Blog
Colin Blunstone and The Zombies
Colin Blunstone: “The Zombies were a school band really.” An archive interview with Colin Blunstone taking in: The Zombies; recording Odessey and Oracle in Abbey Road; 40th Anniversary celebrations of the album; recording his first solo singles in 1969 under the name Neil MacArthur; his first three solo albums (One Year, Ennismore and Journey); working on 1972’s ‘I Don't Believe in Miracles’ with arranger Christopher Gunning; good song-writing; taking care of his voice; the rights to The Zombies’ recordings and much more.
Rollerskate Skinny – Interview
“We don’t need luck, we need hits” - Ken Griffin. Another archive interview. This one is with Rollerskate Skinny’s Ken Griffin and it was broadcast on Cork Campus Radio back in late 1996. Ken chats about the critical response to Horsedrawn Wishes and the band’s plans for a third album. In the interview Ken is quite frustrated by the business side of the industry and particularly the lack of promotion by Warner Bros. for the album.
Damien Jurado – Interview
Back in 2005 Damien Jurado played Whelan’s in Dublin in support of his sixth album, On My Way To Absence. He was a really gracious interviewee and happily chatted about how he got into music: “I stole my first bass at 13 from school and taught myself how to play an entire Black Flag record, that’s pretty much how it all started, I then started writing my own songs.”
Sufjan Stevens – Interview
From the Archives: I interviewed Sufjan on 27 October, 2004 prior to his gig at the Douglas Hyde Gallery in Trinity College, Dublin. Seven Swans was just out and in this old interview for Songs To Learn And Sing on 103.2 Dublin City FM. Sufjan chats about recording the album with Daniel Smith of The Danielson Famile. Sufjan had moved to New York to complete a creative writing class but met Daniel and started focusing more on his music.
Guy Chadwick – Interview
Guy Chadwick released Lazy, Soft & Slow his debut (and only) solo album in February 1998, five years after Audience With the Mind, the last album by The House of Love. Lazy, Soft & Slow is one of those great albums that just gets better and better with age. I go back to it every couple of years and I’m always blown away by its subtle beauty.
Richmond Fontaine – Radio Session + Interviews
I recently remembered that Willy Vlautin and Dan Eccles from Richmond Fontaine had recorded a radio session for Songs To Learn And Sing, my radio show on 103.2 Dublin City FM, back in 2010. I found the session on an old hard-drive and then found two other old interviews with Willy on an old mini-disc.