C86 Show - Indie Pop

Steve Wynn in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.stevewynn.net/

https://stevewynn1.bandcamp.com/merch

http://jawbonepress.com/i-wouldnt-say-it-if-it-wasnt-true/

Founding member of The Dream Syndicate, whose debut album, The Days Of Wine And Roses, is widely regarded as a cornerstone of the indie/alternative rock scene of the 1980s. He has also enjoyed a prolific solo career, touring the world on a regular basis and performing and recording in groups such as Danny & Dusty, Gutterball, and The Baseball Project (also featuring REM founders Mike Mills and Peter Buck). He scored two Norwegian hit TV shows, Dag and Exit, and his songs have been covered by Luna, Yo La Tengo, and Concrete Blonde, among others. I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True is his first book.

Tiffany Murray in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/tiffany-murray/my-family-and-other-rock-stars/9780349727530/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Family-Other-Rock-Stars-groundbreaking/dp/0349727538

It’s the late 1970s and Tiff lives with her mum, Joan, at Rockfield, the iconic recording studios. This place of legend, where some of the most famous rock albums of all time were recorded, is the background to a freewheeling, ever-changing whirlwind of a childhood. Tiff’s days are spent running around the farm, making friends with local wildlife and helping out with the endless array of dishes her mum creates to keep the bands fed. She’s looking for a dog, she’s looking for a father; but the one constant throughout is her and Joan, building an unconventional family in the most unlikely of locations.

My Family and Other Rock Stars is Tiff’s remarkable, truly unique story of growing up in a rural idyll, of Cordon Bleu cookery and of a childhood where the chances of bumping into Freddie Mercury playing piano, or a group of Hell’s Angels turning up to record for Lemmy, or even the hope of David Bowie appearing, were as normal as hopscotch and homework.

Joseph Arthur  in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://josepharthur.com/

https://westhampsteadarts.com/

Arthur was discovered by Peter Gabriel in the mid-1990s, and signed to Gabriel's Real World label as the first North American artist on the label's roster. Arthur released his debut album, Big City Secrets (1997), and follow-up, Come to Where I'm From (2000), on Real World before signing with various independent labels between 2002 and 2006. He established his own record label, Lonely Astronaut Records, in 2006, and released two studio albums, Let's Just Be (2007) and Temporary People (2008) with backing band The Lonely Astronauts.

Michael Beinhorn in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://michaelbeinhorn.com/

Michael Beinhorn started out as a musician in the early 1980's New York downtown scene where he played keyboards and handled electronics and tapes; he is probably best known for being a full member of Bill Laswell's collective Material (as musician, arranger and producer). In the mid 80's, he moved into engineering and producing and has since made himself a name as a big-time, Grammy-winning rock producer.

Worked with artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Marilyn Manson, Korn, Hole etc. Began his career in the late 1970s, playing synth and guitar in the new wave band Material. His big mainstream break came in 1989 when he produced the Red Hot Chili Peppers' hit album Mother's Milk, which contained the smash single Higher Ground.

Stan Erraught in conversation with David Eastaugh

The Stars Of Heaven were formed in 1983 by Stephen Ryan (vocals, guitar), Stan Erraught (guitar, formerly of The Peridots), Peter O'Sullivan (bass guitar), and Bernard Walsh (drums).They were strongly influenced by The Byrds and Gram Parsons, even being labelled "Ireland's answer to The Byrds, Gram Parsons and the Velvet Underground all in one package". After a début single on the Hotwire label ("Clothes of Pride") which received airplay from John Peel, they were signed by Rough Trade, who issued the album Sacred Heart Hotel in 1986, which reached number 11 on the UK Independent Chart. Peel's patronage continued throughout their career, with the band recording four sessions for his BBC Radio 1 show, the first of which was included on Sacred Heart Hotel. They also appeared on RTÉ television. They released a further single and EP ("Never Saw You"/The Holyhead EP) which was a top five hit on the independent chart, and in 1988, Rough Trade released their second and final album, Speak Slowly, which peaked at number 6. Speak Slowly included the track Lights Of Tetouan, although this was not released as a single. The song is written by the band's singer, Stephen Ryan, about growing up on the south coast of Spain from where he could see the Moroccan town of Tetouan. Lights Of Tetouan was covered by Everything But the Girl on their 1994 EP Rollercoaster. Along with the original, as this version is a B-side, it is not widely known/available. However, it is available for listening/viewing online.

The band split up shortly after the release of Speak Slowly with Ryan going on to form a new band, The Revenants, along with former members of The Would-Be's and Something Happens, who released two albums (Horse of a Different Colour and Septober Nowonder) in 1993 and 1995, respectively.

Jack Meille in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.tygersofpantang.com/

The Tygers of Pan Tang were formed by guitarist Robb Weir (born Robert Mortimer Weir, 1958), Richard "Rocky" Laws (bass), Jess Cox (vocals) and Brian Dick (drums). They played in working men's clubs and were first signed by local independent label Neat Records before MCA gave them a major record deal. After several singles, they released their first album, Wild Cat, in 1980.

'Bloodlines' was released in 2023 featuring their two new members, followed by 'Live Blood' in 2024 showcasing songs from across the bands career. Recent gigs have shown a significant upturn in attendances and the Tygers will return to their original stomping ground, Whitley Bay, in November 2024 for a show at the prestigous Whitley Bay Playhouse. 

Peter Watts in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.spygenius.co.uk/

SPYGENIUS frontman and songwriter Peter Watts got his start in the 80s as the lead singer with the Murrumbidgee Whalers, whose jangle-pop classic "Giving Way to Trains" has recently been re-released on the Cherry Red C88 compilation. The 21st century saw the Watts moving on to create Spygenius, a classic British four piece pop-combo based in Canterbury and South London, who have built upon and extended that musical legacy. Ruth Rogers (bass), Matt Byrne (keys) and Alan Cannings (drums) complete the line-up - and everybody sings. Their music has echoes of all those classic 60s ‘B’ bands – Beatles, Byrds, Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, Bonzos. But it equally resonates with college-radio darlings of later generations like XTC, The Smiths, Robyn Hitchcock, R.E.M. There’s a lot of musical bric-a-brac in there too – souvenirs from surf and psych, folk and exotica, lounge and blues, rock and roll. The songs are carefully crafted: memorable melodies, heavenly harmonies, gorgeous guitars, perfect percussion, bitchin’ bass and kinky keyboards abound. 

Margarita Vasquez-Ponte in conversation with David Eastaugh

The original members of the band were Andrew Tully (guitars/vocals), Eric Webster and Angus McPake (bass guitar), Fran Schoppler (vocals), Margarita Vasquez-Ponte (drums), Kevin McMahon (guitars), and Stuart Clarke (guitar). Tully and Vasquez-Ponte were also members of Rote Kapelle, a band that was active from 1985–1988.

This initial line-up recorded the first two singles, "Splashing Along" and "The Rain Fell Down" (described by one reviewer as a "pop gem that's not to be missed") on Narodnik Records.

Karen Haglof in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdAA7_gIr5w

http://www.howlinwuelf.com/clients/karen-haglof/

One Hand Up is the fourth full length release by guitarist/songwriter Karen Haglof.  The album was produced by Haglof and Mario Viele, recorded at Cowboy Technical Services and Excello studios in Brooklyn, primarily mixed by Viele. Three songs were mixed at the Fidelitorium in Kernersville NC by Mitch Easter and mastered by Scott Craggs at Old Colony Mastering in North Scituate, RI. One Hand Up is being released on CD, digital download and via streaming services on June 14.

One Hand Up is a collection of 14 songs that cover widely ranging sonic territory. The writing and production started prior to 2020 and was delayed by the pandemic. Because of a renewed interest in visual art, many of the songs on One Hand Up will be accompanied by visual components: hand-drawn 2D animation, motion graphics and video clips, adding up to a mixed media extravaganza.

Paul Haig in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://linktr.ee/paulhaig

Together with Orange Juice, Aztec Camera and The Go-Betweens, Josef K were one of the Postcard label's million dollar quartets, recording five smart singles and an album, The Only Fun In Town. Touring the album during July and August of 1981, however, the band split after a final show in Glasgow. The exact reasons behind the split - principally the decision of frontman Paul Haig - remain obscure, although it would seem that a combination of too-great expectations, too-small financial returns, Haig's dislike of touring, and unspecified disagreements over future direction were to blame. Fancifully, Postcard boss Alan Horne pointed the finger of blame at the NME... Whatever the truth, one of the Great White Hopes of the post-punk had self-destructed after just one long player, thus fulfilling their own brash prophecy.

Gerry Colvin in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.gerrycolvin.co.uk/index.html

In the 1970's Gerry joined pop band 'The Man Upstairs'. They released three singles and toured with 'The Smiths'.

In the early 1980's he co-founded and fronted the legendary John Peel favourite skiffle-cowpunk indie outfit 'Terry & Gerry'. This seminal band toured Europe and the USA and appeared on countless Radio and TV shows including "The Tube" and "The Old Grey Whistle Test". Their five singles and album all reached No.1 in the indie charts. In 2010 Cherry Red released 'Let's Get the Hell Back to Lubbock', the definitive 'Terry and Gerry' compilation.

Gaye Black in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.gayeblack.co.uk/

English punk rock musician, who played bass guitar in the band The Adverts in the late 1970s. She was one of the first female rock stars of the punk rock movement, whom The Virgin Encyclopedia of 70s Music called the "first female punk star". She was "one of punk’s first female icons". Dave Thompson wrote that her "photogenic" looks, "panda-eye make-up and omnipresent leather jacket defined the face of female punkdom until well into the next decade".

Gered Mankowitz in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://mankowitz.com/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rolling-Stones-Rare-Unseen-afterword/dp/1802797335

"Mankowitz (Goin' Home with the Rolling Stones '66), who at 18 became the official photographer for the then newly formed Rolling Stones, gathers a rich and revealing trove of images from the band's early years. Capturing the group as they were "finding their style and... becoming themselves," Mankowitz's photos depict the rockers in motion onstage; in their homes and luxury cars; and in heated exchanges with concert security, incidents that underlined their reputation as a more boisterous and rowdy alternative to the Beatles

Richard & Julian in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://redmoney.co.uk/

http://www.firestation-records.de/catalogue.html

Red Money emerged as an acoustic band in January 1990. Originally performing as a larger line up, fate stepped in to change both the format and sound of the band. Booked to play their first gig of the year at the Fulham Greyhound in London, various members then dropped out due to other commitments. Rather than cancelling, founder founders Richard and Jules hastily arranged a stripped down set and took to the stage with saxophone player Roz Bateman (who played on the single).

Rin Lennon, Michael George,Jay Smith-drums &  Alias Wilde  in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://monogroove.bandcamp.com/album/the-flip-side

http://www.rinsrescues.com

https://www.youtube.com/user/rinlennon4/featured

Johnnie Johnson in conversation with David Eastaugh

http://jawbonepress.com/through-the-crack-in-the-wall/

https://www.roughtrade.com/en-gb/product/johnnie-johnstone-foreword-by-stewart-lee/through-the-crack-in-the-wall-the-secret-history-of-josef-k#paperback-exclusive-signed-plus

Through The Crack in The Wall is the first ever biography of the band, tracing their story from their origins in the leafy suburbs of Edinburgh through to their untimely implosion four years later. It’s a tale of fun and frenzy, filled with highs and lows. From their thrilling live shows, which left onlookers spellbound, to more anxious occasions confronting a baying audience of rioting anarcho-punks in Brussels; from a brief spell as press darlings of the inkies to the fateful decision to pull their debut album just as pop stardom beckoned—one that continues to haunt them today.

Drawing extensively on new interviews with the band members and those around them as well as contemporary press articles, the book explores the band’s inner workings and analyses their relationships with Postcard Records supremo Alan Horne, labelmates Orange Juice, and manager Allan Campbell. It re-evaluates their position in the pantheon of post-punk greats and considers how their music helped shape the UK independent scene of the eighties. More than anything else, though, the book’s primary purpose is to celebrate the incredible music Josef K made and consider what makes it more vital today than ever.

Frank Deserto in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/no-songs-tomorrow-darkwave-ethereal-rock-and-coldwave-1981-1990-4cd-box-set

•    FEATURING THE CURE, DEAD CAN DANCE, CLAN OF XYMOX, COCTEAU TWINS, SOFT CELL, TONES ON TAIL, IN THE NURSERY, ATTRITION, IRON CURTAIN, ALIEN SEX FIEND, CRANES, KIRLIAN CAMERA, NEON AND MANY MORE.

•    4CD SET EXPLORING THE 1980s’ DARKWAVE/COLDWAVE SCENE THROUGHOUT THE UK, EUROPE AND THE UNITED STATES

•    A BROAD CHURCH TAKING IN ELECTRONICS, DARK AMBIENT, NEO-CLASSICAL NEW WAVE, GOTHIC SOUNDSCAPES AND COLD DREAM POP.

•    CURATED BY THE TEAM WHO BROUGHT YOU ‘CHERRY STARS COLLIDE’, ‘SILHOUETTES AND STATUES’ AND ‘STILL IN A DREAM’.

•    SLEEVENOTES COURTESY OF FRANK DESERTO.

Pat Thomas in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://allenginsberg.org/2023/11/w-n-29-2/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Material-Wealth-Personal-Archive-Ginsberg/dp/1648230369

There are hundreds of thousands of items carefully stored and archived at Stanford University's Allen Ginsberg collection. Counterculture historian Pat Thomas, with the full cooperation of the Allen Ginsberg Estate's Peter Hale, has compiled and annotated a remarkable volume of material, unearthing in the process one astounding find after another. The result is a tome of previously unpublished historical paperwork and vintage graphics and photographs and ephemera that promises an unprecedented look inside one of the most prolific poets and agitators of cultural mores of the 20th century.

A poster for Patti Smith's first-ever poetry reading. Correspondence from Allen's stint as literary agent for William S. Burroughs and Herbert Huncke. Yippie manifestos from Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman, and John Sinclair of the MC5. A ticket for a 1974 concert by Bob Dylan & The Band (with Yoko Ono's phone number scribbled on the back). Posters documenting early Beat Generation readings in 1950s San Francisco as well as later ones capturing the 1960s Haight-Ashbury Hippie era. 

Scott Phares in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.hollywoodstarsband.com/

https://thehollywoodstars.bandcamp.com/track/cant-do-it-right

American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in late 1973 by manager/impresario Kim Fowley. The band was created as a West Coast answer to the New York Dolls during the height of the popularity of the glam rock genre. The band signed with Columbia Records in 1974 and with Arista Records in 1976, releasing one self-titled LP with the latter label in 1977 and opening for The Kinks on their Sleepwalker tour the same year. The band's song "Escape" was recorded by Alice Cooper and released on the album Welcome to my Nightmare (1975), while their song "King of the Night Time World" was recorded by Kiss and released on the album Destroyer (1976). Two archive albums recorded in 1974 and 1976 were released in 2013 and 2019 to critical acclaim, prompting the band to reform in 2018.

Roberto Amaral & David Clark Allen in conversation with David Eastaugh

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/carmen-the-albums-1973-1975-3cd-box-set

CARMEN initially came together in Los Angeles as seven-piece band formed by guitarist DAVID CLARK ALLEN and his sister ANGELA ALLEN in 1970. The band’s unique style blended both Progressive Rock and Flamenco styles, with Angela Allen also being an accomplished Flamenco dancer aside from being keyboard player.

Despite interest from music mogul Clive Davis, the band failed to make any headway in getting a record contract they relocated to London in 1973. The Allens soon assembled a new line-up of the band with Flamenco dancer and vocalist ROBERTO AMARAL and British musicians JOHN GLASCOCK (bass) and PAUL FENTON (drums).