Ash-Lee De Halevang joins us for a fiercely honest conversation about identity, transience, and finding home after a childhood stretched between London, East Lothian, Singapore, Malaysia, Cornwall, and now Glasgow. We talk about growing up dyslexic and uprooted, Warrior Cats as a gateway into reading, and the moment a single creative writing exercise catapulted Ash from bottom set to top set and set them on the path to becoming a writer.

Ash traces her journey from early filmmaking into poetry, the “real university” of open mics, and a three-year commitment to writing a poem a day. We dig into influences like Audre Lorde, Gil Scott-Heron, John Cooper Clarke, Savannah Brown, and hip hop, and what they taught Ash about voice, politics, and performance.

There’s frank discussion of mental health, dyslexia, and the feedback loop of sad poetry – as well as how community, mentorship (including Mothtales and Phil Thomson), and spaces like Loud Poets, the Lilac Collective, and Glasgow’s spoken word scene helped Ash find a more sustainable, communal way of making art. We also talk about working across poetry, scripts, and film, and how an idea finds its form.

A central thread is gender identity and trans rights: Ash shares the story of coming out as transgender to her parents last October, how that moment reshaped her relationship to their work, and what it means to create as a trans poet in the current political climate.

This episode contains personal reflections on mental health and one poem that engages with real-world politics, including corporate complicity in war. Listener discretion advised.

Follow the show on Instagram: @glasgowsessions

Listen to Glasgow Sessions on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.

Peter Brown - Pete the Street | Glasgow Sessions

If you've ever walked through the city and spotted someone standing at an easel in the pouring rain - no umbrella, no shelter, just paint and canvas - there's a good chance you've just met this week's guest.

Peter Brown, known as Pete the Street, is one of Britain's most celebrated plein air painters. For over thirty years he's stood on pavements from Bath to London to New York - and increasingly, right here in Glasgow - painting everyday life exactly as it unfolds, in all weathers, never from a photograph, always in the thick of it.

He's a Past President of the New English Art Club, Banksy chose him to feature in Cut & Run at the GoMA, and just recently he was on Union Street painting the Glasgow station fire as it happened while the TV cameras filmed him doing it.

In this episode we talk about building a career from scratch on the pavements of Bath, painting lockdown London when the streets fell silent, his Banksy collaboration, why Glasgow has gotten completely under his skin - and his forthcoming Glasgow paintings exhibition.

Follow Pete:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petethestreet1/

🌐 Website: https://www.peterbrownneac.com/

🖼️ Glasgow Paintings: https://www.peterbrownneac.com/glasgow/

Subscribe to Pete's newsletter at peterbrownneac.com for updates on his upcoming Glasgow exhibition.

Listen to Glasgow Sessions on:

🟢 Spotify

🎵 Apple Podcasts

🟠 Amazon Music

📸 Instagram: @glasgowsessions

Glasgow Sessions is a podcast celebrating the artists, musicians, poets, and creative voices of Glasgow and beyond. New episodes regularly - follow and subscribe wherever you listen.

Peter Brown - Pete the Street | Glasgow Sessions

If you've ever walked through the city and spotted someone standing at an easel in the pouring rain - no umbrella, no shelter, just paint and canvas - there's a good chance you've just met this week's guest.

Peter Brown, known as Pete the Street, is one of Britain's most celebrated plein air painters. For over thirty years he's stood on pavements from Bath to London to New York - and increasingly, right here in Glasgow - painting everyday life exactly as it unfolds, in all weathers, never from a photograph, always in the thick of it.

He's a Past President of the New English Art Club, Banksy chose him to feature in Cut & Run at the GoMA, and just recently he was on Union Street painting the Glasgow station fire as it happened while the TV cameras filmed him doing it.

In this episode we talk about building a career from scratch on the pavements of Bath, painting lockdown London when the streets fell silent, his Banksy collaboration, why Glasgow has gotten completely under his skin - and his forthcoming Glasgow paintings exhibition.

Follow Pete:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petethestreet1/

🌐 Website: https://www.peterbrownneac.com/

🖼️ Glasgow Paintings: https://www.peterbrownneac.com/glasgow/

Subscribe to Pete's newsletter at peterbrownneac.com for updates on his upcoming Glasgow exhibition.

Listen to Glasgow Sessions on:

🟢 Spotify

🎵 Apple Podcasts

🟠 Amazon Music

📸 Instagram: @glasgowsessions

Glasgow Sessions is a podcast celebrating the artists, musicians, poets, and creative voices of Glasgow and beyond. New episodes regularly - follow and subscribe wherever you listen.

Episode 18: Attack/Release at Bloc+ — Cinema Hotdogs, Ty Lumnus & A'Bear

Glasgow has always been a city of sound-makers. From the basement rehearsal room to the experimental club night, this is a city that has never stopped pushing music into new territory - and Attack/Release is one of the spaces keeping that spirit fiercely alive.

In this episode, we head down to Bloc+ on Bath Street for the April session of Attack/Release - a free monthly night dedicated to live experimental electronic music, founded and hosted by Fraser Rowan (aka Ty Lumnus).

You'll hear three brilliant live sets from three very different artists:

Cinema Hotdogs - making his Attack/Release debut and launching a brand new cassette release on the night. The latest project from producer Andrew Merrick, blending cinematic soundscapes with lo-fi electronic warmth.

Ty Lumnus - Glasgow's modular synth architect and the founder of this very night, launching his new album Resonances in the Hidden Field on Astral Discs. Melodic dystopian soundscapes meet hypnotic, meditative ambient territory.

A'Bear - a South African-born, London-based psychedelic electronic musician whose cosmic polyrhythms and warped basslines create something you feel as much as hear.

Bloc+ has been one of Scotland's most vital small venues since 2001 - a place where Twin Atlantic, Frightened Rabbit, and Biffy Clyro all played early gigs before the arenas came calling. No entry fee, no barrier between you and the music, no compromise.

This one's for the late-night listeners. Turn it up.

Next Attack/Release: Wednesday 27th May 2026 @ Bloc+ featuring Laurie Black, Zonos, and AM Frequencies — free entry, 9–11pm.

Huge thanks to James and Chris at Bloc+ for making this episode possible.

Follow Attack/Release: @attackreleaseglasgow

Follow Glasgow Sessions: @glasgowsessions

🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

💜 Support the podcast and help keep these conversations going: patreon.com/GlasgowSessions

Glasgow has always been a city of storytellers.

From the tenement close to the poetry night, this is a city that has never stopped finding its voice - and today's guest is making sure that tradition carries on.

Jess Smith is the founder of Kelvingrove Writers - a free, grassroots writing group she started in 2022 with a simple but powerful idea: that writing shouldn't be the preserve of the privileged few. That everyone, regardless of background, experience, or confidence, deserves a space to tell their story.

What began as a small fortnightly circle has grown into something genuinely special. Today, Kelvingrove Writers runs regular sessions every second Monday, completely free. They've published their own anthology, run sold-out retreats, collaborated with the Scottish Working Class Network, and partnered with galleries and literary organisations right across Scotland.

In this episode, we talk about how it all began, what drives Jess to keep it going, and why spaces like this are vital for the cultural life of our city. Joining Jess are members Tom, Cate, Sam, Andrew, and Molly - all brilliant writers who bring their own voices to the conversation.

And woven through the episode is the beautiful sound of the Glasgow Trad Society, colouring the edges of this recording with the music of the city we're talking about.

At its core, this is a conversation about belonging - about sitting down with a pen and a page, and knowing the person next to you is rooting for you.

Featured in this episode:

• • Jess Smith — @jessica.smxth

Find Kelvingrove Writers: @kelvingrovewriters

With thanks to: @dramglasgow and @glasgowuni_trad

🎧 Glasgow Sessions is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music — just search Glasgow Sessions.

Follow the show on Instagram: @glasgowsessions

Support the podcast and help keep these conversations going: patreon.com/GlasgowSessions

Glasgow Sessions #16: Jay-Lee CCTV — Govan Rap, Scheme Life & Building the Scottish Scene (Live Performances from Patrick Studios)

From Govan's housing schemes to headlining Audio Glasgow, Jay-Lee CCTV brings raw Glasgow rap to Glasgow Sessions. Rapper, producer, events manager, and one half of the duo CCTV with Jam Harvie, Jay-Lee's been building the underground for over five years — and his debut solo album All Or Nothing (Scheme Hing label) is twelve tracks of unflinching scheme life.

This episode features Jay-Lee performing "Canny Forget", "Cold Stare", and "Mirror" LIVE in Patrick Studios — pure fire captured raw.

We talk through the album's heavy hitters — "Stuck in Time", "Nae Hame", "Never Again" — and the mixes that take you from grimey pop to DNB to garage without breaking stride. Jay-Lee opens up about "Money Talks" as a direct response to Govan gentrification and the East Govan Community Council, plus CCTV's festival run from Solfest's Scheme Hing tent to Knockengorroch, Lindisfarne, and that Mobb Deep support slot he won.

From winning comps to running year-round Scheme Hing events with Loki, Kryptik, and the Scottish rap family, to his January take that "Scottish rap's having its moment" despite the "no money, no respect" reality — this is working-class Glasgow rap at its most real. Special shout-out to @becciwallacemusic for the vibes.

In this episode:

• • Live performances: "Canny Forget", "Cold Stare", "Mirror" from Patrick Studios

🎧 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music — search "Glasgow Sessions"

👉 Follow Jay-Lee: @jaylee_cctv

👉 Stream All Or Nothing: jayleecctv.bandcamp.com

👉 Follow Glasgow Sessions: @glasgowsessions

🤝 Support independent Scottish podcasting: patreon.com/GlasgowSessions

Next Episode: Out in the field with @kelvingrovewriters — poetry, community, and Glasgow's writing scene.

#GlasgowSessions #JayLeeCCTV #GlasgowRap #ScottishGrime #SchemeHing #GovanRap #LiveRap #PatrickStudios #WorkingClassVoices #Podcast #ScottishMusic #GlasgowCreatives

For this episode of Glasgow Sessions, Richard sits down with poet and stand‑up Martin Rowe, better known on stage as Martin from Dumbarton. A nursery worker by day and performer by night, Martin brings together working‑class graft, childcare, Wetherspoons toilets, Still Game, wrestling and trading card games into a voice that’s funny, heartfelt and quietly subversive.

Across the conversation, they dig into Martin’s route through jobs like Costa and Tenpin into finding his calling in childcare, and what it actually feels like to be a man working in a nursery in 2026. Martin talks through poems including his Wetherspoons trilogy, “Default Dad”, “The Bottom Line”, “Being Different is Cool”, and “Just Thanks” — a piece written by his papa about alcoholism and recovery that Martin now performs with permission and pride. Along the way, they explore class, fandom, family, masculinity, and why embracing your inner nerd can be a source of strength rather than shame.

If you enjoy the episode, you can connect with Martin on Instagram at @martinfromdumbarton and follow the show at @glasgowsessions on Instagram for updates, clips and upcoming guests.

Support Glasgow Sessions and help keep the conversations going at:

patreon.com/GlasgowSessions

For this episode of Glasgow Sessions, Richard Lee sits down with one of the most recognisable and generous figures in the city’s spoken word community — Ross Wilcock.

A queer, disabled Glaswegian poet, performer and event curator, Ross has become a central presence in Glasgow’s modern poetry scene. If you’ve spent time at an open mic on Byres Road in recent years, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with him — whether on stage performing, hosting, or encouraging someone to read their work for the very first time.

Ross is the driving force behind The Poetry Experiment at The Alchemy Experiment, a monthly open mic that has become a welcoming gateway for emerging poets across the city, and he also hosts nights at The Curlers Rest, helping nurture a vibrant and supportive community of writers and performers. As these nights continue to grow — with The Poetry Experiment celebrating its third birthday this March — Ross’s influence on Glasgow’s grassroots poetry culture is impossible to ignore.

But Ross is far more than an event organiser. He’s a published poet whose pamphlet Once Upon a Time in Glasgow captures the emotional textures of life in the city, exploring disability, queerness, love, heartbreak and resilience through deeply personal storytelling. His spoken word performances have taken him from intimate Glasgow venues like The Hug and Pint to the stages of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Loud Poets, and last year he brought his solo show Gay, Disabled, Vegan to the Free Fringe.

Beyond poetry, Ross spent over five years creating content for BBC The Social, using storytelling and commentary to highlight disability, accessibility and what it means to navigate the world as a queer disabled artist. His writing has appeared in SNACK Magazine, and he’s collaborated with organisations such as the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, all while completing an MLitt in Creative Writing at University of Glasgow.

In this episode, Richard and Ross talk about the journey that led him into poetry, the communities he’s helped build across Glasgow’s open mic scene, and how art can help people connect — especially when it’s rooted in honesty and lived experience. The conversation is warm, reflective and often funny, exploring everything from disability activism and creative identity to the simple magic of watching someone read their first poem on stage.

Along the way, we also hear short audio reflections from poets across Glasgow who share what Ross’s work — and his open mic nights — have meant to them and the city’s growing spoken word community.

If you’re interested in the heart of Glasgow’s poetry scene, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, follow us on Instagram @glasgowsessions, leave a review wherever you’re listening, and if you’d like to support the show, head to patreon.com/GlasgowSessions. Every bit of support helps keep the sessions going. 🎙️📚

For this episode of Glasgow Sessions, Richard Lee sits down with one of the most recognisable and generous figures in the city’s spoken word community — Ross Wilcock.

A queer, disabled Glaswegian poet, performer and event curator, Ross has become a central presence in Glasgow’s modern poetry scene. If you’ve spent time at an open mic on Byres Road in recent years, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with him — whether on stage performing, hosting, or encouraging someone to read their work for the very first time.

Ross is the driving force behind The Poetry Experiment at The Alchemy Experiment, a monthly open mic that has become a welcoming gateway for emerging poets across the city, and he also hosts nights at The Curlers Rest, helping nurture a vibrant and supportive community of writers and performers. As these nights continue to grow — with The Poetry Experiment celebrating its third birthday this March — Ross’s influence on Glasgow’s grassroots poetry culture is impossible to ignore.

But Ross is far more than an event organiser. He’s a published poet whose pamphlet Once Upon a Time in Glasgow captures the emotional textures of life in the city, exploring disability, queerness, love, heartbreak and resilience through deeply personal storytelling. His spoken word performances have taken him from intimate Glasgow venues like The Hug and Pint to the stages of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Loud Poets, and last year he brought his solo show Gay, Disabled, Vegan to the Free Fringe.

Beyond poetry, Ross spent over five years creating content for BBC The Social, using storytelling and commentary to highlight disability, accessibility and what it means to navigate the world as a queer disabled artist. His writing has appeared in SNACK Magazine, and he’s collaborated with organisations such as the Scottish Queer International Film Festival, all while completing an MLitt in Creative Writing at University of Glasgow.

In this episode, Richard and Ross talk about the journey that led him into poetry, the communities he’s helped build across Glasgow’s open mic scene, and how art can help people connect — especially when it’s rooted in honesty and lived experience. The conversation is warm, reflective and often funny, exploring everything from disability activism and creative identity to the simple magic of watching someone read their first poem on stage.

Along the way, we also hear short audio reflections from poets across Glasgow who share what Ross’s work — and his open mic nights — have meant to them and the city’s growing spoken word community.

If you’re interested in the heart of Glasgow’s poetry scene, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, follow us on Instagram @glasgowsessions, leave a review wherever you’re listening, and if you’d like to support the show, head to patreon.com/GlasgowSessions. Every bit of support helps keep the sessions going. 🎙️📚

Glasgow Sessions – Live at Vinyl Bar (East End, Glasgow)

This episode of Glasgow Sessions was recorded live in the East End at Vinyl Bar on London Road, just off Glasgow Cross. A small, characterful pub built for listening, Vinyl Bar opened its doors to live musicians and poets, turning a Sunday afternoon in early December 2025 into a room full of sound, conversation, and shared attention.

Recorded right in the middle of the bar, this episode captures the space exactly as it was: glasses clinking, regulars chatting, performers setting up and stepping forward, and the natural rhythm of a working pub holding live art. There’s no studio separation here — the atmosphere, the interruptions, and the audience are all part of the recording.

The session officially kicks off with poets stepping into the poetry booth, setting the tone for an ongoing spoken word presence at the venue. Featured poets include Dev McMath and Katie Rose, with more poets from across Glasgow scheduled to come in and record their work in future sessions.

Huge thanks to everyone who played, sang, read, listened, and contributed to the room on the day, and to Beth Glen and the team at Vinyl Bar for hosting and supporting live music and poetry in the East End.

This episode of Glasgow Sessions is streaming now on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Spotify.

Glasgow Sessions documents live performance as it happens — unpolished, communal, and rooted in place.

Glasgow Sessions is on Instagram @glasgowsessions

The Vinyl Bar: @vinylbarg1

Poets:

✍️🔥 Dev McMath – @devmcmath

🌿✨ Katie Rose – @silvercoatedbushytailed