K&A Podcast

In this episode of the K&A Podcast, Karl and Aidan dive into one of music’s most debated questions - which cover versions are genuinely better than the original songs. We’ve been through a load of listener submissions for this one, and there are some brilliant picks in here. From subtle reworkings to full reinventions, we look at the songs where the cover has either matched or completely overt...

Episode 44: James Gardener Born in Southampton, James Gardener began his musical journey at seven on tenor horn before switching to trumpet at nine - following some very practical advice from his primary school teacher: “you’ll get more gigs on trumpet.” From community brass bands to the Southampton Youth Jazz Orchestra, and through Grade 8 trumpet and piano studies, music quickly became the prior...

Welcome to our Quiz Bonanza, where Karl and Aidan put their musical geekiness to the test in a head-to-head quiz. No Googling, no phone-a-friend - just two music obsessives trying to out-nerd each other. The questions include legendary festival line-ups, deep cuts from The Beatles, iconic collaborations and the curious craft of movie soundtracks. Adding a twist to the proceedings, a very special g...

This week, Karl and Aidan invite Hayley Thomas to the podlodge. Hayley is the founder of Miaza and brings an honest conversation about health, balance, and looking after yourself as a performer. Hayley works with people who feel physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually out of sync. In this episode, she talks specifically about how musicians can keep their bodies and minds healthy while pe...

Karl and Aidan head back to the Pod Lodge for a festive dive into the Christmas Day charts. In this Christmas special, they rewind through five classic years - 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015 - to see what was topping the charts when the turkey was carved and the telly was on. From novelty and comedy records to rock anthems, chart pop and everything in between, it’s a snapshot of how tastes and tr...

In Episode 40, Tom Gregory joins Karl and Aidan in the pod lodge, and it becomes clear pretty quickly that he has covered more musical ground than most people manage in a lifetime. He talks us through a path that runs from Australia to Manchester and then on to Southampton, touching on Latin, funk, folk and a whole load of other styles along the way. Tom also claims he has performed on more than 5...

Kelly joins Karl and Aidan for a chat about her journey from early singing days to a Christmas hit with Hot Pantz. She shares the surreal experience of meeting Paramore live on BBC Radio 1, and how unveiling a ‘Paramore (Or Less)’ banner at a Paramore concert almost got her kicked out of the Royal Albert Hall.. Kelly also discusses balancing her career as an architect with life on the road perform...

What was the single greatest year in music history? In this episode of the K&A Podcast, Karl and Aidan put your submissions to the test in the ultimate showdown of the decades. Listeners have each nominated a year they believe had the strongest album releases, backing it up with three records that showcase its greatness. But it is not just about the charts and the critics. Alongside the debate...

We sit down with the wonderful Mo Woods to talk about her first steps into singing, her journey as a professional performer, and why looking after your mental health as a performer is every bit as important as the music itself. If you’d like to learn more about Mo, you can explore her story on her website or follow her on Instagram . For listeners curious about mental health, here’s a quick ADHD o...

This week, Karl and Aidan are on location at Southampton Guitar Repairs , joined by guitar tech and luthier Adam Chmarny . Adam gives the K&A Podcast a guided tour of his busy workshop, sharing the tools, techniques, and practical insights that go into keeping guitars in top shape — from fretwork to electronics and everything in between. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the bench of...

Episode 35 – What’s Your Favourite New Song You’ve Discovered This Year? We put the question out there: What’s your favourite new song you’ve discovered this year? You delivered. Fifteen songs came in – some brand new, some old gems freshly unearthed - and we listened to every one of them live on the pod. In this episode, we give each track a proper listen and an honest score, ending with a defini...

In this episode, Karl and Aidan welcome Bradley Bowers into the Pod-Lodge. Bradley is the founder of BCB Production , a company specialising in audio/visual and technical support for live events. If you’re building something creative and want it to look and sound brilliant, Bradley’s the guy you call. We dig into how musicians and creatives can better prepare for the stage - from technical setup t...

Which song should everyone hear at least once in their life? Karl and Aidan take on this near-impossible question, joined by some familiar voices as past guests return to share their top picks from around the globe. With a longlist in hand, K&A attempt the unenviable task of ranking them all… but only one song can come out on top. Tune in to find out which track takes the crown — and a huge th...

We’re back! It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since our last episode. Surprisingly, this isn’t 100% due to laziness—Karl and Aidan have been pretty busy. Karl’s band, Blender, has just recorded a live EP, and the story behind its creation involves none other than Butch Vig, the legendary producer known for his work with Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and Green Day. We’ve got an exclusive preview of th...

Karl and Aidan are joined by Liv Thompson this episode, all the way from Hull by the power of Zoom. Liv has an impressive portfolio as a bass player, including Little Mix, Becky Hill and Raye. During a break between tours, she takes the time to join us for a chat about her journey so far. She shares insights into her beginnings in the pop industry and recounts her incredible experiences performing...

Karl and Aidan celebrate the 30th episode milestone by setting themselves an impossible task… Who would you put in your ultimate 90’s rock band? We had many suggestions from listeners, which proved just how full the decade was of incredible and influential musicians. It also made the job even harder… How did we do? Would you put the same musicians in your band? Let us know! Listening to the podcas...

In episode 29, Karl and Aidan talk to Nia Collins, who introduces herself as a musician, singer and educator. As we progress through the episode however, we discover that she has many more strings to her bow besides these, including event management, creating a whole range of music projects and even writing jingles! She is also Aidan’s line manager at Southampton Music Hub, but we’ll let you decid...

In Episode 28 of the podcast, we sit down with Jim Denbigh, the singer and guitarist for the awesome Dave Grohl tribute band, Grohlercoaster. Jim takes us through his journey as a musician, including when he was a drummer for Southampton regulars The Strings Jim discusses his early years in the music industry, including his decision to switch from drummer to the role of frontman. He talks about th...

In episode 27, Aidan and Karl welcome Harry Younger to the podlodge, a renowned drummer and music educator. In this podcast, Harry takes us on a journey through his early beginnings as a musician and shares some fascinating insights into the world of drumming. Harry's exciting work with Roland instruments is also a highlight of the conversation, as he shares his experiences with some of the most a...

In the second of what is becoming a yearly tradition, Karl and Aidan meet up for catch up. As well as a general chat about their lives since the last episode, they also bring in three tracks that have made recent additions to their ‘Good Stuff’ playlists to play for each other. Kelly joins in for the last part of the episode, to talk about Chic to Chic ’s recent run at Butlin’s, meeting some 80’s...

Peter and Karl go way back. They were in their first band Savalas together which morphed into Sine Star Project. Sine Star Project (an anagram of Peter’s name) are a tricky act to pin down, but you can hear influences from the Buckleys (Tim and Jeff), Elliott Smith, Aimee Mann, Love, Ry Cooder and Pink Floyd to The Flaming Lips, American Music Club and Grant Lee Buffalo…even Berlioz and Bruckner.&...

Mark Jones is a the luthier at Jones Basses, a maker of bass guitars in the south of England. He brought a bass in for Karl and Aidan to look at, whilst discussing how basses are created, how materials are chosen and the thought process behind creating boutique instruments. You can find out more about Jones Basses at their Facebook page HERE and see Aidan and Matt Glasspool’s review of one of the...

Dan is a saxophonist, composer and educator. He has been recognised nationally for his work in jazz and commercial music both as an educator and practitioner. He’s possibly the busiest musician in Southampton - alongside composing and performing, he is a lecturer in Jazz & Popular Music at the University of Southampton, leads Saints Brass a tutor for the NYJC and runs the pioneering youth jazz...

Neil and Aidan go way back, over 25 years in fact, which made them both feel older than they would like to admit! He popped into the podcast lodge to tell Karl and Aidan about his life as a musician, educator and workshop leader. He has appeared in blockbuster movies with his viola and treated the podcast hosts to a track that he wrote for Paul Smith and Voces8 which was quite frankly stunning. Th...

Watch this episode on YouTube HERE : Dirk Lance is the bassist for East of June and former bass player for Incubus. He started playing bass in high school, where he met Brandon Boyd, Mike Einziger and José Pasillas. The four of them bonded over Phish, Primus, Red Hot Chili Peppers and formed Incubus. Dirk zoomed into the podcast from his home in California to chat to Karl and Aidan about his intro...