Dead Air Records

In this episode, we’re joined by Ian McNabb, songwriter, solo artist, and frontman of Liverpool legends The Icicle Works, for a wide-ranging conversation covering his life in music, from growing up in Liverpool to decades of songwriting, touring and recording. Ian takes us back to his earliest memories of music and discovering records through Liverpool’s shops and venues, reflecting on the city th...

This week on the Dead Air Records podcast, we’re joined by Liverpool band A Lesser Version for a live session and conversation in the shop, following the release of their third album, 0.2 Flesh Etc. The band perform a stripped-back set featuring songs from the new record, bringing their atmospheric, emotionally heavy sound into an intimate in-store setting at Dead Air Records. After the performanc...

Season 3 starts with chaos. Room 101 is back, and somehow the picks are even more controversial this time around. We’re once again banishing albums from our collections forever: records everyone else seems to love, records we’ve tried (and failed) to connect with, and records that we have simply ruined for each other. This episode features brutal takes on albums including Stereolab’s Dots and Loop...

In this bonus episode, we’re joined by Andy McCluskey — co-founder, songwriter and creative force behind Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark — for a deep, chronological conversation spanning more than four decades of music, technology and ideas. Andy takes us back to his earliest relationship with sound, growing up on the Wirral in 1970s Britain, discovering Kraftwerk, and becoming fascinated not ju...

For our first Christmas bonus episode, we’re joined by guitarist, songwriter and Liverpool icon Nasher — a key member of Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Nasher takes us back to his early musical roots and the energy of Liverpool in the late 70s and early 80s, before guiding us through the formation of FGTH and the club scene that shaped the band’s sound and style. We dive into the breakthrough of Relax...

This week, we’re joined by Yee Loi — a three-piece punk rock band from the Wirral whose sound blends sharp riffs, driving rhythm, and melodic bite. Sisters Rose (guitar, vocals) and Matilda (drums, vocals), alongside their brother Donnie on bass, bring the kind of energy that can (and did) shake a record shop to its core. They grew up cutting their teeth on classic punk, learning to play loud in a...

This week on the Dead Air Records Podcast , we sit down for an extended chat with Will Sergeant , guitarist and founding member of Echo & The Bunnymen . Will takes us through the early days of the band, the making of classic albums like Crocodiles , Heaven Up Here a nd Ocean Rain , and what it was like coming back with Evergreen in the middle of Britpop. We also dive into his solo and experime...

We’re taking the bait this week with The Independent's controversial article: The 25 Most Overrated Albums . From The Beatles to Nirvana, Madonna to Radiohead, it’s a list guaranteed to get people talking. We go album by album to see what we agree with, what we absolutely don’t, and who has no business being on there. And because we couldn’t resist, we’ve added in some of our own picks for al...

This week on the Dead Air Records podcast, we’re joined by Shaun from TOY CAR , ahead of the release of their brand new album CREAM (out 7 November 2025). 📀 Live in-store performance: Shaun treats us to a stripped-back set featuring four tracks from the album – Time Flies, Thylacine, Better Than Before, and April. 🎶 Conversation: After the performance, we chat about the making of CREAM, the band...

This week we sit down with Chrissy , Pauline and Jack from QUARRY , one of Liverpool’s most exciting independent and alternative music venues. After saying goodbye to their Love Lane home in May, the team are now preparing to reopen in a brand new location: the legendary former Magnet and Sink Club basement on Hardman Street. We talk about: → The origins of QUARRY and their first ever show → The L...

This week it’s personal. Inspired by the classic TV format Room 101 , we’re taking a long, hard look at our own record shelves and deciding which albums deserve eternal banishment. Ten records enter, only our grudges decide who leaves. From big-name albums that never clicked, to overhyped classics we can’t stand, to the odd record we’ve simply heard one too many times — nothing is safe. From Jess’...

This week on the Dead Air Records podcast we’re joined by Tian Qiyi , the boundary-blurring project of brothers John Tian Qi Wardle and Charlie Tian Yi Wardle . 📀 Live in-store performance : Tian Qiyi bring their extraordinary sound to Dead Air, weaving together traditional Chinese and Mongolian instruments like the erhu, yangqin, and morin khuur with dub, experimental jazz, post-punk, and UK fol...

This week we dive into the world of soundtracks – from film to TV to video games. We nod to the heavyweights of the craft (Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Mansell, Max Richter and more), but spend most of our time unpacking the scores and soundtracks that have stuck with us: •Her •Vanilla Sky •The Fountain •Trainspotting •Dead Man’s Shoes •The Shining In our Across the Counter...

We can’t quite believe this one ourselves… For Episode 2 of Season 2 of the Dead Air Records podcast, we sat down with Alan McGee – the legendary founder of Creation Records, the man who discovered Oasis, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine and so many more. McGee doesn’t do interviews these days, which makes this conversation even more special. We cover the wild early days of Creation, the 90s exp...

We’re back for Season 2 of the Dead Air Records podcast — recorded right here inside our independent record store in Liverpool. In this opening episode, we catch up on everything that’s been happening in and around the shop over the summer, share our picks for the best albums of 2025 so far, and dig into the latest Liverpool music news. We’ll also shine a spotlight on bands that have caught our at...

We’ve made it to the final episode of Season One - and we’re going out with a bang. To wrap up the season, we’re joined by the incredible Liverpool-rooted electronic duo Those Holy for an intimate in-store performance that blends industrial textures with synth-wave energy. Massive thanks to Chrissy and Lucy for bringing their unique sound to the shop. Listen to the full set in this episode or head...

In this week’s episode - the penultimate of season one - we’re getting personal. We’re taking it back to where it all began: a job Marc hated, a tough mental health journey, selling records from the back of our car, and the leap of faith that led to opening our shop. Fast forward to today, and we’re just a few weeks away from celebrating two years of Dead Air Records on Suffolk Street.  We talk ab...

In this episode of the Dead Air Records Podcast , we're back with a friendly crash course on jazz - specifically, the 'Golden Age of Jazz' in the 1950s and 60s. Jazz can sometimes feel hard to approach, so we’re breaking it down by looking at five essential record labels that shaped the sound: Blue Note , Impulse! , Prestige , Verve , and Riverside .  We’ll also point to a few moder...

This week, we are over the moon to share an in-store performance and interview with Liverpool band Shefu . Fresh from their sold out headline show at The Windmill in Brixton and the release of their self-titled EP, we had the pleasure of welcoming Rose, Alice, Tom and Freddie down to the shop to perform four tracks and chat about how the band started, where they draw inspiration from, and what Liv...

Maybe it was the fact that we were both under the weather, or maybe it was our wildly different takes on the best and worst Radiohead album… or perhaps Jess still hasn’t recovered from losing the 1997 vs 2007 battle. Either way, Episode 8 is our sassiest (and most controversial) yet. We’re ranking Radiohead’s albums from best to worst - do we get it right, or are we completely off the mark? Plus,...

Welcome back to the Dead Air Records podcast! This week, we are really excited to share an in-store performance and interview with Liverpool-born and based band, The Stamp . Sit back, watch, listen and enjoy three feel-good tracks (Cornerstone, Memory Lane, Remember The Day) that combine elements of reggae, soul and blues, followed by an interview with the band.  Follow The Stamp →  https://www.in...

In this week's episode, we share the albums that have been on heavy rotation in the record shop, including releases from ZZZAHARA, Amen Dunes, Jev, SML and Leilani. Across the counter returns with special releases from The Hives, Slipknot and two Studio Ghibli soundtracks. Plus, we chat about Liverpool-based musicians and bands Dayzy, Casual Blood Service and Little Furry Things and share our...

It’s the battle of the decade. Marc and Jess talk about their top ten favourite albums from what they consider the best year in music: 1997 vs 2007. From Radiohead’s OK Computer to LCD Soundsystem’s Sound of Silver, The Prodigy’s The Fat of the Land to Bloc Party’s A Weekend in the City. Who will win? Plus, we’re back with our favourite vinyl finds from across the counter and all the local bands a...

This week's episode is our Anti-Valentine's Day special, where we dive into some of our favourite heartbreak albums. Across the counter returns with a touch of romance, and as always, we share the Liverpool bands and musicians we've been listening to.  The Dead Air Records podcast is hosted by Marc and Jess. Filmed and edited by Second Best Studios . New episodes every Thursday at 5...

In this week's episode, we share ten forthcoming albums that we can't wait to wrap our ears around, a special Bob Dylan test pressing that recently came across the counter, and spotlight a selection of bands and musicians from Liverpool that you should have on your radar (and in your gig diary).  The Dead Air Records podcast is hosted by Marc and Jess. Filmed and edited by Second Best St...