampton, leads Saints Brass a tutor for the NYJC and runs the pioneering youth jazz organisation, SYJO.He popped into the Podcast Lodge to chat to Karl and Aidan about his beginnings as a musician, working with Mark Hill (Artful Dodger) and Craig David, arranging for Band of Skulls and much more besides.We're also treated to a stunning exclusive track from his upcoming album and an unreleased Band of Skulls track, recorded live with an orchestra!Dan's WebsiteBand Of Skulls - HimalayanTo support the podcast further, you can buy Karl and Aidan a coffee HERE.

Neil and Aidan go way back, over 25 years in fact, which made them both feel older than they would like to admit! He popped into the podcast lodge to tell Karl and Aidan about his life as a musician, educator and workshop leader. He has appeared in blockbuster movies with his viola and treated the podcast hosts to a track that he wrote for Paul Smith and Voces8 which was quite frankly stunning.The new Red Hot Chili Pepper album is discussed of course, as well as many enlightening and amusing stories from his many and varied experiences across his career.Find Neil HEREReflections, his album with Paul Smith and Voces8 can be found on Spotify HEREBuy Karl and Aidan a coffee HERE

Watch this episode on YouTube HERE:Dirk Lance is the bassist for East of June and former bass player for Incubus. He started playing bass in high school, where he met Brandon Boyd, Mike Einziger and José Pasillas. The four of them bonded over Phish, Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers and formed Incubus.Dirk zoomed into the podcast from his home in California to chat to Karl and Aidan about his introduction to music and the bass. He offers a wealth of experience and knowledge from his 30 years in the music business including touring, recording, songwriting and navigating the ‘business' of music. Check out Dirk's new band East of June HEREAnd listen to them on Spotify HEREBuy Karl and Aidan a coffee HERE

Not only is this episode the podcast's 20th, but is also our three year anniversary!Rather than bring a guest in, Karl and Aidan take the opportunity to catch up on how their lives have changed since January 2019, and have a very jolly time showing each other artists and tracks from their current ‘Good Stuff' Spotify playlists.HERE is a link to the Spotify playlist of the six songs played, and HERE is a link to the live video of ADHD.Buy Aidan and Karl a coffee HERE

Karl and Aidan first met Billy at Hanger Farm, where he filmed and streamed their live performance with the band Caroline's Capuchin. We quickly discovered that Billy has an infectious passion for videography, alongside a wealth of expertise and stories of his adventures behind the camera.Billy has wanted to be a filmmaker since the age of 12, and the story of his career so far is one of dedication to the craft. He talks to Karl about his approach to creating films, the differences between audio and visual formats and how they complement each other and how Billy manages to avoid GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome).Check out Inline AV HEREAnd see his team's handiwork with Caroline's Capuchin HERE. Buy Aidan and Karl a coffee HERE

Richard Hilton is one of the keyboard players for Chic, and has worked with Nile Rodgers for over 30 years. Besides Nile, the list of artists he has worked with is quite incredible, including David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Elton John.Richard joined Karl and Aidan from the USA over Zoom to talk about his career, including how he got his first paid gig aged 15, worked on Hollywood blockbuster movies and travelling the world, performing with Chic.Click HERE to find out more about Richard at his website, and click HERE to see him play live with Nile Rodgers and Chic at Glastonbury Festival. Buy Aidan and Karl a coffee HERE. *** There are some sound issues in which Karl & Aidan sound slightly less polished than usual, but this only lasts a few minutes so bear with us! ***

Phil Griffiths joins Aidan and Karl for episode 17. As well as joining Aidan in a Chic tribute band, Phil has an impressive resume as an educator, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer.We chat to Phil about his time spent as a music teacher and his approach to music education. The discussion moves on to his time studying performance in both the UK and USA before listening to a track from his solo album ‘Cave'Do you remember Welephant? If so, let us know on our Instagram pageFind Phil at www.philgriffithscreative.co.ukFind Phil's album Cave on SpotifyBuy Karl and Aidan a coffee HERE!

If you live on the south coast of the UK and are a fan of live music, you have almost definitely heard of Davey Jones' Locker, the incredibly fun and talented band from Southampton. Founder member and bassist Davey joins Karl and Aidan in the lodge to talk about the philosophy of cover bands, how the band started and his own story as a bassist. Inevitably, with three bass players of a certain age in the same room at the same time, the conversation moves onto the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Aidan treats Karl and Davey to a quiz that he described as ‘quite easy'. (Spoiler: it wasn't). The quiz even includes two questions from Ben Townsend of Universally Speaking, the Red Hot Chili Peppers podcast!Find Davey at:www.facebook.com/DaveyJonesLockerBandwww.facebook.com/beardukCheck out Universally Speaking, the Red Hot Chili Peppers Podcast at:www.bentownsendmusic.net/rhcp-podcast

Episode 15 takes Karl and Aidan on a field trip to singer Amba Tremain's front room. Amba was the winner of ITV's 'This is Your Moment' in 2001, and the last 20 years have seen her become a vocal coach, session vocalist, youth worker and much more. Karl and Aidan talk to Amba about how she started to sing, her musical education and journey through to performing with Boy George and being awarded a gold disc by the BPI for her contribution to Eva Cassidy's album ‘Somewhere'. Amba also describes her approach to vocal mentoring and tuition, and gives us a sneak peek at her songwriting process with a candid demo of an unreleased song! You can find out more about Amba at: www.ambatremainmusic.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ambatremainofficialInstagram: www.instagram.com/ambatremainofficial

This episode brings Chris Nichols to the podcast lodge, to chat about all things folk and fiddle related with Karl and Aidan. There is a lot more to folk music than meets the eye, and the discussion covers festivals, the difference between a Jig and a Reel and how Chris's life led him to being one of the most active and talented folk fiddle players in the south of England.You can find Chris at:www.chrisnichols.co.ukwww.threepennybit.comwww.folkactive.org.uk/education/youth-ensemble

It's been 14 months since the last episode! Episode 13 brings Kelly Hampson to the podcast to talk about live stream concerts, newly discovered music and the dreaded 'C' word (apologies in advance).Featuring:The Black QueenAC/DCBilly StringsD’AngeloThe Dirty NilJamie WoonMarcin Wasilewski TrioRegurgitatorSam SweeneyGuilhem Desq on the Hurdy Gurdy

Mark currently plays bass trombone with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Luzern Festival Orchestra and regularly works with the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, Bavarian Radio Orchestra and Deutsche Symphony Orchestra. He is internationally active as a teacher holding positions at the Zaragoza, Weimar and Alicante Conservatories and has given masterclasses at the Royal Academy and Guildhall Schools of music in London. He is also an artistic advisor to the Youth Philharmonic of Columbia and directed the Mahler Chamber Orchestra academy for 9 years.Mark has played in some amazing venues all across the world and Karl and Aidan asked him about his career, life as a touring classical musician and some of the parallels between the the rock and classical world.Karl and Aidan also treat Mark to a large amount of excitement about the new Tool album - we did try to contain ourselves!Click Here to see Mark performing with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra Click here for Caroline’s Capuchin’s new single

American drummer, Theodore Carrasco is in constant demand in the UK, Europe and the USA. In addition to extensive touring in countries such as Japan, USA, Spain, France, Switzerland and Italy, he has played at many of the country’s top jazz venues including Ronnie Scott’s, The Roundhouse, The 606, The Bull’s Head and Band On The Wall (Manchester).We were lucky enough to have him over to chat about how his childhood in California, how he came to live in the UK and his love of craft beer.Ted’s WebsiteThe Baker Brothers

Hannah Castleman is an award-winning jazz and soul singer based in the South of the UK. She is well known as one third of the Spitfire Sisters, an international touring vocal harmony trio. Somehow she also manages to find time to teach, release solo projects and curate festivals.She came into K&A HQ to tell us about her performances on the Orient Express, her approach to vocal tuition and spills the beans on how to brew the perfect coffee.You can find Hannah online at:Hannah’s WebsiteThe Spitfire SistersDown For The Count

Ben Dlugokecki is a local legend, according to a Southampton venue and he seems to be well on his way to proving them right. He joins Karl and Aidan to talk about his band Dlugokecki (the difficult band name on everyone’s lips) and how they formed, what they’ve done and what they’re about to do with the imminent album release. He also talks about the art of writing songs, and tries to convince Karl and Aidan that Travis are the best band in the world. Does he do it? Well, of course not but its still an entertaining listen…Find Ben online HERE

Matt Glasspool is a freelance music producer, engineer and tutor from Southampton. He popped into K&A to have a chat about what he’s doing, what’s he’s done and the philosophy behind why he does it.He also helps us answer the 21st century’s most important question. Which supermarket has the best chocolate cake?Matt’s WebsiteI See SparksCaroline’s Capuchin’s new live album

Adam Chmarny is probably the South Coast’s busiest guitar tech. He popped in to K&A Podcast for a review of his career so far - we talk about starting off in a local guitar shop through to working in one of Southampton’s universities and becoming tech & driver to some of the UK’s biggest metal bands.We also convince him to spill the beans on some setup trade secrets and play a chilli roulette game with us. (Spoiler: It didn’t end well for Adam)Find Adam here:Facebook PageInstagram

Hayley Thomas treats a range of clients from musicians to athletes and people suffering from the general aches and strains of 21st century life. She describes the toll musicians take on their bodies as being similar to athletes, but we rarely take the time we need to look after ourselves properly. Why is that, and what can we do to better look after ourselves? Karl and Aidan find out…To contact Hayley, you can find her at: Miaza

Boyd's talents extend from drumming and life coaching to regurgitating information about Fleet Services and tenants of the White House. He's also an adept raconteur with tales of his time in Salford (complete with local accent), USA and Australia.The main story that he tells however is one of adversity and hope after the tragic loss of his sister and mother in 2012. Boyd reveals how he has used his skills to raise money and awareness for SUDEP and how Dave Grohl might even get involved…Walk4RebeccaSUDEPStick With It CoachingThe WarmDlugokeckiParamore (Or Less)

Greyum May is from the south coast of England, but tracking him down to record this episode wasn't easy! Greyum talks about his life as tour manager and tech to the stars, and his own musical creations culminating with his current project Keepers Brew. We also discover that living in a tour bus isn't always as glamorous as we'd like to believe with Greyum detailing the effect it has had on his family life and health.Greyum uses Eden Amplifiers.Where to find Greyum online:Keepers BrewEden Amplifiers

Episode 1 was Aidan interrogating Karl about his musical life, now its Karl's turn.Aidan talks about how he's made his way in the music industry. The chat starts with his playing with bands and on cruise ships but moves on to teaching, transcribing and more.Aidan's bandsSix Bearded FishDlugokeckiCaroline's CapuchinParamore (Or Less) Aidan's BooksBassBooks.comAidan's Websiteaidanhampson.co.uk 

Rob Hampson works as a digital designer for wemakeawesomesh.it and has worked with One Direction, Keith Richards, Lenny Kravitz and many more. We asked him about the design process, meeting the clients and his experiences along the way. (Warning: Contains explicit content about Tom Jones and his Jam Wilson)wemakeawesomesh.itThat award speechRob's portfolio

Episode 1Karl's Musical Life in AustraliaKarl arrived in Australia with only a bass and a suitcase to his name. He left with a vast catalogue of albums he's written and played on. How did this happen? Karl explains...