This week comedian and podcaster Tom Ballard joins me to chat about Midlake's concept album 'The Trials of Van Occupanther'. We talk about how the album manages to be timeless but not retro, the conceptual substance behind the lyrics, the 60s and 70s rock influences on the album and we dredge up Tom's 2013 list of the best songs of the past 20 years and hold him accountable for it. We discuss the changing dynamics of a band who has lost its lead singer, solo creative work vs collaboration and I challenge Tom to turn this album into a musical.