Muses

It's the last episode of this series of Muses: An Ampersand Podcast, and so Emma (You're Dead To Me) and Dan (Bastille) are here to talk about the roles of narrators in art and academia. Can you write about people and communities to whom you don't have personal connection? What are the ethics of storytelling? Where do you start with telling someone else's story? All of these questions are reflected in Dan's song Intros & Narrators, which you can hear on Bastille Presents... "&": https://bastille.lnk.to/ampersandstore.Recorded at London's Bush Hall, this slightly longer than usual episode sees Dan and Emma joined by BIM, who co-wrote The Soprano & Midnight Wonderings with Dan, to talk about their song in particular, and songwriting in general. There are live musical performances, and Dan plays more excerpts from his homework - demos of unfinished songs inspired by the conversations we've had earlier in the series. There's also a surprise POP QUIZ with the best damn jingle you've ever heard, and there's even time for some questions from the audience (apologies to all those we didn't get to). Say hello at muses@leadmojo.co.uk.Muses: An Ampersand Podcast is presented by Dan Smith and Emma Nagouse. It was produced by Emma Nagouse and Ed Morrish for Lead Mojo productions.Episode cover photo was taken by Joe Horridge. Series cover photography by Bo Morgan, taken at the Walker Art Gallery, in LiverpoolSeries cover design by Chris BarkerSeries pisode artwork by Harriet BruceRecorded at Bush Hall.Recorded and mixed by Miles WhewayThanks to Dr. Melissa Gustin for arranging the location for the series cover art, and to Moira Mack and Charlie Barnes for their help with the jingle. Thanks to all the staff at Bush Hal, especially Sarah, Lara, Letitia and Iain.

In this episode Emma Nagouse (You're Dead To Me) and Dan Smith (Bastille) are talking about two of the most accomplished people to have ever lived: Eslanda & Paul Robeson, who inspired Dan's song Essie & Paul, which you can hear on Bastille Presents... "&": https://bastille.lnk.to/ampersandstore.Actor, a singer, activist; doctor, author, manager. Catch the Robeson bug from Emma and Dan, as they tell you just how amazing they were. We also hear from Ciara Ismail of Bolt Strings, about the sound of the song.Due to the live recording next week - tickets available here - next week's episode will be slightly late.You can find out more about all the people we're talking about in this series at ampersand.bastillebastille.com.Say hello at muses@leadmojo.co.uk.Muses: An Ampersand Podcast is presented by Dan Smith and Emma Nagouse. The researcher was Genevieve Johnson-Smith, and it was produced by Emma Nagouse and Ed Morrish for Lead Mojo productions.Cover photography by Bo Morgan, taken at the Walker Art Gallery, in LiverpoolCover design by Chris BarkerEpisode artwork by Harriet BruceRecorded at Plosive StudiosMixed by Miles WhewayThanks to Dr. Melissa Gustin for arranging the location for the cover art, and to Moira Mack and Charlie Barnes for their help with the jingleSources:Kinni, Fongot Kini-Yen. “Gender Consciousness and Pro-Agency” In Pan-Africanism, 2015Ransby, Barbara. “Eslanda Robeson and cold war politics.” Institute of Race Relations 54, no. 4 (2013)Smith, Jessie Carney. Epic Lives. Invisible Ink Press, 1993.

In this episode Emma Nagouse (You're Dead To Me) and Dan Smith (Bastille) are talking about scientific genius and double Nobel Prize-winner Marie Curie, who inspired Dan's somewhat accurate song Marie & Polonium, which you can hear on Bastille Presents... "&": https://bastille.lnk.to/ampersandstore.Rejected by her country, she named her (first) world-changing discovery after it; rejected by the academic establishment, she won two Nobel Prizes. But just how brilliant WAS she?(This episode contains a potentially upsetting description of Pierre Curie's death.)You can find out more about all the people we're talking about in this series at ampersand.bastillebastille.com.Say hello at muses@leadmojo.co.uk.Muses: An Ampersand Podcast is presented by Dan Smith and Emma Nagouse. The researcher was Genevieve Johnson-Smith, and it was produced by Emma Nagouse and Ed Morrish for Lead Mojo productions.Cover photography by Bo Morgan, taken at the Walker Art Gallery, in LiverpoolCover design by Chris BarkerEpisode artwork by Harriet BruceRecorded at Plosive StudiosMixed by Miles WhewayThanks to Dr. Melissa Gustin for arranging the location for the cover art, and to Moira Mack and Charlie Barnes for their help with the jingleSources:“Perils of Radium Emphasised Today by Discoverer.” The Daily Notes. 28th May 1928Curie, Eve. Madame Curie. New York: Doubleday, 1938Giroud, Francoise. Marie Curie. New York: Holmes and Meier, 1986Golden, Ross. “MARIE CURIE.” Bulletin of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America 3, no. 2 (1945)Goldsmith, Barbara. Obsessive Genius. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005Harrow, Benjamin. “Madame Curie.” Science, 87, no. 2247 (1938)Kohlstedt, Sally Gregory. “Women in the History of Science.” Osiris 10 (1995)Pflaum, Rosalynd. Grand Obsession. New York: Doubleday, 1989.

In this episode Emma Nagouse (You're Dead To Me) and Dan Smith (Bastille) are talking about Julie d'Aubigny, a renowned seventeenth century opera singer, duellist, fake nun, bisexual icon and probable arsonist, who grew up in the court of the Sun King but who couldn't stay our of trouble with the law for long, and who inspired Dan's song Mademoiselle & The Nunnery Blaze, which you can hear on Bastille Presents... "&": https://bastille.lnk.to/ampersandstore. How much do we actually know about her life, and how much of it is legend?They're joined by Kelly Gardiner, author Goddess, a novel based on Julie's life, who talks through how they got inspired to write about her, how much research they did, and how they decided which legends to believe and which to discount. Dan and Emma would like to apologise to the population of France for their pronunciations in this episode.You can find out more about all the people we're talking about in this series at ampersand.bastillebastille.com.Say hello at muses@leadmojo.co.uk.Muses: An Ampersand Podcast is presented by Dan Smith and Emma Nagouse. It is produced by Emma Nagouse and Ed Morrish for Lead Mojo productions.Cover photography by Bo Morgan, taken at the Walker Art Gallery, in Liverpool.Cover design by Chris Barker.Episode artwork by Harriet Bruce.Recorded at Plosive Studios.Mixed by Miles Wheway.Thanks to Dr. Melissa Gustin for arranging the location for the cover art, and to Moira Mack and Charlie Barnes for their help with the jingle. Also with thanks to Dr Laura O’Brien and Dr Hannah Thuraisingam Robbins for help with this episode.

It's time to check Dan's homework! Every week, Emma Nagouse been suggesting to Dan Smith - at Dan's request - a new idea for a song. And after eight episodes, it's time to check in and ask: how is Dan doing?Spoiler alert: you're going to hear clips from Dan's new songs about Sojourner Truth, Echo, Artemisia Gentileschi and Bathsheba. Emma and Dan also answer some listener emails - if you have more, get in touch at muses@leadmojo.co.ukListen to all the songs on Bastille Presents: Ampersand: https://bastille.lnk.to/ampersandstore, and find out more about the people in the songs: ampersand.bastillebastille.comMuses: An Ampersand Podcast is presented by Dan Smith and Emma Nagouse. It is produced by Emma Nagouse and Ed Morrish for Lead Mojo productions.Cover photography by Bo Morgan, taken at the Walker Art Gallery, in Liverpool.Cover design by Chris Barker.Episode artwork by Harriet Bruce.Mixed by Miles Wheway.Thanks to Dr. Melissa Gustin for arranging the location for the cover art, and to Moira Mack and Charlie Barnes for their help with the jingle.

In this episode Emma Nagouse (You're Dead To Me) and Dan Smith (Bastille) talk about Oscar Wilde, who perhaps needs no introduction: literary icon, celebrated playwright, convicted criminal. But how did he go from one to the other, and why did Dan write Red Wine & Wilde - which you can hear on Bastille Presents: Ampersand: https://bastille.lnk.to/ampersandstore - about him?Dan and Emma view Oscar's legacy through the lenses of two very different films - Wilde and The Happy Prince - and there's a reading by poet Lemn Sissay of one of Oscar's most celebrated works.You can find out more about all the people we're talking about in this series at ampersand.bastillebastille.com.Say hello at muses@leadmojo.co.uk.Muses: An Ampersand Podcast is presented by Dan Smith and Emma Nagouse. It is produced by Emma Nagouse and Ed Morrish for Lead Mojo productions.Cover photography by Bo Morgan, taken at the Walker Art Gallery, in Liverpool.Cover design by Chris Barker.Episode artwork by Harriet Bruce.Recorded at Plosive Studios.Mixed by Miles Wheway.Thanks to Dr. Melissa Gustin for arranging the location for the cover art, and to Moira Mack and Charlie Barnes for their help with the jingle.SourcesEllmann, Richard. Oscar Wilde. New York: Vintage Books, 1988“Great Britain: A Life of Concealment.” Time, Sept 27th 1954Douglas, Alfred Bruce. Oscar Wilde: A Summing Up. London: Duckworth, 1940Harris, Frank. Oscar Wilde, 1916Holland, Vyvyan. Son of Oscar Wilde. New York: Dutton, 1954Knox, Melissa. Oscar Wilde. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994Pearce, Joseph. The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2000.Ransome, Arthur. Oscar Wilde. London: Martin Secker, 1912Sturgis, Matthew. Oscar. London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018

In this episode Emma Nagouse (You're Dead To Me) and Dan Smith (Bastille) talk about the world's greatest-ever pirate: Zheng Yi Sao, who rose from working in a 'floating brothel' to controlling the South China Sea and China's salt trade, and the inspiration for Dan's song Zheng Yi Sao & Questions For Her which you cannot hear yet - it's not out until the album "&" is released on Friday - but there are clips all the way through this episode, so this is your first chance to hear this song.They are joined by Doctor Leon Rocha, a former Senior Lecturer in Chinese History and Society at the University of Lincoln and a former Lecturer in Chinese Studies (History) at the University of Liverpool who offers an expert's view on how she did it, the world she was dealing with, and how she was able to walk away at the time of her choosing. We also discuss if Dan would rather be a cultist, a pirate or a bandit, and how much admin is involved in running a massive criminal empire.You can find out more about all the people we're talking about in this series at ampersand.bastillebastille.com.Say hello at muses@leadmojo.co.uk.Muses: An Ampersand Podcast is presented by Dan Smith and Emma Nagouse. It is produced by Emma Nagouse and Ed Morrish for Lead Mojo productions.Cover photography by Bo Morgan, taken at the Walker Art Gallery, in Liverpool.Cover design by Chris Barker.Episode artwork by Harriet Bruce.Recorded by Calvin Thornbarrow at Liverpool Podcast Studios.Mixed by Miles Wheway.Thanks to Dr. Melissa Gustin for arranging the location for the cover art, and to Moira Mack and Charlie Barnes for their help with the jingle.SourcesAntony, Robert J., ed. Elusive Pirates, Pervasive Smugglers. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2010.Antony, Robert J. Unruly People. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2016.Murray, Dian H. Pirates of the South China Coast, 1790-1810. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1987.Wang, Wensheng. White Lotus Rebels and South China Pirates. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press, 2014.

In this episode Emma Nagouse (You're Dead To Me) and Dan Smith (Bastille) are musing about a muse: Marianne Ihlen, who inspired Leonard Cohen to write many of his most famous songs, such as Bird On A Wire and So Long, Marianne. Their relationship inspired Nick Broomfield's documentary Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, which in turn inspired Dan/Bastille's song Leonard & Marianne, which you can listen to here: https://bastille.lnk.to/LeonardEmma and Dan are delighted to be joined in the studio by Nick himself, who explains how he first came to meet Marianne on the Greek island of Hydra in the 1960s, how he looks back on that community and that time, and how the Archbishop of Canterbury was (indirectly) responsible for his first-ever acid trip. Emma also catches up with Dan's homework, and instead of taking a deep dive into Dan's song, she takes a deep dive into the idea of muses, while Dan explains how the song evolved from a belter of a party piece to the more intimate, Billie Eilish-inspired version you can hear on the album.You can find out more about all the people we're talking about in this series at ampersannd.bastillebastille.com.Say hello at muses@leadmojo.co.uk.Muses: An Ampersand Podcast is presented by Dan Smith and Emma Nagouse. It is produced by Emma Nagouse and Ed Morrish for Lead Mojo productions.Cover photography by Bo Morgan, taken at the Walker Art Gallery, in Liverpool.Cover design by Chris Barker.Episode artwork by Harriet Bruce.Recorded at Plosive Studios.Mixed by Miles Wheway.Thanks to Dr. Melissa Gustin for arranging the location for the cover art, and to Moira Mack and Charlie Barnes for their help with the jingle.