Charli XCX's career highlight was coming on our podcast back in 2018, for what turned out to be a rushed conversation about art school, living in LA, writing songs for Blondie and seeing songs as colours. With Charli's career still doing reasonably well due to the release of this year's album, Brat, on this week's podcast we revisit that conversation to see if it was as bad as Stu thought it was at the time, consider what it tells us about the rise of Charli, and ask what's next for the undisputed queen of alt. pop.

You can watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Credits:

Editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of their new album Romance, people can't stop talking about Fontaines D.C.'s new look. One week after Glastonbury, the Dublin band's singer, Grian Chatten, had Stu round to his flat to discuss the reason behind the band's new aesthetic, his prolific writing process, a strange 9 days spend working in a bar in L.A., and a record that draws influence from Korn, Lana Del Rey and Shygirl. 

You can watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Further reading/viewing:

Starburster video

Jade 'Angel of My Dreams' video

Loud And Quiet 2019 cover feature

Chris de Burgh in The Mighty Boosh

Sister Midnight

Credits:

Editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New York musician Cassandra Jenkins really shouldn't be on Midnight Chats, or any podcast talking about her new album, My Light, My Destroyer, because that record, near-perfect though it is, was never going to be made. 

On this week's episode she tells Stu about how she had decided to quite music after releasing her last album, but things went unexpectedly well, so here we are, discussing one of the best albums that will be released in 2024, Jenkins' obsession with space, finding inspiration in a billionaire sending Captain Kirk into space, her Manhattan home life living with her parents, and what happens next is this "bonus round" of her life. 

You can watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Further reading/viewing:

Our 10/10 album review of My Light, My Destroyer

The moment William Shatner returned to Earth

The mighty Zabar's

Credits:

Editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following on from last week's Mercury Prize predictions episode, Greg and Stu dive into this year's shortlist to see how wrong they were as they cast judgement on which of the nominated records they think might actually have a chance of winning this year's award.

Stu picks out a clip from our 2018 Charli XCX episode, and you'll all invited to play our Mercury Prize audio quiz, safe in the knowledge that you'll more probably be better at it than Greg was.  

You can watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Credits:

Editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In two days time (25 July), the short list for the 2024 Mercury Prize will be announced. On this week's show, Stu and Greg discuss who they think will DEFINITELY be on the list, and who they hope will be. 

Greg also spills the beans on what it's like to be on the Mercury Prize judging panel (something he's done 3 times), we ask how relevant the award is in the instant age of TikTok, and throw in some of all-time our favourite past winners. 

Come back next week to see just how right we were about our nailed-on nominees. 

You can watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Credits:

Editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Nottingham duo Sleaford Mods release a 10-year anniversary edition of their breakthrough album Divide & Exit, frontman and lyricist Jason Williamson revisits the album that changed his life, the time he threw the bleakest album release party of all time, and how he finally found success in his 40s on his 7th album.   

You can watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Links to stuff mentioned in the episode: 

'Tied Up In Nottz' video

Modern Life is Rubbish... still – early Loud And Quiet interview from 2014

Sleaford Mod Loud And Quiet archive

 Jason on Episode 65 of the podcast

Credits:

Interview and editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Look around and you’d be forgiven for feeling the world is completely broken in 2024. War. Division. Crises. How did we get here? That’s the fundamental question Norwegian songwriter AURORA explores on her latest album What Happened To The Heart?. It’s a project that is technicolor in feeling, and in sound.

Host Greg Cochrane went to meet her to talk about activism, conflict and why she and the iconic Brian Eno are like “an old married couple”. It’s a deep listen, for sure, but these are deep times – even if you can focus on the glimmers of light. 

You can watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Links to stuff mentioned in the episode: 

Hear Brian Eno discussing his work with AURORA on episode 127 of Midnight Chats

The letter ‘We Are The Earth’ by Sônia Guajajara and Célia Xakriabá

Credits:

Interview by Greg Cochrane 

Editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

Video by Robbie Hamilton

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stuart got the hot ticket. Greg did not. In the field, and from the sofa at home, Midnight Chats does Glastonbury 2024. 

Your hosts tackle the biggest talking points from the most famous music festival in the world. Did Dua Lipa fulfill her promise to turn Worthy Farm into a club on her headliner debut? Was SZA's microphone fresh out of batteries? Did Coldplay bring the world together in a moment of communal feeling, or was it a bad acid trip? Did Louis Tomlinson steal a TV from the local Curries? All these essential questions answered, and more.

What did you make of this episode. Please let us know and share your thoughts and questions at [email protected] or DM us on Instagram @midnightchatspod. 

And for those in the UK (sorry to those elsewhere), here are links to our top performances on BBC iPlayer. You've a month to watch before they disappear. 

Sampha 
IDLES
AURORA

Little Simz
Coldplay

LCD Soundsystem 
Dua Lipa 
Confidence Man
PJ Harvey 

Everything is bigger and better at Glastonbury, including my unexpected fits of crying

Credits:

Interview and editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Smith from Leeds band Yard Act met New Zealand comedian Rose Matafeo at Glastonbury festival a couple of years ago when the pair were watching little Simz. Since then, Smith's group has invited Matafeo to sing on their second album, Where's My Utopia?, star in one of their music videos and open for them in their hometown.

What better excuse did we need to get them both in a room to discuss the time Rose accidentally put her hand up Jools Holland's back just after Rod Stewart winked at her, the horrible gig that led to James writing the song Rose would become the face of, what Taskmaster is really like to film, and how James and Yard Act will attempt to navigate this year's Glastonbury. 

Watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Links to stuff mentioned in the episode: 

Yard Act 'Petroleum' video starring Rose

Rose's Taskermaster country rap song

Yard Act perform 'Dream Job' live on Later... with Jools Holland

Credits:

Interview and editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frontman with one of Britain’s biggest modern rock bands, Yannis Philippakis recently launched Yannis & The Yaw – not so much a solo project, more of an experiment in collaboration. Dial back seven years and Yannis spent time writing songs with one of his heroes, the icon drummer Tony Allen – godfather of Afrobeat and distinguished collaborator with everyone from Damon Albarn to Air. The result is a posthumous project – Allen died in 2020 – titled ‘Lagos Paris London’ released in August 2024. 

Yannis goes deep with host Greg Cochrane about his “cross generational” bond with Allen, and the other legendary artists he'd love write with Yannis & The Yaw. Plus, he discusses the evolving future of his band Foals, chats about his passion for gardening and why he’s writing music for some contemporary theatre productions. 

You can watch clips of the podcast online now, just give us a follow on Instagram @midnightchatspod.

Links to stuff mentioned in the episode: 

More Yannis? He joined us on episode 64 of Midnight Chats back in 2019

Check out the videos for Yannis & The Yaw tracks ‘Under The Strikes’ and ‘Walk Through Fire’

Further reading: Yannis on his love for gardening, interviewed in The Telegraph 

The Confessions theatre production Yannis wrote the score for in 2023 

From 2023: Original bassist Walter Gervers rejoins Foals, via NME

Credits:

Interview by Greg Cochrane 

Editing by Stuart Stubbs 

Mixing and mastering by Flo Lines

Artwork by Kate Prior

Video by Robbie Hamilton

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.