15. Band on the run

So, there are two different reasons why this episode is particularly exciting. One is that it's the first with new co-host Stephanie Boland. The other is that we're joined by an actual, literal rock star. Honestly: I write about maps for a living, and now this. My 17 year old self would be so impressed. Anyway. Neil Codling plays with Penguin Cafe, but his best known work has been as keyboard player and backing vocalist in Suede. (For boring legal reasons, the music used in the show is from neither band, I'm afraid.) Neil tells us about life on tour, and how you engage with a new city when you're seeing six of them every week. He also discusses the hollowing out of London’s music industry, and even reads from his tour diaries. Elsewhere in the show, journalist Steffan Storch tells us about Swansea, the second city of Wales - a fact for which it will never forgive its larger rival Cardiff. (You should check out Steffan's own podcast, Well Thanks, too.) Finally, Stephanie and I talk about the origins, history and our more infuriating experiences of busking (it involves an accordion), and we discuss whether it's a good thing for cities. And, somehow, she manages to get me to sing. It's awful.