Anyone Can Play Guitar

Hello and welcome to episode 177 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is in Newcastle and zooming with Matthew Murphy of The Wombats and Love Fame Tragedy who is in LA. Ben and Murph talk about his second album from his side project Love, Fame, Tragedy. We talk about writing for this project and The Wombats, talk about the heritage of great scouse bands (there’s a few), playing live, living in LA, and much more. Even for a writer beloved by his fans for being so frank and open about his romantic failings, tempestuous marriage and issues with drugs and depression, Life Is A Killer is Murph’s truest and most lyrically raw album to date, documenting one of the most difficult years of his life. As the now sober songwriter navigates his way through balancing life as a new father of two and touring the world with The Wombats, he explores the mental struggles of managing family life amid self-destructive excess. Written in between London and LA, Murph enlisted the help of producers Jacknife Lee (U2, The Killers) and Mark Crew (Bastille, Rag N Bone Man, The Wombats) to push his sonic boundaries further than ever, with new sounds and even voice notes from his wife Akemi. As singer, guitarist and primary songwriter of The Wombats, Murph has sold over a million albums, garnered nearly 2 billion streams, and, in 2022 secured his first ever UK #1 album with the acclaimed Fix Yourself, Not The World. Thank you to Murph, Charlie and Murph’s dog for coming on and support with this episode. See you very soon for season six.

Hello and welcome to episode 176 of the ACPG podcast. This episode is the last interview of the series. But don’t worry we will be back for a new series and our much loved outro episode. In this episode Ben is zooming with J Willgoose, Esq of the fantastic Public Service Broadcasting. The talk about PSB’s new live album, approaching playing live, writing new albums, and more. A celebration of the power of radio written in recognition of the centenary of the BBC, This New Noise saw the band joining forces with the 88 piece BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jules Buckley. A standout performance from 2022’s BBC Proms, it received 5*s in The Telegraph who called it “a resonant, timely and ultimately touching show”. Founder member J. Willgoose, Esq. remixed the concert from scratch, bringing out even more depth and texture from a multi-layered performance and showing it in a new light. This New Noise is the second time Public Service Broadcasting have been commissioned for the BBC Proms. In 2019 the band performed an orchestral arrangement of their 2015 studio album The Race for Space with The Multi-Story Orchestra to mark the 50th anniversary of the first manned mission to the Moon. Thank you to J Willgoose, Esq, Jodie, and Elliott for their support with this episode.

Hello and welcome to episode 175 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zooming with Poppy from the wonderful Girl Ray. We talk about their new album Prestige (the non concept, concept album, my words not theirs). Prestige is a fictional night club where we follow the band on a night out. And a good time is had by all. We speak about the new album, touring, and watching the crowds get bigger. Thank you to Poppy, Jodie, and Elliott for the support with this episode. See you next time for the last interview of the series.

Hello and welcome to episode 174 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zooming with Finnish Musician Jaakko Eino Kalevi who was in Athens, Greece at the time of speaking. They had a great conversation about Jaakko's ninth album, Chaos Magic. They also spoke about the writing process, playing live and having a career in music. Thank you to Jaako for his time and Stasi for setting up the interview. Catch s next time when Ben is talking to Poppy from the band Girl Ray.

Hello and welcome to episode 173 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zooming with the delightful Willie J Healey. They talk about his new album Bunny, touring with the Arctic Monkeys and Jamie T, working with Yala records and more. Thank you to Jay for setting up the interview. And thank you to Willie for his time and rearranging time for a clash in Ben's diary. We have a special artist in Willie and, as I mention, new album ‘Bunny’ is something of a new dawn for him. Recorded in NYC with producer Loren Humphrey (Florence + The Machine, Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey) he stepped out of his comfort zone, pushed himself to be more honest with what he wanted to do, and ultimately discovered that there was a freedom to be found in embracing that honesty. There is a maturity and warmth to the songs here, whether he’s pondering the cost of ambition (‘Dreams’) or revisiting themes of love (‘Sure Feels Good’), contentment (‘Woke Up Smiling’) and appreciation (‘Thank You’). It’s the sound of Willie at the happiest he’s been in a while, and I think this comes from being able to strike a perfect balance between determination to create what he wants, and knowing when to accept that – whatever style of album he makes – it will always have signposts to the parts of himself that he can’t change.  Sliding into new musical territory, he welcomes hypnotic grooves, gospel harmonies and brass flourishes to support his own organic, understated falsetto. Fusing soul, rock and R&B, ‘Bunny’ is Willie J Healey waking up a dormant side of his musical world and rolling with it.

Hello and welcome to episode 172 of the ACPG Podcast. After a little mid season break we are back with a short run of episodes to finish off season five. This week Ben is zooming with Becca Mancari (they/them) who is based Nashville. We talk about Becca's third album 'Let Hand'. Which we discover has a lot of sonic hugs. A new phrase for both of us but we like it. We also cover playing live, song writing, new kits, and so much more. Thank you to Becca, Jodie, and Elliot for their support with this episode.

Hello and welcome to episode 171 of the ACPG podcast. This week Ben is zooming with Los Angeles where he spoke with Nick and Kelsey of the fantastic Local Natives. Now, I (Ben) have been a massive fan of Local Natives since their debut album Gorilla Manor and especially the songs Sun Hands and Airplanes. So it was great to talk to them about that but also the release of their new album Time Waits For No One. We spoke about the new album, record release parties, and touring, and more. The album was preceded at the tail-end of last year by the swaggering psychedelia-tinged indie-pop of ‘Just Before the Morning’ which jumped up to the B-list at 6Music, as well as seeing them doing an LA residency back in December that saw them joined on the stage by contemporaries including Best Coast, Darkside and Miya Folick. The past year or so has also seen them hit up Jimmy Kimmel twice, one of which saw them joined by Sharon Van Etten for their collaborative track ‘Lemon’, while they also headed out on a sold-out US tour last summer as well as stop-offs at Lollapalooza, Outsidelands and a bunch more staples of the US festival circuit. The band are also celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their commercial breakthrough Hummingbird album this year, which feels ripe for revisiting (it is still a total knockout). This new set finds the band linking with Grammy-winning producer John Congleton (Death Cab, Sharon Van Etten, St. Vincent) for a run of sessions across a number of historic LA studios that birthed a set of songs rooted in metamorphosis: taking in newfound fatherhood, periods of isolation, loss and identity crisis. Through it all though, the band were reminded that the constants are the people you love and - in their case - their fellow bandmates. While the album’s title Time Will Wait For No One has its ominous undertones, the sentiment at the core of the album is that your loved ones will. Can’t recommend spending a bit of headphone time with the new record enough if you get a moment, the production on it is glorious - something they’ve really honed over the four albums to date that have seen them quietly become one of the most consistently acclaimed bands of the last decade (not a single album below a 75 on Metacritic). Thank you to Nick and Kelsey, and Alex and Vanessa for all their help with this episode.

Hello and welcome to episode 170 of the ACPG podcast. This week Ben zooms with Hugh and Danny of the band Gengahr. Ben caught them in the middle of an instore tour. Or Instoring if you will. Just after the release of their fourth album Red Sun Titans. They spoke about the new album, the production, touring and so much more. ‘Red Sun Titans’ is an album that sets Gengahr on an exciting new trajectory. Having passed through the happy-to-be-here phase of debut album ‘A Dream Outside’ [2015] and traversed the baggage of adversity and tragedy that underpinned ‘Where Wildness Grows’ [2018] and ‘Sanctuary’ [2020], ‘Red Sun Titan’s sees the band wrestle free from those energies to set sail anew, in what frontman Felix Bushe says is all about “dreaming of where you could go from here.” Entering the studio with Matt Glasbey (alt-J, Coldplay) producing and mixing - with executive production by Charlie Andrew (Wolf Alice, London Grammar, Bloc Party, alt-J) – the band saw a chance to revisit the origins of where their creativity came from. The album developed out of self-analysis and resultingly is one of two distinct sides: one a naive counterpart longing to exist in a simpler state, and another about checking your ego and coming to terms with great loss. ‘Red Sun Titans’ sits at that crossroads where the past is still in view and to be learned from, but the future is there for the taking. It’s the ambitious, unrestrained and widescreen statement Gengahr have always threatened to make. Thank you to Hugh and danny for talking to us. And to Jay for sorting out the time and space. See you next week for Local Natives.

Hello and welcome to episode 169 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zooming, and nearly getting locked in work, with Freddie Cowan from Freddie and the Scenarios, and formally of The Vaccines. Ben and Freddie spoke about his debut solo album Answer Machine, touring, new directions, and a bit about The Vaccines. Freddie Cowan created Freddie & The Scenarios with the help of some of the best in Mexico City’s incredible music scene, whilst also reuniting with Vaccines’ original drummer Pete Robertson, recently more known for his production work with Beabadoobee, Nasty Cherry, Crawlers; The Vaccines’ keyboardist Tim Lanham, Laura Marling’s bassist Nick Pini, iconic Japanese guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei (Kill Bill), and producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Kings Of Leon, Ryan Adams) on percussion. Thank you to Freddie and Terry for support with this episode.

Hello and welcome to episode 168 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zooming with the one of the most relaxed men in music, JW Francis. Ben in Newcastle and JW in Paris, they spoke about this new album, touring, walking, and self-created tours. Which sounds amazing. Indie-rock, jangle, slacker, bedroom pop and softly-whirring psych combine to build his 'Dream House' - the foundations held in earthy human emotion, with a roof in the clouds. Across 12 quirky, technicolour sonic vignettes, JW Francis showcases every side of his wholesome 3D approach to guitar pop. When JW isn’t writing songs about his own life or off-kilter imagery, he writes about other people – most notably around February when he writes valentines songs on his fans’ behalf. 'Dream House' is in fact built around this collection of glorious tracks written for other people.   Thank you JW for zooming with us and thank you to Thom for setting up the interview. See you next week for Frankie Cowan of Frankie and Scenarios and The Vaccines.

Hello and welcome to episode 167 of the ACPG podcast. This week Ben is zooming with too proper geezers, Bruce and Simon of the fantastic Good Health Good Wealth. With a mix of Streetesqe spoken word vocals and dirty dirty beats. GHGW are a heading mix of Queens market and a eastern European club. And I love it (to quote them). Ben, Bruce, and Simon discuss how they good started, their approach to making music, touring and playing live, and how London influences their sound. Good Health Good Wealth are East London vocalist/songwriter/producer Bruce Breakey and Lithuania-born guitarist/producer Simon Kuzmickas; two friends who met in a central London Wetherspoons a decade ago.   Like some of the best partnerships in the history of music, there’s an odd couple quality to Good Health Good Wealth, but one that just seems to work. The pair have been winning fans with a sound that combines the poetic everyday storytelling of The Streets, Baxter Dury or Mac Miller with a taut, lightly funk influenced production style that takes its cues from everything from peak-era Neptunes productions to Justice, Daft Punk and Prince. Despite their differences, Bruce and Simon bonded over a shared love of everything from Action Bronson to Tom Waits and played together in a punk band for years. But it was when the covid pandemic struck that they decided to take things in a different direction.  With an almost spoken word delivery and knack for creating an inescapable melody, their songs have tackled everything from pining for the escape of the weekend while struggling without a job, to the thrill of finding new love in the city. Each new song showcasing Bruce’s lyrical ability to bring the minutiae of the everyday to life with an almost cinematic quality. Thank you to Bruce, Simon, and Sarah for this interview See you next week for JW Francis.

Hello and welcome to episode 166 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben has 'the look of love' as he zooms with one of his musical idols, Martin Fry of ABC. Similar to Chris Difford a couple of week ago. ABC and Martin Fry hold a special place in Ben's musical life. No 'poison arrows' with this one, and we can definitely hear 'Smokey Sing', ok I'll stop dropping ABC songs in here. As you can imagine this was a great a thrill to talk about Martin's life in music and his new 40 year Lexicon of Love live album. Celebrating their most successful and well known work. Alongside the usual stuff we talk about fashion, identity, and Chanel guitars that got them in trouble. It's quite a ride, even if there was a few little audio gremlins. Thank you to Martin for his time, it was a real pleasure to talk music with you. Thank you to Sacha for setting up the inviting and her support as ever. See you next week for another band with a tonne of steal. Good Health Good Wealth.

Hello and welcome to episode 165 of the ACPG podcast. This week Ben is zooming with another Aussie Alex Lahey. Ben and Alex talk about her new album The Answer is Always Yes, touring, festivals, and building a community. Fresh from recently announcing her new album and debut for Liberation, The Answer is Always Yes, Aussie polymath Alex Lahey today returns with a fresh taster from the record, 'They Wouldn't Let Me In'. A breathless post-punk gem, it's a track that hits at the very heart of The Answer is Always Yes, an album that finds Lahey analysing her otherness through different lenses, from its isolating effect to the surrealism and humour it instills. We hope you enjoy this episode and we’ll see you next week for Martin Fry from ABC. Thank you to Alex and Alex for this episode.

Hello and welcome to episode 164 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zooming as James is holiday(ing). Not sure if that's a real word. Ben is on zoom this week with one of his favourite artists of all time. Chris Difford from the band Squeeze. This podcast has thrown up a few unreal scenarios but thankfully it's still fun and great to meet people that you've listened to for most of your life. Squeeze have been a soundtrack band for me, so it was amazing to talk to Chris about his life in music, songwriting, touring, and so much more. Thank you to Chris for talking to us. See you next week for Alex Lahey.

Hello and welcome to episode 163 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is back at the Cluny with Beans on Toast (AKA Jay). They talk pre gig, post sound check about his life in music, songwriting, touring, festivals, community, and making friends with friend of the show Frank Turner. Since 2005, Beans on Toast has written simple songs about complicated subjects. Tackling the big issues of the day but doing so with his feet firmly on the ground, he’s become a people’s champ of the modern folk scene and amassed a huge back catalogue of songs in the process. An unrepentant optimist whose songs celebrate all that is wonderful about the human spirit, his live shows are similarly uplifting and have taken him from SOLD OUT headline shows in the UK to the stages of major international festivals across the globe. Thank you to Jay and James and we hope you enjoyed this episode. See you next week with Chris Difford of Squeeze. Holy smokes, it's big one.

Hello and welcome to episode 162 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zooming down under again with the lovely Gena Rose Bruce. Ben and Gena talk about her second album Deep Is The Way, touring, festivals, and moving to the UK (soon). Last year a suffocating black fog pursued Melbourne musician Gena Rose Bruce through the night’s depths – a recurring dream wraith brought on by the passing of her partner’s mother and pandemic instability. Deep Is The Way chronicles Bruce's fraught path back into the light, as she processes death and inner turmoil to emerge with a newfound state of strength and resilience. The album finds her working with long time collaborators and forging a new wildcard relationship. Gena always due to support Paolo Nutini and Beck very soon. Jealous does even cut it close. Thank you to Gena for her time and Jodie for setting up the interview.

Hello and welcome to episode 161 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zooming with North Shields alumni Schak. Ben and Schak talk about his life in music, from inline skating to signing to Ministry of Sound and everything, and there's a lot, in between. Schak has been involved in music for a long time but over the last few years has really developed his sound, released singles, played St James' Park on the semi final, had B&Q raves and so much more. We hope you enjoy this one. We like to promote local artists wherever possible. Sting, we're coming for you. See you in a week when we head back down under with Gena Rose Bruce.

Hello and welcome to episode 160 of the ACPG Podcast. This week Ben is zoom with Charlie and Jake of Chappaqua Wrestling. They talk about Chappaqua Wrestling's debut album 'Plus Ultra' which is out this Friday (depending on when you read this), touring, getting start and a mutual love for Manchester music.  For their debut album, Chappaqua Wrestling knew that they wanted to step above the noise of the concrete everyday. To match their songs about political despondency and social change, Jake and Charlie wanted to create surrealist artwork, teetering on the brink of despair and release. Both Jake and Charlie know a thing or two about leaps of faith. Meeting at school in Brighton, the pair were bandmates before they were true friends, discovering a shared love of 00s indie. Where many school friendships peter out after results day, the Mac & Woods partnership stood firm. While Charlie went travelling, Jake headed to Manchester for University, joined by his best friend a year later. As the cogs turned on the final year of their degrees, their musical experiments solidified as Chappaqua Wrestling, earning them a slot at the Great Escape festival and some early local buzz. Whilst grateful to be adopted as a Mancunian band, they’re keen to point out that this isn’t the case, not wanting to unfairly ride the coattails of the city’s legendary scene. We hope you enjoy it and we will see you next week with Schak.

Hello and welcome to episode 159 of the ACPG Podcast. In this episode Ben is zooming with Tor AKA Billy Nomates. I (Ben) have been obsessed with Billy Nomates release earlier this year Cacti. And it was great to talk to Tor about this album in some detail. We also spoke about touring and festivals. Billy Nomates is just about to go on tour and you can catch shows from 17/04 in Cardiff until 29/04 in Bristol. With Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, London, and Brighton inbetween. So make sure you get tickets before they all go. Thank you to Tor for talking to us and to Jodie for setting up the interview. See you in a week for another interview. This time with Chappaqua Wrestling.

Hello and welcome to episode 158 of the ACPG Podcast. This week James is back from holiday, and Ben is talking to musician Hamish Hawk.  Ben caught up in person with Hamish at the Cluny on the first night of his latest UK tour. They spoke about the wonderful of touring, his new album Angel Numbers, influences, and sticking at it. Nothing happens over night kids. We hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you to Hamish for his time and thank you to James (a different one) for reaching out. See you next week for Billy Nomates.