In The Lamplight

Luke opens the show with an update on the lads' ongoing legal troubles resulting from their accidental infringement on the intellectual property of Mark Kennedy and Ray McAndrew of 'The Kendy & Raybo Podcast'.

Mark Kennedy (also known as Kendy) joins the lads as their guest and wastes no time generating an atmosphere of absolute craic, while Kieran wastes no time asking Mark his first question...was the foundation of his music career built on a lie? Mark speaks of his experiences with his first band, 'Lick My Stereo', and tells us how he ended up moving to Sligo.

We get Mark's views on his own musicality and strengths as a live performer. He tells us what he believes is important when it comes to playing live music and how he goes about injecting fun into his live performances by engaging with his audience.

The lads discuss Mark's own podcast which he produces with co-host Ray McAndrew (also known as Raybo). Mark takes us through the origins of their podcast, their approach to podcasting and the vibe that they set out to create each time they record an episode. The guys chat about a prank that was pulled on Mark during Kieran Quinn's Theme Night #25 - The Bee Gees and the Disco Era.

Mark performs three songs during the course of the show, playing acoustic guitar on two and playing bass on the third. The first song is the Beatles' classic, 'The Ballad of John and Yoko', a staple of Lick My Stereo's early gig sets. The song features Mark on acoustic guitar and vocals, Kieran on piano and Luke on bass guitar and backing vocals. The second song is called 'Ode to an Instagram Young One', an original of Mark's that contains his observations on a certain demographic of social media influencers and prolific Instagram posters. The song features the same lineup as the first number. Finally, the guy's perform 'September' by Earth, Wind & Fire with Mark on bass guitar and vocals, Kieran on keys and Luke on acoustic guitar and backing vocals.

Kieran, Luke and Rory wrap up the episode with some thoughts on their session with Mark.

Kieran dives straight into the chat with a story about how he and his wife almost moved their family abroad a number of years ago before asking Luke and Rory if they had ever had any similar intentions or ideas, leading Rory to reveal a fantasy.

The guys welcome Felip Carbonell to the podcast to talk about his journeys musical and geographical. Felip takes us through his childhood on his native Island of Majorca which, at the time, was still under the rule of General Franco. Hear how Franco's rule and the protest-songwriting movement it inspired was hugely impactful on Felip as a teenager.

Asked by Kieran about how he came to live in Ireland, Felip tells Kieran about forming a connection with Sligo through Irish band Dervish, a connection that eventually led him to meet his wife and leave Majorca's sunny beaches for Sligo's windy shores. Felip recalls a good friend of his that sadly passed away in early 2020 and tells several stories about how his friend helped him in both his personal life and in his music career.

Over the course of the episode, Felip performs three pieces of music. The first is an original composition originally written and performed with a band while he was still living in Majorca. The song is called "Fer Cantó". Next up is an instrumental version of "Misty", a classic jazz standard. Finally, we have another original composition called "Entre Tu I Jo".

The lads wrap up the episode by reflecting on their session with Felip. Rory poses a question to Kieran before the guys read out some more of the feedback they've received from listeners.

On this week's episode, Kieran, Luke and Rory open with a chat about the merits of "making it big" versus finding personal fulfillment working at something you enjoy. 

The lads welcome Sinéad Conway to the podcast to talk about her career as a singer. Sinéad takes us from her childhood right up to the present day, stopping to talk about the major musical milestones that shaped her into the vocal powerhouse that she is today. Sinéad chats about sharing her musical childhood with her sisters and of her own dreams of one day making it big. We get a glimpse into the hectic, glamorous and ofttimes shallow UK pop scene as Sinéad discusses her time on The X Factor, before explaining how she came to settle back in Sligo working in a bank. 

Sinéad tells us about her vocal training, about the lessons she took as a child and teenager and her decision to go back to college in 2008 to further her study of the classical vocal technique. She discusses her work as a vocal coach, in particular her work with teenage girls, with whom she feels a vocal connection. Luke and Sinéad are put on the spot by Kieran as he challenges them both to a sing-off...who can sing higher?!

Sinéad performs three songs on the show. The first is "Time To Say Goodbye", a duet made famous by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. She follows this with a moving, almost spiritual version of "Song of Bernadette", a song originally performed by Jennifer Warnes but of Leonard Cohen's pen, before finishing up with a throwback to the golden days of '70s soul with "Midnight Train To Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips.

The lads finish the show by reflecting on the episode with Sinéad.

Kieran, Rory and Luke open with a discussion on abrupt changes in career direction and Kieran asks the lads if they had always wanted to be doing what they currently do. Kieran welcomes Niamh to the podcast to tell her story including how she made her own career pivot following a realisation in her early twenties that didn't want to continue going down the path she was on. Hear about how her life has been shaped by music since the age of five, how she trained to become one of Ireland's premiere violinists as well as an extremely accomplished pianist, and how she came to settle back in Sligo where she established the Sligo Academy of Music. Niamh performs three pieces of music on the violin throughout the podcast accompanied by Kieran on the piano. The first is a piece called 'Csárdás' by Italian composer Vittorio Monti. The piece, a rite of passage for aspiring violinists, holds a nostalgic place in Niamh's heart as she performed it on the The Late Late Toy Show as a twelve-year-old child. She follows this with a composition of her own called 'Glór Shligigh (The Glory of Sligo)' before finishing with an instrumental arrangement of 'Don't Leave Me This Way', a song recorded by various artists including Thelma Houston and the Communards. The lads then reflect on their chat with Niamh before addressing the fact that they may have ruffled the feathers of another Sligo-based podcasting team.

Kieran, Luke and Rory chat about how they are feeling after the launch of their podcast and some of the feedback they received from listeners. Kieran and Rory confront Luke with something they noticed when listening back to the pilot episode. The lads welcome their first special guest, the legend that is Seamie O'Dowd. Seamie chats about his musical upbringing and the influences that led him to where he is today. He talks about his experiences playing with some of the greats of Irish music including Dervish, The Chieftains and Christy Moore. Seamie performs three pieces of music with Luke and Kieran, the first being a Thom Moore song, 'Carolina Rua'. Seamie then performs one of his own songs called 'Travelling Nation' before finishing up with a hornpipe called 'City of Savannah'.