Steve Pretty On The Origin of the Pieces

This week, I’m joined by bass Barnaby Rea for a longer-than-usual opera special I mean if we're doing opera, we've gotta go long, right?!), recorded backstage at the Royal Opera House , London. Barnaby is a British/Irish bass who trained at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and the National Opera Studio. He was a Harewood Artist at English National Opera and a member of the Oper Frankfurt...

A collaboration with What We Did Before on the deep history of music, from prehistoric instruments and ritual to place, technology and AI.   A slightly different episode this time. Instead of the usual format, I’m sharing an interview I did for the excellent podcast What We Did Before . This particular episode, Before Music: Cave Rituals and Ancient Instruments | Steve Pretty explores where m...

In this episode, I’m dedicating the show to Nathaniel Dye — musician, music teacher, brass band obsessive, ultramarathon runner, and one of the most quietly extraordinary people I’ve met. We begin with Nat performing his song “Public Service Announcement” (recorded live at my Wilton’s Music Hall show in November 2024) — a funny, furious, razor-sharp call to take bowel cancer symptoms seriously. Na...

Episode 37 - A clap, a Slap and a Stomp What actually is musical time? In this episode, Steve kicks off 2026 with the first four days of his “12 Days of Listening” mini-series — all about pulse, groove, and how our brains latch onto patterns (sometimes to our advantage, sometimes not). Then we jump to Wilton’s Music Hall (January 2025) for a live guest spot from Aluá Nascimento — Brazilian percuss...

From a Colombian ritual flute heard backstage at Oslo Mela to a children’s TV theme tune played on a London school playground, this episode explores why pentatonic scales turn up everywhere — and why they feel so immediately playable, memorable, and emotionally direct. Along the way, Steve unpacks the thinking behind the theme tune he wrote for My Friend Maisy (also available on NOW ), based on th...

From Addis to the Barbican and back again, this episode dives into the sound-world shaped by Mulatu Astatke — the father of Ethio jazz. With Mulatu having recently completed his farewell tour, Steve goes back to a long, previously-unreleased interview he recorded with him during the making of Hackney Colliery Band’s Collaborations: Volume One . What emerges is a portrait of a true pioneer: a compo...

From the high lonesome sound of Appalachia to the flow of a Bronx cipher, this episode explores what happens when two traditions of storytelling and rhythm collide. Recorded at the WOMEX 2024 world-music gathering in Finland, Steve talks with Gangstagrass — the trailblazing American group fusing bluegrass instrumentation with hip-hop lyricism and beats. Expect fiddles, banjo and beats; live sessio...

From living-room experiments to Malawian street stages — and a brief stop-off in Transylvania. This week, Steve explores what it means to sing what you see : making music that’s spontaneous, handmade and gloriously human. There’s a Halloween detour into his live Nosferatu score , a new Clip n Mix , and a look at the brilliant Madalitso Band from Malawi — two musicians whose home-built instruments...

⚠️ Note: This is a re-upload The original episode was taken down due to a copyright strike on the theme tune — even though I wrote and produced it myself. While I sort that out, you’re treated to a gloriously bad placeholder version. Also, I’ve trimmed down the Clip n Mix segment — I was clearly having too much fun with firepits last time, and it got a bit… indulgent. This one gets to the good stu...

What can a lump of whale earwax tell us about human history? What does the end of the universe sound like? And how do you play the sea like a synthesiser? This episode of Steve Pretty On The Origin of the Pieces goes from marine mammal physiology to cosmological heat death, taking in hydrophones, cultural transmission in humpbacks, the physics of underwater sound, and an improvised trumpet elegy f...

This week I speak to Kassandra e’Silva , a saxophonist, improviser and NHS music therapist. We caught up just before a gig at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival to talk about the power of music in care settings — from dementia wards and mental health clinics to the BBQ playlist at home. We cover: Baby‑wearing during soundcheck 👶 Pre‑verbal communication in music Clinical improvisation and jazz Whether a...

This week, Steve shares a powerful, surprising, and often jaw-dropping conversation with musician, composer and activist Jono Enser . Jono is a gifted multi-instrumentalist and a member of Nubiyan Twist , but he’s also a disabled artist whose recent experiences as an amputee have sparked a radical rethinking of performance, access, and the body as instrument — quite literally. Together, they explo...

❤️ Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheOriginofthePieces 📬 Join the mailing list + explore the archive: https://www.originofthepieces.com Welcome back to your favourite podcast for musically curious ears! This week, I’m talking to the brilliant Jeremy Deller , Turner Prize-winning artist and creator of the now-legendary Acid Brass project — a bold collision of work...

In this Eurovision-week bonus episode, Steve Pretty is joined by actor, singer, and former UK Eurovision contestant Frances Ruffelle , recorded live at Wilton’s Music Hall. 📺 Watch Frances’s Eurovision performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXtXpj2FGF8 🌐 Visit Frances Ruffelle’s website: http://www.francesruffelle.com ❤️ Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/StevePrettyOnTheO...

Wilton's Music Hall show 30th April: use code PRETTYAPR25 for best available seats for £15 Mailing list : sign up for special offers, news and more Patreon : sign up for FREE for all manner of bonus goodies and to be part of a growing musically-curious community Description: To mark World Poetry Day, Steve drops a surprise bonus episode featuring writer, comedian, and poet Robin Ince , recorded li...

Wilton's Music Hall show 30th April: use code PRETTYAPR25 for best available seats for £15 Mailing list : sign up for special offers, news and more Patreon : sign up for FREE for all manner of bonus goodies and to be part of a growing musically-curious community In this special 25th episode of Steve Pretty on the Origin of the Pieces , Steve takes a moment to reflect, celebrate, and introduce some...

Wilton's Music Hall show 16th January: use code PRETTYJAN25 for best available seats for £15 Wilton's Music Hall show 30th April: use code PRETTYAPR25 for best available seats for £15 Mailing list : sign up for special offers, news and more Patreon : sign up for FREE for all manner of bonus goodies and to be part of a growing musically-curious community In this episode of 'Steve Pretty on the Orig...

Wilton's Music Hall show 30th November: use code STEVEPRETTYF for best available seats for £15 Wilton's Music Hall show 16th January Mailing list : sign up for special offers, news and more Patreon : sign up for FREE for all manner of bonus goodies and to be part of a growing musically-curious community A typically eclectic episode this, with a fascinating demonstration of and discussion about thr...

Wilton's Music Hall show 30th November: use code STEVEPRETTYF for best available seats for £15 Mailing list : sign up for special offers, news and more Patreon : sign up for FREE for all manner of bonus goodies and to be part of a growing musically-curious community In this (yet again) slightly delayed episode - this time due to computer meltdown in the middle of some major deadlines, which is FUN...

Mailing list : sign up for special offers, news and more Patreon : sign up for FREE for all manner of bonus goodies and to be part of a growing musically-curious community Wilton's Music Hall show 30th November: use code STEVEPRETTYF for best available seats for £15 Hackney Colliery Band Earth show 8th October: use code ORIGIN! for £5 off In this episode, Steve chats about recent adventures and mu...

Mailing list : sign up for special offers, news and more Patreon : sign up for FREE for all manner of bonus goodies and to be part of a growing musically-curious community Wilton's Music Hall show : use code STEVEPRETTYF for best available seats for £15 In this arctic special, Steve heads to northern Norway to meet a whole variety of fascinating musical characters. First up, it's the turn of the B...

Introduction (0:00:07 - 0:14:55): Steve kicks off the episode with updates on his live shows, including upcoming recordings at the Into the Wild Festival and a special event at Wilton's Music Hall on 30th November . He encourages listeners to join his Patreon for discounted tickets and exclusive offers . Steve then recaps highlights from episode 18 before diving into an engaging interview with Ola...

In this episode of "Steve Pretty on the Origin of the Pieces," host Steve Pretty chats with Jeff Miller, a specialist in early brass instruments. They explore the origins and evolution of low brass instruments, particularly the serpent, and its historical significance. The discussion covers the cultural and physical aspects of music, the unique characteristics of various instruments, and the unive...

Episode Summary In this episode, Steve Pretty embarks on a sonic journey with Martin Appleby, a seasoned sound engineer with over nearly four decades of experience at BBC's Maida Vale studios. They delve into Martin's illustrious career, exploring his role in capturing live music for prestigious BBC programs and his the challenges and opportunities of live recording. The episode further explores t...

Steve invites jazz double bassist/singer Charlie Pyne to the studio for a fascinating chat about all things bass. As well as a tour of her beautiful, historic instrument (affectionately named Claude), Charlie talks about the role of the bass in jazz and swing, and we hear some incredibly soulful playing. Charlie is so warm and joyful, and this really comes across in her music, which she gives us a...