First Impressions

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  First Impressions – Douglas Berman – Episode 14 (re-edit) 26.04.2026 1ч 14мин

  *Originally released 20 January 2022*Literature helped the New York-based writer and academic Douglas Berman escape from his troubled early years but he struggled to find the confidence to write. Success as a teacher and lawyer waylaid him further but now – helped by his extensive reading and dazzling wordsmithery – he is fully focused on poetry and prose, and the pandemic diary that has helped him stay on track over the last couple of years. In Episode 14 of First Impressions, which kicks off Season 2, we learn about Doug's writing life; some inspiring authors who ducked the limelight; the home invasion that led to him writing a short story now being translated into Japanese; how writing workshops and a book group formed in Hong Kong renewed his vigour; the advantages of taking the New York subway, and much else besides. Doug shares his writing advice and reads extracts from his diary throughout the show, seasoning his insights and meditations with poetry from Allen Ginsberg and Frank O’Hara. Rarely short of wit and wisdom, Doug concludes our chat by improvising a Christmas message for Boris Johnson and sharing his new year's resolution for 2022.
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  First Impressions minis – ‘Royal Response’ – from Episode 6 – From Argentina with Love 02.04.2026

  Hello! And welcome to First Impressions minis, a curated collection of favourite tunes from my First Impressions podcast series thus far. Featuring a mix of voices, samples, beats and (occasional) live bass, the episode from which each tune has been plucked is referenced in the description – naturally, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to the episode in full if you haven’t already. A like and follow on whichever platform you listen on is always appreciated. Thank you!  
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  First Impressions minis – ‘Alan Bennett x The Casio song’ – from Episodes 3 and 17 – Time and Soundscape 31.03.2026 4мин

  Hello! And welcome to First Impressions minis, a curated collection of favourite tunes from my First Impressions podcast series thus far. Featuring a mix of voices, samples, beats and (occasional) live bass, the episode from which each tune has been plucked is referenced in the description – naturally, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to the episode in full if you haven’t already. A like and follow on whichever platform you listen on is always appreciated. Thank you!  
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  First Impressions minis – ‘Confession’ – from Episode 9 – Mixtape 27.03.2026

   Hello! And welcome to First Impressions minis, a curated collection of favourite tunes from my First Impressions podcast series thus far. Featuring a mix of voices, samples, beats and (occasional) live bass, the episode from which each tune has been plucked is referenced in the description – naturally, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to the episode in full if you haven’t already. A like and follow on whichever platform you listen on is always appreciated. Thank you!  
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  First Impressions minis – ‘Friend’ – from Episode 17 – Soundscape 27.03.2026 1мин

  Hello! And welcome to First Impressions minis, a curated collection of favourite tunes from my First Impressions podcast series thus far. Featuring a mix of voices, samples, beats and (occasional) live bass, the episode from which each tune has been plucked is referenced in the description – naturally, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to the episode in full if you haven’t already. A like and follow on whichever platform you listen on is always appreciated. Thank you!  
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  First Impressions minis – ‘Chez Longue’ – from Episode 12 – Humour Burger 26.03.2026 2мин

  Hello! And welcome to First Impressions minis, a curated collection of favourite tunes from my First Impressions podcast series thus far. Featuring a mix of voices, samples, beats and (occasional) live bass, the episode from which each tune has been plucked is referenced in the description – naturally, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to the episode in full if you haven’t already. A like and follow on whichever platform you listen on is always appreciated. Thank you!  
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  First Impressions minis - 'Old School Rave' - from Episode 19 - Chincast 25.03.2026 1мин

  Hello! And welcome to First Impressions minis, a curated collection of favourite tunes from my First Impressions podcast series thus far. Featuring a mix of voices, samples, beats and (occasional) live bass, the episode from which each tune has been plucked is referenced in the description – naturally, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to the episode in full if you haven’t already. A like and follow on whichever platform you listen on is always appreciated. Thank you!  
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  First Impressions - Trevor Shepherd (of Aigars & The Eel) - Episode 32 03.03.2026 58мин

  Based in Kendal, where he works in mental health, Trevor Shepherd (aka Trev) has been playing guitar and composing music since he was a teenager. Currently helping propel contemporary indie-rock outfit Aigars and the Eel to new heights alongside singer-songwriter Sean Moore, and long-time collaborator, bassist Richard (aka Rich) Wilson, Trev was previously the frontman and leading force behind The Dead Letters, a band that likewise included Rich on bass, but also featured my brother Guy on drums and me briefly miscast as a ruthless rock n’ roll manager who made them a fort.. oh, hold on.   Music included in this episode: Aigars & The Eel perform Me and You (00:00), Just Hold on to Me (11:49), Barry (17:50) and Makes You Sad (49:44); The Dead Letters perform Social (32:46) and Not Quite With Me Yet (38:10) either side of a very special Mike Humphreys-penned sketch featuring our beloved Pete and Dud (34:21).Huge thanks to Mike for contributing once more to First Impressions! As well as his creative friendships with Guy and Rich, Trev and I also discuss his wide-ranging influences, wedding bands, living in the Lakes, being followers of a certain football team, and much else besides. Find Aigars & the Eel on Spotify here.And on Facebook here. 
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  First Impressions - The Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion (feat. Guy Zeek) - Episode 31 26.11.2025 49мин

  Episode 31 of First Impressions is based around a transatlantic chat with Guy Zeek of Decaying Leather as the family band look forward to the release of their latest LP in December. As well as snippets of songs such as the Mikey Mandolin co-write ‘Remedy’, drummer Gus’s beautiful rendition of ‘Blackbird’ and bassist Bulduzzi’s Spanish language debut (okay, only in the chorus) ‘Tan humana q' duele’, the episode also contains some (very) early attempts at comedy from Guy and Pete via an old cassette found by Gus in the ‘80s compartment of the family archive. The lads discuss the live gigs Guy has most enjoyed playing at, including one with the amazing Dead Letters at the peak of their powers (listen out for clips of their songs Tug of War and Until Your Dying Time with Guy pounding the drums behind musical maestros Trev and Rich). Other inspirations cited are Damon Albarn, Joan as Policewoman and Billy Cobham. Guy also discusses his guitar collection and plans to ‘pay it forward’ by volunteering to teach music at a youth club (‘youthie’) in Canada, where once on the Wirral he received coaching from guitar and drums by older mentors. Best listened to through headphones, the recording on Guy’s side is a bit quiet in the last 15 mins, so PUMP UP THE VOLUME!Decaying Leather on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/decaying-leatherThe Deadletters were the brainchild of Kendal-based musician Trevor Shepherd: https://soundcloud.com/trevor-shepherd-musicJude Edwin Scott’s website: https://judeedwinscott.comBilly Cobham’s Red Baron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_wQAhBcPEUAfrica Express - 'Soledad' ft. Damon Albarn, Luisa Almaguer, Joan as Police Woman & more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRRu4CBZxss
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  First Impressions - Northern Textures - Episode 30 18.10.2025 29мин

  The first First Impressions of 2025 is a northern soundscape interwoven with spoken word pieces from me and original music from Bonbon Experiment and Ocean in a Bottle. It takes its title from Lancaster Textures, a photo-poetry collab from Brad Cheek launched at Assembly Arts earlier this year. Most field recordings were made around the city or on counter-demonstrations elsewhere. It was good to dust off the Kenobi impression for the swear warning and work in a new, shortish (30-min) format. Sense that’s the way forward! More episodes in the pipeline. As this is another soundscape show, best listened to through headphones.Link to Bonbon Experiment’s (Adrian’s) music: https://bonbonexperiment.bandcamp.comLink to Ocean in a Bottle’s (Andy’s) music: https://oceaninabottle.bandcamp.comLink to Brad’s photo/video work: https://bradverts.co.uk/multimedia/Link to Adrian’s latest book: https://www.confingopublishing.uk/product-page/loners-by-adrian-slatcher-with-images-by-steven-heatonLink to Sleeve Notes project for record store day: https://sleeve-notes.bandcamp.com/album/sleeve-notes-new-writing-and-music-to-celebrate-record-store-dayLink to my latest books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Peter-Humphreys/author/B06ZZ1MKWQAndy’s Substack: https://andynartist.substack.com Adrian’s Substack: https://adrianslatcher.substack.com
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  First Impressions – Poetry Special #1 – Episode 15 (re-edit) 30.04.2025 1ч 31мин

  *Originally released 24 March 2022*Put away your preconceptions, open your ears, plug in your headphones, and get ready for the first of two poetry-themed episode of the podcast. To established poet Jacqueline Saphra, a driving force behind the fundraising project Poets for Ukraine, poetry is a form of prayer; moreover ‘poems can’t lie’. Jacqueline recalls Russian poet Anna Akhmatova (18:15) and reads Sonnet 56 from her ‘One Hundred Lockdown Sonnets’ (21:18).My second guest, the Manchester-based poet Lisa O’Hare, took a chance on poetry after leaving the workplace and her enthusiasm and talent took her to unexpected heights during lockdown where the irreverent and insightful poems she shared on Instagram connected with followers far and wide. Lisa reads ‘When I met Poetry’ (32:23), ‘Identity’ (39:07) and ‘A Positive Poem’ (45:50); the latter two having also been broadcast on BBC Manchester. Lisa and I also discuss the poetry workshops she is running and the influence of Kae Tempest and others.My third guest, Andy N, is a prolific poet and musician whose poems feature in the anthologies ‘Rainbows in a Jar’ and ‘neurodiVERSE’. We discuss the Speak Easy spoken word event he helps organise, writing about dyslexia and dyspraxia, and his experiences in Brazil as a young man. Andy reads ‘Between then and now: A life before and after the discovery of dyspraxia ‘ (58:37), ‘Ghosts into Negatives: Dreams of Brazil, 1995’ (1:02:37) and the flash fiction piece ‘Mannequin and Chips’ (1:07:30). Music from Andy’s ambient music project Ocean in a Bottle is also featured. He hosts the Spoken Label podcast.My final guest this time round is poet and flash fiction specialist Amanda Nicholson who hosts the long-running podcast Reading in Bed, and regularly broadcasts and runs writing workshops with husband, Andy N. Amanda reads her flash fiction piece ‘Revenge of the Mannequin’ (1:20:29) and the poems ‘Seagulls of the Gym’ (1:25:48) and ‘Vultures of the Gym’ (1:28:26). Amanda’s darkly humorous work has also appeared on BBC Manchester and her poetry collections ‘Pieces of Me’ and ‘Love, Dates and Other Nightmares’ and novel ‘Ghost of Me’ are available to buy.A huge thanks to my guests for taking part, and to you for listening. Do give the podcast a rating/some stars/a nice review if you’re enjoying it, it really helps spread the word.Poets for Ukraine https://www.facebook.com/PoetsForUkraine  JW3 (venue for Sunday’s Poets for Ukraine event) https://www.jw3.org.uk/whats-on/poets-ukraine-gala#Hope and Aid (for Ukraine) https://www.gofundme.com/f/poets-hope-and-aidGoods for Good (for Ukraine) https://www.gofundme.com/f/poets-goods-for-goodJacqueline Saphra’s website https://jacquelinesaphra.wordpress.comLockdown Life: A Rollercoaster of Emotions by Lisa O’Hare https://masterhousepublishing.com/shop/ols/products/lockdown-life-a-rollercoaster-of-emotions-paperback-lisa-ohare Lisa O’Hare’s website https://lisaoharewriter.comVerbose at the King’s Arm in Salford https://www.facebook.com/VerboseMcr/Speak Easy at Dulcimer in Chorlton https://www.facebook.com/groups/31201313119/NeurodiVERSE anthology (featuring Andy N) https://flapjackpress.co.uk/shop/neurodiverseBBC Upload opportunity https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3MPFWlx0dyTF9ZqQ6ljycgD/aboutAndy N’s readings on Bandcamp https://andyn.bandcamp.comSpoken Label podcast https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/spoken-label-andy-n-Qw1i5NKg6_Z/Reading in Bed podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/reading-in-bed/id1501554795Amanda’s website (as Amanda Steel) https://amandasteelwriter.wordpress.com/amanda-steel-copywriting-ghostwriting-blurbs-proofreading-editing/
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  First Impressions – Humour Burger – Episode 12 (re-edit) 30.04.2025 1ч 6мин

  *Originally released 9 September 2021*Go on, have a nibble on Episode 12 of First Impressions, boldly entitled Humour Burger. It’s your last serving for a while and features an array of experimental dishes to suit all tastes, particularly if you like your comedy medium rare (i.e. weird and wonderful). Most sketches are 2-3 minutes long so you can either listen in bite-sized chunks or dive straight into the tangy homemade relish and see what happens.Best listened to through headphones, you’ll hear some familiar voices from previous episodes throughout the pod among tall tales involving indie pop reunions, murderous soft toys, and psychogeography, plus candid confessions that incorporate online dating, hoarding, and Will Self. There’s also a Pete n’ Dud reunion, an exclusive Batson Bargreaves interview, and much more. Consult the contents list below if you wish to avoid (or listen exclusively to) the more explicit fare [E]. As you’d expect, this episode is also full-to-bursting of original and classic comedy-appropriate music. Stay subscribed ready for Season 2 of First Impressions due in early 2022. If you’d like to be a guest on the new series, let me know.Thanks for listening!  Chez Longue (0:00) / Cutesy Bear (4:00) [E] / Memes (7:08) [E] / Psychogeography, 1/2 (08:43) / Bunged up (15:27) [E] / Gold (17:20) / Pete and Dud (18:02) / Walter and Estelle 1/3 (22:20) / Monkey Scribbling advert (22:43) / Dicks by Eoghan Walls (25:49) [E] / How to make a Million, 1/2 (26:50) / Oriental Rug Cleaning (28:42) / Action Man Doll (29:18) [E] / Walter and Estelle 2/3 (31:37) / Batson Bargreaves interview (32:15) [E] / Sponsorship (35:55) [E] / How to make a Million, 2/2 (38:30) [E] / Same-namers, 1/2 (41:27) [E] / Walter and Estelle, 3/3 (46:53) / The Hoarder (47:34) / Psychogeography, 2/2 (50:42) [E] / Same-namers, 2/2 (56:53).Episode 12 writers/performers: Peter Humphreys, Garth Simmons, Mike Humphreys, Eoghan Walls, Maria Roberts, Richard PyeGarth appears in the seminal podcast ⁠Semi⁠, brought to you by Slanderhour.Garth’s collection of stories, ⁠Hole Punch⁠, is out soon in paperback. Find out more about Eoghan’s poetry collection, Pigeon Songs, ⁠here⁠.Maria’s Penguin-published paperback Single Mother on the Verge continues to win new fans. Read about it ⁠here⁠.Richard appears on the humorous ‘90s letter-reading podcast, ⁠Monkey Scribbling⁠.My novel ⁠Hong Kong Rocks⁠ is available in the usual places.Check social media (@theworddiver on Instagram) for news of the Mancaster Rocks reading event on Weds 20 October at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester.
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  First Impressions - Gareth Stevens - Episode 7 14.04.2025 53мин

  Episode 7 of First Impressions features the writer and musical maven Gareth Stevens. Based in Saint Leonards on the sunny south coast of the UK, Gareth writes for Hastings Independent Press and in 2019 covered both the increasingly violent protests in Hong Kong (8:36) and climate justice in Mozambique (17:00) for Perfect Bound magazine. He is also a skilled conga player and drummer who has played with some of the best in the business, here and in Hong Kong (where he was part of Banda Orbita). Gareth’s son is the drum and bass maestro Workforce, half of duo SpectraSoul, and host of the Must Make podcast. In the rich musical accompaniment to the pod, you will hear Workforce (37:45), the Mozambiquan hip-hop artist Azagaia (24:00), and Latin jazz from Gareth’s former bandmate Alonso Gonzalez (33:57). All this and we haven’t even mentioned the ‘Frank Off’ that forms the middle section of the show between myself and another Frank Spencer impersonator (25:55), nor the extract from Look Twice Down Ladder Street (15:52), my crime yarn set in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, which was published as part of the Hong Kong Gothic anthology in 2014. Gareth also provides his book recommendations (43:00), an introduction to transcendental meditation (40:30) and relays encounters with the great and good ranging from Motorhead to Tony Adams. Pour yourself a glass of something nice, and enjoy!Gareth’s writing in the Hastings Independent Press:https://www.hastingsindependentpress.co.uk/?s=Gareth+stevensGareth performing with Banda Orbita in Hong Konghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyTU3AoouEw&t=34sRichard Avedon (photographer)https://www.avedonfoundation.org/the-workNicola Longobardi (photographer)https://www.facebook.com/pg/Nicola-Longobardi-Photography-472784846432249/posts/Hong Kong Gothic (fiction anthology)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hong-Kong-Gothic-Edmund-Price-ebook/dp/B00Q9F6U8GJusticia Ambiental (organisation campaigning for climate justice)https://www.foei.org/member-groups/africa-2/mozambiqueMauro Pinto (photographer)https://www.afronova.com/artists/mauro-pinto-2/Gonçalo Mabunda (sculptor)https://www.artsy.net/artist/goncalo-mabundaAzagaia (hip-hop artist)https://www.dw.com/en/azagaia-the-undisputed-hero-of-mozambican-hip-hop/av-52016880Alonso Gonzalez (Latin jazz)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE4OyMkGqMoWorkforce (drum and bass artist)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2PnBnx6BVQMust Make (podcast)https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkGGLJixmLLnUKzxqcN8tDQMaya Angelou (poet/writer)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqo50LSZ0Frank Spencer (comedic creation)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFLpwRMS00g
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  First Impressions - The Writing Journey (feat. Douglas Berman) - Episode 29 24.09.2024 59мин

  The second of two special episodes based around the craft of writing, Ep. 29 of First Impressions features more chat with Brooklyn-based author Douglas Berman as we turn to travel writing, both of us having lived in the Far East and written about our experiences there to some degree. We discuss the risks and benefits of bearing witness to a place as outsiders and how well-known authors like DH Lawrence and George Orwell have fared doing the same, as well as the expectations that come with setting fiction in a particular time and/or place.  Poetry is also discussed and Doug chooses a travel-related Derek Walcott poem, The Castaway, to share. Within the conversation there is news of the second of my two novels forthcoming on Pine Goat – The Neighbours, a speculative thriller set in a fictional northern town in which a community finds themselves with unanticipated superpowers. I read an extract from The Neighbours at 44:16 while Doug shares his short pieces ‘Taiwan in the New Year’ (13:56) and ‘Iced Sausages’ (21:35) plus a poem of his own (54:12).   A giveaway of the audiobook version of my last published novel Hong Kong Rocks is mentioned. Drop me a line at [email protected] if you’d like more details of that. Some links to topics we covered:  More reflections on DH Lawrence’s Morning in Mexico DH Lawrence’s Studies in Classic American Literature examined On author David TK Wong's life and work More about Eileen Chang's life and work Details of Garth Simmons’ two books Hole Punch and The Men in My Life can be found via his Instagram page, which is an excellent follow.  Hong Kong Rocks audiobook available on Google Play/other audiobook platforms.
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  First Impressions - Lasting Impressions (feat. Douglas Berman) - Episode 28 10.09.2024 49мин

  The first of two special episodes loosely based around the craft of writing, Episode 28 of First Impressions features a wide-ranging, relaxed but insightful conversation with Brooklyn-based author Douglas Berman recorded in July. We reflect on what’s changed in the world and in our writing lives since we last spoke for the podcast back in December 2021. We also talk about the reading that’s inspired our work, writing techniques (from the epistolary to the horizontal) and while I share excerpts from my new autobiographical short story Countdown, at (07:10) and (21:02), and recently published poem, Anti-algorithm Technique (47:55), Doug reads extracts from the three novels he has been working on, with locations ranging from San Francisco to the Midwest and beyond at (32:22), (34:51) and (38:16). Fresh in the mind was my trip to Canada in March 2024. The show opens with a song recorded there with my brother (feat. former guest Mike Teague on guitar) and a trip to an Edmonton rock pub is included in one of my story snippets. Ukraine is also in our thoughts and features in the work and in our chat. A mid-point meander into music past and present is accompanied by some beats and effects (27:06). The Wordarium Journal is available here, containing the work of 48 local poets. Escape2Make, ‘a charity dedicated to helping 11–18-year-olds in the Lancaster & Morecambe area’ who provided the artwork for the journal.  Andrey Kurkov’s Grey Bees  Andrey Kurkov’s Diary of an Invasion Natalia Ginzberg’s Family Lexicon Timothy Snyder’s Our Malady 
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  First Impressions - Reading, Writing and Rhythmetic (feat. Andy N and Amanda Nicholson) - Episode 27 27.02.2024 24мин

  The first First Impressions of 2024 features reflections on catching (and keeping) Spanish Covid (02:00), a duo of daft poems – Anti-Algorithm Technique (11:15) and Running Backwards (16:50) recently performed at Spoken Word (Manchester) and Wordarium (Lancaster); extracts from Andy N’s debut novel Birth (07:35 and 19:20), plus some Conversations with my Unicorn (13:57) courtesy of Amanda Nicholson. As usual there are also musical meanderings to complement the readings – inc. Content Creator (00:00) and Algorhythmz (13:26) – and the podcast is best listened to through headphones. News of a new podcast soon. In the meantime, enjoy! 
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  First Impressions - 50 Burger (feat. Guy Humphreys) - Episode 26 21.11.2023 59мин

  Here’s a bit of a belated birthday banquet (with an emphasis on veggie burgers) for those who missed the buffet in the Borough – and those who didn’t. A few bits and bobs that I hope will be of interest to your ears including (surprise surprise) readings, music, chat and impressions. The undoubted highlight is a conversation with my brother, Guy, about his life as a teacher and dad in Canada, and how he’s managed to record and arrange songs for our long-running (est. 1989) family band. Decaying Leather’s latest album, ‘The Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion’, will be released later this year and will be followed by a LIVE date in Edmonton in 2024 (you heard it here first…) We discuss the whys and wherefores of the covers we’ve attempted this time round (which include our dad’s wonderful rendering of McCartney’s ‘Blackbird’, plus tunes from Joan As Policewoman and Tom and Jude Edwin-Scott). Also how we manage to create new music under pressure as a way of diarising our lives and brotherhood; how Guy has introduced music to the classroom; his love of drumming, and how his songwriting now compares to that in his 20s. There are also reflections on our affinity with the north of England, and their most famous sons (those being the Beatles and – okay, we’re biased – OMD). In addition, this special birthday edition includes a scattering of poems and extracts from my new, Santa Fe-set short story, ‘280 Cactus Flower Ridge’. As ever, best listened to through headphones! Timings of spoken word stuff: ’280 Cactus Flower Ridge’ (extract) (1/2) (00:19) ‘Talking in code on the train’ (direct from my notebook) (03:47); ‘The Unexpected City’ (out-of-tune guitar/Maria Martinez film intro/found sounds at US airport) (05:50), ‘Lucy on an autumn morning’ (poem) (51:44), ‘And With It’ (poem) (56:34), ‘280 Cactus Flower Ridge’ (extract) (2/2) (57:45). Timings of Decaying Leather song snippets: ‘Tattoos’ (20:10), ‘One of those Days’ (22:29), ‘The Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion’ (15:23 & 25:22), ‘Warning Bell’ (27:42), ‘Fill Your Soul’ (30:43), ‘Darker Tomato’ (34:14), ‘Blackbird’ (41:11), ‘People of the World’ (Guy solo) (43:45). ‘ID Ideology’ (46:03), ‘Digging Holes’ (50:00). If you’d like to get in touch about the pod or my writing work, drop me a DM or email me via [email protected] ‘Warning Bell’ by Joan As Policewoman The Jude and Tom Edwin-Scott Band on Spotify Jude Edwin-Scott website & tour dates ‘Blackbird’ by The Beatles OMD’s website & tour dates  OMD on Jules Holland ‘Shine on you Crazy Diamond’, cover version in Jerusalem mentioned by Guy
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  First Impressions - Lancelot Schaubert (Part 2) - Episode 25 04.05.2023 1ч 9мин

  In Episode 25 of First Impressions, I welcome back novelist Lancelot Schaubert for the second part of our chat. Now living in Brooklyn but hailing from Southern Illinois, where his excellent debut novel ‘Bell Hammers: The True Folk Tale of Little Egypt’ is set, Lance has kindly shared some more extracts from the freshly minted audiobook to punctuate our conversation (find them at 00:00, 13:48, 39:34 and 48:15). Along with the novel, we discuss his influences both literary and philosophical, and his thoughts on subjects ranging from Artificial Intelligence to learning Latin; civil discourse to snipe hunting, the latter topic inspiring me to provide a wee musical ditty at 23:39. We also talk about the follow-up to ‘Bell Hammers’, which began as a collaboration with Lance’s late father, whose untimely death from hairy cell leukaemia and Covid was partly caused by the dangerous and insufficiently regulated work described in his fiction. Finally, we talk about a terrifying situation Lance and his wife faced on their last visit to the UK. As ever, listen through headphones if you have them and please spread the word if you enjoy the pod. Thanks!  A few links to content connected to our conversation:  Lance’s website: https://lanceschaubert.org/about-lancelot/  Lance’s book ‘Bell Hammers: The True Folk Tale of Little Egypt’ on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Bell-Hammers-Audiobook/B0BXVS1WKQ ‘Bell Hammers…’ on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/48731251  Douglas Berman’s short story ‘Ibex Brief’ on Lance’s website: https://lanceschaubert.org/2023/05/03/ibex-brief/ David Bentley Hart’s Substack: https://davidbentleyhart.substack.com Lance’s ‘All Who Wander’ album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1QOE2t9zAKJjz8VySZJvRq?si=jMJNFiwDRAa2QvWmbdjwiA Jude Edwin-Scott’s new album, ‘Rambling Rose’, available as CD/digital download on Bandcamp:  https://judeedwinscott.bandcamp.com/album/rambling-rose?pk=595&action=buy
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  First Impressions - Lancelot Schaubert - Episode 24 19.04.2023 59мин

  Novelist, poet, essayist, singer-storyteller and host of 12-hour marathon Brooklyn brunches Lancelot Schaubert joined me from New York for this episode of First Impressions. Lance also kindly shared some extracts from his widely praised, picaresque debut novel ‘Bell Hammers: The True Folk Tale of Little Egypt’, which while bitingly contemporary in a number of its themes has already been compared to the classic works of fellow southern US authors William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor.  His literary endeavours having appeared in Tor, The New Haven Review, McSweeney’s and elsewhere, Lance is in a great position to offer advice to other scribes. As well as digging into his novel, we discuss how he has maintained creative control of his projects; his influences and – off the back of the captivatingly performed audiobook of ‘Bell Hammers’ – how writers can best use their skill sets to publicise their output. Audio extracts from the novel, in which we follow the unusual courtship of protagonist Remmy and his beloved Beth, can be found at 00:00, 09:23, 18:14, 37:36 and 47:19 mins.   We also discuss – in no particular order – the correct way to pronounce ‘Illinois’; the environmental exploitation of small communities; Lance’s recent release of a Leonard Cohen cover; how Neil Gaiman got the Little Egypt mythology wrong in ‘American Gods’; some essential reading when it comes to non-violent resistance through the ages; the surprises Lance uncovered while interviewing his grandfathers for ‘Bell Hammers’; sci-fi, myth and modernism and how we should avoid restricting ourselves when it comes to telling stories, and the narrative thread that runs throughout my guest’s fiction and songwriting. If you enjoy this episode, don’t forget to like/subscribe/review. Cheers!   A few links to content connected to our conversation:  Lance’s website  Lance’s book ‘Bell Hammers’ on Audible  Lance covers Leonard Cohen’s ‘Democracy’  Lance’s ‘All Who Wander’ album Your Audio Story, run by Jeremiah Jones, Lance’s podcast producer  More about Southern Illinois  More about the origins of the Little Egypt name Antal Szerb’s ‘Journey by Moonlight’ (trans. Peter V. Czipott)  Jim Dale on narrating the Harry Potter audiobooks  Sufjan Stevens, ‘Come on Feel the Illinoise’  ‘Bloody Williamson: A Chapter in American Lawlessness’ by Paul M. Angle  ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’ by Joseph Campbell  Dr Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail ‘Letters to a Birmingham Jail: A Response to the Words and Dreams of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’ by Bryan Loritts, John Perkins, Crawford W. Loritts Jr. and Soong-Chan Rah:   ‘Beautiful Trouble – A Toolbox for Revolution’, assembled by Andrew Boyd  The Non-violence and Satyagraha of Mahatma Gandhi ‘The Power of Nonviolence’, introduced by Howard Zinn ‘Why Civil Resistance Works’ by Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan ‘When War is Unjust: Being Honest in Just-War Thinking’ by John Howard Yoder ‘The Dark Tower’ (book series) by Stephen King ‘American Gods’ by Neil Gaiman Cōnfingō Publishing – an evening of spoken word in Chorlton, Manchester on 20th May 2023. 
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  First Impressions - Mike Teague (Part 2) - Episode 23 26.03.2023 56мин

  In Episode 23 of First Impressions I resume my conversation with musician/songwriter, adventurer, woodworker, sustainable architect and organic farmer Mike Teague. In this, the second of two episodes to feature him, Mike reflects on being part of the Liverpool music scene in the early 2000s where he played with Guy and Karim as Pig’s Breakfast (rehearsing below a chippy), lent his guitar to The Coral when they set off on tour and played 5-a-side with The Zutons before wanderlust came calling again and he moved first to the ‘Dickensian’ Isle of Sark (being welcomed into the fold by folk band Big Sheep), then later New Zealand (twice) and London (first squatting near Canary Wharf, later living in digs beside Brixton prison) before applying the brakes on the Hungarian riviera where he and Aniko began the Acorn Village Project a few years ago. As the 2000s sped by, Mike also found time for a road trip through Southern Africa, recording sessions in Ireland with great friends Ro Tierney and Robbie Mulvany, and an epic journey to Guy’s wedding in Alberta, Canada, with James, where high jinks awaited us before the happy day. Wherever he’s gone, Mike has made enduring friendships through music and this episode is jam-packed with excellent tunes (listed below). While discussing life’s twists and turns, we talk about the bonds that form through jamming, writing and performing with others before signing off with a Decaying Leather update and (possibly) the origins of the Humph family band’s name. A quick reminder to listen to First Impressions through headphones to fully enjoy the mix of music and chat guaranteed in every episode.  Track listing: (00:00) ‘Paradise Shiddy: Live at Brixton Prison’ by the Maybenots (06:21) ‘Science of the Air’ by Pig’s Breakfast* (10:15) ‘Oyez Piglets!’ by Pig’s Breakfast (19:28) ‘The Boatman’ performed by Big Sheep  (23:13) ‘Nelson Flipflop’ performed by Tinkletrio (29:02) ‘A Case of You’ performed by Big Sheep  (32:48) ‘The Voice’ performed by Ro Tierney (with Robbie, Mike & band) (39:01) ‘I’ve Just Seen a Face’ performed by the Carrick Trio (40:41) ‘Improv 1 (While it’s Over)’ performed by the Maybenots  (44:04) ‘Surf Rock’ performed by Mike’s Supergroup in Hungary (45:00) ‘Raglin Demo’ performed by the Pilis Projekt (46:08) ‘Ukrainian Waltz’ performed by the Strathcarnage Folk Trio** (50:18) ‘Darker Tomato’ performed by Decaying Leather (56:35) ‘You are my Sunshine’ performed by the Carrick Trio (*source of band name linked to Viz’s lampooning of Victoria Beckham **source of band name linked to The Day Today football results)  A few links to content connected to our conversation: Mike on SoundCloud = https://soundcloud.com/mikeymandolin Guy on SoundCloud = https://soundcloud.com/guyzeek Ro Tierney and Robbie Mulvany perform ‘The Voice’ = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25fnNP-nIbU Jude Edwin-Scott = https://judeedwinscott.com The Coral = https://thecoral.co.uk The Zutons = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zutons