The First Time With...

Liam Gallagher talks to Matt Everitt about the songs and bands that have meant the most to him down the years. He discusses the Manchester music scene of the early 90s, meeting various members of The Beatles, the formative years of Oasis and his hopes for his brand new solo album.

Dave Grohl shares his musical milestones with Matt Everitt in a programme first broadcast in 2015.Dave discusses his earliest musical influence (Edgar Winter's prog rock classic Frankenstein made a big impression), his first punk gig (Naked Raygun in Chicago in 1982), which changed the path of his life and how he became politicised though his first proper band Scream in Washington DC in the '80s. Dave also discusses the famous Sound City studios where Nirvana created the classic albums Nevermind and In Utero, and working with the famously demanding producer Steve Albini.Dave also looks back on writing the songs that became the Foo Fighters' debut (he recorded twelve tracks in just six days - "Had I taken it seriously, I would've taken a bit longer"), the staggeringly ambitious Sonic Highway documentary series, and his experiences playing Wembley Stadium.And he chooses songs by The Beatles, Neil Young, Tom Petty, as you might expect, his beloved Led Zeppelin.

Florence Welch shares her musical milestones with Matt Everitt in a programme first broadcast in 2015As the voice of and songwriter behind Florence & the Machine, she emerged from the grimy East London indie scene to become a full-blown international superstar with the release of her debut album Lungs in 2009 and its follow-up Ceremonials in 2011. She remembers a fascination for the music of Disney's The Little Mermaid and how singing in church helped shape her musical tastes. She explains how fantasy and religious imagery inspired her creativity, as well as her obsessions with Eminem, Green Day, Nick Cave and the Corrs. She recalls the first Florence & the Machine appearance at Glastonbury ("I woke up in someone else's clothes"), how she dealt with three years of non-stop touring and the huge success that followed ("It's almost like I couldn't process it while it was happening") and the pressures and expectations that surrounded the recording of her third album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful.

Singer and rapper Janelle Monae discusses her life and career with Matt Everitt in aninterview first broadcast in July of 2018.Since her critically acclaimed debut album in 2010 The ArchAndroid, Janelle has been a rising star, earning Grammy nominations and healthy album sales along the way. Her third album Dirty Computer was released in 2018.

In an edition of The First Time first broadcast in 2013, Chris Cornell shares the pivotal moments and songs that shaped his life and career. Chris was the frontman of Soundgarden, one of the key bands to emerge from the Seattle grunge scene in the early 1990s. Their biggest album, 1994's Superunknown, featured the Grammy Award-winning singles Black Hole Sun and Spoonman. Soundgarden split up in 1997, and Chris went on to form the rock supergroup Audioslave, best known for their hit Cochise. Soundgarden reformed in 2010, and released their sixth studio album King Animal. Chris died in May 2017.Presented by Matt Everitt and first broadcast in 2013.

Sir Elton John shares his musical milestones with Matt Everitt in a programme first broadcast in 2016.He's sold more than 250 million records worldwide, holds the record for the biggest selling single of all time and is the third most successful artist in the history of the American charts, just behind Elvis Presley and the Beatles.In an interview recorded as he prepared to release his 33rd studio album Wonderful Crazy Night, he looks back at his early ragtime influences and how that grew to become an obsession with playing piano and listening to albums. He also talks us through some of the remarkable musical moments in his life - such performing with John Lennon at his last ever show and staging Nina Simone's final concert. He also discusses how music helped him through his battle with drug addiction, his appetite for new music and his obsessive love for Blur, John Grant and New Order and whether he'll ever play the Glastonbury Festival.

Producer and musician Mark Ronson talks to Matt Everitt about the events that have shaped his musical career, including his celebrated album Version from 2006 and producing Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. First broadcast in 2010.

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke shares his musical milestones with Matt Everitt. Originally broadcast, June 2017.