Here’s a bit of a belated birthday banquet (with an emphasis on veggie burgers) for those who missed the buffet in the Borough – and those who didn’t. A few bits and bobs that I hope will be of interest to your ears including (surprise surprise) readings, music, chat and impressions. The undoubted highlight is a conversation with my brother, Guy, about his life as a teacher and dad in Canada, and how he’s managed to record and arrange songs for our long-running (est. 1989) family band. Decaying Leather’s latest album, ‘The Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion’, will be released later this year and will be followed by a LIVE date in Edmonton in 2024 (you heard it here first…)
We discuss the whys and wherefores of the covers we’ve attempted this time round (which include our dad’s wonderful rendering of McCartney’s ‘Blackbird’, plus tunes from Joan As Policewoman and Tom and Jude Edwin-Scott). Also how we manage to create new music under pressure as a way of diarising our lives and brotherhood; how Guy has introduced music to the classroom; his love of drumming, and how his songwriting now compares to that in his 20s. There are also reflections on our affinity with the north of England, and their most famous sons (those being the Beatles and – okay, we’re biased – OMD). In addition, this special birthday edition includes a scattering of poems and extracts from my new, Santa Fe-set short story, ‘280 Cactus Flower Ridge’. As ever, best listened to through headphones!
Timings of spoken word stuff: ’280 Cactus Flower Ridge’ (extract) (1/2) (00:19) ‘Talking in code on the train’ (direct from my notebook) (03:47); ‘The Unexpected City’ (out-of-tune guitar/Maria Martinez film intro/found sounds at US airport) (05:50), ‘Lucy on an autumn morning’ (poem) (51:44), ‘And With It’ (poem) (56:34), ‘280 Cactus Flower Ridge’ (extract) (2/2) (57:45).
Timings of Decaying Leather song snippets: ‘Tattoos’ (20:10), ‘One of those Days’ (22:29), ‘The Workmanship Demonstration Pavilion’ (15:23 & 25:22), ‘Warning Bell’ (27:42), ‘Fill Your Soul’ (30:43), ‘Darker Tomato’ (34:14), ‘Blackbird’ (41:11), ‘People of the World’ (Guy solo) (43:45). ‘ID Ideology’ (46:03), ‘Digging Holes’ (50:00).
If you’d like to get in touch about the pod or my writing work, drop me a DM or email me via pjhwritingservices@gmail.com
‘Warning Bell’ by Joan As Policewoman
The Jude and Tom Edwin-Scott Band on Spotify
Jude Edwin-Scott website & tour dates
‘Blackbird’ by The Beatles
OMD’s website & tour dates
‘Shine on you Crazy Diamond’, cover version in Jerusalem mentioned by Guy
