Gerry Leonard is an Irish lead guitarist and solo artist, known for his harmonic and ambient guitar style and for his work with David Bowie featuring on the Heathen, Reality and The Next Day albums.
He works a lot with Suzanne Vega, touring with her effectively as a duo; he produced and is given writing credits on all the songs on her album, Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles (Amanuensis Productions, 2014).
The Dream Syndicate with Steve Wynn with David Eastaugh
The Dream Syndicate is an American alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1981 to 1989, and reunited since 2012. The band is associated with neo-psychedelia and the Paisley Underground music movement; of the bands in that movement, according to the Los Angeles Times, the Dream Syndicate "rocked with the highest degree of unbridled passion and conviction.
Though never commercially successful, the band met with considerable acclaim, especially for its songwriting and guitar playing. Bandleader Steve Wynn reformed the band in 2012, and a fifth studio album was released in February 2017.
Hurrah! with Paul Handyside in conversation with David Eastaugh
Paul Handyside is a folk and roots singer songwriter, formerly of eighties indie darlings Hurrah! whose songs now fuse pop with folk-tinged americana. The fourth album "Loveless Town" will be released on the 21st of May 2021.
Hurrah! were one of the first acts signed to Kitchenware Records, who issued the band's debut single, "The Sun Shines Here", in 1982. Second single "Hip Hip" was released the following year, and gave the band an indie chart hit, reaching No. 21.
The third single, "Who'd Have Thought," was another indie hit in 1984, reaching No. 7 on the British charts. After one more single, "Gloria" – produced by Jimmy Miller, the band's early recordings were compiled on the Boxed album in 1985.
Hurrah! signed to Arista Records via Kitchenware's deal with the major label, and the Tell God I'm Here album was re-released by the record company. On Arista's release, the future single "How Many Rivers" was re-recorded with new drummer Steve Price, and produced by Steve Brown.
John Donaldson aka JD Meatyard in conversation with David Eastaugh
Calvin Party were a British indie-rock band from Darwen, Lancashire, based around the talents of John Donaldson (writer/guitar/vocals). Formerly known as Levellers 5, they renamed themselves after the 16th century theologian following the success of The Levellers. As Calvin Party, the band released four albums between 1994 and 2008.
Levellers 5 were a British indie-rock band from Darwen, Lancashire, based around the talents of John Donaldson (writer/guitar/vocals). They renamed themselves Calvin Party following the success of The Levellers.
Ava Cherry in conversation with David Eastaugh
Ava Cherry is an American singer and model. She collaborated with David Bowie between 1972 and 1975; the two met in New York City when she was a nightclub waitress and Bowie was touring for The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Afterwards, they began a period of personal and artistic collaboration that heavily influenced the Young Americans "blue-eyed soul" era. Following this, she struck out as a solo singer and backing artist for musicians such as Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan.
Linda Smith in conversation with David Eastaugh
Linda Smith made home recorded music from 1987 to 2001. It was released on cassette, vinyl, and CD by such labels as Harriet, Feel Good All Over, Slumberland, and her own Preference label.
The Incredible String Band with Rose Simpson in conversation with David Eastaugh - talking about her new book Muse, Odalisque, Handmaiden: A Girl's Life in the Incredible String Band
The Incredible String Band (sometimes abbreviated as ISB) were a British psychedelic folk , notably with their albums The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, and Wee Tam and the Big Huge. They became pioneers in psychedelic folk and, through integrating a wide variety of traditional music forms and instruments, in the development of world music.
Melanie Safka in conversation with David Eastaugh
Initially signed to Columbia Records in the United States, Melanie released two singles on the label. Subsequently, she signed with Buddah Records and first found chart success in Europe in 1969 with "Bobo's Party" which reached No. 1 in France. Melanie's popularity in Europe resulted in performances on European television programs, such as Beat-Club in West Germany. Her debut album received positive reviews from Billboard, which heralded her voice as "wise beyond her years. Her non-conformist approach to the selections on this LP make her a new talent to be reckoned with."
Later in 1969, Melanie had a hit in the Netherlands with "Beautiful People". She was one of only three solo women who performed at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the inspiration for her first hit song, "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)", apparently arose from the Woodstock audience lighting candles during her set (although most of the "candles" were actually matches or lighters).
Laura Cantrell in conversation with David Eastaugh
Cantrell reached wider recognition in 2000 with her debut album, Not the Tremblin' Kind. The album reached the attention of legendary UK DJ John Peel, who wrote of it, "[It is] my favourite record of the last ten years and possibly my life". She went on to record five sessions for Peel and dedicated her 2005 album, Humming by the Flowered Vine, to his memory.
In the spring of 2011, Cantrell released Kitty Wells Dresses: Songs Of the Queen of Country Music, "a recording she made in honor of one of her heroines, the great Kitty Wells", taking its title from an original song of Laura's written in tribute to Wells.
