Blowtorch Records Podcast

In this episode we chat to Phil Wyer whose solo project is The Owl Sounds. He has a busy week with not only the new single K-Town but also a single and album release from Meryl Streek with whom he plays bass and guitar in the studio.

Real tales of life in LA, life as a session musician, and as a side man for Streek before stepping out into the limelight with his own tunes. Great chats in his first ever podcast interview!

The Owl Sounds on Spotify

The Owl Sounds on Bandcamp

The Owl Sounds on Instagram

Meryl Streek on Spotify

BLAB cassettes

Tracks played

The Owl Sounds - Oscar

The Owl Sounds - K-Town

Meryl Streek - The Chancer

Goldbug is the moniker of Irish/French artist Danilo Ward. As he releases his debut LP we have a fascinating chat about his upbringing in a religious commune in the quiet isolation of rural Provence, his love of insects and animals and how all this has fed into a stunning collection of songs.

Goldbug vinyl album

Goldbug Instagram

Goldbug Spotify

Tracks played in this episode:

Aqueduct

Blink

Backyard Birdbath

Will-O'-The-Wisp

A mere four years after our collaboration started with Japanese Jesus' mighty 2022 single Bus Weirdo, we chat to frontman Bertie Kelly on all things JJ related; in particular their recent accidental debut album A Wall To Climb Over and its CD release.

From being flown to London aged 17 to play for industry titans to knocking out two albums in a year, as well as a techno side project and being in SWEETS, we rattle through great tales of the Limerick music scene. Mighty craic and whopper music.

Tracks played in this episode:

Salty

Over It

Right Back Where I Started

I'm In Bits

A Wall To Climb Over CD

GROUNDS on Bandcamp

Supermodel Twins on Bandcamp

Woodstar on Spotify

Joe Brody and Jasper Ryan from Dublin alt rock four piece Wifeswap join us to discuss the writing and making of their debut EP Digging. The EP releases on May 28 on streaming platforms and a Blowtorch Records vinyl record.

The band play a launch gig in Dublin's Thomas House on May 30 and an instore in Spindizzy Records on June 7.

Tickets for launch gig May 30

Tickets for the free instore June 7

Buy vinyl EP here

Tracks played in this podcast

Bosman Ruling

Calliope

Pearl Bastard

Crutch II

Laughter

Sean MacLeod is a Dublin-born musician blending indie pop and alternative rock with philosophical themes. He was a former and founding member of the Dublin based band Cisco and now purveys shimmering pop tunes blended with some avant garde microtonal sounds.

We discuss his new album That's When The Earth Becomes A Star and get a sneak preview of music from his already written next album Magic.

⁠Sean MacLeod on Bandcamp⁠

Sean's books on Amazon

Songs played

Light Up The Sun

Who Unchained the Earth from the Sun

Don't Let Life Pass You By

One of the charms of running a podcast is that when you love a band, you can have a chat with them. And so, in this episode we talk to Zena, Scott and Will from Portsmouth post punk four piece Noise Factory United.

They have recently released their debut EP Visions from the frontier and we discuss the influences, feminist icons, gripes, politics and music which have helped to shape this wonderful record.

Noise Factory United Bandcamp

Noise Factory United Instagram

Norm Archer on Bandcamp (Will's other band)

Olympe de Gouges (Quickest blade inspo)

London Hammer story

Jesse Bloodgood is an independent songwriter from New York state whose authentic art is recognised for its earnest vocals and real, relatable emotional depth.

We chat to him about his new EP 'Wishful Thinker' and he opens up with honesty about hard-to-talk about themes as we work though each track on the EP. This raises issues such as self-reflection, anxiety, depression, and other topics of vulnerability and aspiration for growth.

As well as Jesse's music we talk about his experience of being an independent artist, self-promoting, crowdfunding his recording with Plaid Dog studio, the intriguing premise of Porchfest and the vast geographical distances involved in following music in the US.

Jesse Bloodgood Bandcamp

Porchfest

Plaid Dog Studio

Eoin Devereux is a professor of cultural sociology at Limerick University and also one half of Blowtorch Records' post punk duo Dopamine Fix.

Gardening Leave is his debut poetry collection featuring 48 poems which explore themes of working-class experience, social injustice, and nature through a bold, political, and often personal lens. They sometimes deliver explicitly local stories and sometimes widen out to show how those stories can intersect with global politics and contemporary social issues. 

He reads from the collection and gives his trenchant views on a wide range of topics from poetry itself to Morrissey, The Fall, the demise of universities, the self aggrandisement of political parties and class structures in Ireland and the UK.

More details of Gardening Leave

Recording in his Dublin Darklands studio, Dan Doherty is one of Ireland's most in demand producers. Before that he was in two well known Irish bands - Ghosts Estates and SICKBOY. He has recently picked up his drumsticks again to play with Galway chaos merchants Slyrydes.

Many people might know him for his work on the first three Fontaines DC singles, however his list of credits is incredible, ranging from established artists such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, Hope Sandoval and Denzel Curry to raw, young talent bringing the latest rap, post punk or hip hop.

P.S. if you do listen, sick boy is a lyric from The Stooges' Death Trip - no need to send a postcard!!

The podcast opens with October and closes with Wake Up both by Ghosts Estates

Darklands website

Darklands on Instagram

Ghost Estates on Spotify

SICKBOY on YouTube

In this episode we are delighted to be joined by all four members of Galway band In Athens who recently released their debut EP Mirrorism, four tracks laced with notes of post-punk, shoegaze and fuzzy, experimental rock. 

We discuss all things In Athens related, who does what, how many other bands they have been in, Galway weather and whether or not drummer Mosey is a heavy hitter.

Mirrorism is available on a 12" vinyl LP via Blowtorch Records

Tracks played:

Or Anything

Days Into Days

Tides

Expiration Marks