Is There an Echo in Here? A Podcast About Echo & the Bunnymen

Latest Episodes:

Episode 19 - Time Travelling Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 19, we are graced with another knowledgable and insightful guest. Courtney had the opportunity to interview a real-life time traveler, Alison Renner, who contacted us out of the blue to discuss some of the subject matter we’ve explored in earlier episodes. It was immediately clear that Courtney was communicating with someone with a true understanding of the Liverpool scene. Over the course of the interview Alison reveals her time bending gifts and offers to take us into the past as we continue our odyssey.

We are so grateful the Bunny gods brought us together through this modern medium of podcasting and we are excited to announce that Alison has agreed to share her time traveling gifts with us, by transporting herself into the Liverpool scene at various points in its history to give our listeners a firsthand glimpse of all the goings on.

Alison Renner is a collector of antique photographs and a lover of the Liverpool scene. As a child, she spent an unusual amount of time sitting by the radio and writing down band names for her future self to find once she had mastered the art of time bending. In one of her notes she wrote the words "THE WILD SWANS" and this band became a portal as she was shot across the Ley Lines into the the dream city of Liverpool where she seems to have taken up residence. When she speaks of this moment in history, she speaks as someone who has lived alongside the individuals who inhabit this scene. She is someone who has lovingly combed through lyrics, interviews, and the small print of liner notes many times over.

In this episode, Alison answers all Courtney's eager questions about the Liverpool scene and gives a sweeping overview of the period we are focusing on in the city's musical history. The inhabitants come to life as she situates each individual's contributions and motivations within the larger context of the scene. We try to cover it all: the genesis of bands, the burgeoning feuds, the lasting bonds, the uninvited American, the collective mourning, we touch on all of it.

You can find Alison Renner on instagram @odpeacock
If you are brave and interested in mysteries and unexplainable phenomena, listen to STRANGE FAMILIARS podcast on iTunes, Googleplay, and all the other podcasty places.
Check out their website at STRANGEFAMILIARS.COM
And check out the STRANGE FAMILIARS shop on Ebay where many of Alison's haunting antique photographs are listed.
In this episode, we play clips of the following songs--
"Charlotte Anne", by THE TEAR DROP EXPLODES (1988)
"Young Manhood", by THE WILD SWANS (1988)
"The Coldest Winter For A Hundred Years", by THE WILD SWANS (2011)
"My Town", by THE WILD SWANS (2011)
"The Culture Bunker", THE TEARDROP EXPLODES (1981)

Episode 18 - Keymon Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

We return from the cosmic, archetypal realm of episode 17 and land squarely in the middle of Will Sergeant's 1979 abode to join the Bunnymen where a band practice is underway. We focus on a burgeoning song called "I Bagsy Yours" and begin by defining the meaning of "bagsy" and it's usages in the Liverpool vernacular. We practice using this term in various sentences and we search for correlations to American slang words. After exhausting our efforts to understand, we come across another word that appears to have no meaning at all. Nonetheless, we heroically forge ahead to provide an in-depth lyrical analysis, followed by a musical analysis that leads Shane to assert that it really is, indeed, the blues Ian McCulloch is singing. We close out the episode with a dramatic reenactment of a Bunnymen rehearsal that ends with a cliffhanger. Join us as we decipher the mysteries of "Monkeys". Keymon!

Episode 17 - Mythos, Archetype, the Cosmos & the Bunnymen: an interview with Shannon O'Neill Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, we dive deep into the eel infested waters of the human psyche and wash up on an island shore where a single magnolia tree grows. We explore the cosmological locus of Echo & the Bunnymen via Jungian archetypal theory, psychoanalysis and astrology. As we embark on our second season, we are honored to have Shannon O'Neill, MA, LPC-S, LCAS, CCS as our very first guest on the podcast. She expertly guides us on this mythopoetic quest, penetrating mysteries, illuminating secrets, and yielding many a shining diamond of wisdom. Not to be missed!

Shannon O'Neill is a private practice psychotherapist and clinical supervisor living in Asheville, NC. She has a Master's in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She is trained in the Archetypal Psychology tradition of Carl Jung and neurophysiology of Somatic Psychology. You can learn more about her practice, including classes and workshops on her website.

https://somaticpsychology.com

https://zodiactivity.com/

Episode 16 - Our One Year Anniversary Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

Join Shane and Courtney for the one year anniversary episode! The conversation gets meta as we reflect on our experiences making the first 15 episodes, and how our understandings have evolved--of the band, of the Liverpool scene, of just what it is we are doing here. We prepared interview questions for one another, such as "Who is your favorite Bunnyman?", "Who is your favorite non-Bunnyman?", "What has it been like to meet other Bunnyfans as a result of the podcast?"

The first half of this episode is a current discussion of where we are now. In the second half, we flash back to late summer 2018, sharing from the vault a previously unreleased recording of one of our first conversations about how we came to know the band's music and our hopes and dreams for this podcast.

All in all, its a casual hang session, some pause before we dive back into the rigor of our historical and analytical work, excavating the myths and music of EATB.

Episode 15 - Listener Questions: Mispronunciations, Broken Bones, and Drones Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

For the first time in the history of this podcast, we answer some listener questions, some of which were a long time coming. We begin this episode by addressing some corrections and grappling with our lack of knowledge regarding British name pronunciations. We then answer a listener question about Echo and the Bunnymen's mysterious B-side track, "Broke My Neck". Courtney attempts to decipher the meaning of the staccato, half-sentences that comprise the lyrics, and she promises to revisit this song again in a future episode. Finally, we give a long awaited answer to a very thoughtful question regarding drones, bagpipes, and their possible influence on Echo and the Bunnymen's music, particularly the guitar playing of Will Sergeant. Eager to discover the source of the Bunnymen sound, we begin by defining what exactly a drone is, providing some homespun examples. We also discuss the harmonic secrets of Echo and the Bunnymen's songs, dissonance, the devil's fifth, people's true feelings about bagpipes and, of course, The Velvet Underground. It seemed that the episode would end in a flurry of vague correlations and baseless postulations until Shane has a revelation that turns the conversation upside down. Don't miss this one.

Understatement Man, this one's for you.

Episode 14 - The Gift of Vision Aug 07, 2019

Show notes

After nearly a year of podcasting, we finally reach the momentous occasion when the members of Echo & the Bunnymen first meet one another in the bathroom at Eric's Club. The episode begins with a brief yet meandering recap of our exploration of the burgeoning late-70s Liverpool music scene, where Ian McCulloch finds himself set adrift. After being sacked from A Shallow Madness and almost losing sight of his rock and roll dreams, the hands of fate lead him into "the ladies room" where he meets Will Sergeant and Les Pattinson, a crucial step towards their shared destiny. We zero in on this encounter, examining and postulating about every detail of their initial impressions. Later, we shift gears and get into a deep analysis of Ian McCulloch's rhythm guitar strumming style and Shane sings the opening lines of “Karn Evil 9” by Emerson, Lake and Palmer for the second time on our podcast. This is an episode where things happen and the narrative advances, so climb aboard our ship’s tender frame as we sail upstream to gladder shores.

Episode 13 - Imaginary Bands Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

In tonight's episode, we pay tribute to Bunnymen historian, Chris Adams’ essential biography of the Bunnymen, TURQUOISE DAYS. We focus in on his nuanced exploration of foundational Liverpool bands, some of which never existed. We begin by discussing the infamous super-band, THE CRUCIAL THREE (Wylie, Cope, McCulloch, Spence). We give an overview of their humble beginnings, their last minute decision to rename the band, their would-be discography, their instrumentation and influences. We are then transported through time and space to one of their four rehearsals as we attempt to approximate and perform, for the first time in Bunnymen history, a rendition of an original song by THE CRUCIAL THREE based on Chris Adams’ detailed accounts. During the discussion Shane manages to mention METALLICA on four different occasions pondering their unique song writing process and subsequently mourning the loss of their original bassist, Cliff Burton. Courtney then recounts the surprising tale of Acid guru turned rock god, Geoff Lovestone. She attempts to describe the band's instrumentation, influences, visual elements and personnel, but Shane senses that things are not really what they seem and has to grapple with the very fabric of reality before he and Courtney attempt to channel Geoff’s (Les’s?) musical ideas and perform a rendition of one of his nonexistent hits. We leave the liquid lightshow of The Lovestones and arrive amongst the smoke and steel of Will Sergeant's first band INDUSTRIAL DOMESTIC, a three piece outfit that included Paul Simpson (WILD SWANS) and a little analog drum machine with a fascinating (to Courtney) past. As we begin to discuss this project, Shane is reminded of Rocky Erikson and his recent passing. Courtney and Shane marvel at Will Sergeant's dedication and consistent aesthetic but they leave the factory yard with more questions than answers. Other bands, both real and imagined emerge. Pete Burns (DEAD OR ALIVE), whom Courtney finds both fascinating and familiar, is introduced to the melee and joins THE MYSTERY GIRLS (along with Cope and Wylie). A prankster band, NOVA MOB, is formed and Shane shares a story of innocent youthful fun gone awry. We finish our episode by discussing A SHALLOW MADNESS, the band that absorbed and expelled surrounding particles and set the wheels of fate in motion.

Order a copy of Chris Adams’ TURQUOISE DAYS online on Biblio.com

https://www.biblio.com/search.php?stage=1&result_type=works&keyisbn=chris+adams+turquoise+days

Support local booksellers and small businesses.

Episode 12 - That Clash Show Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

In episode 12, we advance the narrative about the burgeoning Liverpool music scene, circa mid-late 1970’s, the epicenter of events being a show performed by The Clash at Eric’s on May 5, 1977. This concert inspired the formation of many influential bands, both real and imaginary.

Episode 11 - Kaftans, the Human Voice, and the "Cavernous Grotto" Jun 03, 2019

Show notes

In Episode 11, we discuss a range of topics, from soaring falsettos to basement toilet bowls to some of the yin and the yang of the music biz. We ponder teenage Ian McCulloch's clothing choices and Courtney finally learns the true meaning of the word: kaftan. We embark on in-depth analyses of both David Bowie's and Ian McCulloch's voices and the mechanics of singing. From these vociferous heights, the conversation descends to tales of what the bathrooms in Eric's Club were like. We emerge relatively unsoiled, and enter the "cavernous grotto of the club”, flipping through the legendary jukebox, before finally introducing the first two Petes who will have an impact on the creation of the Bunnymen.

Episode 10 - The Universal Pilgrimage May 05, 2019

Show notes

We are finally back with another thrilling episode! This one celebrates the 60th birthday of Ian McCulloch. First, we check in to see where Les and Will are in the timeline of the tale we are spinning. Then, we dive headlong into a one-hour rhapsodic discussion about birthday boy Ian McCulloch. We begin our sprawling, circuitous discussion with Mac's physical attributes and Shane makes a revelatory observation about Ian's appearance that he is eager to share. We then go on to make sweeping claims about British culture in the post-colonial era and the music industry throughout its existence. We establish a psychological framework that we can apply to the Bunnymen and discover the true nature of the human soul. Courtney then gives a detailed accounting of Ian's initiation into adulthood as he embarks on the universal pilgrimage toward obtaining oneness with the source. We eventially catch a bus back to Liverpool where Les and Will are hearing a new type of music and are about to discover a new kind of club. This episode is as wonderous as it is strange and even Courtney has trouble avoiding the subject of Pink Floyd. Join us!

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