60 Minutes or less - A podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where to mark the big 6-0, for this episode I’m delighted to feature an interview with Scottish singer songwriter Steve Mason, him up front in The Beta Band!Vocalist and a founding member of The Beta Band, Mason is also a critically acclaimed solo artist in his own right, having released five albums under his own name. With The Beta Band, Mason and co released three studio albums that landed in the Top 20 in the UK charts, with their ‘The Three E.P.’s’ compilation being a notable favourite amongst fans (even featuring in a much loved scene from the film ‘High Fidelity’).After knocking the band on the head in 2004 - with their label owed a cool million quid - following a 20 year break, The Beta Band made their long awaited return in 2025, selling out an Autumn tour of the UK within hours, with dates on the horizon this year too.Ahead of the release of his new memoir ‘Failure is Always an Option: Glorious Adventures On The Beta Band Front Line and Other Tales’ (out April 2026 via New Modern), we caught up with Mason over Zoom, where we talked about the book, as well as the long awaited return of The Beta Band, immigration and its benefit to music, navigating depression and good and bad celebrity encounters - from Brian Wilson to Julia Davis to Fred Durst (naturally).If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 59, I’m chuffed to feature an interview with composer and keyboardist, Mathieu David Gagnon of Flore Laurentienne!Based in Montreal, Québec, Gagnon first caught my attention with the release of Flore Laurentienne’s debut album 'Volume I' in 2019, a collection of beautiful classical pieces to stop you in your tracks.Taking inspiration from different worlds - from the likes of Johann Sebastian Bach to King Crimson - the music of Flore Laurentienne combines strings with analog synthesizers, the Minimoog being the favoured weapon of choice.Latest album ‘Volume III’ arrives April 10th 2026 via Secret City Records. We caught up with Mathieu a month ahead of release to talk about the new record, as well as synthesisers, UK prog rock and living and working in nature.If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 58, I’m chuffed to feature an interview with Chris Summerlin and Joe Thompson of Hey Colossus!Formed when yours truly was still in short trousers, Hey Colossus have been ripping it for 20+ years, in that time featuring shapeshifting line-ups, at one point even featuring a guest turn from the late Mark Lanegan on their 2020 album ‘Dances / Curses’.Outside of the band - or rather, parallel to the band - Joe and Chris also run Wrong Speed Records, a truly DIY label that’s put out records from Hey Colossus, alongside the likes of Big Break, Objections and Colossal Squid.In February 2026, Hey Colossus released their latest album ’Heaven Was Wild’ - Their fifteenth studio album and one which the band have said felt like therapy. We caught up with the pair over Zoom at the start of 2026 to talk about the latest Hey Colossus record, as well as working with Mark Lanegan, comparisons to Billy Idol, being influenced by Glenn Danzig and the DIY ethos that keeps them ticking. We start however, with some technical issues, including an unexpected snippet of Talksport.If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 57, it’s a real treat to feature an interview with Australian singer-songwriter, Jack Ladder!We first encountered Jack Ladder supporting Alex Cameron back in 2018, described by Cameron on the night as a “good looking guy – not to be trusted”. Ladder was sporting a pair of giant sunglasses and was crooning his way through a cover of Iggy Pop’s 80s gem, ‘Shades’. We were hooked from the off.In October 2025, Ladder released his latest album ‘Separation Rock’, a record he’s said to have been waiting his whole life to make. We spoke with Jack over Zoom in October 2025, a few weeks off the release of ‘Separation Rock’, to talk about the record itself, as well as collaborating with the likes of Alex Cameron and Sharon Van Etten and the big bad world of online streaming. There’s also the small matter of starring in a film with Nicolas Cage.If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 56, it’s a pleasure to feature an interview with Domenic Palermo, frontman in Philadelphia outfit Nothing!There are some pretty standard cliches when it comes to the music industry, particularly when a band have a new record to promote, but for Domenic “Nicky” Palermo, the highs and lows have been legit. From a prison stay in his youth to substance abuse issues, as well as more recent health concerns in the form of essential tremors - a neurological disorder similar to Parkinson’s disease. It’s no joke when the story leading into the release of their new album is the frontman’s introspection. Starting out life as a solo bedroom project in Philadelphia in 2010, Nothing have since put out four full length records to much acclaim, with the band subsequently embarking on countless tours that have pushed Palermo to the limit. Late February 2026 sees the release of latest album ‘a short history of decay’, their first on new label, Run For Cover Records - an album that further reflects on a life lived. We spoke with Nicky over Zoom a month ahead of release, as he got ready for the Nothing tour of Japan. We spoke about the record itself, as well as boozing and indulging on tour, a love of Wetherspoons, the pressure of dealing with a devoted fanbase and his incarceration.If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 55, we keep it local, welcoming Robin Richards of Manchester based art-pop collective Dutch Uncles!Principal composer in Dutch Uncles for nearly two decades - a band The Guardian described as “Stockport’s answer to Talking Heads” - Richards is also a composer for his own endeavours, looking to bridge the gap between classical and popular music traditions.Off the back of a number of releases under his belt as a solo artist, including film scores and public art productions, in September 2025, Richards released his long awaited debut solo album, ‘Taproots’. To mark the occasion, we had Robin visit Birthday Cake For Breakfast HQ (a.k.a. my front room) for an in-person interview ahead of its release. We spoke about the new record, as well as West Didsbury and Chorlton Football Club, the joys of social media, riding the wave of Oasis hype and being big in Budapest. We also got the scoop on the next move from Dutch Uncles, so listen out for that.If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 54, we welcome Rhys Edwards and Joseph Stone from art-rock collective Ulrika Spacek.Cooler than the other side of the pillow, for over a decade, Ulrika Spacek have been hypnotising audiences with their energetic, often dreamlike aural cocktails that combine elements of post-punk, Krautrock and psychedelia.10 years on from releasing their debut album ‘The Album Paranoia‘, fourth album ‘EXPO’ lands in early February 2026 via their new home of Full Time Hobby. Ahead of its release, we caught up with Rhys and Joe over Zoom in early December 2025 to talk about the record, touring the states and tech-metal, as well as big nasty corporations and the use of AI.If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 53, it’s a strong start to kick off the year as we feature an interview with Jason Williamson, chief shouter in outspoken Nottz duo Sleaford Mods!Off the back of releasing ‘UK GRIM’ in 2023, their highest charting record to date in the UK, in January 2026, Sleaford Mods are set to release their latest album ’The Demise of Planet X’ via Rough Trade Records. We spoke with Jason over Zoom in late November 2025. ASMR heads will have to forgive the sniffs and general cold related noises, as I somehow caught whatever Jason had halfway through the episode, so we’re both working through sniffles at various points.The language is blue, as you can imagine, as we spoke of the new record, collaborating with the likes of Aldous Harding, Big Special and Hollywood star Gwendoline Christie, as well as fashion and branching out into film roles. There’s also surprisingly talk of a recent online spat with disgraced right-wing grifter Dapper Laughs. Remember him?If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!

Welcome to ’60 Minutes or less’ - a podcast from Birthday Cake For Breakfast - where for episode 52, we end the year on a high, keeping the festive spirit going past Christmas with an interview with Ian Anderson, multi-instrumentalist, flautist and chief vocalist in Jethro Tull!The second MBE recipient to appear on the podcast (as far as we know), Anderson has fronted Jethro Tull for nearly 60 years! It was quite the thrill then to feature an interview with Anderson off the back of Jethro Tull releasing their latest album ‘Curious Ruminant’ in early 2025, some 50+ years on from releasing their debut album ‘This Was’ in 1968.A fascinating look into the inner workings of touring life and what’s kept Jethro Tull afloat for so long, we caught up over Zoom at the beginning of December 2025 to talk about Christmas, famous son-in-law Andrew Lincoln, avoiding pickpockets abroad and the differences in touring between now and then.If you like the episode, let us know - follow us on your favourite streaming platform and follow Birthday Cake For Breakfast on all the socials. Find us on the socials and everything else here!