Songs & Spirits

Send us Fan Mail Lesley and Luke's Beverage: A Merry Christmas Margarita Season one is done! Thank you all for listening and for the support from all over the globe! We had a really wonderful and wild time making this first season and are looking forward to finding out what Season Two will hold! I want to thank ALL of our guests this season for taking the time to have a drink and chat with us...

Send us Fan Mail Alexandra's beverage: Raspberry Mojito On our second to last episode of the season we have the absolutely delightful Alexandra Carlos ! She happened to be in London for a gig and, lucky for us, she spent an afternoon hanging out with the podcast crew. We whipped up a truly delicious drink that you absolutely need to try at home because yes, it is that good. Alexandra bravely...

Send us Fan Mail Ross' Beverage: An Old Fashioned On this week’s episode, we’re joined by the incredibly talented Ross Stewart. Our dear friend stopped by for a quick drink and a chat before heading off to play a gig in London, and it was an absolute pleasure having him with us. As Right Chord Music describes, “Ross Stewart is quickly establishing himself as a compelling new voice in the UK m...

Send us Fan Mail Sonya's Beverage: Mezcal Margarita On this week’s episode, we welcome the mysterious and ever-charming Sonya Titus ! Born in Texas, grew up in Australia, New Zealand and Norway, and now living in London for quite a while, Sonya has packed several lifetimes’ worth of experiences into one fascinating journey. Luke first met her while he was at Malt , a cozy music venue and bar...

Send us Fan Mail Vincent's Beverage: Warlock Teardrop On this week's chillingly cozy episode, Lesley stops by the lair of the multi-talented Vincent Marcone , better known to the art world as My Pet Skeleton ! While Luke held down the fort across the pond in bonny England, Lesley connected with Vince in Canada for a signature drink and a deep-dive conversation. Get ready for an eclectic...

Send us Fan Mail Just the Sip of a: Death in the Afternoon Our “Just the Sip” episodes are quick little cocktail adventures! No guests, no pressure, just us, a drink, and whatever conversation bubbles up after the first sip (or two). Think of it as the happy hour version of the podcast. On today’s spooky edition , Lesley and Luke summon up an Ernest Hemingway favorite: Death in the Afternoon ! Thi...

Send us Fan Mail Jemma's Beverage: Strawberry Daiquiri This week we’re joined by the quiet force that is singer-songwriter Jemma Johnson — quiet, that is, until she opens her mouth to sing and suddenly you’re rethinking every life choice you’ve ever made. She’s a soon-to-be pop star with a voice so good it should probably come with a warning label. Based out of Derby in the UK, Jemma has buil...

Send us Fan Mail Dave's Beverage: Whiskey Sour Part Dos! We couldn’t bring ourselves to cut anything out of this one, and since we know our listeners prefer episodes that run around an hour or less, we thought—why not split it up? Two Dunwells, two parts! In this second half, we mixed up a delicious Whiskey Sour with David Dunwell and kept the stories rolling. Along the way, we discovered Joe...

Send us Fan Mail Joe's Beverage: Maple Old Fashioned This week on the podcast we’re joined by the very dashing and endlessly talented musical duo, The Dunwells ! We had such a joy-filled conversation with Joe and Dave Dunwell. Lesley has known these two for years and years, while Luke only recently had the pleasure of meeting them but it instantly felt like catching up with old friends. The D...

Send us Fan Mail Today's Beverage: Aviation This week, Lesley and Luke reunite after some much-needed travel and family downtime! To mark the occasion, they shake up an Aviation, a classy little cocktail that’s equal parts elegant and divisive. Made with gin, maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, and some lemon juice, it’s the kind of drink you either swear by or swear off. ( Think of it as...

Send us Fan Mail Just the Sip: Cosmopolitan   A quick pour, a quick chat. In this mini-segment, Lesley and Luke mix up a drink (and its mocktail twin) and take a short detour into conversation while they taste it. This time, it’s a Cosmopolitan —with all the classic flair—and a no-proof version that’s just as good we dubbed the Mockmopolitan (working title). Think of it as a sip-sized break from t...

Send us Fan Mail Martha's Beverage: Espresso Martini This week on Songs & Spirits we’re joined by our very own spirit animal, woodland nymph, and all-around magical human: Martha Phillips . She’s a writer-producer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist whose calm, peaceful energy somehow pairs perfectly with the caffeine kick of an Espresso Martini. In this episode, we dive into her musical...

Send us Fan Mail Today’s Beverage: Rosemary Greyhound Today’s episode is what Lesley and Luke call a “solo” episode… but if we’re being honest, it’s actually a duo episode.  It’s just the two of us this week—no guests, just Lesley, Luke, and a cocktail that sounds way fancier than we are: the Rosemary Greyhound.   We sip, we chat, we overshare. Topics include: mysterious background noises at Lesle...

Send us Fan Mail Vin’s Beverage: The Classic Negroni   This week’s episode features the one and only Vin Goodwin (or should we say Vin Great-win ? …we’ll see ourselves out). We first crossed paths with Vin on a night out in London at our friend Daisy Chute’s gig, and after one conversation, we knew we had to get him on the pod. We dive into Vin’s very entertaining musical journey, his love of path...

Send us Fan Mail Today's Beverage: Monte Berico This week it’s just your pals Lesley and Luke holding down the fort! We’re taking a breather from our incredible run of guests ( Ben Keenan , Daniel Scott , and Daisy Chute , you absolute legends) to catch up, swap stories, and let you in on the chaos of Lesley’s current living situation. Think of it as a cozy midweek hang: no pressure, no drama...

Send us Fan Mail Daisy's Beverage: Gin Martini  In this week's episode we chat with the hilarious, talented and charming Daisy Chute . We talked about music, witches and Lesley got her feet in a bowl of water blessed by Daisy, it was a wonderful time!  Daisy Chute is a Grammy-winning American-Scottish folk/Americana singer-songwriter based in London. A multi-instrumentalist with transatl...

Send us Fan Mail Daniel's Beverage: Piña Colada In this episode, we chat with Daniel Scott , founder of Super Specific —an artist management and consultancy company helping musicians build sustainable, long-term careers. With years of experience in artist development and a sharp eye for strategy, Daniel shares how he helps artists move beyond the algorithm and focus on what really matters. We...

Send us Fan Mail Lesley's Beverage: Tommy’s Margarita  In this episode, we mix up a bright and refreshing Tommy’s Margarita—perfect, classic, and a little bold—just like our cohost Lesley Pike . This time, she is in the hot seat as Luke James Shaffer digs into her story. From early influences to career pivots and personal revelations, it’s an open, honest, and often hilarious conversation ove...

Send us Fan Mail Ben’s Beverage: Spicy Margarita Big Laughs, Wild Stories & a New Short Film This week we’re joined by the hilarious and endlessly entertaining Ben Keenan —actor, director, writer, voiceover artist, and comedy host. Our chat goes in every direction (in the best way), covering everything from performing for massive crowds to getting arrested in the airport! Ben shares a sneak pe...

Send us Fan Mail Luke's Beverage: Paper Plane Lesley Pike and Luke James Shaffer have spent years in the music industry, crossing paths with fascinating people—from managers and producers to fellow artists and beyond. Along the way, they’ve discovered that some of the best conversations happen late at night, often with a good drink in hand. That’s the spirit (pun intended) behind Songs &...

Send us Fan Mail Sera's Beverage: Old Fashioned This week's guest is our good friend Sera Lilith Gold!  She chose a classic cocktail - an Old Fashioned - which we all thoroughly enjoyed while chatting about witchy things, tantric temples and TGIFs!  Please give Sera some love on the socials and check out her music as well! From Sera's website: "Sera Lilith Gold weaves her music...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Songs & Spirits — where music meets mixology. Hosted by Lesley Pike and Luke James Shaffer , each episode dives into candid conversations with artists, producers, and creatives about the highs, lows, and in-betweens of life; all while sipping a favourite cocktail, mocktail or whatever our guest may fancy! Sometimes it's just us, sometimes we bring friends. Eith...