Sending Signals

Haircut 100(th) Episode! (with Nick Heyward & Blair Cunningham) Jun 30, 2026

100 episodes baby! This episode, I’m joined by Nick Heyward and Blair Cunningham of Haircut 100, very appropriately for my 100th episode. The band are back, with their first studio album since 1982’s masterpiece, “Pelican West”, that’s not counting a 1984 album they made without Nick. The new album is called “Boxing The Compass” and it is sensational. I caught them play a tour warm-up recently and they are on incredible form in that department too.

Nick Heyward is from Beckenham, and started playing in early incarnations of the band in 1977. They eventually became Haircut 100 and signed to Arista in 1981. The band were ill-prepared for the success that followed, Nick in particular not dealing well with the pressures of fame, and by early ‘83 he was out the band, later citing stress and depression among the reasons. He went on to have a solo career, and Haircut 100 have reunited several times in more recent years, but this is the first time they’re released a new record together.

Blair Cunningham is a world-class drummer, originally from Memphis, Tennessee. He’s one of 13 children, and remarkably, and very sadly, his brother Carl was the drummer for Stax band The Bar-Kays, and died in the same plane crash that killed Otis Redding. After the original dissolution of Haircut 100, he went on to drum for The Pretenders, Sade, Mick Jagger, and loads of others, and notably was a member of Paul McCartney’s band for a few years, so when he refers to “Paul” during our conversation, that’s who he means.

I had a great time with these guys. The conversation is all over the place, but it was loads of fun, and I hope that comes across.

Also, a particularly special thank you to everyone that listens regularly. I appreciate the selection of guests is idiosyncratic and diverse, so it means a lot that you’ve stuck around. The show continues to be a fully-independent podcast, with no advertising, and a one man operation. I book the guests, do the interviews, edit the show together, and run the socials. I love the control this gives me, but it brings its own challenges, especially as I want to make podcasts, not spend hours generating content on social media, and so the algorithm doesn’t help the show much. This means that anything you can do to help, telling your friends, following me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast, liking posts, leaving a star rating or review with your podcast provider; these things generally mean a lot to a show like mine.

Thank you all!

Geoff Downes (Yes/Asia/The Buggles) Jun 10, 2026

Geoff Downes has quite the musical CV. Shooting to fame with The Buggles, then joining Yes alongside Trevor Horn for their 1980 “Drama” album, he then had massive success alongside Yes member Steve Howe with the supergroup Asia. He rejoined Yes in 2011 where he remains to this day. Geoff joined me from his home in Wales for a career-spanning conversation discussing songs by The Buggles, Asia, and the epic Countermovement from the new Yes album “Aurora”.

Please forgive the sound quality on this interview. It’s perfectly listenable but not optimal.

Find me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

Lawrence Payton Jr. (The Four Tops) May 27, 2026

The Four Tops formed in Detroit in 1953, originally named The Four Aims. They’re a cornerstone of American pop music and helped propel the Motown label to international recognition. Although ostensibly a soul vocal group, I find the band interesting in how broad they were stylistically and in the variety of material they adopted. The current incarnation of The Four Tops are touring this year with The Temptations. They’re hitting the UK this summer, with a run that includes a date at the Royal Albert Hall.

I’m joined this episode by Lawrence Payton Jr. from the current line-up, the son of founding member Lawrence Payton who passed away in 1997.

Lawrence had a lot to say about growing up around his dad’s band, and why the Tops should still be on the road in 2026. He was great company.

Please leave a nice review or star rating with your podcast provider.

You can find me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

Charlie McCoy on Dylan, Elvis, and Cash Apr 16, 2026

Charlie McCoy has an incredible musical CV to look back on. His relationship with Bob Dylan began when he was asked, at rather short notice, to join the session for “Desolation Row”. He went on to assemble the core band when Dylan decamped to Nashville to record his masterpiece “Blonde On Blonde”. He went on to play on “John Wesley Harding” and “Nashville Skyline” too.

Add to that, the many sessions he did for Elvis Presley, the work with Johnny Cash, and countless other sessions, you have a musical legacy few can match.

For 19 years he was music director for the Nashville TV show “Hee Haw”, and in 2022 he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

At age 85 he shows little sign of slowing down, and I was delighted he agreed to join me for the show.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

James Graham (The Twilight Sad) Mar 17, 2026

The Twilight Sad are a Scottish indie rock band, currently consisting of Andy MacFarlane and frontman James Graham who joins me this episode to discuss their new album “It’s The Long Goodbye”. It’s an appropriate title, as the album documents the loss of James’ mother to a 9 year battle with dementia. On top of this James has been battling serious mental health challenges. It’s a heartbreaking record at times, but also cathartic and energetic.

I was really grateful for James’ candour and bravery really in talking to me about the background to this album. We also discussed life on the road with The Cure, who the band have spent a lot of time touring with over the years; Robert Smith appears on several tracks on this new album in fact.

“It’s The Long Goodbye” is out on March 27th on Mogwai’s Rock Action Records.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

The Making of “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere” w/ Pamela Martin (Editor) Dec 09, 2025

This episode I am joined by two-time Academy Award nominee, film editor Pamela Martin. She edited the recent Springsteen biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere”. The film was directed Scott Cooper, adapted from Warren Zanes’ book documenting the making of Springsteen’s stark classic “Nebraska”. Pam has worked on movies including King Richard, Little Miss Sunshine, Battle Of The Sexes, Free State Of Jones, Hitchcock, and many more.

If you’re listening to this as a Springsteen fan I think you’ll find it fascinating, but even if you’re interested more broadly in film making, I think this is the first time I’ve had an editor on the show, so it was interesting for me to learn more about the parameters and responsibilities of the role, and Pamela was fantastic company and had so much to say. Her passion for her work really comes through. I hope you enjoy it. I certainly did.

I also give a run-down of my favourite albums and events of the year.

Find me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

Jason Narducy on R.E.M, Grohl, Bob Mould & more! Oct 28, 2025

In February 2025 at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia, something incredible happened. Jason Narducy, alongside actor Michael Shannon, were out touring their R.E.M. tribute project, where they perform early albums in full, alongside deep cuts from the back catalogue, when all 4 original members of R.E.M joined them to perform a version of “Pretty Persuasion”. Over the past couple of years various configurations of band members had performed with them, but having all 4 at once was clearly a historic moment.

Jason’s life in music has been quite something. Jason had a musical epiphany when, aged 8, his dad took him to see The Who movie “The Kids Are Alright”. He got an electric guitar aged 9, and by aged 10 he was playing in a punk band named Verboten. Tracey, was the oldest member of the band, aged 13, and just happened to be cousin of future Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. Dave would later cite Verboten as a major inspiration for him in pursuing music, and Jason appeared in Dave’s “Sonic Highways” series.

Jason has gone on to perform with so many artists, but he’s been a mainstay of Bob Mould’s band since 2005, playing bass on 6 albums and touring with him. Jason also plays with bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate and Superchunk. He has his own musical project entitled Split Single, and plays intimate living room shows for fans. A few years ago he had the surreal experience of writing songs for a musical about his childhood band Verboten.

As well as upcoming gigs with Bob Mould, Jason is heading back out on tour with Michael Shannon to perform R.E.M’s brilliant 4th album, “Life’s Rich Pageant”.

It’s no surprise we had a lot to talk about.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Steve Howe on Dylan, “Fragile” & more! Sep 23, 2025

Always a pleasure to have Steve Howe on the podcast. The Yes guitarist joins me this time to discuss a couple of reissues from his solo back catalogue; “Natural Timbre” and “Portraits of Bob Dylan”. The former being an all acoustic record, and the latter being, as you may have inferred, a Dylan covers album. It was a nice excuse to talk about Dylan, and solo albums in general.

I, of course, also take the opportunity to catch up on the things in the Yes camp, including their forthcoming tour playing the classic album “Fragile” in full. Enjoy.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Feeder’s Grant Nicholas on “Comfort In Sound” Sep 02, 2025

The past 3 decades have brought their share of ups and downs for Feeder. They’ve enjoyed 11 top ten albums, and various hit singles, but had to weather the tragic loss of drummer Jon Lee in January 2002. It was against this backdrop that frontman Grant Nicholas returned to studio alongside bassist Taka Hirose to produce Feeder’s most poignant and life-affirming album “Comfort In Sound”. The album is getting reissue this month, and they will be undertaking a UK tour, playing the album in full for the first time.

It’s a rare look back for the band, who have released 4 new albums in the last decade including a double album “Black/Red” which came out last year. Grant was a guest on the podcast a few years back, and I’m really grateful he was willing to come back on.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Steve Rothery (Marillion) Aug 19, 2025

Steve Rothery is a founding member of one of my all time favourite bands, Marillion.

Despite various personnel changes in the early years of the band, Marillion have maintained a stable line-up for the past 36 years.

One of the keys to their ongoing unity is surely their tolerance for band members to indulge in side-projects, and Rothery is about to release an album under the name Bioscope, in collaboration with current Tangerine Dream bandleader Thorsten Quaeschning. The album is called “Gento” and features Elbow drummer Alex Reeves behind the kit.

I was pleased to welcome Steve back onto the podcast to discuss the new project, as well getting an update on the new Marillion album, and a chat about the 30th anniversary of one of their finest albums “Afraid Of Sunlight”.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Richard Hawley on “Coles Corner” 20th Anniversary Jul 29, 2025

This summer sees the release of an expanded edition of Richard Hawley’s breakthrough masterpiece “Coles Corner” with an accompanying tour. Richard joins me for an epic chat about the making the record, his family history, his prodigious session work, the closing of the beloved Sheffield Leadmill, and working (remotely) with Hank Marvin.

Enjoy. Find me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

Visit richardhawley.co.uk for tour dates and reissue information.

Ben Kweller Jun 17, 2025

On February 27th 2023 Ben Kweller received the worst phone call imaginable. His 16 year old son Dorian had died in a car accident. An oncoming truck had veered into Dorian’s lane and a downed tree had gone through his windscreen as he swerved over.

Dorian himself was a budding musician, releasing music under the name Zev, and had been due to tour with his father later that year.

Ben has been incredibly open about the tragedy, and turned the tour into somewhat of a tribute to his son.

Out of the devastation of the past two years has come a new album from Ben entitled “Cover The Mirrors”. It features guests appearances from the likes of Waxahatchee, The Flaming Lips, and MJ Lenderman. You’ll hear some clips from it during our conversation.

Ben’s debut album 2002’s “Sha Sha” meant a lot to me, and I was keen to ask about the song “Falling” which I love dearly. That album also features the song “Lizzy”, a song about his girlfriend at the time. Lizzy married Ben in 2003, and it really made me smile that she was handling his PR when we set this up.

I’m really grateful to Ben for talking to me at such a sensitive time, and for trusting me with this episode. He joins me from his home in Texas.

He was such lovely company and I hope you find this conversation inspiring in some way.

Please come and find me on Instagram at Sending Signals podcast and check out ever growing back catalogue of episodes where you can find my conversations with members of REM, The National, E Street Band, Genesis, The Police, Beach Boys and loads more. Finally, if you can leave a good star rating with your podcast provider I would really appreciate it.

Thanks so much to Ben and Lizzy.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Ben Kweller on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7bhMBjjQhgPX0q9S4Ajncn?si=iK7SVY8uSPCK-9sL19sHng

Zev on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/66Nj7lUkbFw7ICIamxWvTY?si=KzM5jWW6RNKQdHBZa_of-g

Photographer Tom Sheehan on Oasis, Weller, Springsteen and more. May 28, 2025

Tom Sheehan was born in Camberwell, South London. He was an in-house photographer for CBS Records in the 70s, and went on to be the chief photographer for Melody Maker. He enjoyed long-term working relationships with the likes of REM, The Cure, Manic Street Preachers, and Oasis, the subject of a new book of Tom’s work entitled “Roll With It: Oasis in Photographs 1994-2002”.

I had a great time chatting with Tom about his life and work, and I hope you enjoy it too.

Nels Cline (Wilco) Apr 29, 2025

Nels Cline was born in California in January 1956. He started played guitar at the age of 12 and his early career is fairly jazz-based, before stretching into other directions.

He has played guitar for Wilco, one of my favourite bands in the world, since 2004.

He has a new solo album out on Blue Note Records entitled “Consentrik Quartet”, featuring Ingrid Laubrock on saxophone, Tom Rainey on drums, and Chris Lightcap on double bass. It’s a really excellent album and I was thrilled Nels agreed to come on the show.

We take a dive into “Consentrik Quartet”, but of course we also discuss his life with Wilco and beyond. I had a great time on this, and I hope you enjoy.

Wolfgang Flür (Kraftwerk) Mar 25, 2025

Wolfgang Flür was born in Frankfurt in 1947 but moved to Düsseldorf in the early ‘50s, which has been home ever since. As a young man he played in the band The Sprits Of Sound, and studied to be an architect, hoping to get into interior design. Wolfgang joined Kraftwerk in 1973 and plays on one of the most remarkable album runs in pop music history; “Autobahn”, “Radioactivity”, “Trans Europe Express”, “The Man Machine”, and “Computer World”. He left the band in the mid-80’s and his relationship with his former bandleader Ralf Hütter has been somewhat acrimonious over the past few decades.

Wolfgang has just released a new record entitled “Times”, which you’ll hear clips from during our conversation. The album features collaborations from Peter Hook (formally of Joy Division and New Order of course), and Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter.

The day before the interview I was informed that Wolfgang’s musical partner Peter Duggal would be sitting in on the call too. Peter is a musician and producer based in Hebden Bridge, and is very amenable company.

This was a fun chat. Wolfgang is really funny and interesting. It probably goes without saying that I absolutely love Kraftwerk, and although I sensed it would not be wise to focus on them too much, it’s still a thrill to have them represented on the podcast.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Wendy James (Transvision Vamp) Mar 11, 2025

Wendy James is tied up with some of my earlier memories of music. She fronted the band Transvision Vamp, who were hard to ignore in the late 80s. Songs like “I Want Your Love” and “Baby I Don’t Care” were pretty big hits over here.

Transvision Vamp split in the early 90s and since then Wendy has persuaded various solo projects. Interestingly her first solo album “Now Ain’t The Time For Your Tears” was written by Elvis Costello, sometimes alongside Caitlin O’Riordan from the Pogues.

These days Wendy is basically a cottage industry, self releasing albums and embracing direct engagement with her fanbase. She recently released an album entitled “The Shape Of History” and you’ll hear clips from that throughout our conversation.

P.P. Arnold Feb 25, 2025

Pat Arnold has had quite a life. Born in 1946 she grew up in LA, and was in an abusive marriage with two kids while still a teenager. In 1965 she got a chance to audition for Ike and Tina Turner’s band as an “Ikette”. She got the gig and left her children in the care of her parents. This eventually took her to London where she fell into the orbit of The Rolling Stones, and she decided to stay behind there to establish herself as a solo artist, signing to Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham’s label Immediate Records, home of the Small Faces, members of whom ended up writing songs for her and backing her on some of her recordings. She also toured with them, and is the backing vocalist on Itchycoo Park and Tin Soldier, two of their biggest hits.

She had hits under her own name too, including her recordings of Angel Of The Morning and The First Cut Is The Deepest. She also recorded with Rod Stewart.

In the 70s she appeared on recordings by the likes of Nick Drake, Graham Nash, and Nils Lofgren. She toured with Eric Clapton and recorded with Barry Gibb although most of these recordings remained unreleased for decades. She sadly lost a daughter in a car accident in the mid-70s, and along with not being able to further her career as a solo artist, she seems to view this as somewhat of a lost decade.

As well as being cast in Starlight Express, the 80s saw her work with Steel Pulse, The Beatmasters and Roger Waters, as well appearing on Peter Gabriel’s smash hit Sledgehammer.

She first came into my orbit in the late 90s through her collaboration with Ocean Colour Scene, and the early 2000s saw her tour extensively with Roger Waters.

In recent years she finally completed the album she started with Barry Gibb and Eric Clapton decades earlier, as well as a brand new studio album recorded and produced by former podcast guest Steve Craddock of Ocean Colour Scene and Paul Weller fame.

She has a new career spanning box set entitled “Soul Survivor - A Life In Song” and I had a fantastic time talking to Pat about her life and career.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Nadia Reid Feb 11, 2025

Nadia Reid is a singer-songwriter born and raised in New Zealand, before recently relocating to Manchester. She’s just released her fourth album “Enter Now Brightness”. We take a deep dive into the album, and our conversation ends up encompassing motherhood, relocation, generational trauma, faith; it goes to some deep places. I really hope you enjoy it.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Tamara Lindeman (The Weather Station) Jan 21, 2025

You know how every now and then, an album comes along that just gets into your bones, and it’s hard to describe just how grateful you are it exists? (If you don’t know that feeling, I’m sorry, but keep searching for it). Tamara Lindeman working as The Weather Station has make two such records I feel that way about; 2019’s “Ignorance” and 2025’s “Humanhood”, released on January 17th.

“Humanhood” is a brave, striking and beautiful piece of work that just keeps on giving back, the more you mine it. It’s not designed for casual listening; the level of nuance involved, the little interludes between songs, and it’s lyrical themes of self-identity in crisis, set against grander concerns about the environment and the post-truth era we find ourselves in, deserve your full attention. It’s the sort of album where a different moment or detail might hit your each time you go back to it. It can’t imagine it being topped this year.

Our conversation takes in everything from depersonalisation disorder and OCD, to taking photos of the sky, unrealistic roles for teenagers and in movies, Canadian rock-band Our Lady Peace, and quietly making the greatest album of 2025.

Let me know what you think on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

Scott Devendorf (The National) Dec 18, 2024

I first heard The National 17 years ago this month I think, and I fell in love instantly. They’ve continued to be one of my favourite bands, and it’s been great to see them ascend to new heights of popularity and pursue interesting creative directions in the band and outside.

Guitarist Aaron Dessner is now a key producer and co-writer for the likes of Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams. His twin brother Bryce Dessner is a composer whose orchestral and chamber compositions have been commissioned by the LA Philharmonic, Edinburgh International Festival and Kronos Quartet amongst others, and he’s collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Paul Simon, Sufjan Stevens and many more. Frontman Matt Berninger has become one of the most compelling rock frontman of the 21st century with his often darkly funny, self-deprecating lyrics, and gangly, physical stage presence. Drummer Bryan Devendorf is one of the most distinctive drummers operating in rock today.

Which leaves my guest this episode, bassist Scott Devendorf. I feel like Scott is the member of the band I knew least about. Obviously I’ve seen him onstage many times anchoring the band, but I was intrigued to see how the interview would go, and was pleased to discover Scott was excellent company.

The National have just released a new live album entitled “Rome” which was recorded this past June in, well Rome obviously. It does a pretty good job of capturing the catharsis and sometimes chaos of a National show. I thought it was an interesting decision to focus on one particular show rather than compile tracks from across the tour. I was curious how they would handle the situations where Matt goes walkabout with the microphone, climbing into the crowd and getting mobbed with fans singing their heads off. Scott had a lot to say about these decisions, and about The National as a live act in general. He was really generous with his time.

I only found out this interview was happening less than 24 hours before it took place, so it was quite a whirlwind getting it prepped and organised. I again had some technical issues so I’ve mostly just used the zoom feed but it sounds fine. To have The National represented on the podcast really means a lot. This will be the last episode of the year, and what a way to go out.

David & Peter Brewis (Field Music) / Walter Schreifels (Rival Schools) Dec 12, 2024

It’s a busy one. My guests this episode are Sunderland’s David and Peter Brewis, known collectively as Field Music, and Walter Schreifels of New York post-hardcore rockers Rival Schools.

You may remember David Brewis from Field Music has been on the podcast before. I’ve been a fan of the band since 2007’s magnificent “Tones Of Town” album. Depending on how you count it, “Limits Of Language” is their 9th, 10th, or 11th studio album, in addition to numerous side projects and offshoots. However you count it, “Limits Of Language” is a very fine album, and as usual, deserves a much wider audience than they tend to get, despite a bizarre and wonderful endorsement from Prince on his Twitter feed in 2015. It was lovely to have both Brewis brothers together on the show.

Rival Schools are a New York part-time supergroup made up members of 80s and 90s hardcore bands, not a scene I’m into really, but the band’s two albums, 2001’s “United By Fate” and 2011’s “Pedals” are really melodic and accessible, even for more of an indie-rock kid like me. The band are celebrating their 25th anniversary and have been reissuing their back catalogue on vinyl. Walter caught up me from a room on tour in Minneapolis, and I was impressed with the thoughtfulness and depth of some of his answers. Enjoy!

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

The Making of “Uncut” Magazine w/ Michael Bonner (Editor) Nov 28, 2024

So, actually quite a personal episode for me this week. When I was 16 years old I started a media GNVQ at a local college, and during the first year there was a week allocated for work experience, so around June 2000 I spent a week working at Uncut magazine. My babysitter for that week was Michael Bonner, who in 2018 officially became the magazine’s editor, after founder Allen Jones stepped down. I hadn’t spoken to Michael since that week 24 years ago, so I was very curious to speak with him about what was such a formative experience for me, but probably a very average week in the office for him. I’ve also spent many years subscribed to Uncut magazine, and I thought it would be an interesting idea for an episode, to explore the making of a major music magazine. Michael was very generous with his time and we had good fun catching up.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music) Nov 13, 2024

Phil Manzanera has had a remarkable life. Best known as the lead guitarist in Roxy Music, he’s also worked as a writer, producer and/or performer with the likes of David Gilmour, Steve Winwood, Nico, Brian Eno and many more. He’s just released a mammoth box set of his solo work which dates back to 1975’s “Diamond Head” album.

The box, entitled “50 Years Of Music”, comes at a time of reflection for Manzanera. He recently released a memoir, in which he detailed his childhood in Cuba at the time of Batista’s overthrow in 1959, and his suspicion that his Dad, who ostensibly worked for BOAC airlines, was actually a spy. Manzanera lived in different parts of the Americas as a child and later went to boarding school at Dulwich College in London. Phil went on to explore his Latin American roots in his music, and another bizarre twist occurred in 2011 when Kanye West and Jay-Z sampled a guitar part from his 1978 “K-Scope” album for their track “No Church In The Wild”. Manzanera has claimed this one sample earned him more money than his entire time in Roxy Music.

Anyway, I was sure Phil would have great stories to share and I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Visit Manzanera.com for more information on the box set.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Jeff Wayne on “The War of the Worlds” Nov 05, 2024

Released on the 9th June 1978, “Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds” went on to sell an estimated 15 million copies. As you likely know, the album features an adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic sci-fi story, narrated by actor Richard Burton set to music, with vocal performances from the likes of David Essex, Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott, Chris Thompson, and Julie Covington.

A single, “Forever Autumn”, reached number 5 on the UK singles chart, and has become an enduring classic.

In 2006, the album was brought to life as a touring stage show. It’s has had several revival tours since, including a London West End run in 2016. Jeff Wayne is picking up the baton again for the 2025 arena tour featuring Max George and Maisie Smith.

Jeff Wayne was born in 1943 and wrote around 3000 advertising jingles which appeared on TV in the 1970s, as well as various television themes. He’s also been a professional tennis player. He joined me from his home studio in Hertfordshire for our chat.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Tony Banks (Genesis) Oct 02, 2024

The last time Genesis keyboard player extraordinaire Tony Banks came on the show was a few years ago, and we discussed a box set of his solo albums. Since then there has been a final Genesis tour, “The Last Domino?”, which I got to see the opening and closing nights of, and Tony now has a new boxset compiling his three classical albums “7”, “6”, and “5”.

The first half of the interview we take a deep dive into that process which I hope you’ll find interesting. Creating classical music isn’t something we’ve really explored on the podcast before. In the second half of the interview Tony shares details of an upcoming boxset of “The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway”, and he also confirms details of a reissue of their 60’s debut album “From Genesis To Revelation”, which in the past has been ignored from official Genesis reissue campaigns. We talk about how he feels he is perceived by Genesis fans, and whether he’s tempted to emulate the very successful touring approach of former Genesis bandmate Steve Hackett, who incidentally he also clarifies his feeling about during our chat. I think this conversation is quite something.

Hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Gemma Hayes Sep 18, 2024

Gemma Hayes is a singer-songwriter from Ireland, and after a 10 year gap she is about to release her 7th album “Blind Faith” and, spoiler alert, it’s really, really good.

We discuss the album’s long gestation, balancing motherhood and creativity, and I was also keen to dig into her debut album, the Dave Friedman produced “Night On My Side” from 2002, which made such a deep impression on me as a teenager.

It was such a lovely, unhurried conversation, and I hope you enjoy it.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Steve Howe (Yes/Asia) Sep 04, 2024

Steve Howe is a guitarist best known for his work with Yes, who of course are a cornerstone of progressive rock. The albums “Close To The Edge”, “Fragile”, and “The Yes Album” are essential listening, as far as I’m concerned.

Steve had a period of time out of Yes in the 80s and early 90s but had success with another band, Asia, before rejoining Yes and sticking with them up to the present day. Last year they released their 23rd album “Mirror To The Sky”. They’ve been out on tour this year too. But Steve is about to release a new solo instrumental album called “Guitarscape”, and he joined me on to tell me about the process of making it, why Yes shelved their advertised “Relayer” tour, and whether the massive success of Yes without him in the mid-80s was difficult for him.

Hope you enjoy.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Mike Mills (R.E.M.) Aug 20, 2024

What to say about REM? It might actually be hard for teenagers today, or even 20-somethings, to appreciate how big R.E.M. were in the 90s. For a while, even when they were reinventing themselves, or tackling themes not especially conducive to pop hits, they just seemed to keep getting bigger. They signed the most expensive record deal in history in 1996. They are one of the biggest selling bands of all time, having shifted something like 90 million albums.

Formed in 1980 in Athens, Georgia, they released 15 studio albums (only one of which I don’t like), before retiring with dignity in 2011. I respect them for their decision, but as a fan, would I love them to tour again? Yeah, of course I would. They have been, and still are, adamant it won’t happen, but they recently reunited to perform one song for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame, which they were inducted into earlier this year. I of course ask Mike about that decision and whether they may have talked themselves into a corner over the band’s future prospects.

I also wanted to ask about the status of the band’s reissue campaign. They’ve gradually been reissuing their back-catalogue with additional material. 1997’s “Up” was the latest to get the anniversary treatment, and I was curious if 2001’s “Reveal” was going to be next up. Anyway, R.E.M. are one of my favourite bands and I’m so glad this happened.

In addition to R.E.M. stuff we touch on Mike’s recent tour with The Baseball Project, a band in which he plays alongside last episode’s guest, Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate. Mike also tours with Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, another previous guest, and so we talk about their plans to perform Big Star’s incredible second album “Radio City”.

Let me know what you think.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate) Aug 06, 2024

Steve Wynn is a founding member of The Dream Syndicate, a key band in the so-called Paisley Underground scene of the early 1980’s. Their debut album “The Days Of Wine And Roses” was recorded in three overnight sessions and released in 1982. It’s one of the great indie-rock touchstones and a phenomenal debut. The band had high-profile support slots with the likes of U2 and REM, but the rest of the 1980’s saw them struggling to capitalise on their potential, and by the end of the decade they had disbanded.

Steve continued to have a prolific solo career, as well as side-projects such as The Baseball Project, a supergroup featuring Mike Mills and Peter Buck of REM, who only write and perform songs about baseball.

The Dream Syndicate reformed and released the first of several comeback albums in 2017. They remain an ongoing concern, but for now Steve is about to release an autobiography, charting his fascinating childhood in California, and the rise and fall of The Dream Syndicate. It’s a story of record stores, college radio, tour buses, major label shenanigans, told with warmth, humour and honesty.

It’s also accompanied by a new solo album entitled “Make It Right”, released on the same day as, and intrinsically linked to, the book.

I’ve probably said this a lot, but this was genuinely one of my favourite conversations I’ve had for the podcast. I really hope you enjoy it.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Paul Carrack (Mike + The Mechanics, Squeeze, Ace) Jul 17, 2024

Paul Carrack is a singer, songwriter, and musician, and he’s heading out on tour in celebration of the 50th anniversary of classic song “How Long”, a hit he had with his band Ace.

Paul has had an incredibly varied career since then. He was a member of Squeeze replacing Jools Holland on keyboards, and playing on their much-loved album “East Side Story”, even providing lead vocals for one of the bands most enduring songs, “Tempted”. He was a songwriter and vocalist in Mike Rutherford’s band Mike + The Mechanics from 1985 to 2004, and has been a session player for Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, and The Smiths amongst others, as well as building up a considerable solo back catalogue.

I hope you enjoy our wide-ranging chat!

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

“The Simpsons” Special w/ Bill Oakley (Writer/Showrunner) Jul 03, 2024

Bill Oakley, along with his best friend and writing partner Josh Weinstein, wrote various episodes of The Simpsons during it’s glory days including “Marge Gets A Job”, “Bart vs Australia”, and the legendary 2-part season-straddling “Who Shot Mr Burns”, and they were appointed executive producers and showrunners for the 7th and 8th seasons of the show, where they continued to push the envelope of what the show could be, bowing out while the show was still on a high.

One of Bill’s greatest claims to fame is having written the “Steamed Hams” scene from the 1996 episode “22 Short Films About Springfield”.

The scene has taken on a life of its own with various memes and recontextualizing videos springing up on the internet.

Bill and Josh also created the short lived Mission Hill, and were consulting producers on Futurama. Bill has also worked on shows like Portlandia and The Cleveland Show.

In 2018 Bill started to produce short Instagram videos of himself reviewing fast food items from American outlets. These videos have become a serious concern for Oakley, and he created the annual Steamie Awards, in reference to the steamed hams sketch of course.

If you’re a big Simpsons fan I hope you get something out of this, but if you’re more of a casual viewer I hope you’ll find it interesting to learn how a show like this gets made.

X: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

5th Anniversary Extravaganza (Dan Wilson, Astrel K, Sheila Lord, & Luke Bligh) Jun 18, 2024

It’s been five years! Yes, it’s 5th anniversary extravaganza episode of Sending Signals!

I’m delighted that Dan Wilson agreed to come back on for a catch-up. He’s one of my favourite ever guests on the show and he didn’t disappoint. We talk about his recent Grammy win, the role of embarrassment in songwriter, as well as the story behind the Semisonic classic “Singing In My Sleep”. Chris has written songs with the likes of Taylor Swift, Adele, Mitski, Chris Stapleton and on and on…

British singer-songwriter Sheila Lord also joins me for a chat and a heart-stopping live performance.

I’m also happy that Rhys Edwards, AKA Astrel K, joined me from Stockholm to talk about his new album “The Foreign Department”, which is one of the loveliest albums of the year.

As if that wasn’t enough, I’m joined by my friend, podcaster Luke Bligh who co-hosts “Star Wars Sessions” amongst other things. You can hear some of our conversation peppered throughout the episode.

Wow. What a packed episode! It was a lot to put together, and I really hope you enjoy it. Thanks to all the guests on this episode, and indeed, over the past 5 years, and thank YOU for listening. It really means a lot.

Matt

X: @signalspodcast

Insta: @sendingsignalspodcast

“Red Dwarf” Special w/ Doug Naylor (Writer) May 21, 2024

Would you like some toast?

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Isobel Campbell May 07, 2024

Putting last week behind us, this was genuinely one of my favourite conversations I’ve had for the show.

Like many, I was first aware of Isobel as member of Scottish indie band Belle and Sebastian. I found her such a compelling figure. She looked like she had stepped out of a French new wave movie. She was a cello player in an indie rock band. And when she sang, she had this enigmatic, whisper-quiet vocal style.

While still a member of Belle and Sebastian she made a couple of solo albums under the name The Gentle Waves, the second of which, “Swansong For You”, is particularly lovely and one I listened to a lot when I was younger. It was recently reissued for Record Store Day.

She left Belle and Sebastian in the middle of a US tour in 2002. Things were somewhat complicated by her romantic entanglement with the bands frontman Stuart Murdoch, and the unravelling of that relationship clearly ramped up the tension for Isobel.

We get into it in our chat, and I reference some comments she made in a recent Uncut magazine feature, I think it was in the December 2023 issue. If you have access to it, it’s definitely worth reading in the light of our conversation. It was a reminder to me, that for as much as we can get fascinated and a degree of entertainment out of the interpersonal relationships and fallouts in the history of bands we love, on the other side of it are real people and real feelings, and I was certainly reminded of that during out chat.

Isobel also made 3 well-received albums with the late Mark Lanegan, and clearly Mark’s well-documented erratic behaviour also took a toll on Isobel, and that bleeds into our chat as well.

We also talk about her recent single 4316. We delve into her fascinating childhood. It’s a “life, the universe and everything” chat this week. I hope you enjoy it.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Chris Difford (Squeeze) Apr 30, 2024

Chris Difford is having a very busy year. There’s a new Squeeze album in the works, they are supporting Heart on their forthcoming arena tour, and there’s also the matter of an enormous UK tour in hour of Squeeze’s 50th anniversary. Chris also hosts the podcast “I Never Thought It Would Happen” which is currently on Season 4. Seems like a good time to have a chat, right?

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Jade Bird Apr 17, 2024

Roll up! Roll up! This episode I’m joined from across the Atlantic by singer-songwriter Jade Bird, who has just released a new EP, “Burn The Hard Drive”, which chronicles the breakdown of her relationship and engagement to a former bandmate.

It’s the first significant release from Jade since 2021’s very excellent “Different Kinds Of Light” album.

We take a deep dive into her creative process and the ethics of mining your personal life, and the lives of others in your orbit, for songwriting content. Enjoy!

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Singer Phillip Ingram on Motown, Movies, & More! Mar 21, 2024

Phillip Ingram is one of the founding members of Motown band Switch who formed in late 1976, and after a chance encounter, were championed by Jermaine Jackson. Motown chief Berry Gordy heard the band’s tape and signed them to his subsidiary Gordy label.

Switch were a a consistent presence on the R’n’B charts in the last 1970s.

Switch sort of imploded in the early 80s, although one member tried to carry on with new musicians, and Phillip began working more behind the scenes, recording vocals for commercials, and also backing vocals for the likes of Donna Summer amongst others. He’s also known for his work in film. You can hear him on backing vocals on several songs in the Disney classic, “The Little Mermaid”. He also appears as the wedding singer in the Julia Roberts movie “My Best Friend’s Wedding”. He still plays shows with the current incarnation of Switch which features a few original members in fact.

Phil is also the younger brother of the late singer James Ingram, who you may have heard of.

He was lovely company, and I hope you enjoy our chat. Let me know what you think.

Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

The Making of “Past Lives” w/Ben Kahn (Assistant Director) Mar 12, 2024

It seems like a good time to take a deep dive into Best Picture nominee, and more importantly, my favourite film of 2023, “Past Lives”. This episode I’m joined by the film’s Assistant Director Ben Kahn to discuss his personal impact on the film, creating the remarkable chemistry between the cast, evoking an older digital landscape, and the profound effect the movie is having on people.

Hope you enjoy!

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Bruce Hornsby Feb 27, 2024

This Friday, March 1st Bruce Hornsby releases a new album in collaboration with chamber ensemble yMusic. The record is entitled “Deep Sea Vents”. It straddles the line between contemporary songwriting and modern classical, and the album has an aquatic theme with all the songs dealing with the ocean, or at least water in some way. The album is emblematic of much of Hornsby’s career in that it veers from the strange to the beautiful to the funny to the challenging. He doesn’t like the easy route.

If you know anything about Bruce’s career you’ll know his mid-80s smash “The Way It Is”, released by Bruce Hornsby and the Range, a powerful piece of social commentary inspired by his life growing up in Virginia, and featuring two piano solos. It’s a song that’s hung around, being sampled by rappers like 2Pac and Polo G. Bruce seems to have a conflicted relationship with the song. He often stills play it live but in a re-worked way, and he seems keen to be seen as a forward-thinking artist, not wishing to be defined by the past.

He was a live member of the Grateful Dead in the early 90s playing over a hundred shows with them. In recent years, he’s collaborated often with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and you’ll see like the likes of Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig or The Staves or Blake Mills pop up on his album credits.

I was a big admirer of his 2019 album “Absolutely Zero” which is well worth your time. Bruce was fantastic company when we spoke, and I hope you enjoy our chat!

X: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Photographer Lynn Goldsmith on Springsteen’s “Darkness” Jan 16, 2024

Welcome. My guest this episode is artist and photographer Lynn Goldsmith.

Her career as a photographer has brought her into the orbit of rock n roll legends like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, and notably Bruce Springsteen with whom she had a romantic relationship in the 70s as he was still working his way up, with his blistering live shows, and the relentlessly determined creative drive which produced the album Darkness On The Edge Of Town. Her document of this era forms the basis of a new coffee table book published by Taschen entitled “Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Darkness on the Edge of Town”.

She’s had an incredible life: working with Elektra Records in the late 60s, co-managing Grand Funk Railroad in the early 70s, and releasing music under the name of Will Powers in the early 80s.

She’s also worked in other mediums of art and her photographs have graced album and magazine covers.

Lynn joined me from Nashville to talk about her new book and her career in general. We had a great chat. Hope you enjoy it.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

“Frasier” Special w/ Bob Daily (Writer/Producer) Dec 12, 2023

I’m listening! Hopefully you are too, as this week is incredibly fun. I’m joined by “Frasier” writer and consulting producer Bob Daily.

Bob was on the writing staff for several seasons of the original run of “Frasier” and he’s back on board for the new revival series out now on Paramount+. If you’re at all interested in how TV shows like this get made, you’re going to find this fascinating. We dig into the world of show development, writers rooms, table reads, and more.

Bob is very articulate about his craft but incredibly personable too, and I had a blast hanging with him. Let me know what you think!

This will likely be the last show of the year, but I’ve already got things in the pipeline for next year, so I’ll be back soon. Thanks so much for listening. If you want to help the show, please keep listening, leave a nice review or rating, tell your friends about the show, and/or follow me on the socials; it’s all appreciated.

X: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Juliana Hatfield Nov 14, 2023

Hey. It’s a special one this week. Juliana Hatfield is a singer-songwriter based in Massachusetts. She was a member of the Lemonheads in the early 90s, as well as bands like Blake Babies in the late 80s and Some Girls in the early 00s. She’s made albums with Matthew Caws from Nada Surf and Paul Westerberg from The Replacements. She’s also released around 20 albums under her own name, sometimes as the Juliana Hatfield Three. Although a prolific songwriter, in recent years she occasionally releases an album of covers by a specific artist. Her latest one, “Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO”, follows her albums of songs by Olivia Newton John and The Police. Being a big ELO fan myself, it seemed like a great time to talk with her. She had a particular rough time in the press in the 90s and he experience with working with a major label has clearly left it’s scars. Stick with this one, after a lot of ELO geek talk we go deep. It was genuinely one of my favourite conversations I’ve had for the show. Sometimes you have a guest where you feel you’re really chasing down some kind of epiphany. I’m not sure we reached one, but you decide.

Insta: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

Chester Thompson (Drummer: Zappa, Genesis, Weather Report etc) Oct 31, 2023

This week I’m joined by drummer Chester Thompson. Chester is perhaps best known for his live work with Genesis and Phil Collins, but he has also worked with Frank Zappa, Weather Report, The Bee Gees, and The Pointer Sisters. He has a new jazz album out called “Wake-Up Call” and he joins me from Nashville to discuss it’s “genesis” (see what I did there?). Anyway, Chester schools me in the ways of jazz, talks about his career, and indulges my Genesis fan-boy questions. Hope you enjoy.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X: @signalspodcast

John Lodge (The Moody Blues) Oct 03, 2023

Breathe deep the gathering gloom. This episode I welcome back John Lodge of The Moody Blues to the show!

John has recently released his re-working of The Moody Blues 1967 opus “Days Of Future Passed”. I think it’s fair to wonder whether it’s a good idea when artist take on projects like this, and I want to ask John about the possible disconnect between fan expectations and artist perspectives. I was also naturally curious about the current state of relationships between John and his former bandleader Justin Heywood.

John was really good company and I had a great time talking with him. Hope you enjoy it too!

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

X (Twitter): @signalspodcast

Jonathan Higgs (Everything Everything) Aug 22, 2023

Waddup? I’m joined this episode by Jonathan Higgs from the excellent Everything Everything. The band are from Manchester and formed in 2007. They’ve so far released 6 albums, 2 of which were nominated for the Mercury Music Award. They’ve also had 5 Ivor Novello nominations.

Their most recent album 2022s “Raw Data Feel” saw the band experiment with the use of AI to create the album artwork as well as some of the lyrics for the album. Mark Hanslip, a researcher from the Unversity of York, helped Higgs develop an AI bot named Kevin which was fed 4 sources of information: LinkedIn’s terms and conditions, the classic poem Beowulf, 400,000 posts from controversial message board 4chan, and the sayings of the Confucius. The generated results were poured through and compiled into useable material. Jonathan has generally preferred to keep secret which lyrics are his and which were generated by AI, which accounts for about 5% of the albums lyrics.

The band’s debut album 2010s “Man Alive” is about to get a deluxe reissue. It’s an album I really like, so it was a great opportunity to speak to Jonathan. Hope you enjoy it.

Twitter (X): @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Dave Pegg (Fairport Convention) Jun 06, 2023

Welcome. Dave Pegg is the longest serving member of Fairport Convention. Fairport are one of those bands who are a subculture unto themselves. They were formed in 1967 with Dave joining the band in 1969. Fairport split in 1979 but reformed in 1985 and have been active since then.

They’re still a very hardworking touring band here in the UK. They came through my hometown of Southend earlier this year and I saw my first Fairport show. Frankly, I was shocked how good it was.

The band on record tend to be a bit defined by a run of albums they did in the late 60s when Richard Thompson and the late Sandy Denny were in the band. I think a bit of line-up snobbery had contributed to my not having seen them sooner, but alongside Dave, the band still features founding member Simon Nicol. Multi-instrumentalists Ric Sanders and Chris Leslie have been in the band since 1985 and 1996 respectively. The tour I caught them on also saw them reunite with drummer Dave Mattacks who originally joined in 1969 and has had several spells in the band.

A big part of the Fairport culture is their annual music festival Cropredy which is taking place in August this year, so we discuss preparations for this year’s event.

In addition to Fairport Convention, Dave played with Jethro Tull for a long time, as well as working with Nick Drake on his wonderful “Bryter Later” album.

Hope you enjoy our conversation.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Susie Lewis (Daria co-creator) May 10, 2023

Good dawning to thee, friends. My guest this episode tv producer and Daria co-creator Susie Lewis.

Susie Lewis was an intern at MTV when she began working on the show Beavis and Butthead. That show featured a sardonic character names Daria, and feeling that MTV needed more content for girls, Susie was drafted in alongside Glenn Eichler to create a spin-off series called Daria.

Daria is not just a great animated series, it’s a great TV series, full stop. It still stands up really well. It’s smart and funny and warmly evocative of the late 90s and millennium era in which it was made.

It’s one of my all-time favourite shows, so I was delighted Susie was willing to come on the show. She was lovely company, as you’ll hear.

Thanks for listening.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Dougie Payne (Travis) Apr 18, 2023

Hullo! This week I’m joined by Dougie Payne of Travis. He was lovely company. Travis have recently been revisiting their 2001 album “The Invisible Band” with a series of live shows, reissues, and a live album. It’s a fascinating era to talk about, as the band had found themselves thrust into the spotlight after the unexpected runaway success of previous album “The Man Who”. I was in my late teens in this era, so it was interesting for me to reminisce on that time period too. I hope you enjoy.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Andy McCluskey (OMD) Mar 14, 2023

Listen up! Andy McCluskey is the frontman of Merseyside electronic legends Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark or OMD as they’re often known.

OMD was formed in 1978 out of the ashes of another band The ID, to which I have a little family connection, which you’ll hear about in the episode.

Their 1980 song Ebola Gay earned them widespread popularity throughout Europe, and their 1981 album “Architecture and Morality” which would sell over 4 million copies and spawn hit singles like “Souvenir” and “Maid of New Orleans”.

Their follow-up album “Dazzle Ships” has just turned 40 years old, and it’s history is somewhat complicated. The album embraced sound collage and shortwave radio recordings. It’s an album about technology and the Cold War. It sold just a fraction of it’s predecessor, but it seems to have enjoyed a reappraisal over the years. It was possibly just ahead of it’s time, and maybe it subverted expectations too. We get into it in the interview.

After OMD fell apart Andy masterminded 90’s pop sensations Atomic Kitten, becoming a principal songwriter alongside former OMD band mate Stuart Kershaw. Andy’s profession relationship with band dissolved around their second album, but it strikes me as a somewhat surprising career path, and I was interested to hear Andy’s thoughts on that too.

OMD reformed in 2006 and are a continuing concern. Their last album, the well-received “The Punishment of Luxury” came out in 2017, and Andy updates me with progress on the follow-up in our interview.

Enjoy!

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens) Feb 14, 2023

Sorry it’s been a while. Delighted to have Robert Forster as my guest this episode. Robert Forster is an Australian singer-songwriter, raised in Brisbane, where he currently resides. He’s perhaps best known as one of the co-founders and leaders of indie-rock royalty The Go-betweens. The Go-betweens were formed in 1977 and had an initial run that lasted until 1989, before a reunion run from 2000 until 2006 when co frontman Grant McLennan died of a heart attack aged just 48.

As well as a run of solo albums, Robert also ventured into musical journalism writing for Australian magazine The Monthly and sister publication The Saturday Paper. Some of his writings were collated together in the book The 10 Rules of Rock n Roll.

On February 3rd 2023 Robert releases his 8th studio album The Candle and the Flame. The album was created during an incredibly difficult time for Robert and his family. His wife Karin, who plays violin on Robert’s albums, had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and playing music in the evenings along with their son Louis was a much needed escape from the ravages of chemotherapy. You would imagine from looking at some of the lyrics, that this situation influenced Robert’s songwriting on this album, but remarkably, just one song, She’s A Fighter, was writing after Karin’s diagnosis.

Robert was fantastic company and had a lot to say. I really hope you enjoy our conversation.

Insta: @sendingsignalspodcast

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Blankenberge / Steve Hackett Feb 22, 2022

Listen up! This week we take a trip to St. Petersburg to speak to shoegaze merchants Blankenberge whose latest album “Everything” is very good indeed.

Also, Steve Hackett returns again! We discuss his forthcoming “Foxtrot at 50” tour, progress on the next album, and of course, Jack Hawkins. Enjoy!

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Bernard Butler - The Remaking of “People Move On” Jan 25, 2022

Friends, Romans, Countryman! Join me this week as I hang out with Bernard Butler. We discuss topics ranging from walking the Estuary coast, to being branded “difficult to work with”, and why you potentially shouldn’t buy his new reissue*.

Bernard was fantastic company and had a lot to say about being an artist; he was engaged, honest, and forthcoming. Hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think!

*please await context before making such a decision ;)

PS: Apparently the release date for the “People Move On” reissue has been pushed back by a couple of weeks due to production issues, so I may mention a now incorrect date in the episode.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Albums of 2021 - with Jason Booth (Last Tourist) Jan 04, 2022

Top of the morning. Thought I’d try something different. Here’s myself and my friend Jason Booth, from the band Last Tourist, discussing our favourite music of 2021. I’m largely insufferable throughout but Jason is very nice, and you get to hear a Last Tourist song at the end of the show! Normal service will resume shortly.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

lasttouristband.bandcamp.com

David Gedge (The Wedding Present) / Jon Miles (Author) Nov 16, 2021

It’s the last episode of the current series, and I’m joined by David Gedge frontman and only constant member of indie-rockers, and John Peel favourites, The Wedding Present. We talk about David’s plan to release a new 7” single every month in 2022, a project The Wedding Present pulled off back in 1992. We also talk about taking third album “Seamonsters” back on the road, working with Steve Albini, writing songs as you get older, and more!

My other guest is author Jon Miles, who has just released his fun debut novel “The Ice Scream Factory”, aimed at junior/middle-schoolers. We talk about what it takes to write your first book, and Jon also reads a section of the book for the episode.

“The Ice Scream Factory” by Jon Miles is available to order exclusively from Amazon.

Thanks for listening this series. It’s been quite a ride.

Twitter: @signalspodcast / @weddingpresent

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast / @weddingpresent / @jon_milesjw

Roddy Woomble (Idlewild) / Danny Bryant Oct 28, 2021

How’s it goin’? This week I’m joined with Roddy Woomble. Idlewild are about to make their 25th anniversary with a tour and the first vinyl release of their 4th album “Warnings/Promises”. Roddy tells me about his approach to writing lyrics, the metamorphosis this band underwent around the time of “Warnings/Promises”, and what it’s like to be the support act for a huge band.

Also on the show, rising blues guitarist Danny Bryant tells me about his new album “The Rage To Survive”, how you create a unique identity as a guitarist, and whether it’s ever limiting to work within a specific musical form.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

idlewild.co.uk

dannybryant.com

Midge Ure (Ultravox) Oct 14, 2021

Come on in. This episode I’m joined by the delightful Midge Ure. We had a great conversation encompassing his forthcoming “Voice and Visions” tour, the 3 (three!!!) albums he has in the works, his new photography book “In A Picture Frame”, his radio show for Scala Radio, his friendship Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott, and more. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Twitter: @signalspodcast / @midgeure1

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast / @midge_ure

Midgeure.co.uk

The Connells - The Making of “Steadman’s Wake” Sep 23, 2021

I’ve been expecting you. This week The Connells are releasing their first proper new album in 23 years! The record is called “Steadman’s Wake” and it’s a triumphant return. I’m joined by previous guest Mike Connell, along with frontman Doug MacMillan, as they guide us track-by-track through the album. Boy did we have fun. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Twitter: @signalspodcast / @connellsmusic

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast / @therealconnells

Tom Baxter / W. H. Lung Sep 07, 2021

Yello! This week Tom Baxter joins me to discuss fatherhood, the challenges of being a self-sustaining artist in the 21st century, and the time Boyzone covered one of his songs.

I also talk to Tom and Joe from electro-pop merchants W.H. Lung about their forthcoming 2nd album “Vanities”.

Twitter: @signalspodcast / @whlungmusic

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast / @tombaxterofficial / @whlung

Ninet Tayeb / Flight Mode Aug 24, 2021

So here I am once more. Very excited to welcome Ninet Tayeb to the show this week. Ninet is an Israeli singer songwriter who shot to fame when she won the first series of “A Star Is Born”, a televised TV talent show in Israel. She became a celebrity fixation, with all the baggage and speculation that comes along with that. Her debut album “Barefoot” went platinum in a single day, but she felt that she wasn’t being authentic and worked on finding her own identity as an artist. The transition was not easy. When she previewed material from her forthcoming second album at the televised Arab Festival, the reaction was brutal and she found herself getting heckled from an agitated crowd.

Undeterred she has continued to forge her own path, carving out a continued career in music and twice winning MTV’s favourite Israeli artist award.

Her most recent album 2017’s Paper Parachute has distinct shades of PJ Harvey and the noisy grunge Ninet loved as a teenager. Ninet is also a frequent collaborator with UK prog-legend Steven Wilson.

Although she doesn’t self-identify as an actor, Ninet has various acting credits to her name, starring in a TV series based on her own life, and more recently the Netflix series “When Heroes Fly”.

She apparently doesn’t often give interviews these days. I was thrilled she was willing to talk to me for the show. Our conversation is deep at times, but it feels honest; I felt an unexpected kinship with Ninet, and I hope you enjoy it.

My other guest is responsible for probably my favourite release of the year; the debut EP by Flight Mode. The band is led by Norwegian musician Sjur Lyseid. The EP is called “Tx. ‘98” and you’ll hear how it was inspired by student exchange year Sjur spent in Texas as a 16 year old. We discuss truth vs fiction in songwriting, the pros and cons of nostalgia, and the future plans of the band. You’ll hear some clips from the EP too. Make sure you go and check out the EP. It’s currently only available digitally, but it’s pretty widely available. Enjoy.

Twitter: @signalspodcast / @flightmodeosl

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast / @flightmodeosl / @n.tayeb

Willy Mason (Musician) / Miles Taverner (Artist) Aug 10, 2021

Well hello! This week I chat to singer-songwriter Willy Mason (and producer Noel Heroux) about his excellent new album “Already Dead”, his first album for 9 years.

My other guest is artist Miles Taverner, who makes stunning works of art from wood and other materials the tide happens to bring in. He has an exhibition in London in September 2021 as part of the Totally Thames Festival.

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast / @wwilly.masonn / @milestavernerart

Twitter: @signalspodcast / @wwilly_masonn

willymasonmusic.com

milestavernerart.co.uk

thamesfestivaltrust.org

seareconnection.co.uk

David Duchovny (Actor/Musician) / Peter Eden (Producer) Jul 27, 2021

Did you miss me? This week, I’m joined by actor, novelist, and musician David Duchovny. David is about to release his third album “Gestureland”, and was kind enough to talk to me about it. We discuss transferring skills across art forms, the energy of inexperience vs having learnt your craft, as well as the pros and cons of long-term creative partnerships. It’s a good one!

Also on the show, I welcome my dear friend Peter Eden. Peter was an A&R guy in the 60’s who branched out into the role of producer. He played a pivotal part in the early career of Donovan, and went on to produce records by John Surman, Bill Fay and more. He was also the brains behind the 70’s children’s TV series “Animal Kwackers”. Enjoy!

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Stevie Van Zandt (Little Steven) / Fred Ewanuick (Actor) Jul 13, 2021

How ya doin? Very cool episode this week, as I welcome musician and actor Stevie Van Zandt AKA Little Steven to the show. We talk the Disciples of Soul, rubbish 70’s production values, and the potential existence of “Electric Nebraska”. Strap in.

Also, I’m delighted to welcome Canadian actor Fred Ewanuick, who is one of the stars of Corner Gas/Corner Gas Animated. When I told Fred that Stevie was the other guest, Fred felt that would make him the B-side. Why don’t we call it a double A-side?

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

Ian Parton (The Go! Team) / Cinjun Tate (Remy Zero) Jun 29, 2021

Boo! It’s me. This week I talk to the brains behind The Go! Team, Mr Ian Parton. There’s a new Go! Team record out this week, as I type, and it’s called “Get Up Sequences Part One” and it is fan-tactic! Ian tries to explain what The Go! Team sound like, how visual aesthetics can influence his approach to music, and discussed his recent diagnosis with debilitating Meniere’s disease.

Also on the show, the very sweet, very mysterious Cinjun Tate, frontman of Remy Zero who were a band that meant a lot to me. Cinjun has got quite story to tell, but getting at it took some work :)

Hope you enjoy!

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Stephen Fretwell / Ross Godfrey (Morcheeba) Jun 15, 2021

It’s me! This week; Stephen Fretwell is my first guest. Stephen is back after disappearing from the music world for over 10 years. He’s released 3 new songs so far this year, and they’re very beautiful. I was curious to talk find out what it’s like to walk away from professional creativity and then find your way back. Stephen had a lot to say on the subject…

My other guest is multi-instrumentalist and one-half of Morcheeba, Ross Godfrey. Morcheeba are back with a new album “Blackest Blue” and I spoke to Ross from his London home about the making of it, as well as having a broader conversation about the nature of genre.

stephenfretwell.com

@StephenFretwell

morcheeba.uk

@MorcheebaBand

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Tony Levin (King Crimson) / Justin Wiggan (Sound Artist) Jun 01, 2021

Come on in! This week legendary bassist Tony Levin joins me from his place in New York State to discuss the new Liquid Tension Experiment album, as well as his work with King Crimson and Peter Gabriel, pushing his limits, and his pioneering bass techniques. He’s great company.

Also, sound artist Justin Wiggan joins me for a remarkable conversation that encompasses analogue astronauts, plant-based music, Salman Rushdie, Burnley building society, and dolphins taking photographs. It’s a wild ride.

LINKS

TONY LEVIN

tonylevin.com

@tonylevin (Twitter)

JUSTIN WIGGAN

justinwiggan.co.uk

@justin_wiggan (Twitter)

@glassedtwin (Intragram)

SENDING SIGNALS

@signalspodcast (Twitter)

@sendingsignalspodcast (Instagram)

Denny Seiwell (Wings) / M G Boulter May 18, 2021

Good morning, afternoon, and/or evening! This week I’m joined by original Wings drummer Denny Seiwell to talk about his new project “Ram On”, which is a tribute to the classic McCartney album “Ram”, which Denny played on, and is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary at the moment.

My other guest is M G Boulter, whose new album “Clifftown” is utterly brilliant. Matt grew up, and lives in the same area as me, and I’ve seen him play with his band The Lucky Strikes a lot over the years. He’s fantastic company; warm, eloquent, and very interesting. Matt gives us a track-by-track tour of “Clifftown” and we ponder what it means to grow up and stay put in a seaside town. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

mgboulter.co.uk

dennyseiwell.com

David Marks (Beach Boys) / David Brewis (Field Music) May 04, 2021

Another exciting instalment of Sending Signals is here! This week I talk to David Marks about his time in The Beach Boys. David was only about 12 when he joined the band, and grew up across the street from the Wilson brothers. I get David’s take on whether Brian Wilson is being exploited, whether Mike Love gets a bad rap, and the truth about the guitar stabs on “Don’t Worry Baby”.

My other guest is David Brewis from one of Britain’s finest bands Field Music. I’ve loved this band for a long time, and David is such nice company. Their latest album “Flat White Moon” is out now and it’s predictably great. Unfortunately the circumstances that inspired the album were less than great, and David and I have a candid conversation about loss and the nature of memory. It’s a good one.

davidleemarks.com

field-music.co.uk

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

David Crosby on CSNY’s “Deja Vu” 50th Anniversary Apr 27, 2021

What-ho! In this very special episode, David Crosby talks to me about the new 50th Anniversary box set of Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s masterpiece “Deja Vu”, as well as the future of the band, learning to control his temper, and how to die well.

Also, I dig into the show’s archive to bring you a little bit of my interview with Bay City Rollers frontman Les McKeown who sadly passed away last week aged 65.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Steve Cradock (OCS, Weller) / Kitten Pyramid Apr 13, 2021

Whatcha. This week I’m joined by one of my teenage guitar heroes Steve Cradock. Steve is the guitarist in Ocean Colour Scene, as well as frequently working with Paul Weller, and more recently playing lead for The Specials. He’s just reissued his second solo record “Peace City West” with a new mix.

Also joining me is Scott Milligan, the brains behind Burton prog-poppers Kitten Pyramid. There’s a new Kitten Pyramid album out now called “Koozy” and it’s a triumph over absurdity; funny, sad, and bizarre. Scott takes me through it, track by track.

Twitter @signalspodcast

Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

kittenpyramid.co.uk

stevecradock.com

William Nicholson (Screenwriter) / The Orielles Mar 30, 2021

Me again! This week I talk to screenwriter and director William Nicholson about his incredible movie “Hope Gap” and the personal experiences that fed into the project. Bill also has screenwriting credits on “Les Mis”, “Gladiator”, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”, and more, so it was fascinating to learn about his approach to projects that diverse.

Also on the show I talk to Halifax indie-disco merchants The Orielles about their brilliant new record “La Vita Olistica” and the accompanying short film. We discuss the relationship between different art forms, the benefits of returning to a project with some perspective, and much more.

Twitter @signalspodcast

Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

theorielles.co.uk

williamnicholson.com

Don McLean / Spencer Zahn Mar 16, 2021

Good morning/afternoon/evening! The 50th anniversary of “American Pie” is fast approaching and Don McLean is here, reflecting on how the song has affected his life and legacy, how he’s changed since he wrote it, and the album cover where it looks like a plane is flying up his nose.

Also on the show, Spencer Zahn joins me from upstate New York to discuss his remarkable album “Sunday Painter”, one of the finest records of 2020.

Let me know what you think.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

spencerzahn.net

donmclean.com

Chris Hillman (The Byrds) / Boy Meets Girl Mar 02, 2021

It’s that time again! Very fun episode this week. I was delighted to talk to Chris Hillman about his work with The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as the process he went through to write his recent autobiography. We chat about memory, his songwriting process, and what people misunderstand about him.

You might not recognise the name Boy Meets Girl, an American pop duo consisting of George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, but you will undoubtedly be familiar with some of their work. As a band they are best known for 80’s classic “Waiting For A Star To Fall”, but they’re also the writing team behind Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know” and the smash hit (is that still a thing?) “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”. They were so much fun to hang out with; I really enjoyed myself on this one.

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

boymeetsgirlmusic.com

chrishillman.com

Steve Hackett / Steve Rothery (Marillion) Feb 16, 2021

How are you? This episode Steve Hackett returns to Sending Signals to discuss his remarkable new album “Under A Mediterranean Sky”. We discuss the effect of location and geography on creating music, and for some reason, the movies of Jack Hawkins.

Also this episode Steve Rothery puts up with my disparaging remarks about their 1999 record “Marillion.com”, discusses his guitar sound, new solo project “Revontulet”, progress on the new Marillion album as of November ‘20, losing weight, and much more (well maybe not MUCH more, that’s enough to be getting on with surely?).

Speak soon. Matt

marillion.com

steverothery.com

hackettsongs.com

Twitter: @steverothery

Twitter: @hackettofficial

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @postcardsfromtheroad

Instagram: @stevehackettofficial

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Mike Gayle (Author) / Andy Williams (Doves) Feb 02, 2021

Hello again! This episode I’m joined by author Mike Gayle, and drummer Andy Williams from the band Doves. Both guests were excellent company and I hope you enjoy it.

As you will hear, Mike has a history in music and teen journalism. His first novel “My Legendary Girlfriend” was published in 1998. Last year he released his 17th book, the excellent “All The Lonely People”. The novel deals with themes of loneliness and multiculturalism; there was plenty to talk about. We discuss deciding where to end a story, the problem with descriptions like “realistic”, and whether writing your 17th book is harder than your first.

Doves are back after an extended break, and they’ve released one of the finest albums of their career, “The Universal Want”. Andy gave me some background on the making of the record, and I was intrigued to find out whether there had been any difficulties reconnecting after such an extended break from the band.

Let me know your thoughts on the episode.

Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

Twitter @signalspodcast

www.mikegayle.co.uk

www.dovesofficial.com

Fish / Brian Protheroe (Actor/Musician) Jan 19, 2021

Welcome back! This episode I have a seriously epic conversation with singer Fish about his final studio album “Weltschmerz”. I’m fascinated by the idea of deciding you’ve done all you can within a certain media and wanting to do something else. We unpack that idea and lots of other things during our chat. Fish is a great conversationalist and we had a great time talking. You’ll also hear from clips from the album.

Also on the show I speak to actor and musician Brian Protheroe. Brain released several albums in the 70s before focussing on his acting career. He appeared in Superman The Movie, various BBC Shakespeare productions, and TV shows such as Lovejoy, Holly City, Midsomer Murders, and Spooks. Brian still enjoys making and self-releasing music and he recently released a collection of songs called “Desert Road”. I hope you enjoy our chat!

PS: My debut solo album is out on all major streaming services now! Matt Royal: “Meet You By The Photobooth”

Twitter @signalspodcast

Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

fishmusic.scot

brianprotheroe.co.uk

Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Adele) / KT Tunstall Jan 05, 2021

Hey folks. Here’s something to brighten your January I hope! I’m really excited to share this episode, the first of Series 3. Dan Wilson is the frontman of Semisonic (“Closing Time”, “Secret Smile”) but he’s also a brilliant songwriting collaborator. He’s worked with on some songs you may know by Adele (“Someone Like You”), Taylor Swift (“Treacherous”), and Dixie Chicks (“Not Ready To Make Nice”) amongst many others.

Dan is genuinely one of my favourite guests I’ve had on the show. He was so engaged, and had a lot to say about being an artist, and was so generous with his time. We really had a fun time recording this. I hope you enjoy it.

Dan was also kind enough to share a demo of a Semisonic song! So stay tuned to hear that at the very end of the episode.

As if that wasn’t enough, my other guest is KT Tunstall. She’s about to release an expanded reissue of her second album “Drastic Fantastic” and talks very candidly about the difficult experience she had making the record. Funnily enough, she’s also worked with Dan Wilson, so it was a great chance to hear the perspective of one of Dan’s collaborators.

As I mention in the show, my debut solo album “Meet You By The Photobooth” is out on January 15th 2020, under my name Matt Royal. I would be honoured if you’d check it out. It will be on all the major streaming platforms.

Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

Find me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

The Zombies - The Making of “Odessey and Oracle” Oct 06, 2020

A very special episode featuring all 4 surviving original members of The Zombies; Rod Argent, Chris White, Colin Blunstone, and Hugh Grundy! We take a look at the making of one of the greatest albums of all time, “Odessey and Oracle”, including a track-by-track commentary from Rod and Chris. It’s one of the most ambitious episodes I’ve attempted and I hope you enjoy it.

Let me know what you think;

Twitter @signalspodcast

Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

thezombies.net

thechriswhiteexperience.com

colinblunstone.net

smilingsessions.com

J. Willgoose (Public Service Broadcasting) / Michelle Stodart (Magic Numbers) Sep 01, 2020

‘Allo! This episode I’m joined by J. Willgoose Esq. of Public Service Broadcasting to talk about anxiety, therapy, and his creative process. J. recently became a father and was also coming to terms with the delay the pandemic has brought to the band’s next album.

My other guest is Michelle Stodart of The Magic Numbers. This year was supposed to be a celebration of the 15th anniversary of their very successful debut album, but of course, the tour has been delayed. We had a nice time though and talked about the self-imposed pressures of lockdown, and how to cope in an industry whose support for you may only be fleeting.

Enjoy!

Twitter: @signalspodcast @themagicnumbers @psb_hq

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

sendingsignals.simplecast.com

publicservicebroadcasting.net

mattroyal.rocks

“Sometimes Always Never” Movie Special (w/ Frank Cottrell-Boyce & Carl Hunter) Aug 18, 2020

Action! “Sometimes Always Never” is a movie that really moved me; it’s an incredible piece of work, and it was fantastic to get to speak to it’s writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce, and its director Carl Hunter, about the lengthy gestation period the movie went through, and to get a sense of what goes into pulling off a movie like this.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, the movie stars Bill Nighy, Alice Lowe, and Sam Riley, and deals with themes of kinship, loss, and er, word games. It’s profoundly affecting and has a striking visual identity.

Hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think!

Twitter: @signalspodcast

Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

John Lodge (The Moody Blues) / Jamie Farr (M*A*S*H) Aug 04, 2020

Attention! The following personnel are assigned to Sending Signals; John Lodge of The Moody Blues, and actor Jamie Farr, best known for playing Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger on M*A*S*H.

John Lodge joined The Moodies in 1966 as the band’s bassist, as well as sharing in vocal and songwriting contributions. We had a great conversation about lockdown, his new single, the future of the Moodies, and the making of their classic album “To Our Children’s Children’s Children”.

Jamie Farr has led a fascinating life. He appeared in legendary rock n roll flick “Blackboard Jungle” in 1955 before being drafted and sent to Japan and Korea. He made appearances in the likes of The Dick Van Dyke Show, and the Doris Day movie “With Six You Get Eggroll” and then in October 1972 he was hired for day’s work which would change his life.

I was intrigued to know what it’s like to be somewhat externally defined by a show you worked on for 11 years. He was 85 at the time of our conversation, meaning he’s spent 74 years of his life NOT in M*A*S*H, but Jamie seems incredibly upbeat and grateful for his life, and he was lovely company. I hope you enjoy our chat.

Let me know what you think;

Twitter @signalspodcast

Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

johnlodge.com

mattroyal.rocks

“The Vast Of Night” Movie Special (w/ Jake Horowitz, Adam Dietrich & more) Jul 14, 2020

“The Vast Of Night” is one the finest movies of the year, and this episode we go behind the scenes on its creation with one of its stars, Jake Horowitz, Production Designer Adam Dietrich, as well as talking with Jared Bulmer and Erick Alexander about their beautiful score, and we have music and conversation from The Mellows who’s songs were also used in the movie!

“The Vast Of Night” is out now on Amazon Prime.

Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

Find me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

Stephen Street (Blur, Smiths, Cranberries) / Tom Pendry on Savile Row Jun 30, 2020

This episode, legendary engineer/producer Stephen Street takes us behind the scenes on the making of classic records by The Smiths, Blur, and The Cranberries.

Also, the show’s mission to explore the nature of creativity widens its parameters, as my old friend Tom Pendry, one of the Directors of Henry Poole & Co. is here to chat about bespoke tailoring and its long association with Savile Row in London.

Stephen Street on Twitter: @streetstephen

Tom Pendry on Instagram: @fullenglishbreakfast

henrypoole.com

Stewart Copeland (The Police) / Stuart Braithwaite (Mogwai) Jun 02, 2020

Welcome to Season 2! Very excited to have Stewart Copeland on the show this week. The Police were a formative band for me growing up, and Stewart is a great storyteller. We dig into The Police reunion tour, creativity during lockdown, and coming to terms with your father being a spy...

Also on the show, Stuart Braithwaite of legendary Scottish post-rockers Mogwai!

Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

Find me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

mogwai.co.uk

stewartcopeland.net

Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) / Field Report Mar 09, 2020

Hi! This month, hear my chat with befluted (not a word) frontman of Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson, as he embarks on 2 tours in 2020. Also, enjoy a fantastic conversation with one of the greatest 21st century songwriters, Chris Porterfield of Field Report. As a special treat, you can also hear an acoustic version of “Blind Spot”. This is currently the only place you can hear this recording (unless you have the tour only, erm, cassette, or you’ve hacked Chris’ computer, or he sent it to you, or some other way that hasn’t occurred to me yet; anyway, it’s pretty rare). Enjoy!

Tim Wheeler (Ash) / Derek Shulman (Gentle Giant) Feb 04, 2020

Ahoy! This month, Tim Wheeler of Ash is here talking 25 years of the band, along with Derek Shulman of Gentle Giant talking about the band’s mammoth new box set.

Danny McNamara (Embrace) / Russell Leetch (Editors) Dec 28, 2019

In one of the highlights of the series, and a special extended episode, I have a deep and candid conversation with Danny McNamara from Embrace. It’s a wide-ranging conversation taking in mental health issues like PTSD and OCD, as well as physical ones. We talk through the highs and lows of the band and the future. I think it’s a pretty special conversation. Also on the show, Russell Leetch from Editors talks us through their new best of, “Black Gold”. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Digby Fairweather / Mikael Jorgensen (Wilco) Dec 03, 2019

Greetings! This month Jazz legend Digby Fairweather talks about his career, the past and future of jazz, the nature of genre, and his work with The Jazz Centre UK. It’s a good one! Also, Wilco member Mikael Jorgensen chats about the band’s latest record, the rather dark “Ode To Joy”, and touring with one of the best live bands on the planet! Enjoy! Twitter: @signalspodcast Insta: @sendingsignalspodcast

Craig Finn / Les McKeown (Bay City Rollers) Nov 05, 2019

Rollermania comes to Sending Signals! Yes, Les McKeown is on, talking about his time in the whirlwind of fame, and the toll of touring in your 60’s. You can also hear my chat with The Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn, talking about his excellent new solo record “I Need A New War”. Come and get it!

Steve Howe / Steve Hackett Oct 01, 2019

Prog-tastic! This month Steve Howe of Yes discusses his new record with The Steve Howe Trio, picking Yes setlists, and playing gigs in a prison. Also, former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett talks life on the road, his current tour performing “Selling England By The Pound” in full, and hayfever! Twitter: @signalspodcast Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Lloyd Cole / Steve Hogarth (Marillion) Sep 03, 2019

And we’re back. Did you miss me? This month Lloyd Cole talks divisive new album “Guesswork” and the challenges of being creative as you get older.

Steve Hogarth of Marillion is also on, reflecting on 30 years with the band, as they tentatively start work on a new album ahead of a UK tour later this year.

marillion.com
lloydcole.com

Twitter: @signalspodcast
Instagram: @sendingsignalspodcast

Steve Ferrone (Heartbreakers) / Bob Collum Aug 06, 2019

Episode 10! I'm still here! Delighted to have drummer Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as a guest this week. We discuss growing up, overcoming his addiction, and of course, the loss of Tom.

Also on the show, Bob Collum pops in for a chat and performs a song for us from his latest record "Pay Pack and Carry".

John Illsley (Dire Straits) / Mike Connell (The Connells) Jul 30, 2019

Hey hey hey! This week John Illsley of Dire Straits talks nostalgia, the pressure of being huge, and whether bass players should make solo albums.

Also, you may remember The Connells for their hit "74-75" but there's a lot more to the band's career. It was awesome to talk to Mike Connell from the band about their past and future.

theconnells.com

johnillsley.com

Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

Find me on Instagram @sendingsignalspodcast

If you can, please subscribe, rate, and review the show if you haven't already. Thanks!

Grant Nicholas (Feeder) / Tony Banks (Genesis) Jul 23, 2019

Greetings! Episode 8 is here. Grant Nicholas is on the show this week, talking about the upcoming Feeder album “Tallulah”. We talk about the ups and downs of 25 years of Feeder; being creative in the face of tragedy, the process of making some of their records, and whether “Buck Rogers” irritates him too.

Also I’m delighted to have Tony Banks of Genesis on the show. We talk about his new boxset of solo work, some Genesis geekery, and generally have a laugh.

feederweb.com
tonybanksmusic.com

Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

Find me on Instagram
@sendingsignalspodcast

Be seeing you.

Bev Bevan (ELO) / Eric Pulido (Midlake) Jul 16, 2019

The spaceship is landing! Bev Bevan of ELO and The Move is on the show this week. We get real about ELO's first album, Bev's ill-advised ELO spin-off band, writing credits for drummers, and the great songs left off "Time".

Also on the show, the very nice Eric Pulido of Midlake AKA "E.B. The Younger" talks about going solo, and the status of Midlake's ongoing hiatus. I also compare him to Harry Styles and Phil Collins.

Dive in!

Jody Stephens (Big Star) / Katie Mullins (Poet) Jul 09, 2019

Howdy! This week Big Star drummer Jody Stephens is here! Big Star are one of the greatest bands "evs" and they have such a mystique around them; it was so cool to talk to Jody from Ardent Studios where Big Star created most of their records, and where he now works!

Also on the show, Professor of Creative Writing, poet, music writer Katie Mullins. We had an awesome conversation about teaching and grading creativity, the difference between lyrics and poetry, the desire to be liked, and er, Billy Joel's "River Of Dreams".

Find Katie on Twitter @katieuwsf

Find Jody on Twitter @jody_bigstar and on Facebook

Visit thoseprettywrongs.com

Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

Tell your friends!

Dennis Coffey (Motown) / Derek J. Pack (Author) Jul 02, 2019

Imagine you could take a pill that reduced or even eliminated your body's need for sleep. Would you take it? What would be the implications for society if everyone took it? Those are some of the issues raised in "Dead Tired"; the debut novel from Derek J. Pack, one of my guests this week.

Also, we take a trip over to "Motor City", Detroit. Guitarist Dennis Coffey is here talking about his early work with Del Shannon, his current solo career, and of course, the assembly line hit-making process of Motown.

Enjoy.

derekjpack.com

denniscoffeysite.com

@signalspodcast

Clarisse Loughrey (Journalist) / Jo Bevan (Desperate Journalist) Jun 25, 2019

Wossup!
This week we have a member of Desperate Journalist and an actual journalist whom I shall not refer to as "desperate".

Clarisse Loughrey, is here! The Independent's Chief Film Critic, and occasional "substitute teacher" for the BBC's flagship movie show on 5Live (known as Wittertainment to those in the know) herself. I really enjoyed our chat. We talked about the current state of film journalism, its challenges, its rewards, and whether it can be considered a truly creative profession.

Jo Bevan, vocalist with one of the finest bands in the U.K., Desperate Journalist, talks us through their phenomenal third album "In Search Of The Miraculous", via a the story of Dutch conceptualist.

Growing up and childhood also ended up being a theme of the episode with Clarisse and Jo both sharing candid memories of the difficulties they experienced when they were young.

Visit desperatejournalist.co.uk

You can find Clarisse's work at theindependent.co.uk

Let me know what you thought @signalspodcast

Neil Hannon (Divine Comedy) / Ben Brignell Jun 18, 2019

You're still here? Welcome back.
This week the brilliant and hilarious Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy talks new album "Office Politics", ELO, Mastermind, and complains about Mike Rutherford's bass pedals. Also, designer and musician Ben Brignell discusses creativity in design, design principles, computers and stuff, and plays live!

Visit thedivinecomedy.com and ben.bz for more info on this week's guests.

Please could you also take a minute to rate and review the show!

Mike Rutherford (Genesis) / Nils Lofgren (E Street) Jun 11, 2019

Welcome back.

This week, Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford indulges my fan-boy questions, and we talk father-son relationships, and about the Mechanics' current activities.

Also, we have a visitor from E Street! Nils Lofgren checks in from the road to discuss new album "Blue With Lou", writing with Lou Reed, playing with Neil Young, and I ask if playing with Springsteen is ever creatively stifling.

Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

For more information on Mike Rutherford:
@officialmatm
mikeandthemechanics.com

For more information on Nils Lofgren:
@nilslofgren
nilslofgren.com

Colin Blunstone / Adam Duritz (Counting Crows) Jun 04, 2019

This week Counting Crows' Adam Duritz talks mental health and creativity, and the future (or possibly not) of the band.

For more information on dissociative disorders (as mispronounced by me) visit;
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dissociative-disorders/

For more information on Counting Crows visit;
http://countingcrows.com

Also Colin Blunstone of The Zombies chats ahead of the band's induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

For more information on The Zombies visit;
https://www.thezombiesmusic.com

Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

Trailer - "Is this thing on?" May 08, 2019

Hi, I'm Matt, and you are?

Welcome to the first series of SENDING SIGNALS. We have some incredible guests in the coming months, including MIKE RUTHERFORD, COLIN BLUNSTONE, ADAM DURITZ, JODY STEPHENS, CLARISSE LOUGHREY, DENNIS COFFEY, and many more.

Thanks for being here. Find me on Twitter @signalspodcast

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected