Best Band I Ever Played With

The guest for this episode is Ryan Smith, the singer and guitarist of Hull/Leeds based shoegaze outfit BDRMM (pronounced Bedroom). After several years of playing just about everywhere in the UK, they released their debut album Bedroom earlier this year. The album has been a bit of a surprise package, getting high words of praise from major publications and being included at number 8 on Rough Trade's Albums of the year list.

In this conversation we talk about success in spite of the pandemic, helpful attitudes for withstanding obstacles such as the sound being crap and the best band he's ever played with.

Raze are the best band he's ever played with, which I didn't pay him to say. Withers House available on Spotify NOW

Rory Lethbridge of School Disco joins me this week to talk about a bunch of stuff from the underground scene in Brighton and Falmouth, selling socks as merch and the best band he's ever played with.

Tinnedfruit and the best band he's ever played with and they're a real treat. If you like Thee Oh Sees or King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, get on Tinnedfruit asap. Get on School Disco too they're great.

My guest for this episode is Rob Humm, singer for Southend's finest indie-pop group Rooskin. We talk about Southend's music scene, Rob's extensive experience as a tour bus driver for bands around the UK and Europe and of course, the best band he's ever played with.

Rob is in Rooskin who recently have released an EP called Honey Spells. Give it a go, it's great! Beach for Tiger are the best band he's ever played with and their song Toffee is deeply smooth. 

Thom Foster joins me to talk about why gigging in France might be more productive than gigging in Scotland, mistakes you might make when starting a new band because no-one told you not to do that and the best band he's ever played with.

Foz has played with Pillgrinns, Vulgarians and most recently Lumer (although I wouldn't expect to see him with any of these bands in the future). He has also been working on a solo project called Tollbooth Operator which is very nice, especially if you like stuff like the slower Country Teasers stuff like Spiderman in the Flesh. 

Quim Reaper are the best band Foz has ever played with, and with good reason. Their one album is some pretty electric stuff, clocking in at about 20 minutes but feeling much closer to 10. A huge amount of fun and if anyone can help me find their lost album I'd be grateful.

Anouska Sokolow joins me to talk about making the decision to start performing her own music, the challenges of growing the band and releasing music during the pandemic, contemplates moving her music exclusively onto TikTok and talks about who the best band she's ever played with is.

Anouska plays in her band Honeyglaze who you can check out in this live set for FarmFest. She has also played in previous iterations of Tugboat Captain.

The best acts Anouska has played with are Lynks and Heavenstamp. Lynks in particular is an act I'd recommend *strongly*, with the song Str8 Acting being an absolute monster bop. 

Matthew Heuck joins me to talk about his band Pillgrinns, stimulating an underground scene in his Huddersfield student house basement, what makes Hull a surprising hotbed of post-punk and the best band he's ever played with.

Heucky was the frontman of Pillgrinns who probably won't be playing any shows any time soon, but their Smile EP is a real gem that needs unearthing. These days he also works with Bleakhaus who put on some great gigs in the Leeds area.

Oedipus the King are the best band Heucky's played with and frankly it's a crime that they're not gigantic. Please check them out. I beg you.

Buddy joins me to talk about playing in a New York freshly emptied out by COVID-19, the trials and tribulations he faces as one of indie music's prime bassoonists and tormenting interviewers for student radio stations and small blogs.

Buddy has primarily played with Tugboat Captain, Pleasure Barge and Rooskin. Tugboat Captain's new album Rut is out 16th October, Rooskin's new EP Honey Spells is out now. 

Bull are the best band Buddy has played with, although he also mentions Sylvette and Porridge.