A music podcast about iconic Irish albums. Each episode takes a deep dive into the making of an album with one of its creators. Produced by Paul McDermott for Learn & Sing Productions. Info and episode notes: https://www.paulmcdermott.ie/podcast @learnandsing
Danny Kelly is a former editor of the NME and Q magazine, He's had a long and illustrious career in broadcasting. He was born in Islington in London, to Irish parents. In recent years Danny moved back to Ireland. In a long conversation we chat about all sorts of things: growing up in an Irish community in London; the Irish diaspora and his Irishness; how he got a start in music journalism; his years at the NME; and the intense rivalry between the music weeklies of the late 80s. And of course there's loads of talk about music and records. He's as enthusiastic about new music as he always has been and talks with passion about Lankum, Kneecap and Fontaines DC as well as loads of chat about some of his favourite Irish albums. Episode note are here.
On this episode I'm joined by Brian Brannigan from A Lazarus Soul for a deep dive about the band's fifth album, 2019's The D They Put Between the R & L. Our conversation takes in Brian's first band Sub Assembly and the different incarnations of A Lazarus Soul since the release of the band's first album in 2002. We talk about how Brian's writing has changed over the years, how he eventually found his authentic voice and how he draws inspiration from the Dublin he grew up in. We also discuss the band's latest album, No Flowers Grow in Cement Gardens. Episode notes are here.
A short preview of Episode 49 – The D They Put Between the R & L by A Lazarus Soul.
On this episode I'm joined by John Hegarty for a deep dive about Twilight, his debut album from 2000. Twilight was produced by Bob Lamb, who produced UB40's Signing Off and The Lilac Time's self-titled debut. John has played with Female Hercules and Dinah Brand and has contributed to records by a load of artists including: Adrian Crowley, Cian Nugent, Seti the First, Jubilee Allstars, Barry McCormack and others. All this is discussed including a chat about John's new album Daydreaming. Episode notes are here.
A short preview of Episode 48 – Twilight by John Hegarty.
On this episode I'm joined by Eoin ‘Stan' O'Sullivan and Dave Hackett for a deep dive about Louder & Clearer the second album by Stanley Super 800. We chat about: The Shanks, The Céilí Allstars, The Young Offenders, Simple Kid, SS800's self-titled debut album, touring Ireland, Sofa Records, Choice Music Price 2007, reforming for the 20th Clonakilty Guitar Festival, and loads more. Producer Mark O'Sullivan also provides his recollections. Episode notes are here:
A short video preview of Episode 47 – Louder & Clearer by Stanley Super 800.
A short preview of Episode 47 – Louder & Clearer by Stanley Super 800.
On this episode I'm joined by Joe Chester for a deep dive about A Murder of Crows. We chat about Dublin in the mid-90s, playing music with Sunbear, Nina Hynes, Ten Speed Racer, and others. We also chat about A Lazarus Soul, Elvis Costello, Christy Moore, collaborating with Gemma Hayes for Culture Night 2024, revisiting A Murder of Crows for its vinyl reissue and loads more. Episode notes are here:
A short video preview of Episode 46 – A Murder of Crows by Joe Chester.
A short preview of Episode 46 – A Murder of Crows by Joe Chester.
On this episode I'm joined by Patrick Barrett for a deep dive about At the End of a Winding Day by The Hedge Schools. Pat formed The Hedge Schools with his former Ten Speed Racer bandmate Joe Chester. We chat about Ten Speed Racer, collaborating with Joe on The Hedge Schools's three albums, bespoke independent releases and the impetus to create art, recording two albums as Arrivalists and revisiting At the End of a Winding Day for its recent vinyl reissue. Episode notes are here.
A short video preview of Episode 45 – At the End of a Winding Day by The Hedge Schools.
A short preview of Episode 45 – At the End of a Winding Day by The Hedge Schools.
On this episode I'm joined by Giordaí Ua Laoghaire for a deep dive about Ciddy Hall by Nine Wassies From Bainne. Giordaí Ua Laoighaire was a member of Cork punk band Nun Attax before joining Micro Disney. Giordaí played guitar on Stano's first two albums and later in the 1980s was a member of Cork band Soon. In 1988 he moved to Dublin and wrote music for theatre and presented his own high-regarded radio show on Raidió Na Life. He formed Nine Wassies From Bainne in the early 90s. Episode notes are here.
A short preview of Episode 44 – Ciddy Hall by Nine Wassies From Bainne.
On this episode I'm joined by Jacknife Lee for a deep dive about Compulsion's two albums: Comforter (1994) and The Future is Medium (1996). Jacknife formed Compulsion with Joseph Mary Barry, Sid Rainey and Jan Alkema. Jacknife, Joey and Sid had previously been in Thee Amazing Colossal Men. All this and more is discussed: the Irish music scene of the 80s, and his post-Compulsion career as a producer. Jacknife talks about working with U2, REM, Snow Patrol and recording as Telefís with the late Cathal Coughlan. We start in the Cabra Grand cinema at a Siouxsie and the Banshees gig in 1980 and we work our way up to the present day - it's the longest episode to date, it's a history lesson. Episode notes are here.
A short video preview of Episode 43 – Comforter and The Future is Medium by by Compulsion.
A short preview of Episode 43 – Comforter and The Future is Medium by by Compulsion.
On this episode I'm joined by Stano for a deep dive into his first album 1983's Content to Write in I Dine Weathercraft. Stano has been a recording artist and composer since the early 80s. He has released over a dozen albums, and numerous singles of startlingly, uncompromising original music. He is regarded as a true innovator, with an intense understanding of sonic structure and always ahead of his time, he has been described as a Sonic Architect. Of the album's 2018 reissue Boomkat wrote: "Content to Write in I Dine Weathercraft is one of those blue moon reissues that, in hindsight, seem to blow away so much other, better known material from the era whence it came. We're left in no doubt this LP is a true, overlooked classic of its time." Episode notes are here.
A short preview of Episode 42 – Content to Write in I Dine Weathercraft by Stano.
A short preview of Episode 42 – Content to Write in I Dine Weathercraft by Stano.
On this episode I'm joined by Gerry Leonard for a deep dive into Hinterland, the band he formed in the late 80s with Donal Coughlan, and the duo's 1990 album Kissing the Roof of Heaven. Both Coughlan and Leonard had been in a variety of Dublin bands during the 80s but it wasn't until they both moved to Copenhagen in 1986 that they got to know each other. Early in 1987 the duo returned to Dublin and formed Hinterland – Coughlan was principally responsible for the lyrics while both concentrated on melodies and arrangements. Demos were recorded for a second album but it wasn't to be. In the mid-90s Leonard headed for New York with $200 in his pocket and ended up working with Bowie. He's worked with Suzanne Vega and loads of others and we chat about all of that and more. Coughlan, who was diagnosed with MS in his early 20s, sadly passed away in 2016, he was only 54. Episode notes are here.
A short video preview of Episode 41 – Kissing the Roof of Heaven by Hinterland.
A short preview of Episode 41 – Kissing the Roof of Heaven by Hinterland.
Joining me on this special bonus episode are Dr Richard McMahon (lecturer in History at Mary Immaculate College in Limerick) and Mike Smalle (academic librarian, musician and former frontman of the great Galway band Cane 141) to discuss Bring Your Own Hammer, a collaborative project that brings historians and composers together to create new song cycles based on historical sources and to re-interpret song material rooted in the history of 19th century Ireland and of the Irish Diaspora. My Grief on the Sea, the project's first album, was released recently featuring the late Cathal Coughlan, Mike Smalle, Jah Wobble, Eileen Gogan, Linda Buckley, Adrian Crowley, Michael J Sheehy, Carol Keogh and others. My conversation with Richard and Mike is interspersed with music from the album and Linda Buckley, Carol Keogh and Michael J Sheehy introduce their songs. Episode notes are here.
On this episode I'm joined by Liam Heffernan and Ricky Dineen from Big Boy Foolish, a post-punk duo from the northside of Cork City who have just released their debut album – Stall the Ball. Ricky was the guitarist in the legendary bands Nun Attax, Five Go Down to the Sea? and Beethoven and Liam Heffernan played guitar with another Cork band Mean Features, and is well known for his acting roles on both stage and screen. Ricky and Liam revisit "Get That Monster Off the Stage" my old radio documentary about their late friend Finbarr Donnelly. We chat about Ciarán Ó Tuama's recent film version of the documentary and the lads talk about about making music in their 60s, the origins of Big Boy Foolish, the writing, recording and release of Stall the Ball and much more. Episode notes are here.
A short video preview of Episode 40 – Hiding From the Landlord by Nun Attax, Five Go Down to the Sea? and Beethoven.
A short preview of Episode 40 – Hiding From the Landlord by Nun Attax, Five Go Down to the Sea? and Beethoven.
On this episode I'm joined by Martin McCann and John Brereton of Dublin band Sack for a deep dive into the making of the band's second album Butterfly Effect. It's a long conversation talking in their first band, Lord John White, moving to London, signing to Lemon Records, touring in the UK, the release of their acclaimed first singles and their debut album, You Are What You Eat, returning to Ireland, Dirt Records, recording with Paul Tipler and Jacknife Lee, touring Europe and the US with Morrissey, staying together, and writing and recording new music. Episode notes are here.
On this episode I'm joined by Liam McKahey and Davey Ray Moor for a deep dive into Cousteau's self-titled debut album from 1999. Cousteau were formed in London in the late 90s when singer McKahey, from Cork, hooked up with songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ray Moor, from Canberra. Cousteau's self-titled debut album was released in 1999 by the small UK indie label, Global Warming. After an appearance on Later With Jools Holland the band were signed by Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures. The band's debut single ‘The Last Good Day of the Year' became an international hit and the band's album was re-released. Cousteau toured the world eventually selling a few hundred thousand albums. Episode notes are here.
A short video preview of EP38 - Cousteau by Cousteau
This episode is a deep dive with Sean O'Hagan on Hawaii by The High Llamas. A long chat, bookended by stories about Arthur Lee and Love, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. In between we touch on everything from Cillian Murphy, The Coral, Mercury Rev, Sean's 2019 album - Radum Calls, Radum Calls, signing to V2 Records, Gideon Gaye, A&M's Jerry Moss and Herb Albert's Almo Sounds, Tim Gane and Stereolab, Cold and Bouncy, Cathal Coughlan, Microdisney and loads more. We also chat about the new High Llamas album - Hey Panda. Episode notes are here.
A short video preview of EP37 - Hawaii by The High Llamas
A short preview of Episode 37 – Hawaii by The High Llamas
This is a special bonus episode of the podcast. An Draíocht is a radio documentary I produced in 2023. With the assistance of Eoin ‘Stan' O'Sullivan, Sliabh Luachra musician in residence, I immerse myself in the music of Sliabh Luachra by going on a quest to track down six Irish traditional vinyl records released in 1977. It was first broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM on Sunday 12 March 2023. Episode notes are here.
For this episode I'm joined by Dara Higgins, and brothers Diarmuid MacDiarmada and John Dermody to discuss the Jimmy Cake's second album, Dublin Gone, Everybody Dead. We chat about their first band together, Das Madman, the formation of The Jimmy Cake, the recording of their debut album Brains and how nine (and then ten members) of a band handle the composition of songs. Dublin's music scene in the early 00s. Our conversation takes in a discussion about the realities of trying to break a band, with ten members, outside of Ireland and support for the Arts in Ireland. Epsiode notes are here.
A second short preview of Episode 36 – Dublin Gone, Everybody Dead by The Jimmy Cake
A short preview of Episode 36 – Dublin Gone, Everybody Dead by The Jimmy Cake
Carol Keogh joins me to chat about The Tycho Brahe, the band herself, Donal O'Mahony and Diarmuid MacDiarmada formed in 2002. This Is, their debut album was released in 2002 and Love Life, its follow-up was released in 2003. Prior to The Tycho Brahe Carol and Donal were in The Plague Monkeys and before that again Carol, Donal and Diarmuid were in The Low Babies. We also chat about Carol's varied musical guises since The Tycho Brahe - she's written and performed with Autamata and The Natural History Museum as well as releasing music under her own name and collaborating with loads of other artists. We talk about her most recent work as The WICC and much, much more. Epsiode notes are here.
A short video preview of EP35 - This Is by The Tycho Brahe
A short preview of Episode 35 – This Is by The Tycho Brahe
Dale Grundle and Alice Lemon from Catchers join me to chat about their band Catchers. Formed in Portstewart in the early 90s the band were signed to Setanta Records and moved to London. 'Cotton Dress' their debut single was awarded 'Single of the Week' in Melody Maker and the band recorded Mute, their debut album, with Mike Hedges in France. Mute was critically acclaimed in the music press and Catchers toured Europe with Pulp and Edwyn Collins becoming hugely popular in France. Dale and Alice chat about the Catchers career, the recording of both Mute and Stooping to Fit, their second album. Episode notes are here.
A short video preview of Episode 34 – Mute by Catchers
Will Merriman joins me to discuss Little Dark Mansion by his band The Harvest Ministers. In a long conversation we discuss: the band's history; self-releasing their debut single in 1991; its reissue by Sarah Records in 1992; the release of two more singles on Sarah; recording their debut album; signing to Setanta records; releasing two more albums before the end of the 90s; touring with Edwyn Collins in Europe; and recording and releasing three more albums since the millennium and much, much more. Little Dark Mansion has just been reissued on vinyl for the first time since its original 1993 release. Episode notes are here.
A short video preview of Episode 33 – Little Dark Mansion by The Harvest Ministers
A short preview of Episode 33 – Little Dark Mansion by The Harvest Ministers
Steve Wall joins me to discuss The Stunning's debut album, the band's history and how they self-financed their first four singles in the late 80s. We talk in detail about Paradise in the Picturehouse and how it eventually spent five weeks at No. 1 in the Irish Albums Chart. In a wide-ranging chat Steve also talks about: Irish radio programming; lack of airplay for most Irish artists; Blur supporting The Stunning in London in the early 90s; gigging and the economics of being a full time musician in Ireland; The Stunning's music being used in advertising and his acting career. Episode notes are here.
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