Episode 43: A Conversation with Emily Capell

Explicit content warning

03/20/22 • 45 min

Question for you: If you had the chance to spend an hour in the car with one of your musical heroes—you are driving—what music would you play? Believe it or not, this is a difficult, stressful decision. And my next guest, northwest London-based Emily Capell, faced this very dilemma. Emily, who literally grew up on the Clash and its various offshoots, is an old soul. Her music is inspired by, well, the Clash, Big Audio Dynamite, but it goes beyond that. You’ll hear some Sinatra, you’ll hear some ‘60s doowop, you’ll hear a lot of ska, Blondie, you name it. In this exhilarating interview, Emily and I talk about two songs from her 2019 debut album Combat Frock—Bonanza and Ipso Calypso—and then we talk about two newer songs, 2020’s Flamingo, recorded with the London-based Dreadzone, and a cover of Big Audio Dynamite’s E=MC2, recorded with the song’s co-writer, legendary punk-rock DJ and studio innovator Don Letts. We discuss what it was like to record with Letts, one of her heroes, and the troubles and trials of being a musician in a pandemic. Mostly, though, we talk about the music. Emily is one of the freshest talents recording today, so go grab your beer, sit down, and welcome Emily Capell to For Songs.

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Episode 42: A Conversation with the Whitmore Sisters

It is a cliché that blood is thicker than water, but its also true. And my next guests are living proof. Bonnie and Eleanor Whitmore of the Whitmore Sisters have just released their first album as a duo. Ghost Stories is an emotional powerhouse. And it is full of inspiration. Eleanor and Bonnie have been in and around the Americana genre for pretty much their whole lives. Eleanor and her husband Chris Masterson make up folk rock duo The Mastersons, and they also play in Steve Earle’s backing band The Dukes. Bonnie, meanwhile, has released a number albums over the years and has played with a who’s who—James McMurtry, Bruce Robison, Kelly Willis, on and on and on. Despite their roots, Ghost Stories is their first album together, and let’s hope there’s more to come. We talk about four songs —Hurtin’ for a Letdown, Ghost Stories, Greek Tragedy, and The Ballad of Sissy and Porter. We talk about death, drugs, influences, and, of course, songwriting. We also talk about life—celebrating and appreciating the simple act of being alive. This interview gets pretty heavy at times, so be ready. It is my high honor to welcome Eleanor and Bonnie Whitmore to For Songs.

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Episode 44: Another Conversation with The Pug--Talking the Clash, Joe Strummer, Big Audio Dynamite & Much More!

It’s been a rough two years, to say the least. Music is one of the few things keeping us together, and for some of us, The Clash have been doing the heavy lifting. In this unique episode, Tony from the Pug joins me for an enthralling conversation about music, the Clash, and so much more. The general theme of this conversation is as follows: What Big Audio Dynamite/Joe Strummer solo songs would’ve been great Clash songs? We tried to put in some ground rules, but those quickly went out the door. Aside from the Clash we talk about Poguetry, go-go music, cow punk, ska, and you name it. So rather than sum it up, it’s better if you just listen in. And join us online for an ongoing conversation! What songs would you pick? Ping us on Twitter--@thepugdc & @forsongs2!