The Thin Air Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, the final in the series, we meet Laurie Shaw. Laurie's been producing albums at a prolific rate for many years and in this interview we talked about the 2022 release Sceptre, focusing on the album's lead single Captain's Log. A loose, swashbuckling song, Captain's Log gave us an opportunity to chat about Laurie's approach to DIY recording, how he visualizes his albums, and when all's said and done trying not to be worry about it too much.

You can support Laurie's music here:

https://laurieshawofficial.bandcamp.com/

Tracklisting:

1. Captain's Log

2. S Club Party (by S Club 7)

3. Johnny B. Goode (by Chuck Berry)

4. Clint Eastwood (by Gorillaz)

5. 1994

6. O Green Blood

7. Lucy

8. Arthur Pendragon

9. Camogie Girl

10. Rollover

11. Captain's Log

Episode Credits Presented & Produced by Danny Carroll

Graphic Design by Loreana Rushe

Cover Photo by Danny

In this episode we talk to Philip Christie of The Bonk about their song Future 87. First released in May 2022 and featured on their excellent 2023 LP 'Greater Than Or Equal To The Bonk', we'll hear about how the song evolved from a jam committed to a 4-Track Tape in 2017, as well as looking at the limitations and creative decisions that shaped the recording.

You can support The Bonk's music here:

https://thebonk.bandcamp.com/

Tracklisting:

1. Future 87

2. Think (by James Brown)

3. Crazy He Calls Me (by Billie Holiday)

4. Thick Lines On Thin Film

5. I Am The Resurrection (by The Stone Roses)

6. Akula Owu Onyeara (The Funkees)

7. Telstar (by The Tornados)

8. Runaway (by Del Shannon)

9. Don Quixote (by O Emperor)

10. Sedalia (by O Emperor feat. RTE Concert Orchestra)

11. Future 87 in full

Episode Credits:

Presented and Produced by Danny Carroll

Graphic Design by Loreana Rushe

Cover Photo by Danny

The premiere episode of the Thin Air Podcast Season 2 features Kerry's finest singer-songwriter Junior Brother.  With his debut album Pull The Right Rope recently named the Thin Air 2019 album of the year, Ronan Kealy speaks to Danny Carroll about the song's origin and recording process.  We also hear from the song's producer Chris Barry (Ailfionn Studios), as well as cellist Claire Kinsella (Lemoncello).

Music Featured:

1. The Back Of Her (2018)

2. Hungover At Mass (2017)

3. You Make A Fine Picture (2016)

4. The Back Of Her Demo (2016)

5. Parasite - Nick Drake (1972)

6. Solid Air (live) - John Martyn (1978)

7. Sprout And The Bean - Joanna Newsom (2004)

Presented & Produced by Danny Carroll

The Thin Air podcast returns with a distinguished elder statesman of indie rock - David Gedge of The Wedding Present. John Peel favourites and jangle-pop pioneers The Wedding Present emerged from Leeds in the late 1980s with their scrappy and lyrical debut album 'George Best'. A unique blend of bitter melodrama and everyday mundanity, it's an urgent record that revels in the melancholy of small town life.

From their C86 roots the band went to be bona fide indie-popstars, charting no less than 12 singles in the UK top 40 in 1992, and becoming a regular anomaly in the shiny world of Top Of The Pops. To date Gedge has released nine albums under the Wedding Present name, with most recent LP 'Going, Going...' sounding as vital and clever as their earliest material. For the Thin Air podcast, David Gedge spoke to Danny Carroll in the midst of a 'George Best' 30th anniversary tour. Looking back on the debut album, he speaks about the personal nature of the songs, the development of the band's sound and the connection between his past and present.

This week Danny Carroll meets Antrim singer-songwriter Stevie Scullion (Malojian).  From his home studio, Stevie talks about the album's title track 'Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home'.  Clocking in at nearly six minutes, the song is a Grandaddy inspired epic, featuring bubbling keyboards, strings, brass, and layer upon layer of vocals.  For the Thin Air podcast, we hear about the song's evolution, featuring an early demo, and listening to elements of the finished song in isolation.

Danny Carroll meets Dublin folk miscreants Lankum to discuss their mournfully epic song 'Granite Gaze'. Along with producer Spud, the group talk through the lyrical origins of the song, listen back to an early demo, and highlight individual elements of the song's swelling arrangement.

Yoni Wolf, singer and songwriter with the Cincinnati group Why? speaks to Danny Carroll for the Thin Air Podcast. Ahead of returning to Ireland, to play the Button Factory (September 17th) and Roisin Dubh (September 19th), Wolf chats about his early attempts at rapping, articulating anxiety and his recent attempts to convey positivity in song.

The interview was recorded at the Glasgow CCA - 8th June 2017.

Songs featured: 1. Good Friday (Boards Of Canada Remix - 2008) 2. I Be Blowin' (De La Soul feat. Maceo Parker - Buhloone Mind State - 1993) 3. Bad Entropy (Oaklandazulasylum - 2003) 4. Eskimo Snow (Eskimo Snow - 2009) 5. Good Friday (Alopecia - 2008) 6. Consequence Of Nonaction (Moh Lean - 2017) 7. The Hollows (Alopecia - 2008) 8. Gemini [Birthday Song] (Elephant Eyelash - 2005) 9. Proactive Evolution (Moh Lean - 2017) 10. I Remember Me (Silver Jews - Bright Flight - 2001)

Singer-songwriter Paddy Hanna is joined by producer Daniel Fox in discussing his song 'Bad Boys' with Danny Carroll for the Thin Air Podcast.  The song features on Paddy's excellent second album 'Frankly, I Mutate'.

Greta Kline speaks to Danny Carroll for the Thin Air Podcast.

Song snippets featured:

1. Ur Up (Vessel - 2018)

2. Birthday Song (Zentropy - 2014)

3. Fool (Next Thing - 2016)

4. Too Dark (Affirms Glinting - 2014)

5. Too Dark (Next Thing - 2016)

6. Is It Possible/Sleep Song (Next Thing - 2016)

7. Jesse (Vessel - 2018)

8. Being Alive (Vessel - 2018)

9. Correctly demo (Affirms Glinting - 2014)

Today we’re meeting Natalia Beylis. Natalia was kind enough to welcome us into her home and music room in County Leitrim to talk about her album Mermaids. Released on Touch Sensitive Records in September 2023, Mermaids is an immersive collection of six ambient recordings. True to its title, the album often evokes a body of water - the calm that comes from being held on the surface of something so vast, deep and ever-evolving. Over the course of our conversation, we talk about the sound of Mermaids, the artwork, field recording and much more besides.

Support Natalia's music here:

https://nataliabeylis.bandcamp.com/

Tracklisting:

1. Mermaids

2. Spring Thaw (by Woven Skull)

3. The Garden Of Paradise (by Agathe Max and Natalia Beylis)

4. A Visit To Yasmin

5. The Lighthouse Trembles

6. Black Sea, 1967

Episode Credits:

Presented & Produced by Danny Carroll

Graphic Design by Loreana Rushe

Cover Photo by Danny