Sheer Isolation: Recent Episodes
Jon Ponting & Kieran Moore
Sheer Music brings you a weekly podcast featuring special guests and tunes from artists in the West of England and beyond with music news, gig dates and more. Hosted by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
We're joined by author and musician, CJ Thorpe-Tracey on this week's Sheer Isolation. His loyal fanbase know him better as Chris TT.
Over two decades, Chris released ten albums and over a hundred songs. The Huntsman Comes A-Marchin' was frequently covered by Frank Turner in his early days of touring.
Chris has now published his first book - Buried in the English Earth. It's a lyric book that features every one of his published songs, along with detailed notes and analysis of the meaning.
He tells us that he has retired as a songwriter, but is now turning his attention to novel writing.
Music this week is provided by post-punk poet Bristolian, Emily Breeze, and Chris picks a track from Jim Bob; a band fronted by James Morrison from indie punk chart-toppers, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine.
We also cover the news that previous guest, Thomas Haynes - aka Grasslands - has created his own local music magazine in print, and the Wiltshire wurz-rap artist, Corky, has announced in EP launch - some 15 years after his debut album!
It's about time we interviewed the man behind Sheer Music on this show!
In this episode Jon talks to Kieran... He tells us how he caught the bug for organising and promoting live music, how he's spent close to 20 years supporting Wiltshire's venues and festivals, and also tells us what he's planning to do next!
We play a couple of new tunes courtesy of Swindon rockers NervEndings, and Bristol based indie songwriter, Billy Nomates.
We also chat about how local festivals are already trickling out news of their 2023 headliners, and how a Government grant could be used to create a new community venue in the centre of Trowbridge.
We're playing out Part 2 of our Jimmy Watkins interview this week.
Previously, Jimmy was telling us about how he set up the Running Punks - an online community which supports mental health by combining music and running.
This week he talks more about his previous incarnations - including his time playing in alt-rock band Future of the Left, and then the Vega Bodegas.
He also explains why he embarked on a music career, as at the time he was a Welsh record holder for the 800 metres and starting to prepare for a place at the Olympics!
Our music choices also have a Welsh theme this week - we play a track from Jimmy's band, the Vega Bodegas, and Kieran chooses a new release from Welsh songwriter, Tom Jenkins.
We also talk about a growing trend for people to move away from streaming services in favour of physical discs, and we look at some of the gigs taking place in towns across the West in the coming week.
This week on Sheer Isolation we're joined by Mercyful Fate bassist, Becky Baldwin!
That is THE Mercyful Fate - the iconic Danish metal 80s band.
Originally from Trowbridge, Becky will soon be joining the band as they tour America; filling in for their usual bassist, Joey Vera.
She tells us how this once-in-a-lifetime chance came about thanks to her social media accounts, in particular her YouTube videos. Her online showcase has created a fantastic platform to show her skills as a session guitarist.
If you're into your classic metal bands, you may have already seen Becky play in one of her regular groups, Fury and Hands Off Gretel.
Our music choices this week include one of Fury's latest releases, and Kieran plays a tune from electro-pop duo, Pecq.
In our news section, we discuss the latest developments that are delaying much-needed renovation work at Swindon's Oasis Centre.
Our guest on Sheer Isolation this week competed for Team GB in the 800 metres, and was in Welsh alt-rock band Future of the Left.
But those stories will be told another time... This week, Jimmy Watkins is talking to us about a series of YouTube videos he made, and how they led to the creation of a new running club with a difference.
Jimmy created Running Punks after he and a friend discovered first-hand just how important regular exercise is for helping overcome mental anxieties.
During lockdown, he was encouraging musicians and music-lovers to follow his lead and go for a run.
Two years on, and Running Punks has become a worldwide tribe of amateur athletes, with clubs operating in countries across the globe.
Jimmy tells us of his surprise that his music video reviews, recorded while out running, became such a big hit on YouTube, and how the Running Punks name is continuing to gain momentum and popularity.
Jimmy's choice of track is our first Welsh spoken song on Sheer Isolation courtesy of female rock trio, Adwaith. We also play the latest release from Chippenham/Bristol group the Erotic Secrets of Pompeii, who filmed the video for this tune in Kieran's workplace.
We also talk about upcoming gigs in the region, and how Kieran has very unreliable gig buddies, leaving him with plenty of spare tickets for shows!
On this week's Sheer Isolation we play out the second part of our Johnny Black interview.
In this part, the Devizes based music journalist talks about the time he joined a new team of writers to create the Smash Hits brand.
The publication team, which launched it's first magazine in 1978, went on to produce other titles such as Mojo and Q.
Johnny tells us about his Time Machine feature for Mojo - an 'On This Day' section which still lives on through his personal website.
We also play the new single from The Streets which features Jazz Morley; a singer and pianist who's been performing in venues across the south west for years, but more recently has been supporting household names in cities across Europe.
Our other tune is from alt rockers InAir who are performing at this year's Swindon Shuffle.
Jon and Kieran also mention Wiltshire musician, Kirsty Clinch, who's new album is lighting up the iTunes charts.. We also have an update on Bristol icon Big Jeff who is on the road to recovery following a house fire.
Every band needs merch. Corporate events need merch. People love buying merch!
Our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation has been making merch for local and international artists for years. Nathan Gregory runs Hartmoor Merchandise from North Wiltshire - primarily printing T-shirts and the like, but if you want a logo put on something, he can help.
He tells us how business is booming, explains why international bands prefer using UK printers while on tour here, and tells us about the weirdest thing he's ever seen a logo stamped on!
Our music choices this week include a silly song with a serious message from Sweetchunks, and Nathan picks a track from one of his recent clients, Blackbear.
In our news section we talk about how the 2022 festival season is coming to a close.
40 years ago, our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation was hanging out with the likes of The Beach Boys and Tammy Wynette, and writing features for magazines such as Smash Hits!
Johnny Black has gone from village life in rural Scotland, to the bustle of London's music industry in the 80s, and now lives among the rolling hills of Wiltshire.
In this first of two parts, we talk to Johnny about his history, including how he became the press officer of some of the most iconic names on the CBS label.
Music choices this week include a punk rock artist, Arms and Hearts, who's stopping off in Wiltshire on his mini-tour, and Johnny picks one of his own tracks because, in his own words, musicians make songs for them to be heard.
In our news section we pay respect to KTor Stretch - a young Bristol rapper who was recently killed in London. We also cover the latest festival news in the region.
Our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation is a sound and electronics engineer who's travelled the world over four decades designing, operating and repairing some seriously large and expensive sound desks and speakers!
These days, Danny Kitainik is the man behind a modest little production company in Wiltshire, Serenity Audio.
But Danny was behind many of the sound systems installed in London's iconic nightclubs during the eighties, toured with the likes of Simple Minds, K D Lang and Toto, has set up systems for TED talks and World Cup VAR reviews, and was cited as saving the day when things went wrong before an iconic Happy Mondays gig.
This interview hardly scrapes the surface of Danny's story, but we cover key events from the time he was given first soldering iron, to the heyday of working with some of the world's biggest artists, to supporting his family with their own musical and art endeavours.
We also give a shout out to a couple of previous guests of Sheer Isolation... Seth Bye was playing as part of the Giffords Circus travelling band when we spoke to him. He's just performed at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony with Birmingham twelve-piece, The Destroyers.
Also, congrats to Florence Espuit-Nickless. We spoke to her soon after her first performances of the semi-autobiographical play about growing up in small Wiltshire towns. She's taken Destiny to this year's Edinburgh Fringe!
In our music choices this week, Danny picks a track from Amie K, and we also play an upbeat instrumental piece by The Destroyers.
It's not very often you come across a chap who has built his own amphitheatre so he can showcase live music and theatrical performances in his garden.
But that's exactly what Dave Hartland has done at the Cotswold Sculpture Park.
He's spent nearly three decades turning a field of weeds in the surroundings of the Cotswold Water Park into a unique trail of artwork and statues, with visitors travelling far and wide to view (and sometimes buy) the pieces on display.
With his DIY amphitheatre project now complete, he's opening the park's doors for evening performances with musicians, actors and storytellers.
We talk to Dave about his journey, his own artwork, and what he's planning next.
We play an instrumental piece from one of the performers due to play at the Park this summer - Xavier Leret. Kieran also chooses the latest release from Deux Furieuses, who are playing in Trowbridge this week.
We also talk about how some venues change their usual listings to cater for a different crowd during the summer holidays, and we also mention a couple of local festivals due to take place in early August - Festival on the Farm near Swindon, and Valleyfest on the edge of the Mendips.
Our guest this week on Sheer Isolation has his finger on the pulse of Salisbury's music scene.
Thom Belk has been organising music nights in the city for over 15 years. He's currently in charge of the entertainment at Brown Street - a new venue on the site of The Chapel.
Thom tells us about their plans for extending Brown Street, and how Salisbury has recently lost it's biggest venues because of the pandemic. Fortunately the music scene is now on a road to recovery.
We also play a couple of tunes - Thom chooses a number of Salisbury's upcoming bands, so we've picked a track from Love Is Enough. Kieran's choice for the week is the latest release from Oxford's The People Versus, which has already attracted the interest of some national radio stations.
In our news section we share some positive news on Big Jeff's recovery - the famous gig-going Bristolian was sadly involved in a house fire earlier this year.
We also give a shout out for the Womad festival which takes place on the outskirts of Malmesbury over the last weekend of July.
Our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation is Oliver Phipps from the Wharf Theatre in Devizes.
This historic building next to the Kennet & Avon Canal has been putting on stage shows for decades. It's recently undergone a major refurbishment and is opening it's doors to new audiences, offering more inclusive events and introducing youngsters to the world of theatre.
Oliver tells us about the recent renovation work, how their charity status allows more freedom to host unknown directors, and a look forward to what's happening later this year.
We also play a couple of tunes - Kieran plays a track by Annie Dressner - an American born artist who now lives in the UK and is playing in Wiltshire in the coming weeks.
Oliver's choice is the finale track from last year's pantomime at the Wharf, one of pop world's most internationally recognised artists.
Jon & Kieran also look ahead to some gig dates and festivals that are just around the corner, the ongoing debate over the future of Swindon's Oasis Centre, and how a new layout around the Glastonbury site helped to ease the usual village gridlock.
We continue our chat with Telegraph and Kerrang! Journalist, Ian Winwood in this week's Sheer Isolation.
He's recently published a book which draws on his first-hand experiences to investigate why so many young superstars of the music industry crash out of fame and spiral into addiction.
In this episode, Ian gives us more of an insight into Bodies - A Life and Death In Music, and offers tips for budding young journalists who are hoping to follow in his footsteps as an internationally renowned writer.
We have a couple of tracks in the mix as well... A new release from Broken Fires - a band who were prolific giggers nearly twenty years ago. They've reformed, rebranded and are once again making their mark.
We also feature the Nova Twins who are on Ian's watchlist.
Kieran and Jon also talk about cancelled festivals, send positive vibes to Bristol's gig-going legend, Big Jeff, and we also look at events coming up in the next few weeks.
Our guest on Sheer Isolation this week is an internationally renowned music journalist whose work is regularly featured in The Telegraph, Kerrang! And Alternative Press.
In this first of a two-part interview, Ian Winwood talks about his career path, gives us expert tips on review writing, and offers free advice for how budding journalists can protect themselves from libel!
His new book, Bodies - A Life and Death in Music, explores the grittier side of the music industry, based on his own experience from working alongside chart-topping celebrities for the past 20 years.
Ian picks a track from Australian punk group The Chats, who just happen to be playing in Gloucestershire in July.
Kieran's choice is the new release from local songwriter Luke De-Sciscio - the video was shot by our previous guest, Harry Steele.
In our news section we send big love to Bristol icon, Big Jeff, who's in hospital following a house fire. We also talk about a US lead singer who's come out as a furry, and we look through this year's line-ups for Gloucester's Barn On the Farm weekend and the Minety Festival in Wiltshire.
We're talking to Harry Steele from Unthnkble on this week's Sheer Isolation - a Somerset based production company which specialises in creating music videos.
Harry tells us about a recent project he worked on at Mick Jagger's house, and how he's hoping to expand into even larger productions with bigger budgets in years to come.
He also tells us how his passion for video making has got him to this point in just a few years, and offers advice to other budding videographers in the South West on how to establish yourself on the scene.
Harry picks a song from The Voice finalist Cody Frost - he made the official video for this one. Meanwhile, Kieran chooses a tune from alt-indie band, I Feel Fine, who are in the West this month as part of their UK tour.
We also talk about renovation work ongoing at The Pump venue in Trowbridge, and how Love Saves The Day festival in Bristol is going plastic and glitter free this year.
Taking upcycling to a whole new level... we're joined on this week's Sheer Isolation by a chap who makes new guitars out of old pianos!
Dom Allen from Scavenger Music reclaims materials from deceased uprights that are traded in at the music shop All Instruments in Westbury to save the whole piano going to landfill.
He uses the salvaged timber to produce hand-crafted, Fender style electric guitars.
He's made more than a dozen instruments in his workshop so far, with plenty of interest from musicians who are looking for a unique, ethically sourced instrument.
Dom tells us how he progressed from making parts of instruments to producing fully operational guitars, and how he only ever uses pianos that are beyond repair for his recycling project.
We also play a couple of tracks - Dom chooses a track from one of his own groups; Sock. Kieran picks a new tune from Oxford's The People Versus who should be appearing at a festival near you very soon.
In our News section, we talk about a big investment to refurbish the Gloucester Guildhall and why several international bands have been forced to pull out of UK festivals this summer.
Our guest this week spends his time touring the south of England and Wales - hosting more than 80 events every year.
Ian Fiddes runs the Vinyl Daze Record Fairs, where dealers gather to sell vinyl of every style and age to the public.
With some events attracting 20+ dealers, shoppers can find classics, rare pieces and the latest releases all under one roof.
As well as running events as far south as Cornwall and as far west as Tenby, Ian also regularly checks in to Cirencester, Wells and Dursley.
He tells us how he got into the world of record fairs, how some of his rarest finds have ended up in Australia, and why Kieran's genre of choice, 90s indie rock, is like gold-dust to collectors.
We also feature a couple of tunes - the first is from a songwriter who's well-known in his home country of Ireland, Jack Lukeman. He'll be performing in Trowbridge next week at a far more intimate gig than he's used to playing back home.
Ian chooses a track off the latest album from Bristol's Idles.
We also run through some of the festivals and gigs coming up this month, including the headliners of this year's Lechlade Festival.
Our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation sets out to prove that print media isn't dead, by producing her own community publication.
Kat Jones created Pseudonym Magazine after moving to Wiltshire from London, and realizing there was a gap in the market to promote the region's underground arts scene.
Her team of volunteers are now working on the ninth edition which will feature articles on Wiltshire's villages, band reviews, poetry and community news. It can be ordered online or bought from several venues in mid-Wiltshire.
Our music choices this week are the latest track from Hannah White, who is currently on a UK tour and recently played at Kieran's venue. Kat chooses a track from the next big band to escape the Isle of Wight (after Wet Leg), the Plastic Mermaids.
We also chat about a Bath venue that's had a big refit, and a band who've been seen filming their next music video in Trowbridge Town Hall.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we talk to Phil Moakes from Visual Radio Arts in Devizes.
VRA is an independent studio where local musicians and bands can record live sessions of original tracks with both professional quality sound and high definition, multi-camera video.
Phil tells us how the session recordings began in the early days of Frome FM, and has since moved on, along with the technology, to become the established and respected centre we know today.
Since 2016, Phil has recorded hundreds of sessions - all of which are free to view online.
On the music front, Phil talks us through a showreel of some of the acts who have performed at Visual Radio Arts over the years. Meanwhile Kieran picks a track from Dean McMullen who is the guitarist in Exeter's Muncie Girls, who's about to release a solo album and will be touring it later this year.
In our news section, Kieran talks of the closure of one of London's most iconic live music venues.
Lee Laverack has taken to stages throughout the world, in front of packed venues and stadia for more than a decade, and yet he's never had a chart hit.
That's because he's the guy who sets up instruments, mops up spilt beers mid-performance and says those most famous words in the world of rock; "Check One Two".
Lee joins us on Sheer Isolation this week to tell us about his typical working day, such as sightseeing at the Great Wall of China before heading to a venue to set up the band.
He's worked with Trail of Dead, Sam Fender, Maximo Park and Level 42 to name a few.
Lee also repairs guitars and makes custom components from his Leeds-based workshop.
Our music choices this week are worlds apart; a new release from previous guest, chap-hop artist Professor Elemental, and Lee's choice is a grimy punk track from Yorkshire's Avalanche Party.
Coincidentally, both acts are playing in our region in the next couple of months - although not on the same bill!
Also, Kieran shows off his stash of new CDs and vinyl, including the hot-tipped new album from Wet Leg.
We're joined on Sheer Isolation this week by founder of the Swindon Jazz and Soul Festival, Evie Em-Jay.
We spoke to Evie last year when the town's jazz nights were just starting up again following lockdown. April's Jazz and Soul Festival will only be the second time this event has been held. She successfully established it in 2019, and has been forced to cancel for the last two years.
Evie updates us on the popularity of her regular music nights in venues across Swindon, and confirms who is on the bill to perform at the festival.
Our music choices this week include one of the festival headliners - Ray Gelato and the Giants. We also play a Foo Fighters cover from Swindon's Bedrock. They released it during the first lockdown to support our key workers, but it feels appropriate to play it now following the death of the Foo's drummer, Taylor Hawkins.
We also mention a few other gigs coming up in early April, and Kieran gives us a whistlestop tour of his new recording space.
Steampunk chap-hop rap artist and self confessed nerd, Professor Elemental, is joining us on Sheer Isolation this week.
The Professor has been recording and touring his quintessentially British rap tracks for over a decade, performing in venues across Europe and the States. His unique music style and on-brand appearance has given rise to an impressive fanbase on social media.
Music aside, he also guest starred in an episode of Disney's Phineas and Ferb.
We talk to The Professor about his upcoming tour and new releases, how the character came to be, and somehow also go onto chat about men's mental health and self-motivational tips.
We play a track from the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band which was instrumental in the creation of Professor Elemental. Kieran picks a track from Tankus The Henge who are touring the region in the near future.
We also mark the sad passing of Rob Talbot, a music promoter who was well known by musicians across South Wiltshire and Somerset.
Joining us on Sheer Isolation this week is Gerry Watkins from the Moonlight Eclipse Project.
This newly created community programme aims to support low income families, vulnerable people and the homeless in Cirencester and the south Cotswolds.
Gerry has been dedicating his spare time to this and similar good causes for over 20 years, and uses his other passion - live music - as a way of raising funds and awareness for his charitable work.
Gerry tells us about the lightswitch moment that turned him into a community fundraiser, and why charity gigs are his preferred method of raising funds.
He picks a track from one of his favourite punk artists, Mick O'Toole. Meanwhile, Jon picks a new release from Bristol's Elles Bailey, who's album has recently medalled in both the UK Blues and Americana charts.
We also give a shout out to the Glastonbury Calling and Stroud Food and Drink Festivals which are happening later this month.
Calling all musicians who are interested in playing gigs in care homes, schools and hospitals...
The charity Live Music Now is looking for new acts to add to their contact list. We're joined by the Director for the South West branch, Sophie Dunn, who tells us more about their work in communities across the country, and how delivering live music to people who can't get to venues is an integral piece of the charity's DNA.
Sophie picks an instrumental piece from a local duo who regularly work with Live Music Now - Alex Garden (from The Drystones) and Harriet Riley (from the Spindle Ensemble).
Jon picks the other track this week, and has chosen a tune from Cirencester's Leon Daye - his band will be performing in Swindon on March 13th.
In our news section we talk about the Trowbridge Kalefest, Cheltenham's Wychwood Festival and we discover that there is a limit to Kieran's eclectic musical taste!
On this week's Sheer Isolation we chat with yoga teacher, reggae fan and ex-raver, Marc White.
Marc now hosts regular yoga classes in Trowbridge, but he has previously toured the world absorbing different rave and dance music cultures around the globe.
He's dusting off his extensive collection of reggae vinyl for a special DJ night in the town in April.
And, proving that we don't believe in boundaries when it comes to music, Kieran plays a hippy-ska-cover of a Vengaboys classic from Bristol's Boom Boom Racoon. Marc selects a reggae track from the Mighty Rudo.
We also talk about the line-up of this year's Lechlade Festival, reminisce Baila in Swindon - a coffeeshop / venue which has recently closed - and look at the problems facing venues which are trying to bring international artists to the region.
Kieran also makes a prediction that Sheer Isolation's very first guest, Frank Turner, will hit number 1 in the UK albums chart. Update: He did! Well done Frank!!
Our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation is the man who came up with the concept of pop-up orchestras, Swindon's very own Shaun Buswell.
By approaching strangers in train stations who were carrying instruments, Shaun has successfully formed and created full size orchestras in the UK and Europe.
His next performance is happening next month in London.
Shaun explains where the idea came from, and what the future plans are for this unique way of making music.
On the tune menu, Shaun plays a recording from his Paris orchestra session from 2018, and Kieran picks a track from Wiltshire's newest metal band, Webb.
We also look ahead to local gigs in the coming weeks, and news on festival line-ups planned for this summer.
We've talked to some jokers on these shows before, but this week we are literally joined by a clown.
The face of Giffords Circus, Tweedy, is our guest on Sheer Isolation.
The Stroud based performers will be touring the south of England from April, clocking up nearly 300 shows in 14 venues.
Tweedy has an (uncharacteristic) sensible chat with us about working with the travelling troupe of world-class artists, how Giffords stands out from other circuses, and we also talk about his one-man show which is currently touring the region.
We have two laid back tunes for you this week; Tweedy picks a track from Stroud based duo, The Other Way. Kieran's choice is a fun piece of bluegrass from the Welsh based Americans who call themselves Truckstop Honeymoon.
We also talk about a new music festival heading to the Forest of Dean this summer, and Kieran explains why he's sat on a large box of fliers for an event in London.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we talk to the Frome DJ Nina Casey (aka Nina LoVe) about her new project to boost interest in learning new music skills.
Purple Noise offers workshops and advice to provide experience working in studios, producing music, and lessons in live DJing.
They have a fully kitted out recording and rehearsal space in Trowbridge Town Hall and opens its doors to everyone. They especially want to help kids with learning difficulties or those who don't have access to music studios through their own schools.
Nina tells us about her path to becoming a DJ, and how the disruption of Covid was a catalyst for forming the Purple Noise project.
Her music choice is an uplifting Beverly Knight track that helped her during the lockdowns, while Kieran picks a post hardcore track from the duo, Frauds, who are coming to Wiltshire for a show in the Spring.
We also give a shout out to some of the week's music and comedy events in the region.
We're tackling the often-taboo subject of drink spiking on this week's Sheer Isolation.
Dawn Dines is the founder of Stamp Out Spiking and is also the inventor of StopTopps - a foil topper that can be stuck to drinks cans and bottles to help prevent clubbers becoming another victim.
Off the back of recent local and national news stories on the subject, Dawn has presented her case to politicians in Westminster as she continues her campaign to have spiking recognised as a separate crime.
If you need support or more information on what is covered in this week's episode, visit https://stampoutspiking.org/
Two throwbacks for our music choices this week. Dawn goes back to the seventies with one of her favourites from X-Ray Spex, and Jon picks a tune from the archive of Ben Marwood - a songwriter who's playing in Bristol next week.
We also have a positive discussion about this summer's festival season, and how stand up comedy appears to be bouncing back quicker than music gigs in the region.
Welcome to 2022! We're looking forward to bringing you another year of programming full of tunes, interviews and news from the West of England's music and art scenes.
On Sheer Isolation this week we're joined by Bristol based Sound Designer, Joseff Harris.
He's the guy to call if you're producing a theatre production and need someone to make bespoke sound effects and incidental musical pieces.
His work has been heard in the background of plays across the West and beyond.
For your musical delights we have a track off the debut solo album from Andy Bell, ex-Oasis and Ride member who's playing in Trowbridge later this month.
Joseff's choice is a dramatic instrumental score from Bristol based composer, Kayla Painter.
In the news this week, we congratulate Bath's Pink Pantheress for winning BBC's Sound of Music for 2022 and pay respects to life-member and drummer of the Wurzels, John Morgan.
On Sheer Isolation this week we're joined by a musician, teacher and promoter who's been a consistent part of Cirencester's music scene for four decades.
John Parker talks about forming his first college bands in the eighties, his cheeky way of booking gigs in unsuspecting pubs, and how musicians used to get their sound heard before social media.
We also talk about the Cirencester School of Rock which John ran for several years with Swindon drummer, Tim Downes-Hall. The school quickly became a pedestal for spotting young, talented artists in the south Cotswolds.
On the music menu, John picks a track from upcoming Cirencester songwriter, Joe Gardiner, and Kieran chooses some post-punk from Bristol's Slagheap.
In the news, we look over the recent changes to Covid precaution requirements in England, and what that means for venues continuing to host live music over the festive period.
We're joined on Sheer Isolation this week by artist, Callan Milward.
As well as being a musical artist with Dorset rockers, Weatherstate, he also dabbles in graphic design - especially creating artwork for gig posters.
Callan tells us how he went into art design professionally for a whole month, that Weatherstate are now signed and have a new album on the way, and why you can often find him at the UK's third best burger restaurant.
Music choices this week are Wiltshire's indie band, Borts, and songwriter Katherine Priddy who is currently on tour in the region.
Our news story considers what's next for Swindon's Oasis Centre now the famed glass dome is legally protected. (We recorded as Boris was making announcements, so that's next week's contents sorted already!)
This week's guest on Sheer Isolation has dedicated her life to creating music videos for local artists, documenting art projects, helping Swindon's school-leavers on their first steps towards a career in media, as well as finding time to work on her own artwork, it's the founder of Magic Torch Productions, Jaime Bullock.
We talk to her about how having such a diverse range of skills means she gets to work with people from all walks of life, whether being commissioned to produce a documentary, or creating a Swindon Spiderman using nothing more than an old friend and some body paint.
She also works at the Swindon's Platform Project which gives advice to youngsters about choosing the right career path, and helping them to follow their passions in life.
For our music selection, Jaime picks a tune from the 80s as a tribute to friend, Levi Saunders, a musician who recently passed away.
We also play a post-classical piano piece from Larkhall, who is performing in Trowbridge this week.
In news, we note how there are no requirements to wear masks in crowded venues or nightclubs, even though this rule has just been re-enforced for shops and public transport in England.
We're joined on this week's Sheer Isolation by the owner of the Nine Volt Leap recording studio in Melksham; Dominic Bailey-Clay.
His small team of friends created the town centre studio space from nothing, and he's now dealing with a steady stream of recording jobs from local and national artists alike.
Dominic tells us about the early days of their makeshift recording set-ups and questionable neighbours, some of his recording highlights, and talks about the band's he's been working with recently.
One of those bands is Bath based Byker Grove Fan Club - we play one of their tracks in the show. We also play a lively pub recording from 2013 of upbeat Swindon folk trio, Grubby Jack. We play this as a tribute to band member Levi Saunders who sadly passed away this week.
In news, Kieran announces a hefty Government grant for a venue in the centre of Trowbridge.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by actor, stage performer and writer, Flo Espeut-Nickless.
Her one-woman show, Destiny, is a semi-autobiographical take of growing up on a Chippenham council estate.
She created the show to dispel the stereotype that everyone in Wiltshire is wealthy and well spoken.
She's now in talks to adapt Destiny for TV, while also rehearsing for a festive play, Miracle on 34 Seymour Street, which you can see in Trowbridge over Christmas.
We play a track from Gavin Osborn; previous Sheer Isolation guest and is working with Flo on her next project.
Our other tune is from Wells duo, The Portraits, who spotted that a High Street chain's Christmas ad uses a melody very similar to something they created last year.
In news, Kieran talks about a band member from Oasis playing in Wiltshire, and Jon covers the latest news to revitalise Swindon's Oasis Centre.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
A new community centre has recently opened in the centre of Swindon.
Our guest this week is Julian Jones who is part of the Swindon Hub project.
The site, which took over the derelict River Island store last month includes a café, exhibition space, workshop areas and a venue hall. Organisers are already planning events including theatre shows, guest speakers and community advice for reducing our bills and carbon footprints.
With Swindon's town centre not looking its best in recent years due to so many retail outlets closing, it's hoped the Swindon Hub will help buck this trend.
This week's musical choices are from the melodic Bristol/Norway group Ålesund, and we play a bit of classic indie from Swindon's own Viduals.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
This week's Sheer Isolation is a fascinating listen for anyone wanting to get into music promotion.
We're joined by Tim Orchard from Purr Records - a Bath based promotion and record label during the 2000s.
Tim talks about how he first got into music nights at Moles Club in the centre of Bath, how he introduced foreign bands onto the UK scene, and some of the lessons learnt along the way about getting the best out of your bookings.
On the music menu we play a track from one of Purr's discoveries - Pete & The Pirates. We also play a tune from Tenderlore who are performing in Trowbridge this week.
In news we pick up on last week's awareness campaign in Bristol to highlight the spiking of drinks in nightclubs.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
To mark the week when The Village Pump in Trowbridge re-opens for live events, we talk to local folk singer and one of the Pump's restoration volunteers, Rosie Upton, who's been a key player in the success of the venue for five decades.
She tells us what the folk club was like in the seventies, how it was reborn nearly 20 years ago, and how the Pump is diversifying to include a wider range of musical styles, while keeping live folk and acoustic performance at it's core.
Our tunes this week include Wiltshire's very own Fly Yeti Fly, who are launching a new album in December, and Rosie picks two of her favourite folk club attendees; Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter.
In the news, we discuss the skills shortage that's currently affecting the music industry, with many touring crews and stage productions struggling to find the right staff after the usual teams were forced to find alternative jobs during lockdown.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Living with autism can be frustrating for yourself and the people around you, especially when young children are involved.
This week's guest has played a crucial role in increasing understanding and tolerance of autistic behaviours in schools across the UK.
Swindon artist, Sumita Majumdar, is part of the team behind Pablo; a CBeebies series where the lead character shows how his inner-world manifests into real-life behaviour.
Sumita has gone on to research autistic traits and coping mechanisms further, and is hoping to create new interactive projects which will allow more people to see things from an autistic perspective.
Our tracks are provided by Gloucestershire's Chloe Foy, who is currently touring the West's venues, and Sumita picks a tune by another promoter of autism awareness; Donna Williams.
We also talk about how more venues are bringing back regular music nights, and the confusion over different Covid passport requirements between Cardiff and Bristol's nightclubs.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
On Sheer Isolation this week we're joined by property developer, Jonathan Dean.
He owns the Innox Mills in Trowbridge - a former sausage factory which is currently a derelict site that sits between the town centre and the train station.
He tells us his ambition to bring a 'little piece of Camden' to Wiltshire by including in his redevelopment plans dedicated studios and workshop spaces for local artists, and hopes to include new venues to promote the area's music scene.
Our tunes this week are courtesy of Devon duo, Sound of the Sirens, and Jonathan's choice is a Wiltshire based songwriter, Ben Borrill, who recently performed at the Innox Mill market.
In news, we congratulate Wiltshire supergroup, The Lost Trades, on reaching the Top 40 of the UK Folk Chart, and we send our best wishes to last week's guest, Alan Pettifer, who was taken ill shortly after talking to us.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Joining us on this week's Sheer Isolation is songwriter and artist, Alan Pettifer.
He's launching a new, monthly music night in North Wiltshire which brings together the best components from every folk night, open mic and charity show he's ever performed at.
As well as promoting the Crudwell Music Club, he also talks about his time frequenting German folk clubs in the seventies, how his songwriting has raised tens and thousands for good causes, and the perils of selling CDs through online retailers.
We've also got two tracks as always - this week we play a brand new tune from Bristol songwriter Sarah Larkham, and we play one of Alan's charity singles from 2011.
In news, Kieran recaps on his first rap and hiphop event in Trowbridge last weekend, and we discuss if the fuel disruptions have left musicians, and their audiences, struggling to get to gigs.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Regular music nights are appearing back on the pub chalkboards as life continues to return to normal.
That's music to the ears of this week's guest, Evie Em-Jay, who organises weekly jazz nights in Swindon.
She talks to us about how she fell in love with the genre, and how she ended up being Swindon's premier jazz promoter.
Her weekly music nights have now resumed at the Royal Oak in Old Town, and hopes that more of her venues will be welcoming back live music very soon.
A truly eclectic mix of music is on offer this week with Evie picking a jazz melody from the Bristol based Hopkins Hammond Trio, and Kieran goes full rap with a track from Cardiff's Juice Menace, who's playing in Wiltshire this week.
We also cover the news that UK law may be changing to pay musicians more for their streams, and that large music venues west of the Severn will be forced to check Covid ID before entry, but no such requirements are (so far) on the cards for England.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
We're talking to Mike Williams on this week's Sheer Isolation, who is part of the team behind Corsham's Pound Arts venue.
The town centre site includes a 100 seat auditorium for live events, exhibition spaces for artists, rehearsal rooms, workshops and a cafe.
Mike explains how the centre has evolved into a community hub, with lots of Corsham's residents making the most of their unique facility.
On the music menu, we play one from the vaults courtesy of Swindon three piece ska outfit, Slagerij, and Mike chooses a track from Kitty MacFarlane - a Somerset based singer who is performing at the venue later this year.
In news, Kieran talks about Frank Turner's 2022 England tour dates, and the confusion over Covid passports for nightclubs rolls on.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
This week's guest on Sheer Isolation is going old-school to help share community successes across the centre of Wiltshire.
Ben Parkes is part of the team behind the newly launched Celebrate newspaper in Trowbridge.
The idea of the paper is to promote local events, share good news stories and encourage more people to make their home town a more cheery and friendly place.
We ask Ben why he's taken on this project, and what he sees are the advantages of promotion via a physical newspaper.
On the music menu, we play a brand new tune from Chippenham/Bristol fuzzy rock outfit, The Erotic Secrets of Pompeii, and Ben picks a family favourite during lockdown... a single-take, quirky, sample and loop build-up from South African YouTube star, The Kiffness.
In news, we get confused about next month's plans to introduce Covid passports for nightclubs and large venues in England, and we're not the only ones looking for clearer guidance.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Chippenham and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
It was bound to happen eventually! We've turned the spotlight on ourselves for this week's Sheer Isolation. Our very own Jon Ponting explains how we grew from a local radio journalist to presenting and editing your favourite podcast about musicians from the West.
He looks back on hosting open mic nights across North Wiltshire and the Cotswolds, helping out at community radio stations, and taking the reins at Westonbirt's Treefest Festival.
We've also thrown a couple of songs into the mix; We have a new release from Bristol based songwriter, Onika Venus, and also a tune from the grandmaster of agricultural hiphop, Corky, who has just been announced as support for The Wurzels on their upcoming tour of the West later this year.
In news, we big up the Swindon Shuffle which takes place in the town next weekend, and explain why a shortage of toilets is leading to event cancellations in the region.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Chippenham and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
For over two decades, a dedicated team has been working in Chippenham to reach out to marginalised communities and to offer support to the disaffected through music, film, art and sport.
Ed Deedigan is the Director of Kandu Arts. He joins us on this week's Sheer Isolation to look back at how the project started, to promote their upcoming music and film festivals, and to thank the many people who have helped and supported the cause through the years.
On the music menu, Ed selects a new track from Malmesbury based Will Lawton, the video for which was filmed at the Kandu Arts drop-in centre in the centre of Chippenham.
Meanwhile Jon lowers the tone with his selection, courtesy of Cotswolds based parody artist, Silver Sam.
We also look ahead to an event in Swindon next weekend in memory of previous Sheer guest and manager of Swindon's Vic and 12 Bar, Dave Young. The My Dad Is Bigger Than Your Dad event is raising money for Prospect Hospice.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
The Trowbridge Village Pump Festival has been a regular event on the summer calendar for decades, but in more recent years the musical line-up took a different turn, a new site meant the festival moved away from it's home town, and the organisers eventually called it a day.
But after a successful one-off event in 2018, our guest this week has plans to revitalise the festival and bring it back to its former glory.
Nick Reed has been a part of the festival since the eighties, from a child attending with his parents, to working backstage, and now taking a top seat in planning the 2022 event.
He tells us about the festival's history, why it disappeared off the calendar, and how work is already underway for a weekend event next year.
On the music menu, Nick chooses a track from traditional folk group Gigspanner, featuring Steeleye Span's Peter Knight. We also play a tune from south west based act Samantics, who is currently touring the UK with a previous guest on Sheer Isolation, Frank Turner.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge (and the Wye Valley) and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
Our guest on Sheer Isolation this week has made it his mission to get the West's youngsters engaged with classical, opera and choir music.
Adam Laughton is part of the team at the Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon - a venue which showcases genres of music traditionally considered highbrow, while ensuring performances are fully inclusive, with workshops, events and rehearsal space to encourage teenagers to take up classical instruments and join youth orchestras and singing groups.
On our playlist, Adam picks a live recording performance by Bristol's Fitzhardinge Consort. We also play a track from Wiltshire group, Port Erin, who are making a real-life appearance at this weekend's Bath Festival.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Chippenham and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
We are joined on this week's Sheer Isolation by Wiltshire's very own Kirsty Clinch.
Kirsty is a folk musician who has more recently turned her attention to creating songs for toddlers. Over lockdown she illustrated and authored a children's song book which links to a series of short music videos on YouTube that she also produced.
On top of this, she has also opened her own music school for young children with plans to expand into nurseries and village halls as more restrictions are eased.
And with an impressive 111,000+ Instagram followers, she's got plenty of support for her many projects, although we learn that having that many followers comes with its own challenges!
We play a couple of singer-songwriter tracks this week - one from Americana artist, Steve Hewitt, who will be playing in Trowbridge in August, and Kirsty's choice is a tune from UK based Texan, Arielle.
In the news, we look at new rules coming into force next month for nightclubs and large venues to reduce the spread of Covid.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
After 63 episodes, this will be the last Sheer Isolation... to be recorded under Covid restrictions! Don't worry... we aren't ready to retire the show just yet!
This week our guest is Dan Greeves who has recently set up his own music management business and plans to offer an alternative way for acts to get their music heard.
The first band on the Pegasus books is Concrete Prairie; a folk act from Bristol, and he is looking for more untapped local talent to get in touch.
Dan tells us why he's chosen now to return to the music industry after a 20 year absence, and why he thinks there is a better way to promote and support performers in the music industry.
We play a tune from Concrete Prairie, as well as a song by Trowbridge based songwriter, Daisy Chapman.
And in news, we look ahead to the 19th of July when most Covid restrictions in England will be lifted. What does this mean for live music, and why is Government advice for nightclubs still muddying the waters?
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by Sam Robinson, who's part of the team at Marlborough's CD & vinyl shop, Sound Knowledge.
As well as the retail side, Sound Knowledge is also known for putting on in-store gigs and has hosted the likes of Ed Sheeran and Everything Everything since the shop was founded in the '90s.
We talk about the resurgence of vinyl sales, how the pandemic has pushed them into online selling, and how Record Store Day has quickly become their busiest time of the year.
On the music menu, we play a track from William Doyle, previously known as East India Youth, who is another musician to play at Sound Knowledge.
We also play a tune from Bristol indie group, Parkas, who are playing in Swindon this week.
In the news, we consider what our venues will look like after July 19th when legal social-distancing restrictions will be lifted.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
We're joined by comic book illustrator, Jess Bradley, on this week's Sheer Isolation.
Jon's old classroom buddy from St. Joseph's in Swindon has gone on to bigger and better things, including having regular strips and stories published in the Beano and Phoenix.
It's a rare moment in our podcast's history where our guest has seen workload increase during lockdown, with more of us buying comics online to keep our kids and ourselves entertained during the pandemic.
Jess won a Blue Peter award for her last book, A Day In The Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You. We get her perspective of how publishers pick who to back, and consider the comparisons between illustrators such as herself, and grassroots musicians looking for a record deal.
Jess has sequels on the way for A Day In The Life, plus a new series of comics called Super Dweeb - available later this year in all good bookshops ;)
Our music choices this week include a gorgeous new acoustic melody from Bath based Luke De-Sciscio, and Jess chooses one of her favourites which helps the creative juices flow, courtesy of UK synthwave group, Gunship.
In the news, we look at how Wiltshire's WOMAD festival has been forced to cancel for a second year. Could the Government be doing more to give festivals a fighting chance this summer?
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
There are plans underway to turn a large, unused bandstand in the centre of Trowbridge into an active, outdoor stage for live performances this summer.
The project is being led by Sally Snail who has promoted grassroots dance, music and stage shows in Wiltshire for more than two decades through her Starry Eyes project.
She joins us on this week's Sheer Isolation to share her plans for the bandstand, how she hopes these events will bring communities back together after lockdown, and why she has chosen to fundraise for local Alzheimer's charities.
We also play two shiny new tunes... the first from Swindon three piece, All Ears Avow, and a song/poem combo from Wiltshire's own country star, Kirsty Clinch.
We also talk about how the Government's four week delay to easing restrictions has led to the cancellation of more music festivals, and how the difficulty getting events insurance is making matters worse.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
We're joined on this week's Sheer Isolation by musician, model maker and ecologist, Tom Haynes, a.k.a. Grasslands.
Tom tells us about how he got to tell off Jeremy Clarkson for wanting to build a pond, and how that ended up featuring on the TV star's new Amazon Prime series; Clarkson's Farm.
He also talks about recording sounds in nature which he converts into samples to create songs, why he played 30 gigs in 30 days just before Covid arrived, why he's always accompanied by a toy badger and wolf hat, and why he played a gig to a field of cows.
Tunes this week include one of Tom's newest tunes, and we also play a track from indie acoustic songwriter, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly.
In news, we discuss how the extended four week delay to restrictions has led to the cancellation of more local festivals, with one of Wiltshire's largest music weekends still hanging in the balance.
This episode was created by Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
This week's Sheer Isolation is dedicated to the memory of Dave Young, who passed away last week.
Before retiring, Dave was the man behind two of Swindon's most respected music venues - the Victoria and the 12Bar.
He had an incredible passion for live music and was a key player in promoting grassroots artists, as well as bringing internationally known acts into the town.
He was our guest on Sheer Isolation last year, sharing stories from his time running music venues. We are replaying this interview, including additional bits which were originally edited out.
Follow Sheer Music on the usual social platforms to find further information about Dave, of people sharing their memories and a JustGiving page.
We're joined on this week's Sheer Isolation by Tom Mallard from the Riverbank Studios in Chippenham.
This community based recording and rehearsal studio offers support to teens through tutoring, reachout programmes, and giving young people a space to work together on musical projects.
As if the impact of Covid wasn't bad enough, Riverbank also lost its home last year and has based itself temporarily in an empty retail unit in the centre of town.
On the playlist, we have a tune from Bristol pop-rockers, Rozelle, who have a new EP coming out next month. Tom picks a track from Tea & Biscuits - a success story of the Riverbank Studios project.
In other news, Kieran talks about how he's helping identify musicians from old demo tapes submitted to Glastonbury, and we discuss how a mini-version of Download is going ahead with a full UK line-up.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
Our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation has made it her mission to bring minority communities together through music, singing, and now movies.
Lorena Pino Montilla moved from Venezuela to teach Spanish in Wiltshire, and has always looked for ways of reaching out to groups who may feel isolated due to language or religious barriers.
She talks about how the Trowbridge Song Project brought women together to share cultural and traditional music with each other.
Her latest project is working with Trowbridge Town Hall to screen films from around the globe, in a way that makes them accessible to as many people as possible.
On the music front we're playing a double helping of traditional folk. Representing the UK we have The Albion Band, and Lorena's choice is the C4 Trio from Venezuela.
We also talk about our first real-life gigs of the year, and the fiasco surrounding last week's virtual Glastonbury festival.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by guitar teacher and sound tech at Walcot House, Jamie Williams.
In the past year he's seen guitar students double with more lessons taking place on Zoom. And as well as getting prepared for the return of live music at his Bath based venue, he's also working on a new project to let kids teach other kids how to play instruments.
On the playlist we have a new tune from songwriter, Doozer McDooze, and Jamie picks a track from one of his favourite local bands, Superlove.
We also talk about Kieran's first outdoor live music gig of the year, and how our region's pubs and venues have finally been able to fill their calendars with live music and comedy.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
After more than a year of silence, the UK's grassroots musicians are starting to plan real-life events once again. Our guest on Sheer Isolation this week is flipping the perspective by encouraging communities in the West to put on events themselves, to help support seasoned singers, newbie performers and raise money for their village halls at the same time.
Keith Hyett's Re-connect project encourages communities to work together to create a place where we can spend time with our friends and neighbours post-lockdown, and enjoy food, drink and music at the same time.
We also discuss exciting developments at the Cheese & Grain in Frome, where you can find some of this year's Glastonbury line-up after the internationally renowned event was cancelled for the second year running.
In our music selection this week, we play one of Keith's instrumental compositions; our other track is a new release from the Bath based Longcoats.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
The past year has highlighted the need for mental health awareness across all sectors from big business to individuals.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by Tracy Sullivan from Open Minds Mental Health. She offers accessible training that helps us understand and better communicate with people who are struggling with depression and anxiety.
As we start to socialise again post-lockdown and get ready for live events to begin in a few weeks time, concerns about anxiety and mixing are high on a lot of people's minds.
Before starting this worthy cause, Tracy was behind the creation of Trowbridge Arts Centre.
Also in this week's show, Kieran announces exciting live music news with local gigs for Frank Turner and Salem, featuring Creeper frontman Will Gould.
Our tracks include the latest release from Salem in preparation for their UK tour, and Tracy picks a track from Bradford-on-Avon (now Brighton) four piece, Hum Fuzz.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
We're joined on this week's Sheer Isolation by Dave Webber and Deb Hannis from the Chippenham Folk Festival.
Due to take place at the end of May, the four-day festival is being streamed online this year with organisers teaming up with the Chester Folk Festival to create a one-off weekend of collaborated gigs, workshops and dancing.
We play a track from one of the event's headliners - Exeter based folk giants, Show of Hands.
We also feature a new track from Odain, with vocals provided by Krush Landing - a singer from the West who's involved with the Life 2020 project (as covered in our previous show).
Kieran also brings a guitar amp to show-and-tell, and we share the positive vibes of seeing musicians taking to beer gardens for impromptu 'incidental' gigs.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by Isha McIntosh from the Bristol based community project, Life 2020.
As well as helping with life skills, wellbeing and alternative learning, Life 2020 provides a platform to upcoming musicians by booking them to play at networking events.
With lockdown restrictions being lifted, the team are now planning to take these meet-ups out of Bristol, starting with a visit to Wiltshire this summer.
Isha tells us more about the non-for-profit group, and the importance of providing entrepreneurs in black and minority communities with the encouragement and motivation to chase their ambitions.
Music choices are as wide-ranging as ever... Isha picks a hip-hop track from PRZY, who performed at a previous Life 2020 event. We also share an indie-math instrumental rock track from Parachute For Gordo, who are planning a mini tour in the West this August.
We also consider a loophole in England's current lockdown rules which lets venues book outdoor music as long as they can prove punters aren't there to listen to the performance.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
It won't be long until venues across the West come out of hibernation and start entertaining us again.
The team at Trowbridge Town Hall have used their time over lockdown to breathe fresh life into the building.
Our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation is Events Manager, Jess Bennett. She tells us about their new space for live music, new cinema room and their plans for showcasing live music and comedy later this year.
Our music choices this week include a new acoustic session recording of Bath based group, Young Martyrs, and Jess picks a live recording of rhythm & blues band, The Worried Men.
We also revisit the idea of vaccine passports for venues, and for the first time in 50 episodes we lose our link over Zoom.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by Adam Horovitz who's the Arts Correspondent from new online publication, the Stroud Times.
The virtual newspaper hopes to breathe fresh life into local journalism by sharing community articles that are free from clickbait and shock-tactic social media posts.
Adam talks to us about why Stroud is such a hub for original music, theatre and poetry, and how townsfolk have been supporting their venues and businesses over the past year.
We're staying in Stroud with this week's music choices also; Adam selects an experimental electro piece from Mermaid Chunky, and we also play a new tune from Emily Barker which takes inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement.
We also pay respects to Swindon Advertiser journalist and choir videographer, Flicky Harrison, who sadly passed away recently.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
You get two guests for the price of one on this week's Sheer Isolation as we continue our quest to celebrate the West of England's music, art and theatre scenes after a year of lockdowns.
We're joined by Dan Petley, who in 2011 created a community led piece of artwork known as the Brick Project. Since then he's overseen similar schemes in the UK and Europe, and is hopeful of getting the paint-pots out from storage later this year.
We also talk to Fraisia Dunn who is from the Sedated by Brick Theatre troupe in Bristol. After a year of no performances they have just started getting the wheels in motion for a new adaptation of an Ursula Le Guin novel.
Both guests are also experimental musicians, and are part of the surprisingly large group of bin painters at the Glastonbury Festival.
Music this week is provided by ex-Wiltshire based songwriter, Jess Vincent, and our guests pick a tune from fellow festival bin doodlers, Stanlӕy.
In news, we report that Forest Live has sadly been postponed for the second year running, but Kieran brings positive news about new gigs that are in his calendar.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
One of the founders of Minety Festival, Rich Swatton, joins us on this week's Sheer isolation.
The weekend long festival is due to go ahead just two weeks after the UK's current schedule for fully unlocking, making it one of the first festivals to take place in Wiltshire.
Rich tells us about the challenges that brings, who's on the 2021 line-up, and how the event has gained such popularity since it's launch just five years ago.
Both tunes this week are picked by Rich. We play a track from his own band, The Dirty Smooth, and an acoustic session recording from Bath based Enter Red - both groups are on this year's Minety line-up.
We also put a shout out for musicians and duos to make themselves known as venues across the region dust off their diaries and start to plan gigs for late summer and autumn.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
https://vurbl.com/
It wasn't long after the Government announced provisional dates for unlocking England that festival organisers started stocking up on gaffer tape, charging their walkie-talkies and getting ready to open their doors after a fallow year.
Andy Rae is one of the founders of Gloucestershire's 2000 Trees Festival. He joins us on Sheer Isolation to talk about their plans for this July, in particular how they want the four day event to be as normal as possible, while being conscious that another blip in the Covid stats could scupper plans for the second year running.
We also come up with a Flaming Lips-style workaround for keeping the event open, but quickly find a flaw in the plan.
On the music menu we've got a sweet, acoustic ditty from the most Glaswegian Bristolian we know; The Lonely Tourist has a new release out.
And Andy picks a metal/pop/alt track off Canadian group, The Dirty Nil's new album.
Also, in what's becoming an unintended regular feature, Kieran has a pop at the Performing Rights Society.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Chippenham and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
We're joined on this week's Sheer Isolation by an 18 year old who's tipped to become one the UK's premier lighting technicians for live events.
Malmesbury based George Davies has already taken the reigns at Minety Festival, and lit up the likes of Republica and Spice Girl, Mel C.
He talks about how he started his business at just 16, and what he's planning to do in the coming years.
On the music front we play a track from Swindon's own hip-hop reggae collective, The Tribe, and Kieran picks out some math rock from Let's Swim Get Swimming.
There's also some exciting news for local musicians as Soundcloud announcing plans to change it's structure for paying artists for streams.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget to look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're playing the second part of our Brian Keen interview. The Swindon soundman has packed up his PA and has retired onto a narrowboat.
He looks back at some of his favourite venues and festivals, talks about how a year in lockdown has disrupted plans to tour the UK's canal network, and tells us how he lost his home when 1970s rock band, Ace, lived next door.
In the week where the UK Government announced a four month plan to begin unlocking the nation, Kieran predicts how this year's festival season may play out.
On the music menu we have two new tunes - one from Wiltshire supergroup The Lost Trades, and one from Fear of Ghosts - a New Zealand band fronted by ex-Malmesbury musician, John Shilibeer.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Don't forget that safe-for-work audio versions of Sheer Isolation are available by searching your podcast provider, or look for us on the schedule of your local community radio station; we're on the airwaves in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
Last week, the organisers of the Devizes Festival confirmed that Covid has forced them into cancelling their two-week long programme of June events for the second year running.
Margaret Bryant joins us on Sheer Isolation to share what it's like being part of the Devizes team, her highlights from previous festivals, and how the team never shy away from inviting well known and controversial people to join their line-up.
In other news, we look at the concept of introducing rapid Covid testing into the UK's nightclubs and music events this summer.
Our music selection includes a couple of tracks from 2016 for no other reason than coincidence - from Exeter's Jonah Hitchens and the Bristol based Homegrown Collective.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by Tony McLoughlin, who's been promoting and distributing the latest music releases to shops across the land since the 1980s.
He tells us about his time at Tower Records in Piccadilly where his career started, and how the decline of physical CD sales means there's less demand for distributors, and how that part of the music industry is being replaced in a streaming world.
On the tunes front we have a new track from Salisbury metal duo Next Stop Olympus, and Tony picks an artist who steered him into a life of music, Frank Zappa.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
Forest Live - which brings international touring artists to four of England's most popular woodland sites - is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer.
Joining us on this week's Sheer Isolation is Simon Hough, who's part of the Forest Live team and based at our local Forestry Commission venue: Westonbirt Arboretum near Tetbury.
As well as promoting this year's line-up, and staying optimistic that the event will be able to go ahead this summer, Simon also recalls the very first Forest Live, reminisces of the Treefest festival which was held at Westonbirt until 2016, and spreads the word that the arboretum is open to locals who book in advance.
Music this week is courtesy of a new track from Devizes based funk duo Funkin' Hell, and Simon's choice is one of his Forest Live highlights from Gruff Rhys.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
Bringing live music performances to people in our most remote villages, our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation is Gavin Osborn from the Wiltshire Rural Music charity.
In normal times, Gavin would be taking musicians on tour in mobile libraries across the county. This year his charity work has adapted to help the most isolated with care home gigs through Zoom and setting up a dial-a-musician scheme.
We also cover the news that Glastonbury Festival has once again been cancelled - what does that mean for the rest of the 2021 festival calendar. And, are musicians getting enough revenue from streaming?
This week's music includes an older tune from Bristol rock outfit, Thought Forms, and a double-feature live shanty from Street's Nick Parker.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
Joining us on this week's Sheer Isolation is Brian Keen - one of the West's longest-serving sound engineers.
Bri has been part of Swindon's music scene for years, and spent several years hosting a local music show on Swindon 105.5 with our very own Jon.
In this two part interview, we go back to the seventies when Bri was first starting out in the music industry, his time spent at Island Records working with upcoming artists who went on to become the household names, going on tour with Ultravox, and how technology has changed the role of the sound engineer as we've moved from requiring tonnes of machinery to needing just a laptop with a studio app.
On the music front we have a brand new track from Devizes grunge act Gary Martian, and Bri picks a tune from one of his favourite acts, Cirencester Americana duo, The Black Feathers.
Meanwhile, Kieran has another rant about the latest idea from the PRS, and shares the news of his first gig of the year.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by Somerset storyteller, Michael Loader.
Representing yet another overlooked arm of the entertainment industry, Michael has spent more time in the last twelve months writing and researching for new projects because live events in care homes, schools and festivals have all been called off.
He gives us a glimpse of his new, original tale, and tells a fascinating story about an arts exchange project which took him all the way to Bethlehem for a gig.
One of our tracks this week is connected to the friends Michael made on this journey... we play a tune from Palestinian artist Zaid Hilal. We also play a brand new track that was made closer to home by Devizes based blues artist, Jon Amor.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
We're back from our festive break; ready to bring you another weekly slice of news and views from the West of England's music scene.
On this week's Sheer Isolation, we're looking at how Brexit is going to affect UK musicians who were planning on touring the European mainland later this year.
We're joined by Folklaw frontman, Nick Gibbs, who's been busy researching the rules and downloading the relevant paperwork so his band can legally play the German festival scene.
He shares his knowledge for anyone else who's planning a musical trip to Europe this year, and lets us know some of the pitfalls to be avoided.
On the music front we play a sweet track with a heart-warming video from Cirencester duo, Ethemia, and Nick picks an acoustic punk track from a musician he met while touring the continent, a home recording by Nottingham's Paul Carbuncle.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Chippenham and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
This week's guest is the author behind 'It Takes Blood and Guts' - the biography of Skin from Skunk Anansie. She also wrote 'She Bop' back in 1995 which explored how women were cutting through the male-dominated music industry.
Lucy O'Brien has just released a revised version to mark the 25th anniversary of the books first print.
She joins us on this week's Sheer Isolation to discuss why She Bop was such a groundbreaking release, how the imbalances and bias in the industry are shifting, and about working at the NME in the eighties.
Music this week is provided by Bath songwriter Sam Eason who released a feelgood lockdown track earlier this year, and our guest picks a tune from Black Box Recorder.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
Joining us on this week's Sheer Isolation we have Warminster based music and events promoter, Leander Morales.
He would usually be working with venues across the region, booking in touring bands and comedians. Instead, like so many in the music industry, he's gone back to his day job. But with the UK's Covid vaccine rollout about to start, he's starting to plan for events in a few months time.
On the music menu we've unintentionally picked two Bath based rock outfits - a spanking new track from the spanking new band, The Byker Grove Fan Club, and Leander picks a tune from fellow Bath-based rockers, Ulysses.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
For the past five years Safe Gigs For Women has been working tirelessly to break through taboos, raise awareness and offer support to victims of sexual assaults at festivals and music venues across the UK.
Their volunteers have a growing presence at gigs and their logo has become a mark of reassurance to show women that event organisers are there to help and support them should the unthinkable happen.
Mel Kelly has been with SGFW since the beginning. She's our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation.
We talk about the organisation, why it needs to exist, and how attitudes and awareness are changing for the better.
We also feature a new release from Bath based Fonzy Amor & Company, and Mel chooses an emotive tune by US folk singer, Bug Hunter.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by Talis Kimberley-Fairbourne - a keen folk musician, knitter, environmentalist and campaigner.
Her summer's are usually filled with festival slots, folk clubs and entertaining the crowds at protest marches.
She talks to us about what inspired her to use music to help right the world's wrongs, her kitchen sessions series, and ponders what Christmas will be like without the traditional groups of carollers.
We've also got two easy-on-the-ear tracks this week... One from Swindon songwriter, Paul Lappin; the other from Wiltshire folk band, The Yirdbards, which was recorded at the Bradford-on-Avon folk club last year, back when gigs happened in real life.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Safe For Work audio versions are available by searching on your podcast provider, and listen out for us on community radio stations across the region.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
Floating in Bristol's harbour, The Thekla is one of Bristol's iconic music venues. On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by one of her sound engineers.
Fiona Riches tells a familiar story of what she's been doing this year while the Thekla, and her job, have been put on indefinite hold. She also talks about recent renovation works to the vessel, a new-found love of pottery, and why any sound engineer would want to be in charge of controlling sound in the ship's metal hull.
Two new, local tracks for you this week. One from Wiltshire based country/pop songwriter, Kirsty Clinch. The other from Poisonous Birds - an electro/rock trio from Bristol.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
We're continuing our talk with David Young this week, who used to run two of Swindon's most well known music venues - The Victoria and the 12Bar.
This week he tells us about life behind the scenes... dealing with promoters, how to handle raucous bands and what was in his very expensive lost and found box.
Our tracks are something old and something new this week. From the late noughties we have Cheltenham rock-poppers, Loungefly. We also feature a track off the new album from US Blues sensation, Fantastic Negrito.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Safe For Work audio versions are available by searching on your podcast provider, and listen out for us on community radio stations across the region.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
This week on Sheer Isolation we're taking a break from discussing 2020 to chat with a man who retired from the live music scene several years ago.
Dave Young used to run the Victoria and the 12Bar in Swindon, and in his time booked many well known names to play in the town.
In Part One of this interview, we look back at when he and Anna first took over the Vic in 2004, along with some memorable stories from the first few years.
Dave picks a tune from Swindon trio, Hip Route, featuring vocals from Reef's Gary Stringer.
We also play a track from the upcoming album of Abingdon based The Sad Song Co.
This episode was created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Listen out for us on community radio stations across the region.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
At Sheer Isolation we're continuing to give a voice to the highly-skilled crew who work in the shadows of the performance industry. This week we're talking to jet-setting lighting engineer, Chris Davey.
He was rigging stages in Vietnam and Los Angeles when Covid started to spread around the globe. Thankfully he got back to his home in Somerset in time for UK's lockdown, but unfortunately hasn't set up a stage since.
Chris tells us about what life is like on the road, what's been happening this year, and we consider what the next few years are going to look like for students about to enter into the job market for specialised technical roles.
Music for this week is provided by James Morrison, chosen by Chris as he was part of James' touring team for most of last year. We also pick something from the local archives courtesy of songwriter Ben Maggs.
The show is created by Kieran Moore in Chippenham and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
With nightclubs forcibly closed across the UK, the dance industry is struggling to survive 2020.
And just like live bands, DJs currently have no venues to perform in, and no gigs on the horizon.
On this week's Sheer Isolation we're joined by John Mustoe - a Gloucester based DJ who would usually spend his summer on stages across Europe.
He talks to us about the extra challenges facing DJs and nightclubs during the pandemic, the problems with playing sets in a Covid safe environment, tells us about Gloucester's diverse, yet mostly undiscovered music scene, and we also talk about Gloucester FM - a community radio station which is celebrating it's 21st birthday this month.
Meanwhile, Kieran bigs up a new release from Stay Voiceless, and picks a fight with the Performing Rights Society.
Two tunes as always - we feature a track from last week's guest, Sean McGowen, and introduce some Gloucester funk courtesy of Gillespie and Co featuring Boston singer, Raphaelia.
The show is created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Listen out for us on community radio stations across the region.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
In the week when Chancellor Rishi Sunak caused a stir with his comments on people retraining for viable jobs, we're joined by a Southampton based musician who did just that.
Sean McGowan was a regular face on the indie scene, supporting the likes of Frank Turner and the Levellers, while working at one of the city's premier music venues, The Joiners.
He's spent the summer training to be a barber and now cuts hair for a living, although he hasn't given up on returning to the music scene soon.
Meanwhile, Kieran overshares his thoughts about the Chancellor's comments.
On the music front we have a new track from Swindon's very own Atari Pilot, and Sean selects a track from his workmates at the Joiners, Jetski Babylon.
The show is created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting in Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or gigs - virtual or otherwise - sheerisolation@gmail.com
We're joined on this week's Sheer Isolation by the owner of Crest Studios and ex-landlord of Trowbridge's iconic music venue the Psychic Pig, Tim Cross.
We relive the moment a band played its first support slot in the pub in 1992, and went on to become one of the world's most famous bands.
And in the week where new Government schemes leave many in the entertainment and arts industry with no Covid lifeline, we consider if better methods for supporting live music and keeping our venues safe could have been introduced by Westminster.
As always we have two tunes for you - and this week they are poles apart... We play a new track of Westbury's Phil Cooper - somewhat heavier than you may be expecting if you know his previous work. And from 1989, some ska from Bath based group, Knucklehead.
The show is created by Kieran Moore in Chippenham and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Safe For Work audio versions are available by searching on your podcast provider, and listen out for us on community radio stations across the region.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
With a standing capacity of 7,500, the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff is the largest events venue in the area. The Deputy Manager, Daniel Roberts, joins us on Sheer Isolation this week. He also works for Live Nation - one of the UK's largest music promoters.
He talks about his 18 years working at the venue, gives an insight into the logistics of keeping musicians, comedians, their managers and promoters happy, and what he's been up to personally over the past six months while the Arena has remained closed.
We also pay tribute to Stroud based musician and broadcaster, Marion Miller, who sadly passed away last week. Marion was behind the annual Quarry Gig and was a regular voice on the now silent Stroud FM.
Music this week is a mix of fiddle-heavy folk rock from Gloucester's Folklaw, and Daniel chooses some Welsh hip-hop courtesy of Goldie Lookin Chain.
The show is created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
Joining us on Sheer Isolation this week are two of Bristol's most loved musicians; Elliot Hall and Sarah Larkham. Some know them as 'Larkham & Hall', others as 'Rapunzel', and many just know them as the music teachers who live on a barge (a wide-beam, Kieran... not a narrowboat ;) ).
In our chat, we also talk about their incredible charity work through the Mind Your Music project, Elliot shares his first-hand experience of overcoming schizophrenia, and how lockdown has brought out the author in both of them.
We're getting on board with the house-boat lifestyle with a couple of chilled out tracks - a bit of hiphop courtesy of Bath based Jay, and some Baltic Blues from Devon's Anja Graefe.
We also consider if the new Northern lockdown will have knock-on effects for the West's reawakening music scene.
The show is created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
We're playing Part 2 of our Big Jeff interview on this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast. Big Jeff is a Bristol icon who has an encyclopaedic brain which recalls the best, and worst, gigs he's attended since his teenage years.
We also talk about the latest Covid guidance on groups of six, and how this shouldn't affect music venues as they continue to reopen after months of mothballing.
Music is provided by Milk Teeth, who sadly disbanded this week, and also The Struts.
It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
From humble beginnings as hired help at a gig on a uni campus, to running the ULU venue in London, our guest on Sheer Isolation this week is promoter rep and tour manager, Graeme Nash.
We talk about his career progression over the years, and what he's been doing through 2020 as, like so many other people who rely on the actual 'gig' economy, Graeme's diary has been empty since lockdown with no sign of major music events restarting any time soon.
We've picked two cracking local bands to feature this week - a new release from Swindon's long-term indie-pop outfit Talk In Code, and Graeme's picked a tune from his home town - Chippenham's Bad Sounds... perfectly described by Intermission Bristol as 'a hip hop infused ode to dog walking'.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is created weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
We're continuing with our interview with Tre Stead on this week's edition of Sheer Isolation.
She talks about the issues facing sound & light technicians, stage managers and touring musicians as support payments from the Government dry up despite people in the industry still being banned from doing the jobs they love.
Our brace of tunes are provided by Swindon's Sean Amor - a fan of Americana who's featured in bands like Bateleurs and Southern Harmony, and has now produced this solo piece in lockdown.
And we play a fun tune from classically trained violinist, Mike Dennis - a Bristolian who pulls influence from dub reggae and rap artists.
Sorry for the lo-fi audio quality of our links this week - we're blaming a dodgy Zoom connection!
The Sheer Isolation podcast is created weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
On this week's show we're joined by Tour Manager to the stars, Tre Stead.
In February she was keeping the team on Frank Turner's UK tour in check - now she's working as catering staff at a Nightingale hospital.
In Part 1 of her interview she talks about how her situation is not unique as skilled people from across the industry take on new jobs to make ends meet. With many considering a career in a more stable industry, could we be facing a skills shortage at events when life returns to normal?
Our music choices this week couldn't be more polar! A brand new punky-blues track from Bristol's John E Vistic, and a blast from the past as Tre picks the Fisher Price bothering entertainer, Kid Carpet.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is created weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
Lecturer, songwriter, performer, artist and one half of Bristol duo Hysterical Injury, Annie Gardiner is this week's guest on the Sheer Isolation Podcast.
We talk about her musical past, present and future, and where her inspiration came from to create a visual representation of just how male-centric the music industry can be.
Two great tunes as ever - a new track from Malmesbury's Will Lawton and the Alchemists, plus Annie's choice; American husband and wife duo, The Handsome Family.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is created weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Safe For Work audio versions are available by searching on your podcast provider, and listen out for us on community radio stations across the region. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
On this week's Sheer Isolation podcast we're joined by Seth Bye from the Giffords Circus Band.
With circus performances banned under lockdown, Seth's first season with the travelling troupe was put on hold just weeks before the first opening night, although the team at Giffords have come up with a novel way of entertaining crowds for the rest of the year.
Seth also talks about the Packhorse sessions, where he joined forces with his musical housemates to bring live tunes to his village at a time when other musicians were streaming from their bedrooms.
We also cover the latest news on live music and venues reopenings (or not), following last week's Government decision to delay the latest easing measures.
Music this week is from Seth's folk fusion band, Gathering Tides, and a new soul/blues inspired track from Bristol's Lady Nade.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
There's plenty of news to cover in this week's Sheer Isolation podcast... local venues are beginning to reopen with some jumping straight in with hosting live music, a Government backed socially distanced concert is trialled and deemed 'not a success', and Kieran confirms that Sheer Music has booked it's first post-lockdown gig - a national artist to play in Trowbridge in December.
Our guest this week is James Hackett - owner of Swindon based video production company, Inspire Creative, but also an accomplished musician performing in several rock and metal bands.
He talks about how we started up his business as a way of confronting his own depression after losing his job.
As ever we have two tracks to bring you this week - three minutes of screamo metal from Ursus, and an incredible piece of guitarwork from accidental viral YouTuber, Jon Gomm.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
Photographer Shot by Brock and creator of Spilt Milk Mag, Courtney Brock, is our guest on this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast.
In the week when Q Magazine confirmed it was producing it's final edition, is music journalism returning to its grassroots?
And although the Government has confirmed music venues can reopen on August 1st, have they given promoters enough time to put social distancing measures in place?
We also feature tracks from Steve Skinley and October Drift.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
Open mic nights provide new musicians with the first stepping stone to fame, and give seasoned musicians a good excuse to catch up with friends and try new material.
With pubs closed for the past four months, the entire open mic scene has come to an abrupt halt.
A regular face at open mics in north Wiltshire and the Cotswolds, Alison Hustwitt, joins us on this week's Sheer Isolation podcast to talk about life during lockdown and to share some pearls of wisdom for all the new post-lockdown, self-taught guitarists about the dos and don'ts of your first open mic performance.
We also touch on Alison's volunteer work in helping drug and alcohol addicts through this unstable and challenging time.
Music is provided by the Forest of Dean's Luke Philbrick, and the self-proclaimed creator of Wurz-rap, Bristol based (but Malmesbury's very own) Corky.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Safe For Work audio versions are available by searching on your podcast provider, and listen out for us on community radio stations across the region. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
We're joined by Claire Sutton on this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast. As well as being the frontwoman for Swindon bands Mortdelamer and All Ears Avow, she's also an accomplished sound engineer and recordist.
We talk about how the easing in social distancing measures means recording studios can finally start up again, the UK Government's 1.5 billion support package for the arts, and reminisce the 2000 Trees Festival, which should have been taking place on the outskirts of Cirencester this weekend.
Plus we have a couple of tracks to bring you - Gloucestershire pop rockers Elessar, and Kieran's highlight from last year's 2000 Trees; New Best Friend.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Listen out for us on community radio stations across the region. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
One of, if not THE, most recognisable gig-goers in the UK joins us on this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast. Bristol's very own enigma Big Jeff talks about his unintended rise to fame, his two most embarrassing nights in the Exchange, and THAT campaign to rename Colston Hall after him.
Meanwhile, Kieran launches a campaign in support of Sam and Rich from BBC Introducing who's 10 year stint came to an abrupt halt this week, and reviews the Government's latest lockdown relaxations, or lack of, for the music industry.
On top of all this we have a new track from Devizes based ex-Hoax member Jon Amor, and Big Jeff chooses a track that is in no way safe for radio, so we've picked a tune from Bristol based Glaswegian, the Lonely Tourist.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Safe For Work audio versions are available by searching on your podcast provider, and listen out for us on community radio stations across the region. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
On this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast we continue with our fascinating chat with the founder of Alcopop! Records, Jack Clothier.
We hear about how Alcopop! Started thanks to a winning bet, why they launched the UK's most expensive compilation album, and how labels can stay relevant in our changing world.
This, in the week where the Government announced plenty of restrictions to our social distancing laws, but live music and the arts have been left cold by the latest changes.
We also have new music from female-fronted pop rockers Swindon's All Ears Avow, and a track from upcoming Devizes trio, NervEndings.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore in Trowbridge and Jon Ponting near Cricklade.
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Safe For Work audio versions are available by searching on your podcast provider, and listen out for us on community radio stations across the region. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
Alcopop! Records look after the likes of Art Brut, Johnny Foreigner and Tellison. The man at the top, Jack Clothier, joins us on the Sheer Isolation Podcast for a two part special.
In this episode we talk about the challenges facing record labels, hiring a cruise ship for a party, and we learn about glass grinding - which isn't where we thought the conversation would go!
We play a nineties classic from Len which has a surprise connection with Alcopop!, plus a track from one of their artists; Emperor Yes.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore (who is this week in the Neeld Hall in Chippenham) and Jon Ponting (in his usual spot near Cricklade).
Thank you for your continued positive feedback on this series. Safe For Work audio versions are available by searching on your podcast provider, and listen out for us on community radio stations across the region. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature as well as any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
On this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast we have studio engineer Pete Lamb - a local legend who's been recording local, national and international artists at The Music Workshop in Potterne for the past five decades.
We play a track from Mischa & His Merry Men, and Pete shares a Korgis cover he recorded earlier this year.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all contributors who've helped us piece this together. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
From a dad driving his son to gigs, to an icon of the Chippenham music scene, Brian Reid joins us on this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast.
He talks about being roadie/manager for Roads To Nowhere, how we fell into presenting a weekly radio show in the town, and gives us a taste of his 'poison pen-letter' poetry.
We've also got two amazing tracks out of Bristol thanks to Mac Lloyd (ex-Sell Your Sky) and the Erotic Secrets of Pompeii.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all contributors who've helped us piece this together. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
Joining us on this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast is festival photographer, Helen Messenger.
With everything from large-scale festivals to weddings and band photoshoots postponed or cancelled, how are freelance photographers coping during lockdown?
We're also playing music from Swindon / Northern Ireland songwriter Daryl Ball, and a track from Katie Malco.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is made weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all contributors who've helped us piece this together. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
We're joined on this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast by seasoned music promoter and co-owner of the Swindon Tuppenny, Ed Dyer.
With pubs still closed across the UK, The Tuppenny has gone virtual; delivering drinks to regulars, hosting online quizzes and streaming live gigs.
Could other venues pick up some tips on ways to stay open, even if the doors are shut?
We also play a couple of indie pop tracks. One from Swindon's Stay Lunar, and a new track from Bath's Longcoats.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is being produced weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all contributors who've helped us piece this together. Musicians are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
On this week's Sheer Isolation Podcast we talk with Rob Dahl from one of the South West's most loved music venues, The Cheese & Grain in Frome. With the expectation this industry is going to be closed for months to come, we discuss what it's like having to write off bookings as a promoter, and how venues could be able to reopen later in the year.
We also play a track from punk band Chinese Burn, celebrating the rise of a political movement in Stroud some 180 years ago, and alt-rockers yourcodenameis:milo who have reformed for a Music Venue Trust fundraiser special.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is being produced weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all musicians who've allowed us to use their tracks in this show. Musicians and artists are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
With music venues closed for the foreseeable future we talk to Matt Otridge from the Exchange in Bristol about how the industry will survive lockdown, his involvement with the Music Venues Trust and Save Our Venues, and what us fans can do to help.
We also play tracks from Bristol band Woahnows and US artist Olivia Awbrey who was due to tour the area to promote her new album.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is being produced weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England.
It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all musicians who've allowed us to use their tracks in this show.
Musicians and artists are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
This week on the Sheer Isolation Podcast we're joined by Non Canon (aka Oxygen Thief aka Barry Dolan) to talk about his new album which is released in a couple of weeks.
We also play a track from his new album, plus a song from Bristol's Larkham & Hall.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is being produced weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England.
It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig). We send our thanks to all musicians who've allowed us to use their tracks in this show.
Musicians and artists are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
This episode of the Sheer Isolation podcast includes Part 2 of our exclusive Frank Turner interview; talking about how the music industry will reform after lockdown, what we can do to support local venues at this difficult time, and learn about Frank's book reading and cooking habits!
We also play tracks from Jess Guise and a new, live (in the countryside) recording from Tom Jenkins.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is being produced weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England. It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all musicians who've allowed us to use their tracks in this show.
Musicians and artists are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
Punk rock superstar Frank Turner joins Kieran Moore and Jon Ponting on this week's Sheer Isolation podcast.
He talks about how Covid is impacting musicians in all corners of the industry, how venues and promoters are staying afloat this summer and his work with the Music Venues Trust.
We also play tracks from Trowbridge outfit Sober Son, and a Splat The Rat song recorded in isolation.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is being produced weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England.
It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all musicians who've allowed us to use their tracks in this show. Musicians and artists are very welcome to send us videos to feature and any news or streaming dates... sheerisolation@gmail.com
The very first Sheer Isolation Podcast with Kieran Moore and Jon Ponting. In this half hour the two of us learn how to podcast, introduce ourselves to the masses, talk about how musicians have been turning to online streaming because of Covid-19 and play you some cracking music from Ducking Punches, Ben Marwood, The Black Feathers, Joe Edwards and The Lost Trades.
The Sheer Isolation podcast is being produced weekly to promote the music scene in Wiltshire and the West of England.
It's created by Kieran Moore (Sheer Music) and Jon Ponting (4014 Project; The Late Gig).
We send our thanks to all musicians who've allowed us to use their tracks in this show.
Musicians and artists are very welcome to send us content (it doesn't have to be music)... sheerisolation@gmail.com