---

Hi there! Welcome to my conversation with Alicia Gaines, recorded on 14th November 2020.

Wrap your ears around the latest Ganser album here and scroll down for more links to Alicia’s work.

[Content warning: some friendly swears.]

In this conversation, we discuss:

• making music to entertain yourself, and why trying to sound cool has no place in 2020
• the challenges of releasing an album during a global pandemic
• using social media to make your own party instead of waiting to get invited to someone else’s
• the shared psychosis of being a band – what it’s like making art as a collective subconscious trying to random in the same direction
• how learning to advocate for yourself is essential in an artistic career
• how school marching band / orchestra backgrounds propelled both of us towards careers as bassists
• working out what the next mood is – how to stay creative

Explore Alicia’s work:

• Listen to “Bad Form” and “Lucky” (from “Just Look At That Sky”)
• Listen to “Motivational Speaking” (from the “You Must Be New Here” EP)

Find out more by visiting Ganser’s website and following them on Twitter.

---

---

Alicia recommends: The Durutti Column, Peter Gabriel, Liars and the work of Kate NV.

---

About Ganser

Growth with no reward. Finding strength in your less desirable traits. Coming up with the perfect comeback hours later in bed, glaring at the ceiling. Asking yourself: am I improving, or am I just changing into something unrecognizable? Chicago quartet Ganser probe the futility of striving for self-growth during the chaos of our times for dark comedy and jagged sounds on their potent new album Just Look at That Sky, released July 31st on Felte.

These are songs that never shy away from ugliness and confusion, that believe embracing the totality of the self sometimes means leaning into our dickish behavior. In the past, some listeners have had trouble reconciling non-male voices with the sorts of topics Ganser writes about, but that comes to an end with Just Look at That Sky. Co-produced with Electrelane’s Mia Clarke and engineer Brian Fox, this is an assured, fully realized triumph of a record from an art-punk band that’s figured out how to focus on making great art, even if everything else around them falls apart. – Eric Hatch

This podcast is 100% powered by my Correspondent’s Club. Thanks to every single member for your support!

New to my musical world?

+ Get two free songs music immediately by joining my mailing list.

+ I send a thoughtful weekly email every Thursday – join The Correspondent’s Club on a free or paid tier to receive it.

+ 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.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

---

Welcome to my conversation with Catherine Anne Davies, recorded on 10th November 2020.

Get the new Anchoress album here and scroll down for more links to Catherine’s work.

[Content warning: some friendly swears.]

• Get two free Penfriend songs immediately – find out more here.
• I need YOU! Please subscribe, rate and review Attention Engineer (especially on Apple Podcasts) – it all helps this independent show reach more ears. Thanks!

In this conversation, we discuss:

• the importance of sheer bloodymindedness in a creative career
• why everything we were told when we were starting out in the music business isn’t true any more – and why that’s exciting
• how the Manic Street Preachers helped Catherine to university
• “five-star loneliness” – the truth about touring
• the importance of collaboration, and why making her recent album “In Memory Of My Feelings” with Bernard Butler (see episode 22!) was like taking a holiday
• stage fright, performance nerves and “productive anxiety”
• why boundaries are essential for artists

Explore Catherine’s work:

• Listen to “Show Your Face” by The Anchoress, with guest guitar by James Dean Bradfield
• Listen to “In Memory Of My Feelings”, the collaborative album by Catherine Anne Davies and Bernard Butler, then get a copy
• Listen to “Doesn’t Kill You” by The Anchoress
• Listen to “Dylan and Caitlin” by The Manic Street Preachers

Find out more by visiting Catherine’s website and following her on Twitter.

---

---

---

About Catherine

Propelled by the Manic Street Preachers’ lyric “libraries gave us power”, The Anchoress (aka Welsh producer and multi-instrumentalist, Catherine Anne Davies) is a voracious devourer of words and music. 

From her early roots as a classically-trained flautist, to her current obsession with vintage synthesizers, Davies has spent much of the last four years developing her writing and engineering skills to become one of the most interesting up-and-coming songwriters and producers in the UK and has collaborated with a variety of artists including the London Philharmonic, Nitin Sawhney, Ed Harcourt, Bernard Butler, Liam Howe and Paul Statham.

The second Anchoress album, The Art Of Losing, will be released in March 2021.

Photo credit: Isabella Charlesworth.

This podcast is 100% powered by my Correspondent’s Club. Thanks to every single member for your support!

New to my musical world?

+ Get two free songs music immediately by joining my mailing list.

+ I send a thoughtful weekly email every Thursday – join The Correspondent’s Club on a free or paid tier to receive it.

+ 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.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

---

Welcome to my conversation with Bernard Butler, recorded on 22nd October 2020.

[Content warning: some friendly swears.]

• Get two free Penfriend songs immediately – find out more here.
• I need YOU! Please subscribe, rate and review Attention Engineer (especially on Apple Podcasts) – it all helps this independent show reach more ears. Thanks!

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Bernard’s latest collaboration – “In Memory Of My Feelings” with Catherine Anne Davies aka The Anchoress
• looking for “the crack in the door” – working out what you can bring to a project as a producer / songwriter
• the power of songwriting to change lives
• sticking to your guns and refusing to live off past glories
• how committing “career suicide” led to one of the biggest pop bangers of all time (and it was written in just one afternoon)
• what it’s like to be treated like a character, not a person
• turning down the chance to work with Adele in favour of a football match – and having zero regrets
• why going on about “the good old days” is a crime against humanity

Explore Bernard’s work:

• Listen to “Yes” by McAlmont & Butler and watch the incredible Jools Holland performance.
• Listen to “In Memory Of My Feelings”, the collaborative album by Bernard Butler and Catherine Anne Davies then get a copy.
• Listen to “Old Wow” by Sam Lee.

Find out more by visiting his website and following him on Twitter.

---

---

---

About Bernard

Bernard Butler is an English musician, songwriter and record producer, noted as one of Britain’s most original and influential guitarists.

Beginning his long and varied music career as a founding member of Suede, Butler is well known for wildly successful collaborations with David McAlmont, Duffy and supergroup The Tears (with former Suede bandmate Brett Anderson).

As a producer and songwriter he’s worked with far too many names to mention, including The Libertines, Kate Nash, Nerina Pallot, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Texas, Sam Lee and Paloma Faith as well as playing guitar on records by Aimee Mann, Bryan Ferry, Roy Orbison, Bert Jansch, Neneh Cherry and Ben Watt.

Alongside all this he is resident lecturer at BIMM London, teaching some very lucky students on the BA Songwriting course.

Top photo credit: Hollie Fernando.

This podcast is 100% powered by my Correspondent’s Club. Thanks to every single member for your support!

New to my musical world?

+ Get two free songs music immediately by joining my mailing list.

+ I send a thoughtful weekly email every Thursday – join The Correspondent’s Club on a free or paid tier to receive it.

+ 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.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

---

Hiyaaaaaaa – I’m very pleased to share my conversation with Andrew Hung recorded on 15th October 2020.

[Content warning: some friendly swears.]

• Get two free Penfriend songs immediately – find out more here.
• I need YOU! Please subscribe, rate and review Attention Engineer (especially on Apple Podcasts) – it all helps this independent show reach more ears. Thanks!

In this conversation, we discuss:

• losing confidence and the lifechanging power of finding your singing voice
• what to do next when your first band was really successful
• the power of silence in collaborating with Beth Orton
• courage, hope and journeying back from burnout
• instrumental music versus songs – what’s the decisionmaking process?
• social media – is it worth it?
• what is “cool”, and are we supposed to care?
• the value of labelling things – can it help focus the creative mind?

Explore Andrew’s work:

• Listen to “Realisationship” – Andrew’s first solo album
• Listen to “Tarot Sport”, the second album by Fuck Buttons
• Listen to “Kidsticks” by Beth Orton

Find out more by following him on Twitter.

---

Andrew recommends: the music of Kasey Musgraves, Kate Bush and The Cranberries.

---

About Andrew

Andrew Hung is a musician based in London, England. First coming into prominence as a founder of Fuck Buttons, the ecstatic noise group who garnered a rabid cult following, Hung continues to work both on his solo music, as a film composer and as a collaborator.

In 2016, Andrew’s soundtrack for “The Greasy Strangler” was released, as was Beth Orton’s album “Kidsticks”, which he co-produced. Andrew’s first solo record “Realisationship” came out in 2017, his soundtrack for “An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn” came out in 2018, and he’s just finished his second solo album, which will be released in 2021.

This podcast is 100% powered by my Correspondent’s Club. Thanks to every single member for your support!

New to my musical world?

+ Get two free songs music immediately by joining my mailing list.

+ I send a thoughtful weekly email every Thursday – join The Correspondent’s Club on a free or paid tier to receive it.

+ 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.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

---

Thank you for visiting – I’m delighted to share my conversation with Jim Bob aka J.B. Morrison, recorded on 28th August 2020. Order Jim’s 2021 album “Who Do We Hate Today” here.

[Content warning: some friendly swears.]

• Get two free Penfriend songs immediately – find out more here.
• I need YOU! Please subscribe, rate and review Attention Engineer (especially on Apple Podcasts) – it all helps this independent show reach more ears. Thanks!

In this conversation, we discuss:

• how to make an album when you think you’ve lost the ability to write songs
• why Jim Bob only works with people he likes
• the benefits of aiming higher than you should as an unschooled musician and novelist
• what it feels like to get in the pop charts in 2020, after having a number 1 album with Carter in 1992
• how to live a creative life after peaking early
• how the fun has gone out of Twitter
• how writing novels is (even more) brutal than writing songs
• what it was like playing to 14 people on a bill with Ed Sheeran

Explore Jim Bob’s work:

• The latest album “Pop Up Jim Bob” is out now!
• Read “A Godawful Small Affair”
• Read “Jim Bob from Carter: In the Shadow of My Former Self”
• Listen to “30 Something” by Carter

Find out more by visiting Jim Bob’s website and following him on Twitter.

---

Jim Bob recommends: the new Bright Eyes album “Down in the Weeds, Where the World Once Was“, the music of Phoebe Bridgers, “Songs For The General Public” by Lemon Twigs. And he loves The Jam.

---

About Jim Bob

As singer with Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, Jim Bob had 14 top 40 singles, 4 top ten albums (including a number one), sold over a million records, toured the world and headlined Glastonbury. In 2007, ten years after initially splitting, Carter USM reformed for a series of huge, sold out shows until they called it a day again in 2014. 

Outside of Carter, Jim Bob has had a long and varied career as a solo artist and writer. He has released eleven solo albums, two autobiographies and six novels (several under the name J.B. Morrison). His latest album, “Pop Up Jim Bob” came out in August 2020 and went to number 26 in the pop charts, and his fifth and sixth novels, “A Godawful Small Affair” and “Harvey King Unboxes His Family” were published in one volume in March.

This podcast is 100% powered by my Correspondent’s Club. Thanks to every single member for your support!

New to my musical world?

+ Get two free songs music immediately by joining my mailing list.

+ I send a thoughtful weekly email every Thursday – join The Correspondent’s Club on a free or paid tier to receive it.

+ 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.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

---

Thank you for visiting – I’m very pleased to share this conversation with Lemn Sissay MBE, recorded on 26th August 2020.

[Content warning: some friendly swears.]

• Get two free Penfriend songs immediately – find out more here.
• I need YOU! Please subscribe, rate and review Attention Engineer (especially on Apple Podcasts) – it all helps this independent show reach more ears. Thanks!

In this conversation, we discuss:

• the difference between poetry and song lyrics – is there one?
• how bad school experiences can ruin poetry for us normal people
• what not to write on your Tinder profile
• staying away from unproductive negativity – how to take better care of ourselves
• the importance of kindness in a longlasting career

Explore Lemn’s work:

• Listen to his Desert Island Discs appearance.
• Read “Invisible Kisses”.
• Listen to “21st Century Poem” by Leftfield, featuring Lemn Sissay.
• Read his memoir “My Name Is Why” and explore his poetry books.
  
  Find out more by visiting Lemn’s website and following him on Twitter.

---

Google the name “Lemn Sissay” and all the returning hits will be about him because there is only one Lemn Sissay in the world. Lemn Sissay is a BAFTA nominated award winning writer, international poet, performer playwright, artist and broadcaster. He has read on stage throughout the world: from The Library of Congress in The United States to The University of Addis Ababa, from Singapore to Sri Lanka, Bangalore to Dubai, from Bali to Greenland AND Wigan library.

He was awarded an MBE for services to literature by The Queen of England. Along with Chimamanda Ngoze Adichie and Margaret Atwood he won a Pen Pinter Prize in 2019. He is Chancellor of The University of Manchester and an Honorary Doctor from The Universities of Huddersfield, Manchester, Kent and Brunei. He is Dr Dr Dr Dr Lemn Sissay. He was the first poet commissioned to write for the London Olympics and poet of the FA Cup.

Photo credit: Slater King.

This podcast is 100% powered by my Correspondent’s Club. Thanks to every single member for your support!

New to my musical world?

+ Get two free songs music immediately by joining my mailing list.

+ I send a thoughtful weekly email every Thursday – join The Correspondent’s Club on a free or paid tier to receive it.

+ 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.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

---

Thank you for visiting – I’m very pleased to share this conversation with Miles Hunt, recorded on 27th August 2020.

[Content warning: some friendly swears.]

In this conversation, we discuss:

• how Covid-19 dashed his hopes of leaving the music business and becoming a truck driver (and why he wanted to quit in the first place)
• should we just turn the internet off?
• why he hates the D chord
• has digital music ruined the chance for an album to change your life?
• when writing songs, is the songwriter just a conduit?
• person vs persona – who is the real Miles Hunt?
• what does he really think of streaming?
• how writing your autobiography can help mend relationships that went bad

Explore Miles’ work:

• “Here Comes Everyone” – The Wonder Stuff
• “Fixer” – Vent 414
• “Don’t Anyone Dare Give A Damn” – The Wonder Stuff
  
  Find out more by visiting The Wonder Stuff’s website and following Miles on Twitter.
  
  PS. Tom Robinson pops up in this episode to ask Miles to talk about Hamell On Trial. Listen to me talk to Tom here.

---

Miles Recommends:

Deja Vega, “Made Of Rain” by The Psychedelic Furs and The Comsat Angels.

---

Miles Hunt has been the singer, rhythm guitarist and principal songwriter for The Wonder Stuff since 1986. Hailing from the British Midlands the band are now nine albums deep and continue to record and tour to this day. Hunt also fronts Vent 414, a three-piece band that includes Morgan Nicholls (Senseless Things / The Streets / Gorillaz / Muse) on bass guitar and Peter Howard (EAT / Queen Adreena / The Clash) on drums. He has also released a number of solo albums, written for children’s TV, been a presenter on MTV Europe and has a lifelong ambition of becoming a truck driver.

This podcast is 100% powered by my Correspondent’s Club. Thanks to every single member for your support!

New to my musical world?

+ Get two free songs music immediately by joining my mailing list.

+ I send a thoughtful weekly email every Thursday – join The Correspondent’s Club on a free or paid tier to receive it.

+ 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.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo

---

Attention Engineer is back, and I’m delighted to be launching the second series with a very special conversation with Corin Tucker, recorded on 18th September 2020. Hooray!

[Content warning: some friendly swears.]

In this conversation, we discuss:

• the importance of art in helping us make sense of the massive world events we’re all living through
• finding your own power through your voice
• the magic of collaboration – writing songs with REM’s Peter Buck
• why you should always watch your support bands
• the importance of finding your purpose – are you really helping your community?
• connection as a marker of true success
• the effect of COVID-19 on Sleater-Kinney’s tour plans

Explore Corin’s work:

• “For The Light I Wait”, Corin’s beautiful 2020 collaboration with Sharon Cheslow and Julia Holter
• The Center Won’t Hold – Sleater-Kinney
• Price Tag – Sleater-Kinney
• Axemen – Heavens To Betsy
  
  You can find more of Corin’s work by visiting Sleater-Kinney and Filthy Friends around the internet and following her on Twitter.

---

Corin Recommends:

“Saint Cloud” by Waxahatchee, the music of Khruangbin and Chicano Batman and “Jaime” by Brittany Howard.

---

Corin Tucker is a singer, songwriter and guitarist, best known for her work with rock band Sleater-Kinney. She started her career playing in influential early 90s band Heavens to Betsy, has released solo music as The Corin Tucker Band and collaborates with REM’s Peter Buck in Filthy Friends.

This podcast is 100% powered by my Correspondent’s Club. Thanks to every single member for your support!

New to my musical world?

+ Get two free songs music immediately by joining my mailing list.

+ I send a thoughtful weekly email every Thursday – join The Correspondent’s Club on a free or paid tier to receive it.

+ 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.

+ You can also follow me around the web, on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Have a lovely day xo