Before The Light Goes Out – Details, episodes & analysis

Laura Barnett is a best selling author, journalist, theatre critic and teacher.

Her first novel Versions of us was a Times best seller and was translated into 25 different languages. Her second novel Greatest Hits was a collaboration with songwriter Kathryn Williams. She has written a third novel Gifts and has just released another titled This Beating Heart which tackles IVF. She lives in an Oast house with her husband, son and cat and teaches at manchester university.

In this episode she talks of trying to sleep in a tree and waking to a man with NO pants on doing some Shakespeare! She talks about writing, being a mother and really gets into the conscious and sub consciousness of creativity.

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Muriel Teodori is a french psychoanalyst, writer, songwriter, film director and producer.

Her first film “ Sans Plomb” premiered at the Carbourg film fest in 2000. She has written as a journalist for Elle magazine under a pseudonym Jean Giselle. She wrote the libretto Welcome To The Voice with her husband Steve Nieve. She held a masterclass at the Cannes film festival all about the unconscious of TV characters. She has written books on philosophy and Dior.

In this episode she talks movingly about being isolated as a child, dreams and singing to her father.

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Lisa Knapp is an English folk singer, musician and songwriter.

Her singing voice has been described as crystal clear and reminiscent of Anne Briggs. She can be heard singing on the closing credits of the film Living starring bill Nighy. she’s touring in March 2023 with Marry Waterson and Nathanial Mann going under the name Hack Poets Guild. She has released three solo albums and one of my very favourite things in lockdown was her singing the weather on you tube, where she would improv a song of the day's weather forecast accompanied on harmonium.

In this episode Lisa talks about identity, illness, circadian rhythms and even sings us a lullaby.

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Leo Abrahams is an English musician, composer and producer.

He attended The Royal Academy of Music before starting his music as the lead guitarist with Imogen Heap. He has collaborated with Brian Eno, Katie Melua, Ed Harcourt, Jarvis Cocker, Chris Difford, Carl Barat, Regina Spektor, John Hopkins and Paul Simon to name a few.

He has released five studio albums which are ambient soundscapes with complex arrangements. He has co-written and arranged film soundtracks including Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones and Steve McQueen's Hunger. To be honest, I could name another hundred artists and projects but lets just say he can play piano, guitar, guitarette, bass, hurdy gurdy, omnichord and something called the guitorgan?

In this episode, Leo is happy to be tired and frustrated in order to have something to talk about. Stories include his younger self sleeping on a 45 degree angle ramp outside a flat he couldn't get into, and his big affection for hotel beds.

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The Anchoress

Catherine Ann Davies is a songwriter, author and multi instrumentalist. She has supported and duetted with the Manic Street Preachers and toured with Simple Minds, Ed Harcourt and Martha wainwright. Her album “The Art Of Losing’, was named amongst the best albums of 2021 by the Sunday Times, Record Collector and Classic Rock. 

In this episode, Catherine talks about how the things that are supposed to get you to sleep don’t really work for her, the rules of tour buses, being autistic and the luxury of a huge hotel bed.

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Sam Parton

Sam is one of the founding members of Canadian alt folk rock group The Be Good Tanyas. She has made most recently, an album with Jolie Holland called “Wildflower Blues”, that they co wrote and performed. In this episode Sam tells us about two car crashes, one of which saved her life, how she has had to adjust after brain surgery. Our conversation swerves straight into talking pre birth and post death.

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Matt is a singer songwriter. He was the front man of band Mother Earth , has played guitar for Paul Weller and Oasis. Most recently a Sky documentary tells of his career, life and how he’s the best kept secret in the music industry.

This episode was recorded back stage at the Barbican at a show we were both playing that night. The same room in fact that I interviewed Emmy the Great. You may hear the echo of the room and musicians bobbing past now and again. Matt talks about his love of podcasts and when a podcaster does the adverts themselves. He also talks about his love of all things spooktacular and ghostly and the many experiences he’s had of hauntings.

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Emmy the Great

Emma Lee Moss is an English singer songwriter who sings in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Born in Hong Kong and raised in the UK, Emmy is in the process of writing a book on Canto pop.

This episode was recorded back stage at a show at the Barbican that we were both performing at, so you can hear the bustle of musical instruments now and again, and the echo of a small dressing room. She talks about the importance of dreams and how she keeps a dream diary. 

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Clare Shaw

Clare is a British poet whose three collections are published by Bloodaxe books. She has won The Northern writers award and is co director of Kendal poetry festival. She tutors at Arvon and the Wordsworth poetry school in Grassmere. In this episode Clare talks openly about her struggle with sleep and how grief has affected that. She talks with joy about sleeper train adventures and her new found joy of simple pleasures.

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Boo Hewerdine

Boo is an Ivor Novello award nominated singer songwriter, best known for his work with Eddie Reader who made his song “Patience of Angels” an international hit. His career started as front man in 80’s band “The Bible”. He’s written for and with Sia, KDLang, Kris Drever and Chris Difford. In this episode he talks about the many hotels, b and b’s and houses he’s stayed in over the years on tour. How his resting position is angry starfish and the many times that trip advisor was right.

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