Tom Hogan: Recent Episodes
Tom Hogan
I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm sure doing a lot of it. Music, sound art, writing, podcasts, comedy, theatre and the occasional existential crisis.
Celebratory rock songs, with a musical expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”
Tom Hogan lives and works on Gadigal land, Sydney. Known for his charismatic and mercurial live performances, Hogan’s work has been featured in galleries around the world. This is an artist obsessed with the power of pop culture, leaning into music at every curve, and never shying away from the weird.
His latest offering is the EP Or The Whale - a string of songs taking inspiration from Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris... and Moby Dick. “Reading Moby Dick was a consequence of Sydney lockdown,” according to Hogan. “... But rather than discuss themes in a book club, I found myself writing guitar solos, and belting out a chorus!”
The EP covers a lot of ground in six songs, all swaying and evoking the frenzy of the high seas. The standout track, A Night in a Hotel, is joyously explosive and dirty love song. True Enough throws vocoders and guitars behind ye olde language quirks. These give way to tragic ballads with a sea shanty twist (A Stove Boat Song), or desperate calls for connection, floating out to sea, with baritone country-guitar codas (Darling I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye), folky nylon guitar instrumentals (Footfall) and character studies in lo-fi soundscapes (Melville Lane). This is an EP full of storytelling theatrics, revelling in blending genres and sounds.
Previously, Hogan has been prolific around the Australian music scene for over 10 years, alongside artists such as Polish Club (their moral conscience and producer of Polish Club’s Sophomore Slump) and Elana Stone of All Our Exes Live In Texas (co-creating the musical Mount Hopeless). Hogan’s previous projects include Obscure Music History, where he produced and performed 45 songs - from jazz standards to symphonic metal, acoustic folk to Christmas ballads - and the accompanying podcast was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. His nationally touring show Love Song Dedications (without Richard Mercer), created with artist Bonnie Leigh-Dodds, was nominated for two Green Room Awards, and showed his passion for disseminating classic love songs. This is an unpredictable musician, with an expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”.
All songs on Or The Whale were written and performed by Tom Hogan Produced and Mastered by Nick Franklin Cover artwork by Anna Louise Richardson Singles: A Night In A Hotel, and True Enough Digital Release date: Friday 12 November, 2021
Celebratory rock songs, with a musical expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”
Tom Hogan lives and works on Gadigal land, Sydney. Known for his charismatic and mercurial live performances, Hogan’s work has been featured in galleries around the world. This is an artist obsessed with the power of pop culture, leaning into music at every curve, and never shying away from the weird.
His latest offering is the EP Or The Whale - a string of songs taking inspiration from Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris... and Moby Dick. “Reading Moby Dick was a consequence of Sydney lockdown,” according to Hogan. “... But rather than discuss themes in a book club, I found myself writing guitar solos, and belting out a chorus!”
The EP covers a lot of ground in six songs, all swaying and evoking the frenzy of the high seas. The standout track, A Night in a Hotel, is joyously explosive and dirty love song. True Enough throws vocoders and guitars behind ye olde language quirks. These give way to tragic ballads with a sea shanty twist (A Stove Boat Song), or desperate calls for connection, floating out to sea, with baritone country-guitar codas (Darling I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye), folky nylon guitar instrumentals (Footfall) and character studies in lo-fi soundscapes (Melville Lane). This is an EP full of storytelling theatrics, revelling in blending genres and sounds.
Previously, Hogan has been prolific around the Australian music scene for over 10 years, alongside artists such as Polish Club (their moral conscience and producer of Polish Club’s Sophomore Slump) and Elana Stone of All Our Exes Live In Texas (co-creating the musical Mount Hopeless). Hogan’s previous projects include Obscure Music History, where he produced and performed 45 songs - from jazz standards to symphonic metal, acoustic folk to Christmas ballads - and the accompanying podcast was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. His nationally touring show Love Song Dedications (without Richard Mercer), created with artist Bonnie Leigh-Dodds, was nominated for two Green Room Awards, and showed his passion for disseminating classic love songs. This is an unpredictable musician, with an expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”.
All songs on Or The Whale were written and performed by Tom Hogan Produced and Mastered by Nick Franklin Cover artwork by Anna Louise Richardson Singles: A Night In A Hotel, and True Enough Digital Release date: Friday 12 November, 2021
Celebratory rock songs, with a musical expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”
Tom Hogan lives and works on Gadigal land, Sydney. Known for his charismatic and mercurial live performances, Hogan’s work has been featured in galleries around the world. This is an artist obsessed with the power of pop culture, leaning into music at every curve, and never shying away from the weird.
His latest offering is the EP Or The Whale - a string of songs taking inspiration from Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris... and Moby Dick. “Reading Moby Dick was a consequence of Sydney lockdown,” according to Hogan. “... But rather than discuss themes in a book club, I found myself writing guitar solos, and belting out a chorus!”
The EP covers a lot of ground in six songs, all swaying and evoking the frenzy of the high seas. The standout track, A Night in a Hotel, is joyously explosive and dirty love song. True Enough throws vocoders and guitars behind ye olde language quirks. These give way to tragic ballads with a sea shanty twist (A Stove Boat Song), or desperate calls for connection, floating out to sea, with baritone country-guitar codas (Darling I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye), folky nylon guitar instrumentals (Footfall) and character studies in lo-fi soundscapes (Melville Lane). This is an EP full of storytelling theatrics, revelling in blending genres and sounds.
Previously, Hogan has been prolific around the Australian music scene for over 10 years, alongside artists such as Polish Club (their moral conscience and producer of Polish Club’s Sophomore Slump) and Elana Stone of All Our Exes Live In Texas (co-creating the musical Mount Hopeless). Hogan’s previous projects include Obscure Music History, where he produced and performed 45 songs - from jazz standards to symphonic metal, acoustic folk to Christmas ballads - and the accompanying podcast was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. His nationally touring show Love Song Dedications (without Richard Mercer), created with artist Bonnie Leigh-Dodds, was nominated for two Green Room Awards, and showed his passion for disseminating classic love songs. This is an unpredictable musician, with an expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”.
All songs on Or The Whale were written and performed by Tom Hogan Produced and Mastered by Nick Franklin Cover artwork by Anna Louise Richardson Singles: A Night In A Hotel, and True Enough Digital Release date: Friday 12 November, 2021
Celebratory rock songs, with a musical expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”
Tom Hogan lives and works on Gadigal land, Sydney. Known for his charismatic and mercurial live performances, Hogan’s work has been featured in galleries around the world. This is an artist obsessed with the power of pop culture, leaning into music at every curve, and never shying away from the weird.
His latest offering is the EP Or The Whale - a string of songs taking inspiration from Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris... and Moby Dick. “Reading Moby Dick was a consequence of Sydney lockdown,” according to Hogan. “... But rather than discuss themes in a book club, I found myself writing guitar solos, and belting out a chorus!”
The EP covers a lot of ground in six songs, all swaying and evoking the frenzy of the high seas. The standout track, A Night in a Hotel, is joyously explosive and dirty love song. True Enough throws vocoders and guitars behind ye olde language quirks. These give way to tragic ballads with a sea shanty twist (A Stove Boat Song), or desperate calls for connection, floating out to sea, with baritone country-guitar codas (Darling I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye), folky nylon guitar instrumentals (Footfall) and character studies in lo-fi soundscapes (Melville Lane). This is an EP full of storytelling theatrics, revelling in blending genres and sounds.
Previously, Hogan has been prolific around the Australian music scene for over 10 years, alongside artists such as Polish Club (their moral conscience and producer of Polish Club’s Sophomore Slump) and Elana Stone of All Our Exes Live In Texas (co-creating the musical Mount Hopeless). Hogan’s previous projects include Obscure Music History, where he produced and performed 45 songs - from jazz standards to symphonic metal, acoustic folk to Christmas ballads - and the accompanying podcast was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. His nationally touring show Love Song Dedications (without Richard Mercer), created with artist Bonnie Leigh-Dodds, was nominated for two Green Room Awards, and showed his passion for disseminating classic love songs. This is an unpredictable musician, with an expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”.
All songs on Or The Whale were written and performed by Tom Hogan Produced and Mastered by Nick Franklin Cover artwork by Anna Louise Richardson Singles: A Night In A Hotel, and True Enough Digital Release date: Friday 12 November, 2021
Celebratory rock songs, with a musical expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”
Tom Hogan lives and works on Gadigal land, Sydney. Known for his charismatic and mercurial live performances, Hogan’s work has been featured in galleries around the world. This is an artist obsessed with the power of pop culture, leaning into music at every curve, and never shying away from the weird.
His latest offering is the EP Or The Whale - a string of songs taking inspiration from Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris... and Moby Dick. “Reading Moby Dick was a consequence of Sydney lockdown,” according to Hogan. “... But rather than discuss themes in a book club, I found myself writing guitar solos, and belting out a chorus!”
The EP covers a lot of ground in six songs, all swaying and evoking the frenzy of the high seas. The standout track, A Night in a Hotel, is joyously explosive and dirty love song. True Enough throws vocoders and guitars behind ye olde language quirks. These give way to tragic ballads with a sea shanty twist (A Stove Boat Song), or desperate calls for connection, floating out to sea, with baritone country-guitar codas (Darling I Don’t Wanna Say Goodbye), folky nylon guitar instrumentals (Footfall) and character studies in lo-fi soundscapes (Melville Lane). This is an EP full of storytelling theatrics, revelling in blending genres and sounds.
Previously, Hogan has been prolific around the Australian music scene for over 10 years, alongside artists such as Polish Club (their moral conscience and producer of Polish Club’s Sophomore Slump) and Elana Stone of All Our Exes Live In Texas (co-creating the musical Mount Hopeless). Hogan’s previous projects include Obscure Music History, where he produced and performed 45 songs - from jazz standards to symphonic metal, acoustic folk to Christmas ballads - and the accompanying podcast was nominated for Best Comedy at the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. His nationally touring show Love Song Dedications (without Richard Mercer), created with artist Bonnie Leigh-Dodds, was nominated for two Green Room Awards, and showed his passion for disseminating classic love songs. This is an unpredictable musician, with an expertise that can only be described as “chaotic neutral”.
All songs on Or The Whale were written and performed by Tom Hogan Produced and Mastered by Nick Franklin Cover artwork by Anna Louise Richardson Singles: A Night In A Hotel, and True Enough Digital Release date: Friday 12 November, 2021
Written & Performed by Tom Hogan Produced & Mastered by Nick Franklin Cover photo by Lucy Parakhina Mural painted by Robin Martin
With laser focus, rookie Political Correspondent Tom Hogan takes aim on the latest political spill that turned the Australian Liberal Party into chaos this August.
This piece was produced by Tom Hogan, as part of The 24-Hour Radio Race from KCRW's Independent Producer Project.
In this special episode broadcast, we delve into the International Sound & Radio Archives and uncover a long forgotten radio program which also happens to be named "Obscure Music History". The episode explores crooner Lenny Ziff's classic jazz standard 'Is It Your Love I'm Buying?' from the 1920s!
|| To follow Tom Hogan's new podcast mini-series, Missing Richard Mercer, visit http://missingrichardmercer.com. In this episode, we also name dropped fellow podcasters Welcome To Patchwork - https://omny.fm/shows/welcome-to-patchwork - and Childproof - https://childproofpodcast.com. Check out all the other nominations for the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards - https://australianpodcastawards.com/latest-news/finalists-announced
|| Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. And it's a comedy! Produced by Tom Hogan. "Is It Your Love I'm Buying?", and all music from Obscure Music History, is available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
This week we invite back Sandy Kloystrüm from The Actives to talk about the song It Sucks To Be Peter Best, because we just really wanted to see them again.
|| Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. And it's a comedy! Produced by Tom Hogan. "It Sucks To Be Peter Best", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
Looking at music from all angles is our specialty here, and this time we talk to Marc Cook - the producer of Monster Bait's pop punk extravaganza, The Fart Earthquake. What makes a producer tick?
|| This week special guests: Georgia Kirby, Brendan Kennedy, Liz Hayton, Erin Greenway!
|| Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. "The Fart Earthquake", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
Enigmatic singer-songwriter Joshua Phoenix doesn't only give insight into his process, but also some advice for all young songwriters everywhere. We investigate his natural power over an audience with the live recording of his pop-acoustic balled, "Then You Called My Name". ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. "Then You Called My Name", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
This week we bring out the most controversial song we could find, due to it's horrific context which requires the use of excessive explicit language and lurid adult content. [WARNING: This episode has a disclaimer.] ||
This week's special guest: Jason L'Ecuyer! With special thanks to Hazel Kitson. ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. And it's a comedy! Produced by Tom Hogan. "Hug Me & Take My Honey", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
We pull famous recluse, Rufus Grave, out of their hovel to discuss the moody balladeer's career, with special attention to the turmoil of success in creativity, and a song about an empathetic existential crisis; "No Alms For No Arms". ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. "No Alms For No Arms", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
It's our first ever LIVE SHOW!!! The crowd was amazing in the concert hall, and really brought the house down as we interviewed Tommy Hoggins (no relation)about his angry dance soundtrack, "Go Go Go (Dance Dance Dance)"! ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. "Go Go Go (Dance Dance Dance)", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com. || You can view the Dance sequence for "Go Go Go (Dance Dance Dance)" at https://youtu.be/KwvdYNmG70A
We welcome back George Greggenmeyer to help solve the mystery of The Swooning's operatic metal prog masterpiece "Boneshaker". Greggenmeyer attacks the song from all angles, but even an academic genius needs to enlist help sometimes... ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. "Boneshaker", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe on Stitcher or Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com. || Guest voice and lyrics by Ellie Downing.
Rap troupe K.o.K providing in-depth insight into the conceptual production behind their breakout hit "Pony Time", including a rap-genius line-by-line breakdown of Zag-F's opening verse... Don't say we didn't warn you. ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating historic rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. "Pony Time", and all music from Obscure Music History, is available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe to the podcast from wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
We ask charity stadium rock billionaire jerkface Mickey "King" Hickson if everything is really going to be alright, and he tells us: Yes. ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating the anthology of rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. "Everything's Gonna Be Alright", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. Subscribe to the podcast from wherever you get your podcasts from! For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
It's a classic non-demoninational holiday special episode, so we go off book and find a music historian to explain their favourite holiday musical moment. George Greggenmeyer shares his bootleg recording of "Ho Ho Ho (It's Your Mum)", and we find out about the historic inaccuracies behind The Little Drummer Boy. ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating the anthology of rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. "Ho Ho Ho (It's Your Mum)", and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com. ||
"Ho Ho Ho (It's Your Mum)" features Laura Caeser on backup vocals, with lyrics by Ellie Downing & Tom Hogan, and special thanks to Tom Watson
In this tell-all interview, barbershop quartet The Pink Smudges open up, divulging the tragic details of how they came to be. This emotional interview explores notions of national identity, and parenthood, underlying their old timey single "Found A Dollar, Found A Dime". ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating the anthology of rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. The Pink Smudges, and all music from Obscure Music History, are available on iTunes and Spotify. For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
One-hit-wonder Jesse Brooks explores the the socio-political issues that influenced the songwriting process behind "Sexually Ambiguous People", regarding the price of fame, and whether or not the song has a bass line. ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating the anthology of rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. Jesse Brooks, and all music from Obscure Music History, is available on iTunes and Spotify. For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
Iconic musical theatre duo, Kenny & Richards, get nostalgic over "I Remember", taken from their musical Marty The Matador, disseminating complex music theory throughout their candid conversation. ||
"Marty The Matador" poster design by Edmund Iffland. ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating the anthology of rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. Kenny & Richards, and all music from Obscure Music History, is available on iTunes and Spotify. For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
Sandy Kloystrüm, principal songwriter for The Actives, discusses the four piece band returning to their roots. She explains the relationship between their song "Have You Read My Book?" and the search for a single unifying theory of the universe. ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating the anthology of rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. The Actives, and all music from Obscure Music History, is available on iTunes and Spotify. For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.
Roger Gluible talks us through his transition from the world of performance art, and how it influenced his songwriting career, with a focus on his emotional single, "One Less Shadow". ||
Obscure Music History is a podcast investigating the anthology of rarities and B-sides of unpopular music. Produced by Tom Hogan. Roger Gluible, and all music from Obscure Music History, is available on iTunes and Spotify. For more information, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com.