Songsmith - Songwriters On Songwriting

Duke Special (Peter Wilson) is a singer, songwriter and composer based in Belfast, NorthernIreland. His romantic style, distinctive accent and vocals have earned him a loyal fanbaseand a string of successful albums, including Adventures in Gramophone & Songs From theDeep which went platinum.He is curious about music, theatre, books, poetry, art, love, life, redemption, death and 78s.He has released 16 albums and EPs, toured all over the world, and has been involved in adiverse array of projects, including writing the music for Deborah Warner’s criticallyacclaimed 2009 production of Mother Courage and Her Children at London’s NationalTheatre and being commissioned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to write aseries of original songs based on photographs for an exhibition.His live performances have a theatrical style inspired by Vaudeville and music hall, and oftenincorporate 78s played on an old-fashioned gramophone, or sound effects from a transistorradio. His new album 'Blood for Ghosts' is available now.Special thanks to Julie & John for arranging this interview.Website: https://www.dukespecial.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DukeSpecial/

Boo is an English singer-songwriter and record producer and considered one of the UK's finest singer songwriters. His work includes lead singer and creative force behind the seminal 80s band The Bible, as well as solo recordings and work for film. He has also produced records for several artists, including a long association with Eddi Reader. Boo was nominated for an Ivor Novello award for his song “Patience of Angles” which was recorded by Reader for her self titled 1994 album.In the last number of years, Boo has been producing and collaborating with many young artists, some of whom he met through his songwriting workshops. He continues to take musical risks and delves into his own life for inspiration. Boo’s relatable and poignant lyrics about life and the world around him resonate with his fans and his 2022 album "Understudy" is no exception.Facebook : Boo Hewerdine | FacebookTwitter: https://twitter.com/boohewerdineYouTube: Boo Hewerdine - YouTubeContact: Kensongsmith@gmail.com or Evasongsmith@gmail.com

Clark Datchler: On this episode, we talk to songwriter Clark Datchler from the band Johnny Hates Jazz. Clark's songwriting first came to prominence in 1987 when his Band Johnny Hates Jazz released the single 'Shattered Dreams' which became a top 10 hit all over the world including no 1 on the US adult contemporary charts and has had millions of radio plays since.They went on to make music videos for MTV with David Fincher and Clark also wrote the follow-up singles and worldwide hits "I Don't Want to Be a Hero" "Turn Back the Clock" and "Heart of Gold".Just as the band had found international success Clark found himself dissatisfied with the direction the band was being taken in and decided to leave the band to pursue a solo career. Clark moved to America in 2000 and became environmentally active winning awards such as the prestigious Green Tec award.In 2009 Clark reunited with original Johnny Hates Jazz band member Mike Nocito and in 2013 they released the album Magnetized reviving the old sound with a modern flavour. The promotion for this album was sadly cut short due to Clark suffering a cancer diagnosis to which he made a full recovery.The band took some time out and released a new single, titled "Spirit Of Love" in May 2020 and a follow-up album called 'Wide Awake'. The album featured the inspirations and influences of Mike and Clark growing up in the 1970s and Clark's newly found appreciation of the world after his health scare.Clarks latest album Journey Songs 2 will be available soon to pre-order from his official website.Website: https://www.clarkdatchler.com/Journey Songs - Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ClarkDatchlerOfficialJHJ Website: http://johnnyhatesjazz.com/E-Mail: Kensongsmith@gmail.com or Evasongsmith@gmail.com

John Neville : On this episode we talk to John Neville an Irish Songwriter with American and Irish folk tradition influences. He was a founding member of the band North Cregg, which toured internationally and appeared on several TV & Radio shows. He has an innate ability to rhyme words. Put this together with a well chosen piece of music, a tale to tell and you have the consummate storyteller. John released his first solo album Dance with the Wind in 2017. His second album, Sun Valley Drive, is out now.http://www.johnnevillemusic.com/E-Mail: Kensongsmith@gmail.com Evasongsmith@gmail.com

William Cronin : On this episode we talk to William Cronin an Irish songwriter with an alternative, folk sound. William has secured publishing deals on several songs and has been a semi finalist in 2020 & 2021 in the UK Songwriting Contest. Enjoy !