Welcome to a very special episode of the podcast, where my friend Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff turns the tables on me and steals the host microphone to quiz me on my new album “Exotic Monsters”!
[Content warning: as always, some friendly swearing.]
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” are released regularly – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” are released regularly – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
Million-selling songwriter and cult hero Stephen Jones has spent the last decade reconnecting with his DIY roots, exploring new styles and approaches with self-recorded and self-released music projects. Independence has allowed him to dig deeper creatively, taking more risks without having to worry about commercial expectations. These projects also breathed new life into Babybird, reborn in 2015 as a completely self-sufficient musical enterprise.
Along with the gold discs, millions of sales, a string of Top 40 hits, two Brit Award nominations, critical acclaim, and a dedicated cult following, Babybird has also survived the curse and repercussions of a smash hit single, cringe-inducing endorsements from members of the royal family, issues with record labels, huge changes in the music industry, and even a heart attack.
Stephen Jones remains dedicated to his cause, and has recently been making some of the best music of his career, over 20 years after his commercial peak. Meanwhile, people are still listening to albums such as “Ugly Beautiful” and the fan favourite “There’s Something Going On” decades later.
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” are released every Wednesday – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
Welcome to my conversation with David Brewis, recorded on 11th March 2021. Field Music‘s new album “Flat White Moon” comes out on 23rd April 2021 and is available to pre-order now.
[Content warning: as always, some friendly swearing.]
In this conversation, we discuss:
inspiration – it’s nice when it happens, but it’s overrated, and having to work on your idea doesn’t make you a worse artist (plus it’s fun!)
the importance of sharing our experiences, to help younger artists have the encouragement we didn’t get ourselves
being prepared for the highs and lows of releasing albums – actually planning it in
how learning to do everything yourself can be faster than explaining what you want to someone else
the futility of playing support slots (even if they’re with your favourite bands)
why you don’t go to see Field Music for a good night out
David and Peter Brewis have been releasing records as Field Music since 2005. The pair record at their own studio in Sunderland and have amassed a large and unwieldy catalogue which includes solo records, collaborations, a score for a silent documentary about the herring industry and a concept album about the aftermath of the First World War, as well as regular studio albums and occasional production work for other artists.
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” are released every Wednesday – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
Welcome to my conversation with Ryan Miller, recorded on 10th March 2021. Visit Guster’s website to explore their musical world and scroll down for some of their recent videos, including the new “Things Come Around” film shot in 2020.
[Content warning: as always, some friendly swearing.]
In this conversation, we discuss:
the life of a multi-hyphenate artist – how giving yourself permission opens up the canvas of possibilities
not being scared to try new things, because your fans don’t remember your failures
how a lightbulb moment led to Ryan scoring films from Nobody (which he also co-wrote) to Safety Not Guaranteed, The Fundamentals of Caring and Mr Roosevelt
the band / fan relationship – how Guster invented street teams in the 90s, and put their fans at the centre of everything they do
how overlapping your interests is like putting more colours onto your canvas
Ryan Miller is the lead singer and guitarist of alternative rock band Guster.
Formed in 1991, Guster have released eight studio albums, performed with symphony orchestras and played a LOT of gigs.
Since co-writing and scoring the film “Nobody” with Rob Perez, Ryan has composed music for “Safety Not Guaranteed”, “The Kings Of Summer”, “The Fundamentals Of Caring”, “Mr Roosevelt” and “The Last Summer”.
After moving to Vermont from New York, Ryan began hosting a TV series on Vermont PBS called “Makin’ Friends With Ryan Miller”.
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” are released every Wednesday – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
Hi there, and welcome to my conversation with Sananda Maitreya (the artist formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby), recorded on 10th March 2021. Keep scrolling for links to everything we discussed in this episode and remember Sananda’s new album “Pandora’s PlayHouse” is out now.
[Content warning: as always, some friendly swearing.]
In this conversation, we discuss:
making a masterpiece of your life, not just your art
letting go of an abusive music industry past and learning to fly again
Sananda’s relationship with his singing voice
the life of an artist – a career or a calling?
the value of surrendering to the creative process and allowing it to surprise you
making music that babies are conceived to – is there any greater compliment for an artist?
Explore Sananda’s work:
About Sananda Maitreya
Artist, composer, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur and Post Millennium Rocker Sananda Maitreya had his light switched on at the age of 2 by the music of the Beatles and has been a fool for music ever since.
His debut solo album, “Introducing the Hardline” was released in July 1987, producing hits including “If You Let Me Stay”, “Sign Your Name”, “Dance Little Sister”, and the number one hit “Wishing Well”, and he’s released 12 wide-ranging albums in the years since.
As the survivor of a trauma that forced his hand into rebuilding his identity, Sananda once let go of a former life in order to dedicate his new personage to the pursuit of his true calling. It meant rejecting what fans and the industry had presumed would be his lifelong endeavour; but realising the dream inside was bigger than what the former life could accommodate, he pulled through the other side and found purpose.
Never taking what he is fortunate to have for granted, new album “Pandora’s PlayHouse” pays homage to Sananda’s inspirations, mentors, and family, all whilst recounting the lessons he has carried through one of the most unique careers in musical history. A once-platinum-certified, multi-million selling artist, Sananda’s career could fill multiple lifetimes – and some would say it has.
Sananda’s new record “Pandora’s PlayHouse” was released on 15th March, 2021. Get it now!
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” are released every Wednesday – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
Danielle “Danz” Johnson is a song-writer, composer and producer.
Since 2010 she has been making music, formerly under the moniker of Computer Magic and currently under Danz CM.
She has written and produced songs featured in commercials (Lexus, Aria Casino) and has composed custom pieces for Panasonic, Body Mainte for Otsuka Pharmaceutical, and Kewpie in Japan. She has modeled clothes for the skate clothing brand X-Girl, founded by Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon; and Sofia Coppola’s clothing line Milkfed.
Her influences include New Wave, Italo Disco, Krautrock, New Order, Giorgio Moroder, Gary Numan, Stereolab, Belle & Sebastian and Radiohead. Her visual aesthetics are influenced by sci-fi films like Barbarella, Logan’s Run and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Danz runs her own label, Channel 9 Records, which releases limited edition vinyls and cassettes.
In 2019 she founded Synth History, a media site featuring musicians who embrace synthesizers. She has interviewed artists like Pete Townshend, Suzanne Ciani, James Murphy, Rick Wakeman, Oneohtrix Point Never, Vince Clarke and more.
The first Synth History podcast episode on Wendy Carlos – written, recorded, scored and produced by Danz – was released in August of 2020.
Her new record The Absurdity of Human Existence was released on 12th March, 2021 on her label Channel 9 Records. Get it now!
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” are released every Wednesday – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer”are released every Wednesday – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
Equally at home perusing murder ballads and decoding Arabic scales, Eliza’s singular artistry is the product of an incredibly diverse and borderless upbringing. Raised across seven countries, she is the daughter of a Sudanese astrophysicist and a Scottish diplomat. A multi-linguist with a philosophy degree, Eliza studied Jazz at London’s Guildhall before self-producing her first EP, recorded at the studio of Clean Bandit’s Jack Patterson. She then signed to UK label Beatnik Creative and released two critically acclaimed EPs, working with Mercury-nominated long time collaborator Chris Bond. Championed by tastemakers such as Beats 1’s Zane Lowe, BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and supported by the likes of Wonderland, i-D Magazine and FADER, the EPs set the stage for an artist thriving on producing work abundant in raw emotion and expansive instrumentation.
Eliza released her debut album “Future” in 2018, receiving praise from the likes of Rolling Stone, MOJO, Refinery29 and The Sunday Times. Named a Rising Star of 2019 by the BBC, her reputation for powerful live shows has seen her touring extensively, taking in the UK, Europe, and the USA, and playing dates with the likes of Kate Tempest, Oh Wonder, Lucy Rose, James Bay, and Turin Brakes. She has also collaborated with award-winning poet Anthony Anaxagorou and contemporary jazz group Hansu-Tori and is a founding member of female arts collective Girls Girls Girls.
Most recently, Eliza’s excellent cover of Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” appears in the totally gripping and mysterious Netflix series “Behind Her Eyes”, bringing her work to a whole new audience.
+ New episodes of my music podcast “Attention Engineer” are released every Wednesday – visit this page to find out more and subscribe via your favourite podcast platform.
