Sending Signals

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

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 thi...

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 lasttouristba...

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,...

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, risi...

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...

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 / @connell...

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  

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...

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:...

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 we...

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 wa...

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 s...

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-instrumentali...

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-base...

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 are...

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...

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...

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...

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 mer...

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...

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...

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 proj...

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 the...

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 clip...