Best Neil Aitken Podcasts (2024)

1
Fistful of Chords - Nigel Planer and Neil Avery 55:19

3+ y ago55:19

55:19

Comedy and acting legend Nigel Planer has enjoyed an illustrious career over four decades. Enjoying No. 1 and No. 2 chart hits, in character as Neil from The Young Ones, Planer is no stranger to the music business. He's teamed up with songwriter Neil Avery to record an album of new songs, which the pair discuss here. Planer also talks about his mus…

1
Fistful of Chords - Shingai 47:35

4y ago47:35

47:35

Ahead of the release of solo album 'Too Bold', Shingai tells Jim Drury about the new record and the many highlights of her career, both in The Noisettes and as a lone artist. Shingai also reveals how the exploitation of black female singers by the music industry riles her, how she performed weekly online concerts with her family during lockdown, an…

1
Fistful of Chords - Mike Stock Part 2 23:26

4y ago23:26

23:26

Mike Stock, creative genius at the heart of Stock Aitken and Waterman's 'Hit Factory', says a concerted attempt by the record industry to derail SAW's success ended the songwriting-production team's chart domination. In part 2 of this podcast, Stock also reflects on how the music business ignored his warning that the advent of the internet threaten…

1
Fistful of Chords - Erik Stein (Cult with No Name) 48:13

4y ago48:13

48:13

Cult with No Name frontman Erik Stein tells Jim Drury about recording 10 albums in 14 years, writing the music for the movie Blue Velvet Revisited, and how his early teenage gigs involved using an ironing board as part of his stage equipment!By Jim Drury

1
Fistful of Chords - Mike Stock (Stock Aitken Waterman) Part 1 32:30

4y ago32:30

32:30

As arguably the most vital member of the songwriting machine that was Stock Aitken Waterman, Mike Stock is one of the most successful songwriters of all time, holding the record for the most No. 1 records with different acts. In Part 1 of his interview, Stock tells Jim Drury how he started in the business, how some of the biggest SAW hits were crea…

1
Fistful of Chords - Simon Hanson (Squeeze) 49:57

4y ago49:57

49:57

Squeeze's powerhouse drummer Simon Hanson gives the lowdown on life in the industry, how joining Death in Vegas propelled him into the big time, and the way that personal tragedy at the age of 19 made him feel immortal. He also tells Jim Drury about his joy at working with Squeeze songwriting icons Glenn Tilbrook & Chris Difford. (Photo copyright -…

1
Fistful of Chords - Shelly Poole (Alisha's Attic & Red Sky July) 30:06

4y ago30:06

30:06

Singer-songwriter Shelly Poole discusses her time in Alisha's Attic and current band Red Sky July, with Jim Drury. Shelly is a prolific songwriter, working with some of the biggest names in the music industry. She speaks openly about the miraculous survival and recovery of husband and band-mate Ally McErlaine after he suffered a Grade 5 aneurysm in…

1
Fistful of Chords - Wilko Johnson Part 2 32:15

4y ago32:15

32:15

In part 2, Wilko Johnson discusses the death of former Dr Feelgood comrade Lee Brilleaux, joining Ian Dury & The Blockheads, having a surprise 2014 hit with Roger Daltrey, and explains to Jim Drury his recent public suggestion for replacing the handshake in these socially distanced times.By Jim Drury

1
Fistful Of Chords - Wilko Johnson Part 1 41:31

4y ago41:31

41:31

Wilko Johnson tells Jim Drury about his life of solitary confinement in lockdown, his fractious times in Dr Feelgood, and how he was cured from cancer after being given just 10 months to live.By Jim Drury

1
Fistful of Chords - Mickey Gallagher (The Blockheads) 49:12

4y ago49:12

49:12

Mickey Gallagher wrote songs with Ian Dury for almost a quarter of a century, until the singer's death in 2000. A member of The Blockheads since 1977, Mickey continues to tour with both the band and The Animals. He lifts the lid on the ups and downs of working with maverick genius Dury, explains the band's decision to continue after their leader's …

1
Fistful of Chords - Chris Difford (Squeeze) 42:29

4y ago42:29

42:29

Chris Difford is half of one of British pop's most enduring - and endearing - songwriting double acts. Along with Glenn Tilbrook, Chris has formed the backbone of Squeeze for almost a half a century. He wrote the lyrics for classic hits like Cool for Cats, Up The Junction, and Tempted and continues to perform and record in Squeeze. He tells Jim Dru…

1
Fistful of Chords - Tim Bricheno (All About Eve, Sisters of Mercy et al) 48:03

4+ y ago48:03

48:03

Tim Bricheno enjoyed two Top Ten albums and 6 hit singles with gothic folk rock band All About Eve, before enjoying success with Sisters of Mercy, XCNN, & Tin Star. Tim talks to Jim Drury here and gives a unique insight into writing hit records, explaining why a disastrous Top of The Pops performance had unexpected consequences, and how a life-chan…

1
S02 Ep 10: Joanna Penn Cooper (Secrets, Silences, & Unspoken Legacies) 55:37

6y ago55:37

55:37

Poet and essayist Joanna Penn Cooper is the author of The Itinerant Girl's Guide to Self-Hypnosis (Brooklyn Arts Press) and What Is a Domicile (Noctuary Press). Joanna holds a PhD in English from Temple University and has taught at Marquette University and Fordham University. Her work has appeared in The Academy of American Poets' Poem-a-Day, South…

1
S02 Ep 09: Mia Malhotra (Rivers, Mothers, & Legacies) 53:59

6y ago53:59

53:59

Mia Ayumi Malhotra is the author of ISAKO ISAKO (forthcoming September 2018), winner of the 2017 Alice James Award. She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from the University of Washington, and her poems have appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies, including Indiana Review, The Greensboro Review, Best New Poets, and DISM…

1
S02 Ep 08: Michael Meyerhofer (Fantasy, Weightlifting, & Edged Weapons) 52:23

6y ago52:23

52:23

Michael Meyerhofer’s fifth book of poems, Ragged Eden, is forthcoming from Glass Lyre Press. He’s also the author of a fantasy series and serves as the Poetry Editor of Atticus Review. His work has appeared in Rattle, Hayden’s Ferry, Ploughshares, DIAGRAM, Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, and other journals. For more information and an embarrassi…

1
S02 Ep 07: TJ Jarrett (Restoring Floors & Programming Code) 56:39

6y ago56:39

56:39

TJ Jarrett is a writer and software developer in Nashville, Tennessee. Her recent work has been published or is forthcoming in Poetry, African American Review, Boston Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Callaloo, DIAGRAM, Third Coast, VQR, West Branch and others. She has earned scholarships from Colrain Manuscript Conference and Vermont Studio Center; f…

1
S2 Ep 06: Hari Alluri (Mudras & Martial Arts) 57:39

6y ago57:39

57:39

Hari Alluri is the author of The Flayed City (Kaya, 2017), Carving Ashes (CiCAC, 2013) and the chapbook The Promise of Rust (Mouthfeel). His poetic, curational and translation work appears in anthologies, journals and online venues, recently through The Margins, Poemeleon and Poetry International. A co-founding editor at Locked Horn Press and recip…

1
S2 Ep 05: Lynne DeSilva-Johnson (Evolution, Systems, & Trauma) 56:16

6y ago56:16

56:16

Lynne DeSilva-Johnson (they/them) is a nonbinary queer interdisciplinary creator, cultural scholar, and educator. Lynne is the founder and creative director of The Operating System, a radical open source arts organization, online platform, and publisher. Prior to teaching at Pratt, they were an adjunct in the CUNY system for 10 years, as well as a …

1
S2 Ep 04: Jennifer Kwon Dobbs (Cooking, Militarism, & Transnational Exchange) 56:11

6+ y ago56:11

56:11

Born in Wonju, Republic of Korea and adopted by a steelworker and homemaker in Oklahoma, Jennifer Kwon Dobbs is a poet, essayist, and scholar with interests in creative writing, critical adoption studies, Asian American literature, and Korean literary translation. She holds a BA in English from Oklahoma State University, an MFA in Poetry from the U…

1
S2 Ep 03: Jenna Lê (Whales, Language, and Returning) 57:49

6+ y ago57:49

57:49

A Minnesota-born daughter of Vietnam War refugees, Jenna Lê earned her B.A. in mathematics before obtaining her M.D. She lives and works as a physician and educator in the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire. She is the author of two full-length collections of poems, Six Rivers (NYQ Books, 2011), which was a Small Press Distribution Poetry Bestsel…

1
S2 Ep 02: Saba Razvi (Mummies & What They Reveal) 57:32

6+ y ago57:32

57:32

Saba Syed Razvi is the author of In the Crocodile Gardens (Agape Editions), heliophobia (Finishing Line Press) Limerence & Lux (Chax Press), Of the Divining and the Dead (Finishing Line Press), Beside the Muezzin’s Call & Beyond the Harem’s Veil (Finishing Line Press). Her poems have appeared in journals such as The Offending Adam, Diner, TheTHE Po…

1
S2 Ep 01: Jon Tribble (KFC & Blue Collar Work) 51:53

6+ y ago51:53

51:53

Jon Tribble is author of two collections of poems: Natural State (Glass Lyre Press, 2016), and, And There Is Many a Good Thing (Salmon Poetry, 2017). His third book, God of the Kitchen, is forthcoming from Glass Lyre Press in 2018. He is the recipient of a 2003 Artist Fellowship Award in Poetry from the Illinois Arts Council and his poems have appe…

1
S1 Ep 02: Helene Achanzar (Lighthouses & Buffy) 22:09

7y ago22:09

22:09

Helene Achanzar is a Kundiman fellow who has earned awards from the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. She is a freelance writer who has written for Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Vice Media. Helene will be beginning her MFA studies at University of Mississippi this fall.---Host - Neil AikenProducer - Jenna Yo…

1
S1 Ep 05: Jessica Piazza (Obsession) 24:02

7y ago24:02

24:02

Jessica Piazza is the author of three poetry collections: Interrobang (Red Hen Press, 2013), the chapbook This is not a sky (Black Lawrence Press, 2014) and Obliterations (with Heather Aimee O'Neill (Red Hen Press, 2016). Interrobang won the 2011 To the Lighthouse Prize from A Room of Her Own Foundation and the 2013 Balcones Prize from the Balcones…

1
S1 Ep 10: Lee Herrick (Institutions, JFK, & Social Justice) 28:26

7y ago28:26

28:26

Lee Herrick is the author of Gardening Secrets of the Dead (WordTech Editions, 2012) and This Many Miles from Desire (WordTech Editions, 2007) and a Fresno Poet Laureate emeritus (2017-2017). His poems have been published widely in literary magazines and anthologies. He is the founding editor of In the Grove and has guest edited various projects, …

1
S1 Ep 09: Brent Fisk (Basketball & Aging) 24:16

7y ago24:16

24:16

Brent Fisk is a writer from Bowling Green, Kentucky with over 300 poems, essays and short stories published so far. He has an B.A. in English Literature, and an M.A. in Creative Writing from WKU.---Host - Neil AikenProducer - Jenna YokoyamaMusic“Conviction” by Little Glass Men“Twosome” by Podington Bear…

1
S1 Ep 08: Hélène Cardona (Translation & Renaissance Women) 27:00

7y ago27:00

27:00

Hélène Cardona is a poet, literary translator and actor. Her six books include Life in Suspension (2016), and Dreaming My Animal Selves (2013). Her translations include Beyond Elsewhere (by Gabriel Arnou-Laujeac, 2016), recipient of a Hemingway Grant; Ce que nous portons (Dorianne Laux, 2014); The Birnam Wood (by her father José Manuel Cardona, for…

1
S1 Ep 07: Jeannine Hall Gailey (The End of the World, and After) 28:41

7y ago28:41

28:41

Jeannine Hall Gailey recently served as the second Poet Laureate of Redmond, Washington and the author of Becoming the Villainess, She Returns to the Floating World, Unexplained Fevers, The Robot Scientist's Daughter, and winner of the Moon City Press Book Prize, the upcoming Field Guide to the End of the World. Her work has been featured on NPR's …

1
S1 Ep 06: Noel P. Mariano (Sidekicks & Superheroes) 27:31

7y ago27:31

27:31

Noel Pabillo Mariano is a storyteller & community arts activist. They’re the editor of the anthology Press Start & Game On: Voices On Gaming and he is the author of the chapbooks, A Girl Named Hemingway (Eight Point Star Press) and Dispatches from the Mushroom Kingdom (Hyacinth Girl Press). Their poetry has appeared in or is forthcoming in Connotat…

1
S1 Ep 04: David Campos (Roleplaying Games & Community) 27:44

7y ago27:44

27:44

In a particularly geeky conversation, host Neil Aitken and poet David Campos unpack Campos' obsession with collaborative roleplaying and computer games, as well as how the lessons we learn at the game table carry over into both realms of writing and academic work. Visit www.thelitfantastic.com for more info.---David Campos, a CantoMundo Fellow, is …

1
S1 Ep 03: Valynne E. Maetani (Gaudy,Ugly, & Wonderfully Different) 25:10

7y ago25:10

25:10

YA novelist Valynne E. Maetani talks about her strange obsession with a particular kind of weird and gaudy fashion accessory and how it ultimately informs how she sees the world and what she thinks of how the world sees those who are a bit different. More at http://www.thelitfantastic.com---Valynne E. Maetani grew up in Utah and obtained a Bachelor…

1
S1 Ep 01: Eugenia Leigh (Worldbuilding & Fantasy) [pilot] 25:37

7+ y ago25:37

25:37

Poet Eugenia Leigh discusses her obsession with worldbuilding, whether in poetry, literary fiction, or fantasy realms. We geek out over JRR Tolkien's own obsession with language and the creation of founding myths, the intersection between faith and fantasy, and what exactly "selah" means. Check us out at www.thelitfantastic.com.---Eugenia Leigh is …

1
Kyle Aitken - Cyber Security Interview 5:00

7+ y ago5:00

5:00

Music - Moose - www.bensound.com/mooseIntro – Hi, my names Kyle Aitken and this is a short documentary about the problems of Cyber Security at work.Interview 1 – Hello my names Neil Martin, I don’t know wither that’s the first thing I shouldn’t be saying, given the fact were talking about security. But since you don’t know where I am or where I liv…

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