The StageLeft Podcast

They say never meet your heroes. How about interviewing them? Having travelled up and down the UK with mates, skipping train barriers and the like to get to the majestic Secret Guerrilla style Gigs in his late teens, Chris gets to interview the man who wrote one of his favourite albums of all time.  Recorded the day Embrace released their newest top-ten album 'Avalanche', Chris explores Danny's re...

On this episode of The StageLeft Podcast, Chris Simpson sits down with Jack Bates — bassist for Smashing Pumpkins and Peter Hook & The Light — to discuss the reality of stepping into one of music’s most iconic musical legacies. From balancing tours between Billy Corgan and Peter Hook, to playing alongside Jimmy Chamberlin, to recording with the late Mark Lanegan, this is a deep dive into music...

“We stepped onto the Pyramid Stage and realised… they were just people doing the same thing as us.” If Amber from The Japanese House hadn't shut her fingers in a door, would Willy Bish be where he is now?  Multi-instrumentalist Willy Bishop joins The Stage Left Podcast to share his journey from maths student to a deep dive into CMATs iconic performance on the Glastonbury Festival Pyramid Stage.  W...

Join us as Silke Blansjaar, bassist for Yungblud, shares her journey from local bands to arena stages, the realities of touring, and insights into navigating the music industry as a woman. Discover practical advice on performance, mental health, and industry challenges. "Touring can really batter you" "Guest list stress is real" "Support systems are vital" You can buy our new merch here: https://t...

Russ Pritchard — of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and The Zutons — returns to the podcast for a brilliant deep-dive into some of the most surreal and career-defining moments of his life in music. We talk about one of the greatest slots a Glastonbury— playing just before Sir Paul McCartney’s headline set — and what it feels like to walk off stage knowing a Beatle is about to take over. Russ sh...

Days after selling out The O2 Arena, Woody from Bastille joins us live to break down the realities of arena touring in front of a live audience, the writing and recording of Save My Soul , lessons from Bob Armstrong, and what it takes to run an independent record label! Editing by Darcy Dewar. Socials by Alex Fordham. Hosted by Chris Simpson. Get 25% off everything at frangipani-style.com — includ...

Sad news reached us in December that Booker T and the M.G.'s legend Steve Cropper had passed away. It was a tremendous honour to have had Steve as a guest on StageLeft soon after we began. In truth, we probably wouldn't still exist if he hasn't appeared, as just naming him has a past guest has secured many further guests, including Gem Archer. Please enjoy the interview, and our update from the pa...

Hey all! Please have a quick listen to Tymon (our Social Media intern) who is asking for your help to complete a survey below to support the podcast growth over the next 5 years. This will help us bring you more interviews with the best session musicians globally, providing a platform for free educational content at the same time. Cheers! Chris https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_40CSzoUoJnUR...

If you've got Oasis hysteria with the reunion beginning on Friday, then you may enjoy this episode with the keyboardist for that Oasis reunion - Christian Madden. This was recorded in 2017, and was listened to (and tweeted about with love) by Bonehead!  We will be at the first show back in Cardiff, so come say hi or reach out.  To mark the 10 year anniversary, we are also doing a live episode on J...

If you've got Oasis hysteria with the reunion beginning on Friday, then you may enjoy this episode with guitarist Gem Archer, recorded in 2017. We will be at the first show back in Cardiff, so come say hi or reach out.  To mark the 10 year anniversary, we are also doing a live episode on July 11th at The Courtyard Theatre with three of The 1975 touring band, fresh off the back of headlining Glasto...

The StageLeft Podcast sits down with Daisy Spencer - the incredible rhythm guitarist behind Olivia Rodrigo's record-breaking Guts World Tour! In this candid conversation, Daisy opens up about: ✨ Creating a "stage persona" to handle arena-sized crowds ✨ The reality of touring at the highest level ✨ Her guitar part on Vampire ✨ Those magical acoustic moments with Olivia ✨ Making big life change...

🎸 “I wanted to be the dad who’s present — not recovering from the night before.” — Corey McCormick The Glastonbury headliner series: To mark our 10 year anniversary, we have episodes with Neil Young bassist Corey McCormick and Olivia Rodrigo guitarist Daisy Spencer, which are released the day each headlines the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. From playing with Neil Young and Chris Cornell to naviga...

The Glastonbury headliner series: To mark our 10 year anniversary, we have episodes with Neil Young bassist Corey McCormick and Olivia Rodrigo guitarist Daisy Spencer, which are released the day each headlines the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury. We've taken it a stage further for the Friday night headliners The 1975, as we will be hosting a live episode with touring band members that you can attend...

In this episode of The StageLeft Podcast , host Chris Simpson sits down with the multi-talented Ben Sturley — acclaimed bassist, composer, and longtime collaborator of Selena Gomez — for a candid and insightful conversation. From witnessing the realities of fame up close to crafting immersive film scores, Ben offers a rare glimpse into the emotional and creative nuances of life both on stage and b...

In this episode of the StageLeft Podcast, we’re joined by the brilliant Andrew Cushin for a deep dive into the artistry, collaboration, and chaos behind the music. We explore the evolving dynamic between frontman and musical director, the highs of working with Noel Gallagher at Lonestar Studios, and the unusual gift of a lightsabre to trusted ally Dave Eringa . Andrew opens up about his writing pr...

Grammy winner Evan Smith has the MOST RIDICULOUS CV.  As Jack Antonoff's go to man for horns/flutes/sax and more, Evan has played on multiple Taylor Swift records, Please Please Please by Sabrina Carpenter, St Vincent & Paul McCartney's collaboration on McCartney III and TV Off by Kendrick Lamar, which explore each on this episode. Hear what it's like listening to your music on Kendrick's supe...

Frontman of The Lathums, Alex Moore, joins us for a special episode, recorded on the eve of the release of their new album "Matter Does Not Define."  We explore: - How to compartmentalise being friends from bandmates? - How he and the band decided which tracks to appear on their new album, and which would be b-sides? - The painstaking process of deciding concert setlists! - How to best choose exte...

Phoebe Waller-Bridge calls him a great songwriter, and both Lauren Laverne and Elton John rate his songwriting—Ed Seed joins us for an unforgettable episode! Get a VR headset-worthy experience as Ed takes us onstage at the Royal Albert Hall, accompanying Jessie Ware. Hear how he mastered 18 songs in just two days, solved a power supply issue mid-performance with Dua Lipa, and absorbed La Roux's di...

The wonderful Beth Iles has chopped up our episodes from 2024 to give you a run down of our best bits as we enter our 10 year anniversary year.  Enjoy the most insightful clips from episodes featuring Jess Greenfield of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Ralph Rolle of Chic, Chris Maas of Sting 3.0, James Walsh of Starsailor, The 1975 touring band, Erron Baron Cohen, Seye Adelekan of Gorillaz &am...

Touring members of The 1975, Gabi King, Polly Money and John Waugh join us again for our final episode of 2024, similar to our previous episode in May but we ask a completely different set of questions, which we recorded for students at BIMM University. You can now find us on Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook by searching ‘The StageLeft Podcast’ for exclusive video content of the interviews. We’re l...

It’s about time, after 9 years, we did an entirely filmed episode isn’t it? So, whilst you enjoy this audio only version, do feel free to search for ‘The StageLeft Podcast’ on Youtube and you’ll find this episode in beautiful 4K, filmed in Andy Crofts stunning seafront hit hut.   “Chris and Andy, excellent interview. Informative. Heartwarming. Honest.” – Debra, StageLeft listener. Thank you to Sop...

What’s it like getting feedback from Robert Plant when playing on Led Zeppelin songs? How do we best deal with song changes on the day of the gig? How to best negotiate fees to ensure everyone is paid fairly? What makes Paolo Nutini unique to work with? How did the recent Florence and the Machine Royal Albert Hall show work logistically? Hosted by Chris Simpson - you can reach out to Chris directl...

An episode almost a decade in the making.  Finally, James Walsh, frontman of Starsailor appears to discuss the final ever recordings with Phil Spector, the impact that episode had on his wellbeing, negotiating with Allen Klein, how he wrote 'Fever' and 'The Greatest Story Never Told', plus how to best work with a singer when you're a session musician.  Thank you to Tymon Firin, Darcy Dewar, Beth I...

Sting 3.0 drummer Chris Maas joins The StageLeft Podcast mid-tour! We explore: How to fill the ‘space’ in a trio when playing Sting classics. The auditions, rehearsals and soundchecks for Sting 3.0 Locking with Sting as a bassist within a rhythm section. Drumming long sets with high BPMs with Example. The challenges of fluctuating salaries as a musician. How the music education systems differ betw...

Ginger shots at the ready! What would someone learn from working with Damon Albarn they wouldn't learn from anyone else? How does sobriety work on gig days in an environment so conducive to drink and drugs? How is Self-Esteem approaching her new record, given the success of her last? When does practice end and rehearsing begin? What happened to the Youth of the Apocalypse (YOTA)?! All these questi...