C86 Show - Indie Pop

Markus Zizenbacher in conversation with David Eastaugh 

https://www.sixpackfilm.com/en/catalogue/2916/

A blazingly colourful and exuberantly transgressive personality who dazzled Los Angeles' underground musical and artistic scenes in the late-1990s and 2000s, Sean DeLear (1964-2017) suddenly emerged as a genuinely seminal cultural figure via the posthumous 2022 publication of their intimate and explicit teenage diaries from 1979. I Could Not Believe It joyously chronicles the experiences of a young Black, queer creative finding their identity, voice and style decades before Barry Jenkins' (rather more downbeat) Moonlight.

The Life of Sean DeLear is a vibrantly multi-faceted, buoyantly propulsive documentary portrait of this irresistibly charismatic one-off — sketched in celebratory but commendably clear-eyed style by writer-director Markus Zizenbacher. There can be very few people better qualified to do justice to this particular tale. Zizenbacher befriended DeLear — born Anthony Robertson in Simi Valley, an obscure California backwater — after the latter relocated to Vienna in the early 2010s.

There the former frontperson of Silver Lake postpunk-combo Glue reinvented themselves as a cabaret performer and collaborated with famed art-collective Gelitin before passing away aged just 52. "SeanDe" entrusted their treasure-trove audiovisual archive to Zizenbacher, who with co-editor Sebastian Schreiner has crafted an eclectic collage generously spiced with effervescent extracts from DeLear's own extensive video-diaries.

These jagged hand-held snapshots bring back to often-hilarious life the electric days (and especially nights) from a quarter of a century ago, placed in retrospective context by present-day testimony from the survivors who knew SeanDe best and loved them the most. Sean DeLear — as in "chandelier" — lit up their world; Markus Zizenbacher now illuminates Sean DeLear for ours. (Neil Young)

Jonathan Segel in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.jonathansegel.com/

https://campervanbeethoven.com/home

Segel joined the indie rock group Camper Van Beethoven in 1984, while in college at Santa Cruz. His contributions as violinist became the band's hallmark, creating a distinctive identity and sound

n addition to the revived Camper Van Beethoven, Segel records solo projects and leads the Jonathan Segel band, performs improvisational electronic or avant-garde music (either solo or, since 2004, with Chaos Butterfly), and he is an occasional contributor to music from the Big City Orchestra. His compositions have also included six chamber music scores written between 1989 and 2011.

Patrick Dougher in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.godbodyart.com/new-page-3

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/patrick-dougher/concrete-dreamland/9780316571043/

https://lionsgatesound88.bandcamp.com/album/algorhythm

Born in Brooklyn in 1963, Patrick Dougher grew up in some of the most turbulent and culturally impactful periods of NYC's history. Often neglected as a child by his parents-a father who struggled with alcohol addiction and an overworked mother who struggled to make ends meet-he learned to fend for himself. Now a renowned visual artist, musician, actor and writer, Dougher brings to the page his memories, struggles, personal revelations, and a life intimately tied to the realities of growing up Black and disenfranchised on the streets of one of the most remarkable cities in the world.

Concrete Dreamland is tragic and triumphant, gritty and hard, poetic and outrageously funny. Told in Dougher's brutally raw and courageously honest voice, these stories act as snapshots of a life lived in extremes: from gangsters to God, street style to sexuality, to recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism. He tells of his adventures as a pre-hip hop "hard rock' and an original Black punk rocker surviving during the dangerous days of the crack and AIDS epidemic in NYC, while also sharing tales of racism, homelessness, and his many brushes with fame and death.

Peter Coyne in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.thegodfathersofficial.com/

2025 sees The Godfathers celebrate the historic milestone of the 40th anniversary since their formation with multiple record releases as well as tours & festivals across the UK, Europe and around the world.

An 18-track compilation entitled Electric Déjà Vu featuring numbers personally selected by The Godfathers’ founder and frontman Peter Coyne from the band’s three most recent critically acclaimed studio albums - 2013’s Jukebox Fury, 2017’s A Big Bad Beautiful Noise and 2022’s Alpha Beta Gamma Delta - is set for release in early April.

A brand new studio single will follow in the Summer with an archive double-live album promised for later in the year. These releases pave the way for a much anticipated album of new material in 2026.

The Godfathers were formed in 1985 by brothers Peter Coyne (vocals) and Chris Coyne (bass/vocals) from the ashes of their previous band The Sid Presley Experience. They toured extensively and quickly earned a serious reputation for their electrifying brand of primal rock & roll & their incendiary live shows around the world.
 
Forming a recording partnership with famed producer Vic Maile, they released four critically acclaimed, smash hit independent singles on their own Corporate Image label (‘Lonely Man’, ‘This Damn Nation’, ‘I Want Everything’ and ‘Love Is Dead') which alongside a brutal cover of Lennon’s ‘Cold Turkey’ were compiled into their seminal debut album release Hit By Hit in ’86 and signed a worldwide deal with Sony/Epic records in ‘87.
 
The Godfathers unleashed the storming rocker ‘Birth School Work Death’ as a single in '87 and scored a US Billboard top 40 hit after massive college radio airplay and heavy MTV rotation. Then the classic Birth School Work Death album was released in ’88 (includes the hit anthem title track and singles ‘Cause I Said So’ and a re-recorded ‘Love Is Dead’) and was promoted with extensive tours of the UK, Europe and America as they cemented their reputation as one of the best live acts of the period. Celebrity fans included among others David Bowie and Johnny Depp.

Brian Bilston in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://brianbilston.com/

https://catenarywires.bandcamp.com/album/sounds-made-by-humans-by-brian-bilston-and-the-catenary-wires

Bilston has published three collections of verse, You Took the Last Bus Home (2016); Alexa, What Is There to Know About Love? (2021); and Days Like These: An Alternative Guide to the Year in 366 Poems (2022). He has also written a book of football poems, 50 Ways to Score a Goal (2021). His first novel, Diary of a Somebody (2019), was shortlisted for the Costa Book Award for First Novel, and his poem "Refugees" has been published as an illustrated book for children. In 2023, he published a book of "seasonally adjusted poems", And So This Is Christmas.

He also recorded and released an album, Sounds Made By Humans, with indiepop band the Catenary Wires.

Jeff Trott in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.jefftrott.com/

Perhaps most well-known for his collaborations with American singer Sheryl Crow, having co-written some of her biggest hits, including "If It Makes You Happy", "Everyday Is a Winding Road", and "Soak Up the Sun"; he also produced tracks on her albums C'mon, C'mon, Wildflower, Be Myself, and Threads. Trott won the BMI Songwriter of the Year award in 1998.

David Walker in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.facebook.com/groups/952963613406389

https://www.cloudberryrecords.com/blog/?p=2806

Manchester-based indie four-piece, active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Three members went on to form Brassy.

Robert Dean in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://lightofdaycr.bandcamp.com/album/dimensions

https://vivabeat.bandcamp.com/album/the-house-is-burning-the-best-of-vivabeat

https://vivabeat.bandcamp.com/album/party-in-the-war-zone-expanded

https://robertdeanmartinbirke.bandcamp.com/album/triptych

Perhaps best known as the original guitarist in the British band Japan.

Upon leaving the group after the "Gentlemen Take Polaroids" album, Robert provided guitar backing to a number of artists including ABC with his good friend Martin Fry as well as Gary Numan & Sinéad O'Connor. Robert also was a member of several subsequent bands including Illustrated Man and the Australian-based The Slow Club who released a number of singles & an album "World Of Wonders"

Now lives and enjoys a lifestyle as an ornithologist & published artist (usually the Costa Rican bird population).

Dominic Silvani in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.facebook.com/people/Dominic-Silvani-Music/100037388325690/

Formed by Dominic Silvani, Penelope's Web were around for some years between the mid 80's - early 90's. During that time the band released two 12" singles. 'The Gap' EP was put out on their own label in 1987. At the end of the 80's the band signed to Cherry Red for their second EP which was released eventually in 1990. A compilation album, "Retrospective 86-89", was released in 2014 on Firestation Records.

Penelope's Web were:
Dominic Silvani: vocals
Gavin Abbs: guitar
John Thompson: bass
Steve Oldham: drums

Mark Goodall in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bright-Young-Things-philosophy-records/dp/3955752372

https://rudolfrocker.bandcamp.com/

el records was created in 1984 by Mike Alway. Alway was A&R man for Cherry Red signing artists such as Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set and Felt. Alway left Cherry Red to help run Blanco Y Negro (an offshoot of WEA) but soon felt constrained but the conservativism of the commercial music sector and left to set up his own label.

el was once described as 'the most innately English record label there has ever been' and yet had a global appeal. Alway must be the only record label boss to have had four songs written about him... Alway's mercurial approach was to take complete control of the repertoire, the philosophy of the label's releases and even the titles of songs in the manner of pop impresarios of the past. Alway became a curator, selecting, shaping and overseeing the records issued on el.e

Derek Shulman in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://gentlegiantband.com/

John Wills in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://pumajaw1.bandcamp.com/

Multi-instrumentalist John Wills has been a member of two British bands, 'Loop' and 'Hair & Skin Trading Company'. He is a long time collaborator of Pinkie Maclure. Together, they are working under several aliases including 'Hello', 'Fingerfood', 'Lumen' and 'Pumajaw'.

Sarah Jane Morris in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.sarahjanemorris.co.uk/home

The Sisterhood is ten songs I have written with my right hand man Tony Remy about the lives of ten female singers and singer-songwriters who have inspired me over the years and who have made their marks on musical history.

Bessie, Billie, Miriam, Nina, Aretha, Janis, Joni, Ricky-Lee, Annie, Kate – who needs a second name in company like this?

Pioneers of Music, we have respectfully researched the lives of these women who were/are all great artists and great cultural transformers. My lyrics tell their stories, as does the music we have created for each song, using the characteristic genre and stylistic markers appropriate to each artist. We fell in love with each one of these extraordinary women as we gained insights into their lives, their minds and the challenges they faced … and I am sure that you will too. We are excited to finally see the project come to life. Now is you chance to experience the same joy and excitement listening to it as we had making it.

Greg Keeffe in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://preciousrecordingsoflondon.bandcamp.com/album/peel-sessions-84-86

Big Flame (often rendered bIG*fLAME) were a post-punk/indie rock three piece band, based in Manchester, England, and active from 1983 to 1986. The members were Alan Brown (bass, vocals), Greg Keeffe (guitar) and Dil Green (drums). After a debut EP ("Sink") on their own Laughing Gun label, they joined the Ron Johnson roster for a series of mid-1980s singles as well as an appearance on the NME's C86 compilation.

Knox Chandler in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://knoxchandlermusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/knox.chandler.3/

Knox Chandler’s career has spanned for over four decades including long stints as a member of The Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Cyndi Lauper band, extraordinary experiences in recording and performing live around the world.

The Sound is the new debut album from Chandler -  at the core is Chandler’s “Soundribbon” style of meditative, powerfully cinematic instrumental performance on guitar, accompanied by upright bass and percussion which comprises the audio component of the release. The visual portion is a book of paintings, photographs, sketches and written meditations, interpreting nature through technology. The blending of these mediums is Knox’s attempt to make the diaristic intent of his music explicit. The Sound is being released on Knox’s new label Blue Elastic on May 30. The album is available on digital download and on streaming platforms on its own, or the book comes with a download code. I hope you'll consider covering Knox with an interview, feature, news story or album review.

Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.vickipetersonandjohncowsill.com/

‘Long After The Fire’ sees Vicki Peterson of The Bangles (whose work includes worldwide smash hits such as ‘Eternal Flame’ and ‘Walk Like An Egyptian’) team up with John Cowsill, drummer/vocalist for The Beach Boys for over 23 years and an original member of the platinum-selling family band The Cowsills, Their debut album as a duo, ‘Long After The Fire' is a set of Americana songs written by John’s late brothers, Barry and Bill Cowsill.

A new single from the album entitled ‘Is Anybody Here’ is out today (21st March), with Peterson revealing that “it is the song that kicked off the entire ‘Long After The Fire’ record. John and Paul Allen recorded this track at Sun Studios in Memphis, without me, in the spur of the moment and absolutely set the template for the album. At this stage, John and I were considering calling the project Dead Brothers!”

David J Haskins in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://davidjhaskins.com/music

Both album & book are being released 6th June 2025

The Mother Tree is a poignant five-track album featuring David reciting his poetry to the accompaniment of lush, dramatic, atmospheric music, showcasing his multidimensional musical artistry. The bulk of the title piece was composed over the course of 3 days, in a remote part of Massachusetts where he was living in 1997, this following the passing of his mother, Joan Nancy.

Rhapsody, Threnody & Prayer is a book of his poetry collected over the course of many years. The poems encompass a large array of experiences, places, relationships, infatuations and obsessions. Love found and love lost. They include tributes to departed cultural icons like Ian Curtis, Kurt Cobain, Mark Linkous, Jeff Buckley, and Jack Kerouac.

David J Haskins Live Dates:

June 10 - HQ (Record release event), Denver CO

June 12 - Electron Gardens, Atlanta, GA

June 14 - Fleetwoods, Asheville, NC

June 18 - The Slipper Room, NYC, NY

June 24 - Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA

Martin Vincent in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.facebook.com/groups/44800212324

Band members included Mike West (vocals and guitar) Sheila Seal (bass), Martin Vincent (guitar and harmonica), and Howard Goody (drums).

The band members had little in common with most Manchester bands. Goody was a graduate of Winchester School of Art. Vincent had been an art critic and painter. Seal, a Glaswegian, was a classically trained musician who had run an art gallery. West, who wrote the songs, was the Australian-born son of the author Morris West.

Ben Devenezia in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Story

"Where the Kids Still Scream" explores the evolving spirit of New York City's punk scene and asks:

Does punk still hold true to its roots?

Has the ethos of the '70s–'90s been diluted or reshaped in the internet age? Is it still possible to live a punk lifestyle in 2025?

Through interviews with legendary voices from the past and present, this documentary dives deep into what punk meant, what it still means, and where it might go next.

Kickstarter: 

Sally Carr & Ken Andrew in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://middleoftheroad-popgroup.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QllFI1jwd8