Steve’s Mix Tapes

This week's show is, sadly, another memorial to a much missed friend... Harry was a stalwart member of The Wedding Present forum and was much loved by everyone on there for his humour, generosity and knack of recommending just the right music for his friends. You can read his TWP friends' tributes here. He wanted to come on the podcast, and went as far as selecting his song choices - but we never got the chance to record it... Like the tribute to my friend Chris McAvoy, I asked his friends to share their memories of H for this show. And if you didn't know Harry, you can still enjoy a predictably fine set of tunes. RIP H

My guest this week is Jeffrey Lewis  Jeffrey is a singer-songwriter from New York who has perfected a scuzzy, urban style of indie-folk... a mighty 21st Century mash-up of folksy spiel and artsy garage, like Pete Seeger meeting Sonic Youth. I spoke to Jeffrey in September 2026, in the green room of Swansea' Bunkhouse, between the soundcheck and the peformance (hence the slightly dodgy sound quality). It was a truly great gig. Previous guest Hue Williams was in attendance - even if we didn't know it at the time.

My guest this week is Hue Williams Hue was the vocalist in Welsh indie legends The Pooh Sticks, and now plays alongside previous guest Rob Pursey and (hopefully!) future guest Amelia Fletcher in Swansea Sound. Turns out we were both at a recent Jeffrey Lewis gig (next week's guest) but didn't realise!

My guest this week is Bobby Townson Bobby is the singer, guitarist and songwriter in British Birds, a Chorley based band who - to quote the website of the Skep Wax label - 'combine the garage-punk energy of Billy Childish, the wry English sophistication of XTC and the witty pop inventiveness of The Lovely Eggs.' Their new album Murmurate, Oscillate was released yesterday. Bobby is a top chap and I had an absolute blast talking to him!

My guest this week is Andrew Brown Andrew - who I was put in touch with by previous guest Joe Rolls - was the bass player in 80s indie band The Siddeleys, who recorded a couple of sessions for John Peel in 1988-89.

My guest this week is Knox Chandler Knox - who I was put in touch with by previous guest Craig Walker - has an impressive CV. He has collaborated with Depeche Mode, The Psychedelic Furs, Ultra Vivid Scene, R.E.M., Siouxsie and the Banshees, Grace Jones, Marianne Faithful, Natalie Merchant, Tricky and Cyndi Lauper, to name but a few. He recently released a solo LP and book called The Sound.

My guest this week is Paul Hiraga Paul is a Seattle-based singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who is the man behind the band Downpilot. Their sound has been described as 'graceful, languid music… informed by elements of folk, slowcore, and modern psychedelia, with Hiraga's personal but impressionistic lyrics reinforced by calm yet powerful soundscapes.'

My guest this week is Steve Hodgkins If you listened to the John Doran episode, you may remember Steve being mentioned, as he curated a Scott Walker playlist for me (of which John heartily approved). Anyone who takes the time to do such a thing is obviously due an invitation to come and choose a mix of their own...

My guest this week is Astrid Williamson Astrid was the singer and guitarist in Goya Dress (which also featured previous guest Terry de Castro on bass) whose 1996 album Rooms was produced by John Cale.  Since then, she has released nine solo albums, as well as collaborating with artists such as Arthur Baker, Dead Can Dance, Electronic and The Stereophonics.  Astrid was - as Terry suggested she would be - a hoot, and we had tremendous fun recording this!

My guest this week is John Doran John  is a writer, journalist and occasional DJ who, in 2008, along with Luke Turner founded the online music and culture magazine The Quietus. He has also published a (highly recommended) book about his life, career and struggles with alcoholism, Jolly Lad. John, like me, likes an expansive tune, so because his was a lengthy playlist (over an hour and a half), several of the songs had to be truncated to make the episode a manageable length. Make sure you check out all of the full-length versions via the Spotify playlist on the website!