Sidetracked with Annie and Nick

In a monumental week for music news, Annie and Nick sit down to discuss their thoughts on Madonna’s long-awaited Confessions II – after months of worrying it might be anticlimactic, what do they think about the album? And Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce had one of the most musically relevant weddings of all time but what should we learn from their rumoured choice of first dance song? And are there a...

Bad Bunny came to London and Nick may never be the same again. What is it about Benito that makes his music and live performances so impactful? Nick tells Annie why the show made him cry – and confesses to one embarrassing detail. Elsewhere, Charli XCX came on the 6 Music Breakfast Show and Sidetracked investigates whether she told a big fat lie. Plus, why is Noah Kahan talking about poo at gigs?...

Annie and Nick discuss rumours of Adele returning to music, after she was seen attending one of Lola Young’s London shows. What might a new Adele album sound like? And what is it about her that means any record is guaranteed to be brilliant? Elsewhere, Madonna has revealed why the planned biopic of her life was canned, James Blake has called out the growing fakery of the music industry, and Bad Bu...

Annie and Nick dissect Olivia Rodrigo’s new album and analyse the online theories that Taylor Swift might be jealous. What is it about Olivia that speaks to such a vast and diverse audience? And what does she have to do with the England football team? Elsewhere, Annie has conflicting feelings about embracing AI; it’s never been easier to make music with it but at what cost? And Phoebe Bridgers is...

For this instalment of the Sidetracked Album Club, Annie and Nick venture back to 2009 and revisit the debut album from the xx. Why did this record stand out so much at the time, and does it hold up 17 years later? And why did the band make Annie and Nick so nervous? Plus, how the BBC handled the death of Michael Jackson, La Roux nostalgia, and one listener grapples with cringe GCSE Drama memories...

Annie and Nick welcome one of their dream guests to the studio to talk all things nature and music. horsegiirL is the world’s first half horse, half human singer-songwriter, DJ, and producer, and she’s about to release her debut album. In this episode, she gets sidetracked by birdsong, mushrooms...and birth stories. Elsewhere, Annie and Nick need to discuss CMAT speaking out about horrible online...

Annie and Nick try their very best not to get sidetracked, as they focus on just one topic - streaming, and how it’s shaped the musical landscape in 2026. From iPod mania to agentic AI, the world of music has changed a lot since the early 2000s. Have these changes made things better or worse for artists and music fans? And what does the future have in store for streaming and music consumption? Wit...

Annie and Nick discuss one of the busiest weeks in music ever with Drake dropping 3 albums at the same time, Lauryn Hill getting candid about her lack of albums, and Harry Styles starting his much-anticipated world residencies. Plus, Jack Antonoff has made his thoughts about AI in music extremely clear – does he have a point? And Madonna has finally done something that’s truly shocked Nick. Get in...

Chaka Khan joins Annie and Nick to discuss her life, legacy and new music. She reveals the very personal reason behind her strong work ethic, her feelings about awards, and why she continues to grow as a musician. What does Chaka’s life look like when she’s not on stage? She tells Annie and Nick about breathing fresh air for the first time in years, not telling people her address, and feeding her...

It’s the moment they’ve been waiting for since November 2025: Rosalía bringing LUX to London’s O2 Arena. Annie and Nick report back on what might be the best live show they’ve ever experienced. Elsewhere, Madonna’s released a new single with Sabrina Carpenter and it hasn’t totally lived up to their expectations of Confessions II; but will everything make sense when the album comes out? Plus, the P...

Kacey Musgraves is one of the best-known Country singers in the world, having won 8 Grammy Awards for her consistently stand out records. On the eve of releasing her 6th studio album, she joins Annie and Nick to discuss the making of the record, and how her approach to writing music has evolved since her debut album. Country is the fastest growing genre in the UK; Kacey has some thoughts on why an...

Annie and Nick discuss the most Madonna week in music – the album announcement, the new song, the Coachella performance, and the theft. Sidetracked fans will know how much Madonna means to Nick...so why does he have beef with her this week? Elsewhere, Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish showed us what they’re worth at Coachella Weekend 2, Olivia Rodrigo has a brilliant new song, and Annie has some tho...

Annie is back after a fortnight away and there’s a lot to catch up on. First on the agenda, Annie and Nick discuss the fallout from Wireless booking Kanye West as a headliner, and the subsequent cancellation of the entire festival. Plus, in other live music news, LIDO festival has had to cancel their planned June weekend due to environmental concerns, and CMAT fans are devastated. And of course, a...

This week Nick is joined by a very special co-host, Arlo Parks, following the release of her third album, Ambiguous Desire. They discuss how songs come to her, being a sensitive child, accepting a Mercury prize from Annie, trusting yourself as an artist, and how LA inspires her music. Plus, what does an ideal night out look like for Arlo and which does she prefer: Coachella or Glastonbury? Elsewhe...

Nick is joined by one of his favourite singers, Elmiene, while Annie is away. Fresh from releasing his debut album ‘sounds for someone’, Elmiene tells Nick what it’s like to work with Raphael Saadiq, how Benji B and Virgil Abloh helped him get his big break, and why it all links back to BBC Bitesize. They also discuss the news of Kanye West’s upcoming return to the UK, and how conflicted lots of h...

It’s the inaugural Sidetracked Album Club: Annie and Nick travel down memory lane to 2005 after listening back to LCD Soundsystem’s debut album and answer questions like: What was life like then, how much have things changed, and does the music still hold up? Elsewhere, Nick is preparing for 6 Music Festival (which will see him DJ with Beth Ditto), Annie reflects on some excellent gig crowds and C...

David Byrne leaves Annie wanting to know more about his live show while Nick avoids any Rosalía Lux Live spoilers. Plus, Annie and Nick discuss the intimate production behind James Blake’s new album and how too many opinions can hold an artist back. Speaking of opinions, there have been many about Jack Harlow’s new album, “Monica,” and Annie and Nick explore what puts the soul into neo-soul. Meanw...

Harry Styles has had a big week with the release of “Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally.” and even if he doesn’t pay attention to reviews, there’s a vital one in this episode. Annie and Nick discuss the new album, as well as a myriad of other new releases including War Child Records’ compilation album HELP (2), Yebba, and Eliza. Elsewhere, Timothée Chalamet has made a massive error by dismissi...

So the BRITs was fun...Annie and Nick review the 2026 event, which took place in Manchester for the very first time. How did Nick feel about Rosalía bringing on Björk? Did Annie think it worked as a TV show? And find out why our red-carpet interview with Self Esteem may have secured her a new, unexpected job. Elsewhere in the world of music, Rihanna has shared footage of her in an actual recording...

With just days to go before the 2026 BRIT Awards, Annie and Nick discuss their plans for the night and whether there’s a more optimistic feeling around this year’s event. Plus, Spotify have revealed some stats around the royalties they paid UK artists in 2025 and the number of times global audiences played those artists – breaking news: Olivia Dean is really popular. Elsewhere, Lana Del Rey is bac...

Annie and Nick are joined by friend, singer, fellow podcaster and icon, Jessie Ware. In between a long overdue catch up, they discuss Jessie’s new music, whether she has any plans to tour and how the album launch has changed since her first record. Plus, they ponder why the majority of songs focus on love or heartbreak, reveal the songs that devastate them the most, and Annie gives Jessie and Nick...

Annie and Nick discuss Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show and have some pretty surprising opinions about it all – but what should other artists take from the performance? In other news, Taylor Swift released her music video for Opalite and some fans aren’t pleased with how she chose to do it; Rosalía is confirmed to perform at the Brit Awards, and Lana Del Rey has promised a new single is immin...

With the Grammys done and the Super Bowl Half Time show looming, Annie and Nick discuss the monumental week Bad Bunny is having. They also go through their other stand out moments from the emotionally charged ceremony, and what it means to them to see artists like Olivia Dean, FKA twigs, Lola Young and the Cure succeed amongst such fierce competitors. Elsewhere, the UK version of SNL may not have...

In a week so busy that Nick had to start making notes, he and Annie sit down to attempt to discuss some of the most important music stories, like the return of Arctic Monkeys, Victoria Beckham’s somewhat inappropriate chart success, and Robbie Williams beating a record previously held by the Beatles. In other news, Harry Styles fans are freaking out over Aperture – but what do Annie and Nick make...

The nominees for the BRIT Awards 2026 have been revealed and, in their signature chaotic fashion, Annie and Nick analyse the lists of names and ask: will Olivia Dean and Lola Young reign supreme? Could any moment rival Jarvis Cocker mooning Michael Jackson in 1996? And will Harry Styles perform his new music at the ceremony? Plus, Sidetracked favourite Jacob Alon has won the Critics’ Choice Award...