Monocle 24: The Sessions at Midori House: Recent Episodes
Monocle
Our standalone home of live music presented in a strong 15-minute shot. Recorded in Monocle 24’s studios, the sessions feature established and emerging acts live and in conversation.
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Canadian musician Mélissa Laveaux explores her Haitian roots in her new album ‘Radyo Siwèl’ – a collection of covers of old folk songs from her ancestral home. She plays from it in this week’s session.
Florida-born Nashville-based R’n’B singer R.LUM.R plays tracks from his EP ‘Afterimage’, which he has rearranged and re-released as ‘Alterimage’.
As British singer Rae Morris releases her debut album, ‘Someone Out There’, we revisit the live performance she did for us last October.
Best known as one half of indie duo Slow Club, Watson drops by to play us some songs from his upcoming debut solo album ‘Now That I’m a River’.
Tim Nelson and Sam Netterfield from Brisbane four-piece Cub Sport hit the studio to play some tunes and talk to us about their latest album ‘Bats’, which reflects on two of them coming out as gay and announcing their engagement.
New York indie-pop duo Cults perform and tell us what they were up to in the four years between their sophomore album ‘Static’ and their latest, ‘Offering’.
Yazmin Lacey is a British jazz singer who has been hotly tipped by the likes of Gilles Peterson. Listen to her live session of songs from her debut EP ‘Black Moon’.
The 20-year-old Nashville musician Sophie Allison, AKA Soccer Mommy, drops by with her guitar to play us a few tracks from upcoming debut album ‘Clean’.
We revisit some of the biggest names to have graced the Midori House studios in 2017, including Soft Cell singer Marc Almond, Grammy award-winner Jason Isbell, folk-rock singer Martha Wainwright and Mexican superstars Jesse y Joy.
We recap some of our favourite live performances from 2017, by the likes of Noga Erez, Jordan Raeki and Blue Hawaii.
"We relive some of our favourite moments from ‘Sessions at Midori House’ this year, from the likes of Portugal The Man, Hippocampus, Saint Motel and Tennis. "
We revisit some of our favourite festive performances at Midori House over the past few years. Featuring tracks by Hanson, Eves The Behavior and We Have Band.
British singer-songwriter Bruno Major has just released an album called ‘A Song For Every Moon’ – a collection of songs that he put out month by month over a year. He plays us a few tracks from it and talks about the restrictions of having a monthly deadline.
The former frontman of 1980s pop group Haircut 100, Nick Heyward, has a new solo album. He plays a few tracks from ‘Woodland Echoes’.
Canadian electro duo Blue Hawaii play from their sophomore album ‘Tenderness’ and tell us how relationships have influenced the music they write and their own writing dynamic.
Andrew Mueller sits down with Brad Barr from The Barr Brothers to discuss the themes behind new album ‘Queens of the Breakers’: nostalgia, youth and lawnmower racing.
We take a trip down memory lane and have a listen to some of our favourite performers to have graced the Midori House studios this year. Featuring music by Vampire Weekend bassist Baio, pop sensation Frances, singer-songwriter Katie Melua and synth-pop favourites Saint Etienne.
Japanese singer and artist Rié tells us about straddling a pop career between Japan and the UK and sings tracks from her new EP ‘Levels’.
Mississippi blues musician R L Boyce has been on the scene for decades and, now aged 62, has just released his second album. We meet the man to find out what took him so long and he also plays a few tracks from his LP ‘Roll and Tumble’.
British pop singer Rae Morris tells us about her upcoming second album and plays some new tracks for us.
The US psych-pop group talk to Holly Fisher about their new album ‘Woodstock’ and what it’s like to work with a Beastie Boy. They also perform three tracks from their LP.
Brisbane’s neo-soul singer Jordan Rakei returns to Midori House this week as he releases his second album ‘Wallflower’. He tells us how moving to London changed his songwriting process.
German-Korean musician Josin tells us how she switched a life in medicine for a life in music and plays from her EP ‘Epilogue’.
The UK synthpop legend and Soft Cell star plays tracks from his new solo album, which pays homage to the songs of the 1960s that inspired him.
British musician Nick Mulvey joins us in the studio to play from his new album ‘Wake Up Now’ and to talk about the subjects that influenced it.
American musician Courtney Marie Andrews is a self-confessed workaholic. The 26-year-old has already written and recorded six albums and isn’t set to slow down anytime soon. She plays live for us in the Midori House studios and chats to Andrew Mueller.
Ahead of the release of her upcoming album, ‘Stay Lucky’, British singer Nerina Pallot plays tracks new and old and tells us the highlights of her colourful career to date.
We revisit some of our favourite live performances from this year so far. Featuring tracks by indie-pop quartet Saint Motel, Israeli singer-producer Noga Erez, former Smoke City frontwoman Nina Miranda and husband-and-wife duo Tennis.
British band My Sad Captains play from their upcoming album ‘Sun Bridge’ and discuss how a new line-up has influenced their sound.
New UK group Girl Ray discuss writing songs about teenagehood as they release their debut album, ‘Earl Grey’.
Australian singer and frontwoman of Howling Bells, Juanita Stein performs from her solo album ‘America’.
Vampire Weekend bassist Chris Baio has just released his second album under his solo name, Baio. ‘Man of the World’ is a collection of pop songs inspired by politics happening on both sides of the Atlantic after a turbulent 2016. He plays us a few tracks and tells Holly Fisher why he felt he needed to write the album.
US indie quartet Saint Motel hit the studio to play some tunes from their latest audio-visual album ‘Saintmotelevision’.
Seoul-based electro-pop duo Love X Stereo join Bill Leuty in the studio to play live tracks and discuss their new album, 37A.
Saskatchewan singer Colter Wall comes to Midori House to play Canadian country music from his eponymous debut album.
Israeli producer and musician Noga Erez takes centre stage this week as she performs from her debut album 'Off The Radar'.
British-Brazilian singer and former frontwoman of Smoke City Nina Miranda tells us about her new album ‘Freedom of Movement’ and performs a few new tracks alongside her 1990s hit ‘Underwater Love’.
Grammy-winning country star Jason Isbell joins us in the studio to play from his brand new album ‘The Nashville Sound’.
Live music from husband-and-wife duo Tennis, who play from their new album ‘Yours Conditionally’.
Sarah Cracknell, lead singer of Saint Etienne, drops by to perform from the band’s new album ‘Home Counties’ and talks leaving – and returning to – suburbia with Andrew Mueller.
Aarhus-based noise-pop group Lowly come to Midori House to play from their debut album ‘Heba’.
’90s rock and pop favourites The Charlatans are back with a brand new album called ‘Different Days’. Tim Burgess and Mark Collins from the band come into the studio to play from it.
UK R&B singer Purple Ferdinand plays from her new EP ‘Rain or Shine’ and talks about making the leap from a big record label to an independent one.
We revisit some of our favourite live performances from the year so far, including tracks by Martha Wainwright, Hippo Campus, Novella and Michael Nau.
Hailing from the Faroe Islands, Eivør performs in the studio and tells us how her tiny home country proved to be big inspiration for new album ‘Slør’.
American musician Weyes Blood discusses how the changing world we live in inspired her latest album ‘Front Row Seat To Earth’ and plays live in the studio.
Born in the US but now residing in Wales, Jeb Loy Nichols plays country music with a twist, which might derive from blues, reggae, hip-hop, soul or any number of his influences. This week he plays from his new album ‘Country Hustle’.
Icelandic musician Jófríour Ákadóttir finds it hard to say no to anyone who wants to make music. She is currently performing under at least four guises, one of which is her solo project JFDR, under which she has just released debut album ‘Brazil’. She performs for us in the studio.
Multiplatinum-selling singer Katie Melua joins us in the studio to perform from her most recent album, ‘In Winter’, which she recorded with the Gori Women’s Choir in her home country of Georgia.
British indie quartet Novella hit the Monocle 24 studios this week to play from their new album ‘Change of State’.
The British musician was one of 2016’s most hotly tipped acts. With a string of singles, global performances and sky-high streaming numbers under her belt, she’s stormed into 2017 in an excellent position to release her debut album ‘Things I’ve Never Said’. She performs for us on this week’s show.
Live music from UK singer Laurel, who tells us about the inspiration behind her live shows and her love of poetry.
We delve into the archive to listen back to our brilliant session with the London-based pop and soul singer.
She spent most of the early 2000s in British indie band The Pipettes; since then she's been working with the likes of Mark Ronson and has now launched her solo career. She plays live from new album ‘Stellular’.
We revisit our 2015 session with the UK singer; she came in to perform off the back of the release of her debut album ‘Giants’.
US indie four-piece Hippo Campus play tracks from their debut album ‘Landmark’ and discuss the learning process that comes with writing, recording and performing your first LP.
Illinois-raised Nashville-based country singer Margo Price plays from her debut album ‘Midwest Farmer’s Daughter’ and talks to Andrew Mueller about trying to make it in the capital of country music and the inspirations behind her songwriting.
Musical Mexican siblings Jesse & Joy have taken hispanic countries by storm over the past decade, with sell-out tours to tens of thousands of fans and several albums under their belt, most of which have gone platinum. Now the duo is looking to break the anglophone market.
The Canadian folk legend joins us in the studio to play from her new album ‘Goodnight City’.
We recap some of our favourite performances from 2016, including London soul singer Jones, US indie rockers Local Natives, the legendary Ben Harper and much more besides.
American folk singer Michael Nau is used to playing in bands such as Cotton Jones and Page France – but now he's going solo. He plays from his beautiful new album 'Mowing'.
We revisit some of our favourite festive performances at Midori House over the past few years. Featuring tracks by Hanson, Eves The Behavior and We Have Band.
Piano virtuoso Neil Cowley swings by Midori House with his keyboard – though minus the rest of the trio – to perform from his new album ‘Spacebound Apes’.
Singaporean singer Linying started out her career as a guest vocalist on EDM hits by European producers. This year she’s released her own music on an EP called ‘Paris 12’, which she plays from today.
Julia Jacklin is our favourite singer to hail from the Blue Mountains in Australia. Her debut album ‘Don’t Let the Kids Win’ is an ode to growing up, as she tells Andrew Mueller.
Songwriters Billy Bragg and Joe Henry have been on a journey along the US’s railroads. Their new album ‘Shine A Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad’, saw them hop on board a train and record as they crisscrossed the country. They play a few tracks from the record and discuss the enduring appeal of the railroad song.
Japanese trumpeter Takuya Kuroda plays a solo set in the Monocle 24 studios from his brilliantly named new album ‘Zigzagger’.
We present three of our favourite past performances: folk singer Weyes Blood and LA electro-pop artist Elohim both played for us last year, and Colombia’s Bomba Estéreo, who performed at Midori House in 2013.
We revisit our 2015 session with Canadian electro trio Braids, who came and played for us last May as they released their then new album ‘Deep in the Iris’.
This week’s session comes from UK musician and songwriter Luke Haines, who plays from his new album ‘Smash the System’ and sits down with Andrew Mueller to discuss it.
As London soul singer Jones releases her debut album ‘New Skin’, she comes to Midori House to perform a few tracks from it.
Back in 2014, New Zealander Tiny Ruins – otherwise known as Hollie Fullbrook – came to Midori House armed with an acoustic guitar to play a beautiful set of songs from her album ‘Brightly Painted One’. We revisit the performance in this week’s ‘Sessions at Midori House’.
Ala.ni is a UK singer who makes music with a dash of vintage cinema. This year she released her album ‘You+I’, a series of song about her past relationships. She visits the Midori House studios to play from the album and discuss musicals and her move to Paris.
Brazilian band Meta Meta play us their blend of punk and samba and talk politics with Fernando Augusto Pacheco.
Live music from US indie group Local Natives, who play tracks from their new album ‘Sunlit Youth’.
Canadian musician and artist Chad VanGaalen performs songs from his album ‘Shrink Dust’ in this classic Midori House session.
In our second festival special we take a look at this year’s End of the Road line-up and delve into the ‘Sessions’ vaults to dig up some of our favourite past performances from the artists on this year’s bill. Featuring live tracks from Bill Ryder-Jones, Devendra Banhart, Basia Bulat and Sunflower Bean.
As the team hits the Green Man festival this weekend, Robert Bound remembers some of his favourite past Midori House sessions by musicians on this year’s line up, including Songhoy Blues, Julia Holter and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Live music from Neil Hannon, lead singer of spirited pop group the Divine Comedy, who talks to Robert Bound about the band’s first album in six years, ‘Foreverland’.
Tune in for a live session from London soul singer Jodie Abacus. He tells us about his upcoming album and his road to success.
Meet the latest producer to catch our attention among the swarm of south London musicians that are putting the area on the musical map. He plays us a set of songs from his debut album ‘Couch Baby’.
A live performance from Swedish singer Albin Lee Meldau, who performs from his latest EP ‘Lovers’.
Norwegian singer-songwriter Moddi performs tracks from his album ‘Unsongs’, a collection of 12 covers that have been banned in 12 different countries.
Listen to our summer mixtape of some of our favourite sessions over the past few years on Monocle 24. Recline on your lounger to the sounds of Texan trio Khruangbin, Icelandic electro-poppers Vök, Canadian musician Bahamas and American party-starter Nick Waterhouse.
Hot Chip frontman Alexis Taylor joins us to play tracks from his new album ‘Piano’, which sees him take to the keys in what is perhaps his quietest and most poignant record to date.
Colvin & Earle consists of two acclaimed American musicians: Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle. The duo come to Midori House to discuss how they got together to release their eponymous debut album.
Jazz and R&B musician Jordan Rakei drops by to play from his debut album ‘Cloak’, the most summery release of 2016 so far.
Husband-and-wife duo Brett and Rennie Sparks are better known as The Handsome Family. You might know them from their 20-year-long career, which has turned out 10 albums, or from their theme tune to ‘True Detective’, which brought them a vast new audience. This September The Handsome Family will release a brand-new album called ‘Unseen’. We preview a couple of tracks in a live performance at Midori House.
We invite one of Australia’s greatest songwriters Paul Kelly into the studio to perform from his latest album ‘Seven Sonnets and a Song’ and talk about his relationship with Shakespeare and the musicality of his sonnets.
Acclaimed guitarist Teddy Thompson (son of Richard Thompson) and LA musician Kelly Jones have joined forces to produce ‘Little Windows’, an album of duets. The duo visit Midori House to play us a trio of tunes from it.
Australian singer Sarah Blasko has been making music under various guises since the 1990s. She has performed under her own name since 2002 and in late 2015 she released her fifth album as a solo artist, ‘Eternal Return’. The LP sees Blasko take on more of a synth-pop vibe – and so, armed with a keyboard, she comes to Midori House to treat us to a few tracks from it.
With album artwork as bright as his music, Oscar’s blend of scuzzy indie, dub basslines and ’90s beats has caught the attention of critics and crowds across Europe and the US. On today’s edition you can hear tracks from his debut album ‘Cut and Paste’.
In this week’s archive session we revisit our 2014 performance from Grammy award-winning American jazz singer, Gregory Porter.