The Curator Podcast

I've chased this interview for years. The Menzingers are without a doubt one of my favourite bands. Having been a fan for so long, I feel as though I've grown up with them in a way, experiencing the weirdness of being in your 20s in an age where everything seems primed to keep us in a state of suspended adolescence. Their earnest and sincere songwriting won me over from the moment I first heard 'Chamberlain Waits', and I've stayed with them ever since. A lot of their thoughts echoed my own as I drifted through my 20s and into my 30s. It was surprising and wonderful to find out that their new album is a meditation on what it's like to move into your 30s, and I think that's got a lot to do with why 'After the Party' resonates with me so much.Tom is a very nice chap. Let that be said from the outset. Continuing to be humble in the wake of their continued success. In many ways, it feels like The Menzingers have been building up to 'After the Party', and as Tom discusses in the interview, they've looked at each record as the next one towards the perfect Menzingers' record. Perfection is impossible of course, but progress is not and it was really awesome to be able to spend some time talking to Tom about that progress, their drive to keep at when everyone was telling them to stop, and so much more. Also, I'm fairly sure the interview took place in the world's most echo-y room. But hey, ambience amirite?I hope you enjoy this interview. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is one of my favourite albums and I was so happy we had a chance to talk about it on this show. You can find out more about this and the podcast over at www.unsungpod.net Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

A rebroadcast of one of my favourite ever interviews with Casey from The Dear Hunter.This podcast is primarily about creativity, and over the course of the past twenty episodes I've spoken to some pretty productive people. Casey Crescenzo is probably amongst the most productive. Over the course of ten years The Dear Hunter's oeuvre is as impressive in its scope as it is in its musical diversity, with their album/EP collection ‘The Color Spectrum' comprising 36 songs all on its own. Which is wonderful, because the genre hopping nature of their music is about is staggering as the sheer volume. As you'll find out when you listen to the podcast, Casey is the kind of guy who treats songwriting like a job and it's this approach which many productive artists seem to share in common, whether they're aware of it or not. Except, Casey is a super passionate and insightful guy, and is just so thankful that he gets to do what he does. There's no lengthy story in this week's show notes about how I first got into The Dear Hunter. Instead, all I can offer is rumination on their music – it's deep, it's cinematic, it somehow feels weighty. How people classify progressive rock music is anyone's guess, but to me this just feels like epic rock music, and that's why I'm drawn to it. It's bursting with ideas, it's driven by a strong sense of narrative yet still somehow feels hugely personal. They are, in just about every single way, the exact opposite of the punk rock that I grew up listening to. Except, their sound is more immediate than most prog bands. There's a peppiness to the melodies which means that hooks come thick and fast, and never leave your head. Highlights include: - The connotations of the very term “prog rock” and the diversity of that genre - He tries not to pigeonhole the sound because it can limit the creative scope - The music he grew up on sounds nothing like his band - Casey thinks that perhaps one of the reasons they aren't a huge band is because they aren't in a specific genre - Coming from a creative household and when Casey remembers wanting to be a guitar player/songwriter - When people who consider themselves high art conduct interviews like they're special, I never look at myself like that. I just think, this is a way for me to speak. - Parents being receptive to being a musician, but also being wary because they'd seen the pitfalls of being a career musician - His parents worry more about Casey when he does something different as opposed to worrying about the pressure of the work - “Do the thing that you believe you should do – don't worry about what they're going to think until it's too late” - “The moment when I worry about people think is when an album is finished, mastered and ready to go out” - On the fear of having your art accepted - “As a creative person it should only be self-expression, but that's the scariest thing: if you're doing it only out of self-expression, at some point it goes through a filter and becomes a product…and it's up to whoever buys it to think whatever they want about it.” - Wanting people to take away something from a record that you put into it, and hoping that the opposite doesn't happen - Wanting to give people what they want after letting him do The Dear Hunter for ten years, but it doesn't have any bearing on what he's doing when he's doing it – only after the creation is complete does the hope and fear set in - It's taken a lot of hard work to find an audience for The Dear Hunter - It's good that there are musicians out there that still makes music that makes people think and isn't all about creating hits - Music as a product is okay, but it's a different world from the kind of world bands like The Dear Hunter operate in where people want music that provides them a little bit more - The discipline of creating music and treating it like work comes from his parents - The feeling of euphoria after completing a piece of work is worth any amount t... Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is episode four of Unsung Podcast. Violator by Depeche Mode is one of my favourite albums, and I was so stoked that people voted it into our canon. You can listen to it here and find out more information about the podcast over at www.unsungpod.net Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Unsung we chat about Foo Fighters' self titled debut album and ask if it's really worthy of inclusion in our canon of classic albums. On this particular occasion, the public voted no (I'm releasing these a week behind our main feed), but you can still voice your opinion on if that's the right or wrong call over on our Facebook page.If you want to know more about the podcast head to www.unsungpod.net and subscribe to our feed there. As ever, reviews and comments are appreciated! Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I like looking in on previous guests with this podcast. It's good to check in and see how things have been.We're back to the start with this one. Conor was my first guest on this podcast, and with the release of their long anticipated, and slightly delayed, debut album, it seemed only fitting to bring him back on to the show so we could talk about their fortunes in the two and a half years since our previous conversation.Things have changed for the band since our first chat. They've lost members, gained new ones, toured extensively, recorded in legendary surroundings and went through all the different stages a new band goes through as they find themselves and their sound.Talking to Conor made me realise how far we've both come since this wee podcast began. Our approaches to our creative ventures have changed over the years but we're still in it, doing our own things, learning as we go along and absorbing new information in the process. In the whole time I've been doing this podcast Dialects are the only band I've featured who I've known since the beginning of their career.It's been great to see his band grow. I'll never forget our first chat in the back of their tour van. It's exciting to follow the growth of a band from the beginning, to see them realise the potential that you always presumed they had.Makes you wonder if it's the same for everyone.I hope you enjoy this conversation. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is episode two of Unsung Podcast, a new podcast that I'm a co-host on.We're asking you to listen to Jane Doe by Converge and vote on if you think it should be added to a discography of all time great records. You can vote on this episode by going to https://www.unsungpod.net/episodes/2017/12/21/episode-2-jane-doe-by-converge Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in my car for this interview. This time it was on a freezing December night where the thermostat was definitely in the minus figures, so when we got inside I turned the engine on and the AC up to get some heat into the damn thing. You can probably hear that in the interview. I think it lends it a certain ambiance. You are, of course, welcome to disagree.P.O.S approaches hip hop in a punk rock way. I initially heard him when a friend turned me onto his song ‘De La Souls', which features Greg from The Bouncing Souls. This was around the time Never Better came out. I got both Never Better and Audition on the same day and was impressed by his approach. Those two albums are mostly loud and abrasive, and both feature contributions from punk rock singers (as mentioned, Greg from the Bouncing Souls, and Jason from Kid Dynamite on a track called ‘Terrorish' on Never Better). I read an interview at the time which said he was just making hip hop people could skate too. That sums up a lot of what Audition and parts of Never Better sound like. It's loud, brash, snotty and in your face.We Don't Even Live Here came next and he's right when he calls it a dance party. It's mostly electronic and it goes hard. It seemed a bit of a left turn to begin with, but like everything else it's got the same abrasive nature.His new record chill, dummy is a lot more laid back. It's also great and we do harp on about closer Sleepdrone/Superposition at length in this interview. I've never heard a hip hop song – or any song – like it.I met him a couple of times when he hit Glasgow to support Never Better. He was the consummate gentleman, of course, and I was just as impressed with his work ethic and ethos as I was his music. When I was thinking of guests I wanted on this podcast before I begab, he was definitely up there. So in a way, talking to him fulfils another long held dream I had for this podcast.Goals. We all gotta have em.And so we move to this interview, which is certainly up there with some of the most fun ones I've conducted. He was so up for it, really game for a chat and having a bit of a laugh. The whole thing is easy and flows really well. I didn't even get to look at my questions, instead just riffing as I went. That's how I know it's a good interview.I hope you enjoy it. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

In league with a couple of fine gentlemen named Chris Cusack and David Weaver, I've started a new podcast called Unsung. In it we'll be dissecting perceived classic albums and discussing whether or not they deserve to be inducted into a discography of all time great albums. Then we'll be turning it over to you, the general public, to vote on if we're right or wrong. We'll also occasionally be covering some records we think are classics and are overlooked, and telling you why we think you should listen to them. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been incredibly fortunate with this project. It started off as just an experiment to become familiar with how to podcast. Since then I've managed to tick a bunch of my favourite artists off my interview bucket list.This live episode is another one I can tick off the bucket list.We've all heard our favourite podcasts doing live episodes and to be honest, I wasn't even entirely sure how I was going to do my own version of it. The truth is though, is that it was just like any other episode – a laid back chat with interesting folk.Book Yer Ane Fest was superb. I highly recommend it. Even if you're not au fait with many of the bands playing, it's worth heading down just to soak up the incredibly good-natured vibe all on its own. To be asked to be a part of it, and to do something I've been dreaming about for years, was an incredible honour.Big thanks to Derrick, Kenny and Jonny for allowing me the chance to do this silly little podcast in a live setting, and for taking some time out of the business of running the festival to sit and chat for half an hour or so. It means the world to me.This was recorded live in Deacon Brodie's at 12pm on December the 3rd 2017 (the day before my 32nd birthday, no less) and I think it turned out really quite well.I hope you enjoy the episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new Counterparts album reminds me of being a teenager. When I was 16 I graduated from nu-metal to metalcore. I read a review of Alive of Just Breathing by Killswitch Engage in Kerrang! Magazine and subsequently purchased the record from a record store in Glasgow's Savoy Centre that specialised in metal music. That record store no longer exists, and it could also be argued that neither do that version of KsE either.My flatmate has been banging on about Counterparts for ages, and given his particular music taste, I was surprised that they were a metalcore band. Now, I know that they haven't always been this kind of band, but as a new fan it was not at all what I expected.As Brendan explains, this metalcore sound is not especially cool anymore, and whilst it may not have always been where the band wanted to go, for him it seemed like the most natural evolution, taking the information learned from past records and applying it to the new album. Stripping everything down to the component parts, refining and making sure it's the leanest, meanest, most direct Counterparts album yet. Unlike a lot of metalcore bands though, there is not an ounce of fat on You're Not You Anymore – its' 27 solid minutes of tune after tune. Almost as if they've taken that hardcore punk sensibility from the older records, keeping things short, sweet and technical, and added in all the old early 00s metalcore these guys love in order to create something absolutely to the point.Brendan is a super nice guy who still seems to be continually stunned that he's doing this full time. Being able to make a living doing something you love is something that most of us strive for, so to see the smile on his face as he speaks about his fortunes, is wonderful.We also get into how Spotify for Artists has helped them to see amazingly in depths stats about their fans and where they should tour next. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our previous interview can be found here.It's been a long year for the flatties. It's not common to see foreign bands arrive on these shores twice in the space of six months, but boy am I glad it was these guys. I openly said it in the podcast and I'll happily say it again – this band is one of my all time favourites. They always bring it live and on record. These guys are lifers through and through and it doesn't seem like they'll stop any time soon.We also talk about the tenth anniversary of The Great Awake, which is ace.The fear with interviewing the same person twice in a year is that you may not have anything to talk about the second time round. I'm chuffed to say that wasn't the case here. Aside from being super busy with touring, Chris launched his own podcast called Carry the Banner. After the last interview we spoke briefly about his desire to do his own podcast, so it's awesome that he finally bit the bullet and went for it. It's real good, so do check it out wherever you get your podcasts.From talking about the time he played guitar on The Decline with NOFX live on stage, to their rigorous tour schedule, we covered a love lot of ground in this chat. It was great to finally chat to someone with a huge profile about their love and desire for podcasts, and hopefully you find that portion of this conversation as engaging as I did.Singers may also want to talk particular note of this podcast too as Chris and I talk about the rigours of looking after your voice, and body, whilst on the road.I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's there left to say to Jordan Pundik? What is there left to say about New Found Glory? What is there left to even ask those guys?It's hard to find the words to talk about seminal bands sometimes. 20 years is a long time to be making music, and it's remarkable when you realise that Jordan is still in his 30s. They're a band who has literally seen and done it all. They've taken their music to the greatest heights, and achieved things most artists can only dream of.Yet, and you'll also get a sense of this from the interview, they remain incredibly humble. New Found Glory's influence on pop punk cannot be overstated. Nearly all of the bands they play with these days have been inspired by them, from the likes of mega stars All Time Low, to their recent touring buddies Roam, and every other pop punk band in last decade. That kind of legacy is remarkable.And to have been on the road that entire time is remarkable still. For this band, it very much is the case that they have grown up together on the road.In this interview we have a good chat about what keeps the band going, if they've done a lot of reflecting because it's their 20th anniversary, how things have changed over the years, the strangeness of doing an anniversary tour the same year they have new music out and a bunch more stuffI hope you dig the interview. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I was worried I'd maybe taken on a little too much lately. Turns out I had. I missed an episode and I apologise for that.The good news is that I've managed to bank a bunch of interviews and ALSO start two new podcasts. Silver linings etc.Turnover are a great band. If you've made it this far, you probably already know this. If you don't know that already, you've probably already guessed that's why I interviewed them in the first place. Either way, their new album Good Nature is one of my favourite records of the year.Taking the melody from all your favourite emo bands and shooting it through with some Smiths-esque guitar tones and wonderful Beach Boys tinged vocals, the whole thing is a lovely, warm hug of a record. Austin and Casey Getz - singer/guitarist and drummer respectively –have toured a ton, written a lot, and basically lived the life of any other touring band for a number of years. They're super chill guys, and enjoyed this wee chat we had together. We covered a lot of ground in such a short space of time, taking everything from the way people change as they grow up, how people change when they grow up on the road together, what it's like being away from home and almost stuck in a bubble, the writing and recording process behind the new record a ton more. Hope you dig this interview as much as I did. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

If there's one thing to take away from this interview it's that Outblinker have almost complete disregard for their personal safety. It's not a bad thing. After this interview, I caught the band's live set in Bloc, and the quasi-apocalyptic nature of their sound is given a whole new feeling when you hear the death defying tales of the band's creative and touring lives.They're also punishingly loud live. In this interview, they talk a bit about how it wasn't until they were recording their last EP that they realised there was something missing from their sound. With that hole plugged, there's a bruising aspect to their live show. The whole thing feels like an assault on the senses, but in the best possible way.Once you've experienced that and listened to the guys in this interview, it all sorta clicks into place.This was a really fun chat. I always approach multi-person interviews with a certain amount of sonic trepidation – I'm always worried the sound will be weird (and to be honest, it kind of is a little in this interview) – but when I actually sit down with a full band the chat is always so much fun. Maybe it's time to upgrade the gear so I can get great sound quality from four or five people instead of one or two.So gather around, dear listener, and hear the tales of how a band love synths, touring Europe, practicing in the same building as an Orange Order band, and so much more baffling, but amusing, chat about what life is like in Outblinker. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

As B. Dolan and Sage Francis bring their latest Edinburgh Fringe Show Tricknology to an end, I felt it was time to revisit this interview with B. Dolan from back in October 2015. Enjoy.The Curator Podcast – Episode 19: B. DolanAs I get older I find myself growing to appreciate hip hop more and more. In my teens it didn't grab me in the same way punk or metal did, and naively, I shunned it. My guest on this episode is rapper B. Dolan and he, alongside Sage Francis, was one of the artists who forced me to realign my expectations of what hip hop is, was and could be.The truth of the matter is that when your exposure to a particular genre of music comes solely from mainstream sources, it can be quite difficult to find something worthwhile. Like all teenagers, I rebelled, and in doing so I rebelled against the chart and dance music which was common in between my groups of friends in high school and in my neighbourhood. I took solace in the angst of “alternative” music.A lot of that chart music was hip hop and no, it wasn't particularly good hip hop. As someone who had deliberately placed themselves outside of mainstream art, I found that when I looked back in to find some shred of meaning, all I could see were empty messages and a sense of disappointment.That's not to say that it is impossible for popular music to carry a message. Now that I'm older I can see such a view is quite patently nonsense, but in the naivety of youth I certainly felt that.So in my teens, my flirtation and subsequent rejection of hip hop was the result of two things:A) to me, the stuff that was on the radio or on MTV had nothing to say to me. I was looking for something political, something which raged and had teeth. 50 Cent, Ja Rule, Nelly and the other hip hop that circulated when those artists were at their peak, was empty to me.B) I had no one to guide me. It was easy to find people who could introduce me to new rock music. Literally no one I knew had any inkling of hip hop beyond whatever was coming out of the radio that week.For many years I lived my life ignoring hip hop, thinking that it was all violence and misogyny.About ten years ago that changed. A friend opened me up to “underground” hip hop, with Sage Francis at the head it.At the risk of coming across like a snob, I've always found the entry point for hip hop music to be quite high. Perhaps it's because I'm a snotty punk kid at heart – those short, sharp stabs of music are certainly designed to make you think, but the message is fleeting, it's difficult to hold onto before you're off onto the next song. A hip hop record is more layered and more complex, it demands the full investment of your time. It requires repeated listens and time to unfold in your head.But I appreciate them. I enjoy spending time with an album, deciphering lyrics and meanings, getting underneath the complexity of the music and living inside it.Prior to this interview it had been five years since I last saw B. Dolan play. Weirdly it was five years to the exact day, in the exact same venue. In that particular instance he was supporting Sage Francis, an artist who also happened to be responsible for introducing me to B. Dolan on Twitter some years before.Fallen House, Sunken City, which bizarrely only came out five years ago but it somehow feels longer, is an album which pulled me out of a musical slump I'd fallen into. It's an awesome record, and one of my favourites. Although I do think his new one, Kill the Wolf, might usurp that.Highlights include:Getting into fights at the Westmoreland service stationA shout out to Passion of the WeissObession with musicAn almost encyclopedic knowledge of hip hopA little bit of PrinceRecording and producing ‘Kill the Wolf'B. Dolan's evolution as a songwriterB. Dolan is a super nice guy, and to hear him close with The Hunter at the show later that night was a pretty huge deal for me. Also, Buddy Peace absolutely killed it. To see an MC and a DJ w... Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I knew that learning how to drive would make my life easier, but I didn't know it'd also make podcasting easier. Yet here I am, fresh out of doing my second interview in my beaten up 2005 Ford Focus and I'm amazed at how good it sounds in there. Soft furnishings, man. I'm sure having doors that seal helps too.To wit - this is the second-time Jonah has been on this podcast (as you've probably gleaned by the title) which is super cool. I promise I'm not making a habit of bringing previous guests back, but sometimes it feels like you need to because the rapport was good the first time, or maybe you didn't cover everything you wanted to on the first go around. I can certainly attest to wanting more time with some people after the interview has finished, so I suppose a part two is a good way to get around to that.I found the flow of this conversation to be even better than the first time. Which is always surprising, but is perhaps indicative of some kind of connection that goes beyond mere press person asking press questions to a largely disinterested human being.My favourite thing about podcasting is connection. Not just the connection I have to my guests, but also to my audience. There's something real, raw, passionate, and genuine about the way individuals can form a bond over a microphone. Personally, I put it down to the elimination of distraction – we are constantly bombarded with information and content at all times, so taking the time to have an unadorned, focused conversation with another person is so valuable.Podcasts allow us to share that unique moment, to focus our attention the way the host and the guest focus there's. It's intimate. That's why I love it.We all connect in beautiful ways.On this podcast Jonah and I talk about his book, Alone Rewinding, white male privilege, touring, 20 years of travelling to the UK and a few more political things. It's an intense chat which went in a totally different direction than I thought it would, but I can't complain cause I think it turned out really well.Phone courtesy of Story Volumes/Ron van Rutten. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real talk: I'm ill. And because I'm ill, I've been a little slack in putting together some interviews. You'll probably be able to tell when you listen to the start of this episode.I've been listening to the new Employed to Serve album a lot lately. It's really very good. They're about to head out on tour with Milk Teeth and Wallflower and I thought hey, this would be a perfect time to do a quick flashback to when I interviewed Justine. The band have come on a lot since this interview was first broadcast, touring an absolute boatload, playing festivals and releasing the frankly wonderful album 'The Warmth of a Dying Sun'.I had a lot of fun doing this interview, and it's actually still pretty good. I hope you enjoy it.(Originally broadcast on January 22nd 2016)It can sometimes be stressful when trying to arrange interviews. Some people are funny about doing podcasts. Some people feel that doing a “wee” thing, like an interview for this podcast, isn't a particularly good use of their time. I think both of these things are fair enough. If you're going to get interviewed by The Guardian or Kerrang! Magazine then it makes way more sense to do that than it does to do this.Plus, it's not like I'll ever get Dave Grohl or something on here, is it?Obviously it's more irritating when someone just doesn't like doing podcast interviews, yet it just reminds me how lucky I've been to talk to some of the people I've spoken to;  people who have reputations for being choosey about what they do have chosen to speak to me, and that's very cool.I suppose what I'm getting at is that I'm still super thankful for people taking time out of their day to have a chat with me. And even more thankful to you guys for sticking with me.BUT HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THIS WEEK'S EPISODE?! Well, I had some issues trying to book guests this week and then two came along at once. Only, both came along at the end of the week. My original intention was to interview Justine, get home, edit it and upload it, then get it out into your ears by 11.59pm on Thursday. Sadly, that didn't happen.So, I'm sorry for being a little late. Nothing pains me more than being late. Seriously.What transpired though was a really good interview, and I think it's worth waiting a little longer for. Employed to Serve are a mathy hardcore band of the kind I find myself increasingly drawn to as I grow older, and it was awesome to speak to another woman for this podcast when I've been struggling to find people to come on.Highlights include:Wetherspoons and beerRider beers and general drinking on tourWhen Justine realised she was creativeAnd when she realised she wanted to be in a bandSome influences in ETS' soundDeftones and musical evolutionWhy math-type music is perhaps getting more popular than beforeSexism in the music industryOur favourite albums of last yearSometimes the best parts of the conversation happen after you switch off the microphone, and you'll just need to take my word for it when I say that we say we continued chatting after I stopped recording.ETS are a band that is only going to grow, in my opinion, and I'm glad I got a chance to speak to Justine before they get even bigger. They absolutely nailed it at the show later that night and I highly recommend getting along to see them if you can.Oh, and I'm sorry for the drunken story ramble at the end. I'm not perfect. Sometimes I'm prone to flights of fancy.I hope you enjoy the episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uncle Vic Galloway is responsible for my discovery of Fat Goth. He shared the video for their song ‘Creepy Lounge' on his Twitter account way back in the heady days of 2013 and that was it, I was a fan. Since then, I've seen them every time they've passed through Glasgow and they never disappoint live.I've always found their sound to be a bit strange. And I mean that in a good way. It's sort of off kilter, with riffs and hooks which don't really land in the way you expect them to. I always wondered where that came from, and it wasn't until I was doing research for this interview that I learned Fraser is influenced by Nomeansno. I'd never heard them before and after listening to them it all made sense.This is mentioned in the episode, but I actually thought they'd stopped being a band. After their third album One Percent Suave they went dark, aside from the odd show, and I thought they'd quietly patched it. Imagine my surprise when they remerged with Enorme! Earlier this year, dialling up that Nomeansno influence and streamlining their already muscular sound into something more direct and furious than ever before.It was like watching an old friend appearing out of the ether and reminding you why they were so cool in the first place.And so we turn to this interview. My first phone interview. I was contending with some pretty serious RF interference on this but I was able to fix it in post production. Who knew that it would be as easy as simply plugging your phone into the digital record and hitting record? Certainly not me.Fraser was a lovely chap to talk to, and I appreciate him bearing with me as I got all this shit to work. We talk a lot about Nirvana, Metallica, being a part time band, creative burn out and a lot more. I hope you enjoy this interview.Photo courtesy of Still Burning Photography. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes you feel like you have unfinished business after an interview ends. That's kinda how I felt the last time I interviewed Billy, even though it was almost 50 minutes long. People and their situations change, and Billy has done a whole bunch of stuff since our last interview, including immigrating to Berlin, which I hear is a lovely place.I enjoy it when podcasters interview the same person multiple times, particularly when it takes place over a number of years. If you're lucky, and it's someone the interviewer has hit it off with in the past, it feels like two old friends reconnecting. I also feel it often demonstrates the way both the host and the guest have changed over the years.This year, despite living in Berlin, Billy is doing a play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I've kept in touch with him since our first chat, and as a result we've actually become friends, so this interview is also something of a catch up. With him being out the country and me always somehow being busy whenever he is in the country, I thought it was about damn time we talk about all the cool shit he's been doing.Including his most recent tour, which is when I conducted this interview. We talk about it throughout this episode, but this is the first time Billy has played with a full band in a number of years, and it was the first time I'd ever seen him with a full band. It was pretty spectacular. His backing band were also the main support on the tour, and those guys (Empty Lungs, a powertrio from Belfast) were absolute heroes for pulling double duty every night of their European and UK tours.Billy's got a new album coming out next year, and I can tell you for a goddamn fact that, based on the show I saw him play after this interview, it's gonna be a cracker.A wee note about the recording – I recorded this in my car (!) and without headphones, so you're gonna hear some traffic noise. I don't think it's too distracting though, and the interview is nice and clear anyway!I hope you enjoy it. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I don't listen to a lot of interview podcasts anymore. I'm a bit burnt out on them, despite how many awesome ones are out there. No, what I mostly listen to are science and storytelling podcasts. I love the high-quality production and sound design found in Love + Radio and the like.It's those kinds of podcasts which influenced a lot of the production elements I've incorporated into season two so far, and I find myself being influenced by the way a lot of NPR and Radiotopia shows often interview people outside. I've always wanted to record a podcast outside. There's obviously a lot of things that can go wrong with it though, and because of that I was always wary of pulling the trigger.When it came to interview Thom from Gnarwolves though, fate forced my hand. So, we went for a short walk around Glasgow city centre. You can hear the streets shifting and changing as we make our way through them; small bursts of music from buskers, the hustle and bustle of busy shoppers, mysterious tunes echoing from restaurants and bars, traffic sounds and the faint gust of wind are all apparent in this episode.It gives the interview a lively feel, as if it's a representation of a specific moment in time. I think all interviews are, but this one feels more real, it has more texture and much more energy to it.Thom was aware of the utter bizarreness of the situation, and I think that's what made this interview so much fun. When it comes down to it, we're just two dudes having a laugh, completely baffled at the context and circumstances surrounding our chat and literally just experiencing things as they happen.We dive deep into the band's new album Outsiders. We talk a little about touring, writing songs in the moment, being a creative person, and I also mistake him for his brother, like a total fucking loser. We cover a few more things as well.He was a fantastic sport, a wonderful guest, and such a charming guy. I would love to do this again with someone else. Maybe I will.You can let me know if I should.Enjoy the interview.Featured MusicIntro: David Szesztay – CombatMusic bed: Lee Rosevere - Planet DOutro: Blue Dot Sessions – InessentialI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode.Image taken by Sarah Louise Bennett for DIY Mag Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, I had a twitter exchange with a chap who asked me what I thought about streaming services. The crux of his argument was that if an artist owns the masters, they stand to make more in streaming revenue than those who do not, and that if this was the case, then an artist can make a lot of money through streaming services if you can get your music in the right place/places.I'm not sure if that's true – to make some cash from music you need a proper release strategy, good PR and luck. It remains to be seen if such an approach can work for streaming. Royalty distribution is poor for all but the most popular artists, regardless of whether they own their own masters. Instead, I advised him that the best way of making a success of yourself, of getting your music heard, is to work hard touring and just get your music out there as much as possible.That's what Kamikaze Girls did. They've only released one EP and a single to date, but they've been a band for a number of years. 2016 was a busy year for the band, touring extensively in the UK and the US. The result? Signing to Big Scary Monsters, booking bigger tours and releasing their debut album. That's what hard work, drive and focus get you.There is no such thing as an overnight success, and I think most people realise that by now. The old-fashioned ways still work.It's been great to see Kamikaze Girls grow in stature. Their new album Seafoam is brilliant, showing a real progression as songwriters and performers. There's a weathered quality to their music now, and a focus which is entirely different from what's come before.I met Lucinda and Conor when I arranged a show for the band in 2016. I tried to arrange an interview at that time, but the nature of my brain and the stress of running a show (whilst playing it) proved too much, so the interview didn't happen. You could probably say this interview was a year in the making.This is one of the stranger interviews I've done. Camped out in a car and under threat from marauding parking wardens, I sat in the back whilst they sat up front. Gnarwolves can be heard soundchecking below us, and there's a couple of interruptions (some of which I cut out) alongside street sounds and engine noises. It's a bit NPR, except more punk rock, more fly-by-night, more ramshackle.We were pushed for time here too, so the interview ends a little abruptly. The next time I see them they'll no doubt have even more fans, and hopefully we can pick up where we left off.Featured MusicIntro: David Szesztay – CombatOutro: Blue Dot Sessions – InessentialI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

You never expect someone to remember you. I know I've said that a bunch of times now, but it's true. I've met Chris on a few occasions, I even put on a few shows for The Flatliners over the years, but I still didn't think he'd remember me.He did though, and because of that this interview actually comes across like two old friends sitting down for a good chat. And for the first time ever, I even got offered a beer, which is one of the nicest things he could do it.Chris is an awesome guy. We could've chatted for days because this dude loves to talk, which is only a good thing as far as I'm concerned. He's actually really good at talking too, so I'm hoping that he starts his own podcast one day. I certainly think he's cut out for it. The Flatliners are probably my favourite band. In many ways, it feels like I've grown up with them, and I appreciate the way their music has shifted over the years. That shift, the way our tastes and feelings change, and how we change as people, is something we talk about at length in this interview.We also discuss moving to Rise Records, if the band ever considered releasing the music themselves, and what keeps them going now that they've been a band for 15 years. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Half way through Chelsea's set, apropos of nothing, my girlfriend exclaims “She's quite moody, isn't she?” Ironic, really because Chelsea and I talk about how her music is perceived as dark, and why that is the case.Of course, what she meant is that Chelsea Wolfe's music is moody in the atmospheric sense. It's an accurate observation, particularly when you listen to Abyss and Pain is Beauty; there's a dark, brooding atmosphere in both records, and if one is familiar with Chelsea's entire oeuvre it becomes clear that such “darkness”, as I am loathe to put it, has always existed within her music. It's the very thing which attracted me to it, and the thing which I find most enchanting whenever I listen to it.It also channels a kind of intensity that most artists find difficult to pull off. It's heavy in places, sure, but it's the way that heaviness is delivered, and how it sits alongside quieter moments. That's where the intensity comes from, I think.Meeting Chelsea was kinda daunting for me. I've been a fan for a while and for some reason I always approach people whose music I've liked for a while with a great deal more trepidation than I do newer artists. I think that's because I've had time to live with their music, and it feels like I've somehow come to know that person better. Because I'm a naturally anxious person, that usually means I'm always going into an interview with a bunch of preloaded thoughts about what the person is actually like.I'm always wrong though; Chelsea was great. She's a super down to earth person, and it was a total pleasure to share her company. I think we had a pretty good chat and I hope you think so too. We cover a lot of ground, from poetry and weird musical comparisons, to recording with Kurt Ballou and how her new album was a much more collaborative process than ever before and much more into the bargain.I hope you guys dig it. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture the scene – you're standing the middle of an old church. In front of you, built into the wall at the back of the room, are the remnants of ancient organ, its pipes dwarfing everything in the room as they rise almost to the ceiling. At either side of it are stained glass windows, depictions of divinity that loom over the rest of the room, echoes of an old religion. Now, it's home to a distinctly different cult.The pews and the altar – indeed, all the trappings of the old church – are gone save from those two features that remain. The altar has become a stage, and the pews are gone entirely. Upstairs, in the balcony, the pews remain but they're not like they were before. They're much more comfortable and I'm sure the owners wouldn't mind too much if you stood on them.Church conversions are odd things. In this instance, Saint Luke's is now a pub, restaurant and venue. Its purpose may have changed but its religiosity is the same – we come to pay reverence and tribute.Behind the organ and stained glass windows is the backstage area, a much more modern setting where the walls are clad in the generic off-colour white we now see in offices and new build housing. Can't Swim's erstwhile drummer/current guitarist and tour manager looks for a quiet area where I can interview Chris, the band's singer. Chris is the reason this band exists, he's the reason it changed from a guy recording demos into his bedroom into the five piece that they are today.Eventually we stumble upon what is probably the quietest place in the building – the shower room. That's right folks; this interview was conducted in a shower. I sat on a laundry basket while Chris sat on a huge pile of towels. Two guys clad in black hunched over a microphone, telling stories and shooting the shit in the only way I know how.We had a pretty fun, if brief, conversation. I had a good long chat to him afterwards too (which I probably should have recorded, in retrospect) and I can confirm he is one of the soundest dudes I've ever met.In this interview we speak about:Chris' musical upbringingThe way the band startedThe fun of being a full time musicianHow things evolved from his bedroom to a five piece rock band (complete with three guitarists)How the band's songwriting has changed as they've grown closerThe band's comfort with how things are going right nowHow it's better than having a jobAnd much moreI hope you enjoy it.Featured MusicIntro: David Szesztay – CombatMusic bed: James Beaudreau – PacificoOutro: Blue Dot Sessions – InessentialI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ray's podcast is wonderful. That's the most important thing you need to know about this interview. The other thing you should know is that we recorded this over Skype and I think it's the best a Skype interview has turned out for me. He's a really down to earth, intelligent dude whose interviews are insightful and really engaging. I first came across his podcast when I began The Curator, and I've been a fan ever since.We've interviewed a lot of the same people, but our approach is markedly different – he's interested in the way that DIY and punk culture has influenced the lives of the people he's spoken to, a list of folk that extends beyond musicians. I mean, he's even interviewed Roman Mars for God's sake, what more could you ask for?He's also a musician himself and sings in a really great hardcore band called Taken, which I recommend checking out. I feel like we really hit it off in this interview. Our ethos and passion comes from very similar places, and it was awesome to connect with someone whose mind is just as curious as mine. He's a fantastic guy, an awesome podcaster and a pretty great vocalist too.The most impressive thing to me about his podcast 100 Words or Less is how it stands as something of a testament to hard work. He's been doing his thing for over 6 years now, turning up with a new episode every single goddamn week, building a fanbase from the ground up.I've had a few people ask me about starting a podcast, and my first piece of advice is always to simply get going. Just start. Don't let anything hold you back. It's only after I offer this advice that I realise that what I should actually be saying is that you must ensure you love your idea enough that you stick with it. Like any creative endeavour, podcasting is unlikely to lead to success and riches. I'm not saying that it can't, and in time it is certainly possible that a podcast will provide some kind of income (I'm not there yet, I hasten to add), but that will only happen if you stick at it. Once you realise that, once you decide you're in it for the long haul, then you're ready to begin.Ray stuck at it. He's turned up every week for six years. He loves his subject enough to do that, and so must you. Once you get started, everything else can be worked on, but passion, that'll be the fire that keeps you warm on your podcasting journey. I hope you enjoy this interview. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many of these blog posts open with a description of how I first found out about my interviewee. It wasn't until I sat down to write this one that I realised how being able to pinpoint such instances of discovery might be an odd thing. Do people tend to remember the exact moment when they first discovered art that moved them?One day in 2008, Build & Burn by The Loved Ones dropped through my letterbox. Back in those days, when I was running Daily Dischord, I'd get promo CDs through the door every day. We'd only started the site a year before, and to get sent something by a band on Fat Wreck was a pretty big deal for a raggedy punk like me. The sheer volume of stuff I'd get sent on a weekly basis not only made it difficult to listen to everything, but it quickly sapped my desire for listening to many of the records I received. Put simply, many of the albums and EPs just weren't that good, and there's only so many press releases you can read before you realise they're all basically saying the same thing.Fat Wreck Chords was a symbol of quality. It still is. I put Build & Burn into my CD player purely because it was a Fat Wreck release. I don't even think I read the press release, I just put that disk in and hit play.I fell in love with the band immediately. The lyrics, all reflections of love and loss in working class America, spoke to me straight away. This was years before I really got into Springsteen, and when I listen to Dave Hause now, I can see the influence. At the time though there was a heart, a truth to the music which hit me in the chest as soon as I'd heard it.I think that I was primed to accept this music through The Gaslight Anthem, whose album Sink or Swim had me rapt in enthusiasm the previous year. There was a connection between those two bands which made me feel something real; not just tunefulness, but a truth and a sincerity. It was the way these songs chronicled the lives of strangers that struggled to be heard as they found themselves caught up in the mechanisations of blue-collar America which really got me. It held a power which spoke to me in some deep way.It's probably how people felt when they heard The Boss for the first time.Dave's career has gone from strength to strength since then. First, he embraced the more Americana, folksy, acoustic side of his music before expanding his scope, taking in those heartland rock vibes which seems to ooze from the pores of many of those involved in music from the Mid-Atlantic.His new album Bury Me in Philly seems to be the final piece of the puzzle which connects Dave Hause, frontman of The Loved Ones, with Dave Hause, the acoustic, alt-rock troubadour. It also adds many other strings to his fantastic songwriting bow.I've been a fan of his music for years and it was a total honour to chat with him. He's one of the nicest dudes I've met in a long time.I hope you enjoy this interview. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I began this podcast I would often get frustrated at how unsuitable my recording environments would be. Sitting down in a dressing room or tour bus, the perfectionist in me would get annoyed at odd sounds, like a refrigerator buzzing or traffic passing.I've learned to accept it as something of a unique feature of this podcast. There are other shows out there who can afford to ask their guests to come into a soundproofed studio or, hell, even just a room in a house, and those shows are great. Conversely, there's podcasts out there which conduct interviews over Skype, and I enjoy those too, but for me the DIY ethic is something I've always embraced in my journalistic and creative life. I think in the beginning I lost sight of that.I understand and accept that I'll probably never conduct an interview in a studio, so I've grown to enjoy the unpredictable nature of recording in the wild. A good conversation can happen anywhere at any time, not just in a studio. In fact, I've come to believe that perhaps because the guests feel more at ease in familiar surroundings, the interviews come across much more relaxed and open.Jeremy has always identified with that DIY punk ethos, and he talks a bit about this in the interview, mostly in relation to Secret Voice but also in regards to punk music more generally.It was great to finally sit down with the man. I've been trying to land this interview for a couple of years; firstly at Hevy festival in 2015 and then last year when they were in Scotland. He spoke about his love of Glasgow, touring, Secret Voice, Stage Four and so much more.It's a cracking wee chat if I do say so myself.Featured MusicIntro: David Szesztay – CombatMusic bed: Lee Rosevere - Planet DOutro: Blue Dot Sessions – InessentialI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode.Image credit: Noisey by Vice. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I've been looking forward to sharing this interview since the day it was recorded. As it happens, my original plan for this was for it to be episode number two, but once I sat down to edit it I realised that of my side of the interview was garbled – it'd somehow been completely corrupt during the recording process. Now, normally I record my end twice so that I've got a backup in case something like this happens, and the one time I didn't do it also happened to be the one time a backup would've been really useful, so when I found out it was corrupt I thought it was game over.A good friend of mine (the superb Lewis Glass) suggested that I should re-record my side because Andy's side was fine. A great idea, I'm sure you'll agree, but a lengthy solution to a problem brought on my own stupidity.What followed was literally two months of procrastination. I knew recording would be a big job and I honestly couldn't face it. However I also knew that I would need to do it at some point, so that's what I did and here it is: the final complete interview with Andrew Falkous from Future of the Left.I first became aware of Falco's work about a decade ago, when the bass player of my old band used to spend at least half of our band practices talking about how good mclusky* were. For reasons that completely escape me, I didn't look into his recommendation at the time, so they sorta just passed me by.Later, when I was editor at Daily Dischord, a copy of Future of the Left's second album ‘Travels With Myself and Another' found its way through my letterbox. Intrigued by the press release's reference to mclusky* I popped the disk in my CD player and needless to say, after two listens I was hooked.Falco has always had a reputation for being somewhat opinionated, which is one of the reasons why I felt like I had to interview him. From his wonderful, often antagonistic lyrics to the way he takes pop music and fuses it with off-kilter alt-rock, he's always struck me as truly punk rock – fearless, witty, intelligent, and incisive. You get a great sense of that in this interview, and in my opinion it's one of the best interviews I've ever conducted.What follows is a funny and insightful chat, as Andy waxes lyrical on his creative process, how to be in a band, what it's like transitioning between music and writing fiction, how he composes lyrics, the rich creative talents that he has, his productivity and oh so much more.This one's a keeper. Enjoy it. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steven is in two bands, and I've interviewed members from both of them. Conor from Dialects was my very first interview on this wee Glasgow music podcast. That was back in June 2015.The other is Jamie from Atlas:Empire, whom I'd interviewed 11 months ago, so if it appears that it's taken almost a year to follow that up then you'd be mostly correct. This wasn't by design, but life does tend to get in the way of some things.I've known Steven for a number of years now. In fact, he reached out to me when I used to run a small label called Cold War Legacy Records and asked if I fancied putting out Atlas:Empire's ‘Somnus' EP. I liked it a lot – I still do like the band a lot – and said yes. It was a good time, and I enjoyed being a small part of that band's legacy, despite the fact the way that some fractious local scene politics seemed destined to dismiss their music, and my label, before giving it much of a chance.But that's a story for another day.It wasn't until after we had arranged to have this conversation that Steven and I realised that we were actually neighbours. Which is kinda cool because music scenes are so vast, and Glasgow is such a densely packed place that it never occurs to me that I might live near someone that I know. Had I known this sooner, this interview wouldn't have taken this long to happen.As you will be able to tell from this interview, Steven has been involved in bands for the entirety of his adult life, starting in adolescence and perpetually moving forward until the present day. Having been in a few bands myself over the years, with some projects exploding spectacularly before ever reaching any kind of coherence, the drive to keep at it can often be difficult to sustain. The fact he's still going is a true testament to his drive, tenacity and character. Now he's in two bands that are doing cool and interesting things, and that's a pretty cool thing indeed.I hope you enjoy this interview. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

As anyone familiar with the band knows by now, there is a lot to be said about Dillinger Escape Plan not just musically, but also in their ethos and approach to being a band. Torrents of column inches have been dedicated to their impending demise and the deluge will no doubt continue long after, but if you've heard their latest record or seen them live, it's altogether unsurprising that they have chosen to end things on their own terms. Not because they've ran out of ideas - they're just as incendiary, captivating and straight up as mental as ever - but because everything up until this point has been thoroughly thought through.In my research prior to this conversation, Ben said in another interview that Dillinger put more thought into ten seconds worth of music than most bands do for whole albums (I would link it but when I research using old interviews they all just seem to coagulate into one big heap of words, so I've forgotten the source. Sorry). It is this calculated approach, compositionally and artistically, which has defined DEP's music since the beginning. So with this knowledge in mind, it's perhaps much easier to understand why the band decided to come to a controlled stop – if everything is laboured over for maximum effect, then it's fitting that should the book be closed with just as much precision.This is the second time I've spoken to Ben. The first, as regular listeners may recall, was back in 2015 at Hevy fest. It was the briefest of brief conversations. This is twice as long (and then some), but it's still quite short. Being in the thick of it, doing an interview back stage, is one of the coolest things, but it does mean you're often pushed for time. Which is a shame, particularly in this case cause I didn't even get around to asking Ben any of the questions I had written down. We could've sat for another 20 minute, that's how easy the conversation flowed.It was also cool that he recognised me. I never expected that to happen. I never expect anyone to recognise me after an interview – why should you? You see so many faces on tour; cities and venues start to blend into one. I think it's silly to expect someone to remember you after such a short interaction.What I can say about this interview though is that Ben does seem quite settled with the fact that this part of his life will soon be over. We're all excited to see what the band goes on to do next, and I'm sure they are too. When they figure it out.I hope you enjoy this interview. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ah, nervousness. It either paralyses you or forces you into some kind of jittery, energetic action. It's not unusual to be somewhat nervous before an interview – you never know what a person is like or if they can actually be bothered talking to you on that day – but jumping into it head first with lots of prep makes the experience way more tolerable, and a little less daunting.Being a huge Against Me! fan I naturally had a list of questions for Laura that was as long as my arm. I don't have heroes per se, just people whose work I really like. Laura Jane Grace falls into that category for me, and Against Me! are a band whose music has resonated more with me as I've grown older.That is to say, I'm a massive fan. So you can imagine what it was like to finally chat to her.Now here's the thing, given that Laura Jane Grace had released a memoir and a record in 2016, the sheer volume of press she did must've morphed from a mildly irritating, sometimes fun necessity into something more akin to an excruciating gauntlet. With days perhaps becoming like an endless stream of faces and questions, most of them looking the same and asking painfully similar questions.Then there's the people who have interviewed her – Marc Maron, The Guardian, The Intendent, Rolling Stone, Grantland, Kerrang!...then me: some little nobody with a tiny podcast in a small city in wee Scotland.There was absolutely no getting away from the weight of all that, so to say that I went into this with no small degree of trepidation would be a slight understatement.My approach to this interview was to try to make it slightly different than the others she'd done this year. In the weeks leading up to it, I had no idea it was happening. Then suddenly, a few days before I was told yes, let's do it. So I read a lot of interviews. Tons. I absorbed as much as I could about Laura Jane Grace the person as opposed to musician whose work I was already more than familiar with.With her memoir Tranny having just been released, and with most interviews addressing that, I decided that I'd stay away from that topic as much as possible. Not just because it seemed to be a running theme in all of the press she'd done, but also because it was damn near impossible to get a copy of it in Scotland, meaning I hadn't read it. Instead I focused on the thing that I love about Laura and Against Me! – the music. This is about creativity after all, and I wanted to get as deep an insight into her creative process as possible in the allotted time. In the end, I think it turned out really well.And I hope you agree. Do let me know. This was a huge deal for me (it's honestly difficult to express it in words) but I hope you enjoy what you hear.Featured MusicIntro: David Szesztay – CombatMusic Bed: Podington Bear - Pink GrapefruitOutro: Blue Dot Sessions – InessentialI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have Boston Manor's first EP downloaded on an external hard drive somewhere. That's not a brag or anything, by the way. In fact, I'd forgotten that I even had it until about a week before this interview. It brought back memories of another band called This Sudden Injury - I'm pretty sure it was their singer that recommended that EP on Facebook a few years ago. It's called Here/Now and to say that they've grown as a band is something of an understatement.That's what bands are supposed to do, right? Their sound is supposed to change and grow because that's what people do. I'm not the kind of person that spends a lot of time reflecting on the way a band's music grows over time. I'm more the sorta guy that takes the music for what it is in that particular moment. Each record tells the story of where a band are in their lives.Which is perhaps why their debut album Be Nothing is as refined as it is. It's the sound of a band that's not only spent a lot of time in each other's company, but that has taken the influence of relentless touring - personally, professionally, musically - and created a document of that time, whether it was deliberate or not. The result is wonderful. Be Nothing is a cracking record, and it's very easy to see why they continue to strike a chord with people.Ash and Mike are just the loveliest dudes, and this podcast is a pretty fun chat. We cover a fair amount of ground in 20 minutes. What's also impressive, and definitely worth sharing because y'know ego and stuff, is that I didn't have access to my questions so it was really just a case of me trying my hardest to remember what they were and rolling with it.It's probably one of the most "rough and ready" podcasts I've done so far and I really like it. I don't know if I'm eager to repeat the questionless experience, but I can't fault the vibe it brings.We talk about touring, growing as musicians, breakfast food, sketchy neighbourhoods in America and the fear of President Trump. Fun times.I hope you enjoy the interview.Featured MusicIntro: David Szesztay – CombatMusic Bed: Doctor Turtle - I'm What You'd Be Without Her (Long Version)Outro: Blue Dot Sessions – InessentialI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

When I interviewed Jim Adkins in September 2015, it was a pretty big milestone. I set out with a list of a bunch of people I really wanted to interview and I've made a pretty big dent on that list, and there's more to come.Given how much I love Jimmy Eat World, I was more than keen to have a chat with Tom when the band came into Glasgow recently. So I guess I can tick another off that goddamn list.In my interview with Jim I spoke about how seeing the music video for ‘The Middle' on MTV2 was a pretty big deal for me. It opened my eyes to a whole new musical world. As a punk kind, connecting with something so tuneful, melodic and emotionally upbeat was met with a healthy degree of trepidation. But I rolled with it. Bleed American is a great record for sure, and it still holds a huge place in my heart.However, my journey into Jimmy Eat World's discography did not start with Bleed American. Sure, it's an important album for me, but as was somewhat customary in the days before YouTube, poor working class teenagers took to file sharing programs in order to find music from bands they liked. Sometimes you heard a song on the radio. Sometimes on a music channel. Or sometimes you read about it in a music magazine. But no matter how you came into contact with it, inevitably it was downloaded and stored some on your computer.I used to make mix CDs of my favourite songs and listen to them on my discman. I'd say it was a simpler time, but when it comes down to it, it was a lot of faff for not a lot of music.In among the deluge of JEW songs I acquired during my initial spurt of piracy, I came across ‘Blister'. Given my general ignorance at the time, my first impression was that I was listening to a different band. As it turns out, I wasn't.That song is what made me fall in love with Jimmy Eat World. I haven't looked back since.Getting the chance to talk with Tom was great. As you can tell from the interview he's a pretty thoughtful dude. The interview is quite good humoured, and he's an absolutely lovely guy too.Featured MusicIntro: David Szesztay – CombatMusic Bed: Lobo Loco - Turtle ParadeOutro: Blue Dot Sessions - InessentialI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every episode is fraught with some kind of technical challenge. I can give you examples of this which happened on this very day.Today's interview was supposed to be with Andy Falkous from Future of the Left. I wrote a lengthy blog post discussing how I'd been averse to Skype interviews in the past and explaining that from now on I'd be doing more of them. I mentioned how there's a lot of interview podcasts where the interviews are conducted over Skype, and that whilst face to face interviews are not uncommon either, most are Skype based. That's totally cool, and having been in the position where I sometimes struggled to find guests because bands I liked weren't coming to Glasgow on tour, that Skype interviews would simply have to be the way forward in order to encourage new, diverse guests.Then I began to edit the interview and realised there were problems with the audio on my end. The app I used to record the interview had corrupted my audio in such a way that recovery is not possible. That's one thing I didn't talk about in that blog post - my reluctance to do Skype interviews was because of the potential for stuff to go wrong. And it seems like that's exactly what happened.However, I'll be able to salvage the interview, and it's a stroke of luck that I actually have a bank of content ready to go. So on this episode I have an interview with Paul Wolinski from 65daysofstatic. Paul is a wonderful chap, and we had a really great time talking about the band, his musical life and all the amazing things they've done in their career so far. We go in to some pretty extensive detail about the No Man's Sky soundtrack and talk a lot about the process behind it, and how writing to a deadline, in what is essentially the mother of all fan service projects, helped the band realise some fundamental things about their music and creative process that they may not have otherwise come to understand if it wasn't for the soundtrack.We also talk about how the band interrogated their own music in order to offer up as many different versions of their songs, and pieces of songs, as possible so that they could be used in the game.This is a fantastic interview and we had a lot of fun doing it. I'm grateful that he took the time to have a chat.Now, there's also something else I should say about this interview. Half way through the support band start playing and you can hear them relatively clearly. It's an odd thing for sure, but I don't think it's at all distracting. Podcast producers will tell you that it's basically impossible to edit around music, so there are a couple of things in here that I generally would have edited out but couldn't due to the background music.Nevertheless, this is a cracker and I hope you dig it. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Curator Podcast: Season Two, Episode 1 - Joe Danher from FOESIt's good to be back.If you've missed me then rest assured, I've missed you too dear listener.This is season two and as you may have noticed, things are a little different sonically. The format is still roughly the same (for now, that'll evolve more gradually) but there's a marked textural difference to the sound. I hope you like it.Feedback would be appreciated.On this episode I'm talking to Joe from FOES. He's the band's guitar player and manager. We had a really brief, cool chat in a Wetherspoon's pub on the night of their show in Glasgow earlier this year. I'd loved to have chat some more but we were a little pushed for time.I had do some soul searching because for a while I genuinely thought I was done with the podcast. That's why I didn't return in September as planned. I even had some opportunities to interview some really great artists but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.This interview with Joe really got me buzzing again, and I'm grateful he took the time to talk to me. Without that chat, this podcast would have simply ceased to exist.FOES are a cracking band, and you should definitely check out their new album The Summit Lies Skyward which is out now on Basick Records. Joe is a thoroughly nice chap and the band have worked very, very hard over the course of the past couple years to obtain the following they have. I hope they continue to grow and go from strength to strength musically.Check out the video for "The Everest" below and go catch a show already!Featured MusicIntro: David Szesztay - CombatIncidental music:Podington Bear - Pink Gradient (part of the Sound of Picture Production library).Blue Dot Session - InessentialI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, dear listeners. I'm glad you've made it this far. I never did manage to reach the fabled number 50. Actually, if you count the couple of wildcard episodes I only made it to 49.Bummer.ANYWAY, have no fear. The podcast is not dead. it's already been on hiatus for a month and I'm probably gonna extend that to September. Then I'll come out all guns blazing. I'm gonna try to chuck in a couple of weird special episodes, but we'll see how that goes.Have a great summer and I'll see you in September for season 2. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, this week The Curator Podcast is one year old. I'm not gonna say too much in this blog because I say a lot in the podcast. Here's the facts.The podcast is one year old!After episode 50 I'll be taking a break and moving to a season based format. And each episode will be fortnightly.Thank you to everyone that has helped out, donated their time, listened to the podcast, spoken to me about, been interviewed and helped arrange guests. Every single one of your is a wonderful human being and you made this worthwhile.Here's to another year!If you stick around to the end you will finally get to hear the song I use for the intro in its entirety. I used it cause I really like that riff at the start... Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am continually surprised that none of the people that I've met whose art has affected my life in significant ways are unpleasant. I always seem to expect some kind of aloof quality in the people I meet whose work has impacted me. It's always wonderful to realise that they are just human like you or I. We put such people on a pedestal; they become more than human because they possess a skill which is unique. So far, everyone I've met has been lovely.Don't tell me that you're not the same.Art which we find monumentally influential affects us for personal reasons. Our heroes become legend to us because their creative output has an ineffable quality which transcends speech, it speaks to us deeply, intimately, profoundly. Sometimes it only resonates with you at a specific point in your life, and as you grow older the influence fades. Some of these influences change into nostalgia. Some are timeless. Vinnie Caruana, like Jim Adkins, Dan Andriano, Ian MacKaye and others before him, sit in that timeless category for me.This is discussed in the podcast, but ‘Forty Hour Train Back to Penn' was a seminal record for me. As someone who had grown up thinking that pop punk was just The Offspring, Green Day and the like, and had subsequently developed an aversion to pop punk after listening to Rise Against, The Movielife seemed like the perfect bridge between those two punk worlds - more aggressive pop punk, which had more emphasis on the punk than the pop.And that's what I think nails the singular genius of Vinnie Caruana and Brandon Reilly. Their talent lies on taking a lot of that punk rock edge and adding some layers of melody and hookiness to it. That in itself is not a new thing, or even a unique thing, but their songwriting style is vastly different to anyone else's. It doesn't feel like it's aping mid 90s pop punk, it feels like a more melodic version of bands like Lifetime or Kid Dynamite, but it still has lashings of influence from great pop songwriters . It's easy to see why Drive-Thru records found them appealing, but to me it always felt like they didn't quite belong there.Then there's the evolution. Vinnie's style changes and matures a lot as his career continues. I am the Avalanche leans much more toward melodic hardcore territory than The Movielife ever did. Peace'd Out is more straight up hardcore and their EP is still a favourite of mine.His solo stuff hews closer to pop more than anything, with many songs on Survivor's Guilt skewing more power pop than anything else, but it still has that unmistakable, undeniable Vinnie Caurana songcraft.I loved talking to this guy. So humble and thankful for what he's been allowed to do, and he seemed like a genuinely happy dude.I hope you enjoy the interview. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's difficult to release a podcast when you're on the road. I tried, I tried so hard. I even wrote the following blog post:“Hello.A little late this week cause I'm on the road with False Hopes (do check us out).More notes to follow but things you should know about this podcast:Modern Baseball are greatThis interview is a ton of funBut I wish it was longer.I hope you enjoy it!”And I edited the podcast. I spoke about being on the road during the episode. I'm now home from tour, and the podcast is going out as it was last week. Just to highlight my ineptitude.I talk about touring with Modern Baseball. How being on the road a lot kind of freezes real life. There's also a really cool moment where we talk about the realisation that being a musician is just what they do now. And it's a nice piece of reflection.There's some audio issues towards the end when the doors opened and the music began to play in the venue. I wanted this interview to be much longer but I forgot my shotgun mic and it's a total pain to edit around music so I had to cut it short.Modern Baseball create emo that's very much in the vein of older emo bands, and there's an emotional honesty and rawness to their music which you can tell is just part of who they are. That openness and honesty which is displayed in their music is demonstrated in this interview, and it's always a treat to find out that someone's as genuine as their music implies. It's those kind of moments which makes me want to keep doing this podcast.I hope you enjoy this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was a two week gap. It is a gap no more. I lost my voice, you see. You can hear it going a little bit in the interview. By the end of that night, my throat was finished, and for week afterwards I was a hoarse, croaky mess.But we're back in action now.I have noticed that inconsistency has decimated my podcast listening figures. So if you could share this I would be forever in your debt.On this episode I speak to the one and only Acey Slade. He has been in many bands over the years, most famously the Murderdolls and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. He was also in Dope, Trashlight Vision, Acey Slade and the Dark Party, and now he's a one man army. Something of a nomad, you could say. A musician without a place to rest his head. Constant movement seems good. Being a hired gun is more fulfilling in the long term, I think. You can always go back and focus on your own stuff, and your own vision, but people trust you to help realise their vision. It's that trust which I find fascinating.Bands are tight knit units, and it's difficult to enter into one of those situations as a new guy. I have a colossal amount of respect for those who are able to do that and keep doing it.I used to play Murderdolls songs with my first ever band when I was 16. That's a good 14 years ago now. Acey may not have directly played on the first Murderdolls record, but he was there and he lived it. When I saw them live, he was the guitar player. He was responsible for transmitting that music straight into my brain. It was a formative influence but an important one. That's why there's a Murderdolls song in this episode.Billy Liar helped me set up this interview. I had such a good time chatting to both of them. Some cool hangs afterwards too, although I did get a sense that I was outstaying my welcome. Sometimes I forget that I'm socially awkward. Afterwards, when I reflected on the interview and the time we spent together after it, I began to realise that perhaps the medication I used to take for anxiety had more than just the obvious effects, but also much more subtle ones too. I don't feel like I need it anymore but I do feel like part of me has changed since coming off it. Maybe that'll go away. Or maybe that's just who I am.This episode is a diamond, I think. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

This interview was wrought with issues from the start. Ross and I had a really good chat and then the batter died on my trusty H6. Luckily I had a spare with me, but the recording was corrupted, so we had to start again.Which we did! And all was well! There's quite a bit more ambient background chatter than I thought, but you can still hear us and that's what matters.This week's guest is Ross Barber-Smith from Bridge the Atlantic. He was one of the very first people who actually liked this podcast when it began back in May/June last year and he's stuck with the show ever since. It's also cool because he's Scottish and has a very awesome podcast of his own, which I urge you to check out.My interview with Ross is slightly different than what I usually do on here. We talk a lot more about podcasting because, quite frankly, I love talking to other podcasters and there aren't that many of us that do the creativity thing the way that we do.We get a bit technical but it's not too heavy, so I think it makes for a really interesting listen. We also talk a bit about podcasting burnout. Which I plan to cover extensively later on in a blog post.Ross' own story of how he got involved in music and everything that happened in his life which led him to Bridge the Atlantic is fascinating, but for me the best thing about this chat is how goddamn inspiring it is. He's done a lot, made a bunch of friends all over the world all down excellent social media management, having a podcast and just generally being one of the nicest guys on the planet.I hope you enjoy this interview. It's a cracker. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

The struggle to write interesting, engaging questions for your guests is real. You need to do research, read between the lines of things they've said in the past, pay close attention to their music, lyrics, and the overall aesthetic of their art. You need to spend some time in worlds that they are creating.People may wonder why I only speak to artists that I'm a fan of. The reasons seem fairly obvious to me, but perhaps they may not be to others. I think it's unfair to interview people whose art you are unfamiliar with. I'm not here to fill column inches, cash a paycheque or do what my editor wants me to do (not that there's anything wrong with that). It is, in my opinion, somewhat disrespectful to chat with someone about what they do without at least being aware of how they operate or what they produce. To do this, sometimes it means listening a bit more closely to artists I like but whose music I haven't spent a lot of time with, or maybe it means reading their work a little more closely and sometimes that means distancing myself from whatever massive emotional connection I have to an artists' creations.Yet the most obvious reason to me is that I only want to speak to artists whose art I have reacted to, and lived with for a while - artists' whose work is interesting to me, basically. People love talking about their art and why they create it. It's natural to want to discuss what you do because by throwing your art into the world you want to know that it is being received and understood, that people are responding to it.One thing I have noticed over the course of the past 40 episodes is that people approach the dissemination of their art in different ways. Some push hard to get it noticed, others are just glad that someone has noticed; some are fervent in their approach, others more measured.The biggest lesson I've learned though, is that the creative process and its genesis has wildly different origins for each individual. The goal of this podcast is to try to understand the creative process, to curate these experiences and create a repository for them so that others can at least know that the creative struggle is real. Everyone who creates art does so for very specific reasons, and seems to do so in a very different way.And it's fascinating. It's what keeps me going.Enough nonsense.On this week's episode I have a thoughtful and engaging interview with Muncie Girls. It's my third full band interview and it's a goodie. We talk about all the things mentioned above, and how the band has grown over the years. They're really fun, interesting, thoughtful people and I had a good time talking about them (and subsequently almost being kidnapped in their van).Enjoy! Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

These blogs are getting harder to write. Show notes are, podcasters are told, vital to a good podcast. People will often read the blog with the hope of getting a feel for the episode.Furthermore, the show notes often make up the description within iTunes (or whatever podcast player you use), so apparently it's good practice to have the show notes give a little more information than the episode can provide.I get wary about saying too much in these notes. Inevitably you end up covering some of the same stuff that's been recorded.On this episode I sat down with Paul and Tom from HECK. We talk about their new album ‘Instructions' in rather a lot of depth, and just by discussing it we venture into territory which has been touched upon in other interviews the band have done, but haven't really been explored in any proper fashion.To hear them talk passionately about their debut album and their band's future is simply wonderful. Not least because the name change from Baby Godzilla to HECK had a significant effect on the band, even throwing their future in to jeopardy.Line-up changes and name changes often have a habit of killing bands. It can be hard to find a way forward when everything you've been working towards starts to quickly look like it's about to unravel at the seams, and for HECK this was compounded further by the very bleak realisation that they would need to recapture at least part of the fan base that they had worked on building for years. Bigger bands can often get away with it, but for small bands who are just gaining a name for themselves it can be heartbreaking.I'm hesitant to say any more about it because they do talk about it quite extensively and it makes for a really fascinating listen.During the interview my band is mentioned. It's not a deliberate plug or anything, it just sorta happens. I apologise if that offends you.(Although you'll probably like us if you like HECK, so listen here.)About ten minutes into the podcast Raketkanon start their soundcheck, so just bear that in mind when you listen. It doesn't effect the quality of the episode, but there are some things I'd probably have edited or cleaned up which was just impossible to do with music in the background.I hope you enjoy the episode! Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few weeks ago I was interviewed for the Hello-Fi Podcast and on this episode, I return the favour. This is technically part two of that exchange, because the Hello-Fi interview came first, but the way these are coming out means that it's actually part one. Or part 1.5, if you will.Interviewing someone after they've interviewed you is a weird experience, because it kinda feels like you're often covering the same ground. Yes, hopefully we'll have some amount of audience crossover but on the whole we have two distinctly separate audiences, so somethings are going to get repeated because of that.On this episode I speak to Jamie Sturt from Atlas:Empire, This Silent Forest and Hello-Fi Podcast. It's a really warm conversation, this one. I think that's because it kinda felt like we'd already been “in the trenches” so the rapport was already established, and the conversation flowed easily as a result.It's also one of the longer interviews which I know you guys prefer and that I certainly prefer doing. The truth of it is that we could have went on for much longer, but time was running short because the interview was conducted in a recording studio and the arrival of a band was imminent.I've been a fan of Atlas : Empire for a long time. I even put out their second EP ‘Somnus' on Cold War Legacy Records (WHICH IS NOT DEAD, JUST SLEEPING). Jamie's had a colourful and interesting life, so it was great to hear him talk about that, his creative pursuits and all the things that make him the musician that we see (or rather, hear) before us today.I had a lot of fun chatting to Jamie. I hope you enjoy the episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Going to keep this blog short and sweet this week, mostly because the podcast itself is quite long – like, it's over an hour long and I haven't thrown out one of those bad boys for a while.On this episode I sit down with Kyle from We Came from Wolves to talk about creativity. And we go deep. It's probably the most extensive conversation about the creative process that I've yet had on this podcast, drilling down into the reasons, processes, habits and drive of both Kyle's and, bizarrely, my own.My modus operandi for this podcast has always been creativity. I always aim to act as a faceless proxy for you, hoping to make it feel less like you are eavesdropping on a conversation and more that you are having an intimate conversation with the guest.For the most part, I think I've succeeded. Sometimes I seep into the cracks, and when I give an opinion on something I'm always wary, because it's unlikely that everyone who listens will agree with said opinion.This interview with Kyle goes in the completely opposite direction. We have a conversation about each other's creativity. The focus is still very much on We Came from Wolves but there are moments where we just talk about stuff, and it really does come across like the microphone was simply eavesdropping in on a conversation.You can judge for yourself.There are a lot of highlights in this chat, so like the last few episodes I'm not going to list them. I'm simply going to let you hear for yourself.Enjoy the episode!Featured MusicIntro: Voodoo Puppets – Electric Chair Blues (used under CC licence, you can check it out here).We Came from Wolves - ButterfliesWe Came from Wolves - Where'd Your Love Go?We Came from Wolves - RuinerI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Interviewing an entire band can be fun if the setting is right. In this interview with The Van Ts I was quite lucky because the band had a dressing room which wasn't particularly noisy. Some dressing rooms though…it's like trying to do an interview in a building site.I've been trying to book these guys for a while. There's something about their 90s vibe, the alt-rock flavoured grunge that they play which takes me back to my youth. There's an infectious energy about their music, but also a sorta laid back effortlessness which brings to mind Dinosaur Jr in its approach – noisy, fuzzy but confident and assured.I could drone on about them for another 500 words but I'll save you, and I, the embarrassment.One of my favourite things about the podcast since the start of the year is the greater focus on more local acts. I still love it when my favourite artists from outside of Glasgow come to town, but Glasgow is such a vibrant place and I can't think of any city this size which has such an accessible group of talented musicians from across multiple genres. London is the obvious comparison, but given the sheer enormity of the city it could, I imagine, make it very difficult to find such a diverse range of artists in a relatively confined space.I recently interviewed Kyle from We Came from Wolves (interview coming next week, incidentally) and he commented on how The Van T's name seems to be everywhere right now – it's true. It's cool that they're not aware of their own growing hype. I think they're poised to capture the zeitgeist and I can definitely see them going far.So yeah, I hope you enjoy this interview. They're cracking point and were up for a bit of meaningless banter and that's what this podcast ultimately provides – meaningless banter with a side order of exploration of the creative process.Featured MusicIntro: Voodoo Puppets – Electric Chair Blues (used under CC licence, you can check it out here).The Van T's - GrowlerThe Van T's - Another SunI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

I feel like the apologies are coming across as hollow. Maybe I should move the publishing day to Fridays. Although, there is then the issue of clashing with That's Not Metal podcast but hey, it's not like I'm even in the same league as them anyway, eh? Thoughts on this would be appreciated. Moving the day that is, not on the other podcast thing. They're in a league of their own.Interviews have been falling on Thursday's a lot of late – I actually have another next week – but the fact still remains: I should be more prepared and have stuff ready in advance.Foot is coming off the gas. Let's put it back on and plant it on the floor.On this episode I have a wonderful chat with Allison Weiss, whose album ‘New Love' was one of my favourite records of 2015. I had great fun chatting to her. She's very accommodating, warm and friendly which is always a relief.To this day I still get nervous in the run up the interviews but Allison's easy going demeanour helped put me at ease pretty quickly. I think the conversation comes across as very natural which, in this podcast game, is something that everyone who interviews people should strive for.I worry that talking about feminism comes off as a little awkward. I mention it during the episode and I'll mention it here too – I was brought up by my mum, as a single parent. Yeah, my dad was around and stuff but I lived with my mum, brother and sister. I was brought up to believe in equality for everyone, it's perhaps why I still lean far left politically. Women's rights were always in the background as I grew up, mostly because I saw how women were treated by men and found it abhorrent.In university during both film and literature studies I was introduced to feminist literary and film criticism. The concatenation was complete. I wouldn't call myself a feminist (largely because I'm deeply suspicious of men who use that label), but I would definitely classify myself as an ally.Which leads to the point of this tangent – I feel awkward when I talk about it to women. Even talking my sister or girlfriend about these issues leaves me feeling weird. I'm passionate about them, but I can never fully understand what it's like to be a woman, I can never fully experience the misogyny women experience. When I see it happening, I call it out but I can never be on the receiving end. Sometimes that makes me feel like an imposter. Is that common?After the interview Allison was glad that I brought it up, which is somewhat reliving but I still feel it may have been slightly awkward. I hope you don't find it off putting.Please enjoy this episode – it's one of my favourites. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can the lateness of an episode ever truly be forgiven? I know how annoyed I get when my favourite podcasts miss a week or have an erratic schedule. Does it erode your faith in me and my ability to get the job done? Do you even care about the reasons?Answers on a postcard please. Or an email. Or a tweet. Whatever. I'd like to know.This is late because I did the interview on a Thursday again. I had originally hoped to have another interview the day after this one, but that fell through. I even talk about it in the podcast. In episode 33 I also spoke about an interview that I was scheduled to do but never happened. It sucks. I think maybe I jinx it by mentioning that it's happening. Seems to be the case recently.But yes, I'm late again, and this was a conscious decision on my part. It was either a case that I had no content for this week or I had none for last week. I pulled the trigger and went for last week. Sorry.I had a chat with Calum from A Sudden Burst of Colour – one of my favourite Glaswegian post-rock bands. I really love straddling different genres with this podcast because I like more than just punk music, so it was ace to sit down with another instrumental type dude. He's a really articulate and smart guy, which is probably a good description of A Sudden Burst of Colour's music, too.We had this chat in the Crystal Palace in Glasgow and it was going so well until some parents came in with their kids and sat next to us. You can hear the exact moment in the interview and that's why it's shorter than normal.Again, there's another apology for you.Highlights includeStarting with the goal of being a wedding band and evolvingHaving different musical tastesTrying to force yourself to listen to certain music because your band sounds a certain wayHow your tastes change as you get olderBeing a producer and how hard it can be distance yourself from the musicBut at the same time growing to hate the music because you're working on itAnd loads moreWas great to chat to Calum. I can't wait for their new EP.I hope you enjoy the episode.Featured MusicIntro: Voodoo Puppets – Electric Chair Blues (used under CC licence, you can check it out here).A Sudden Burst of Colour - RebornA Sudden Burst of Colour - The FallI make no claim to the copyright of any of the music in this episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Curator Podcast: Episode 33 - Justine Jones from Employed to ServeIt can sometimes be stressful when trying to arrange interviews. Some people are funny about doing podcasts. Some people feel that doing a “wee” thing, like an interview for this podcast, isn't a particularly good use of their time. I think both of these things are fair enough. If you're going to get interviewed by The Guardian or Kerrang! Magazine then it makes way more sense to do that than it does to do this.Plus, it's not like I'll ever get Dave Grohl or something on here, is it?Obviously it's more irritating when someone just doesn't like doing podcast interviews, yet it just reminds me how lucky I've been to talk to some of the people I've spoken to;  people who have reputations for being choosey about what they do have chosen to speak to me, and that's very cool.I suppose what I'm getting at is that I'm still super thankful for people taking time out of their day to have a chat with me. And even more thankful to you guys for sticking with me.BUT HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO THIS WEEK'S EPISODE?! Well, I had some issues trying to book guests this week and then two came along at once. Only, both came along at the end of the week. My original intention was to interview Justine, get home, edit it and upload it, then get it out into your ears by 11.59pm on Thursday. Sadly, that didn't happen.So, I'm sorry for being a little late. Nothing pains me more than being late. Seriously.What transpired though was a really good interview, and I think it's worth waiting a little longer for. Employed to Serve are a mathy hardcore band of the kind I find myself increasingly drawn to as I grow older, and it was awesome to speak to another woman for this podcast when I've been struggling to find people to come on.Highlights include:Wetherspoons and beerRider beers and general drinking on tourWhen Justine realised she was creativeAnd when she realised she wanted to be in a bandSome influences in ETS' soundDeftones and musical evolutionWhy math-type music is perhaps getting more popular than beforeSexism in the music industryOur favourite albums of last yearSometimes the best parts of the conversation happen after you switch off the microphone, and you'll just need to take my word for it when I say that we say we continued chatting after I stopped recording.ETS are a band that is only going to grow, in my opinion, and I'm glad I got a chance to speak to Justine before they get even bigger. They absolutely nailed it at the show later that night and I highly recommend getting along to see them if you can.Oh, and I'm sorry for the drunken story ramble at the end. I'm not perfect. Sometimes I'm prone to flights of fancy.I hope you enjoy the episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the best things about coming across a new artist is the way that they broaden your horizons and push your music tastes in new directions. I can't profess to being much of a folk fan – at least not of the traditional kind – but the genre itself fascinates me.This episode features an interview with Glasgow folk singer/songwriter Chrissy Barnacle. I was drawn to her music mainly because of her long standing association with various other DIY artists in and around Glasgow, and ever since absorbing the honest, ethereal beauty of her music, I find myself itching to discover more music in a similar vein. One person and their guitar is often more punk rock, more honest than any other kind of music.This is great, because all it takes is one song to show you something a new side to music that you haven't heard before. It's also time for me to start pushing the boundaries of this podcast, bringing in new voices and different styles of music. Rooted in punk this podcast certainly is, but it doesn't always have to be that way. And it shouldn't be. Diversity of voices, experiences and sound is what makes music so exciting to me. Hopefully you agree.Alright so I conducted this conversation after a failed attempt in pub. That particular attempt was quickly foiled by a pub quiz host bellowing his introduction into a roomful of disinterested patrons, so the second attempt took place in a quiet café. Quiet in the sense that there weren't many customers; the interview itself is anything but quiet.Yes folks, I made a boo boo and recorded the interview directly under a speaker which was pumping out loud music. I've done my best to minimize the impact the music has on the interview (big thanks to Todd Jordan from The Bitter End podcast for helping me out. Again) but it's still there. I just hope you agree with me when I say it doesn't affect the sound quality of the interview too much.Chrissy had all sorts of artists on her list of “songwriters I look up to” which I hadn't heard before. I'll be checking them out for sure.I hope you enjoy the episode. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.