Book of poems

This podcast is only temporary

There is a lot going on in this week's episode of Irish songwriter Andy White's journey through the writing and recording of his latest album Good Luck I Hope You Make It. Andy starts out by telling the story of the mystery missing track, Every Day is Like Today, which includes a poetry slam (that's a competition at a poetry venue or bar where anyone who puts their name can get up and read). The poets reading their work aren't very good … and that's the point … but this leads in a roundabout way to the next song on the album.
Andy talks about poets whose work is written to be read, and who influenced him to write. John Cooper Clarke, and the Liverpool poet Brian Patten who read poems in Andy's English class one Belfast afternoon. Nick Cave's book written on airplane sick bags, Brand New Ancients by Kae Tempest, Yeats, Ode to Autumn—it is early March, the start of autumn in the southern hemisphere, where Andy is writing. He decides to write a song that cycles round the seasons, starting with the line "I will write a book of poems" and employing a James Joyce strategy to ensure the lyrics mirror the seasons.
Thanks for listening and please share and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. If this is your first time, there are two other series to catch up on. Good luck we hope you make it!
Podcast art by Sebastian White
Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.com