Last month Harrison caught up with Tim & Joe of Banbury 2-piece LAKE ACACIA.

Chatting about their journey into music, where they are now, and where they want to be - it's a half hour episode you don't want to miss!

We also got a sneak peak into their upcoming single 'We Don't Want You Now', out Friday 26th July 2024.

Find their links here:

https://linktr.ee/lakeacacia

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1t9nWjXELKNqeahunfgl0a?si=mXDVLa9fQkKygg0cfcHCIQ

This episode Harrison is finding out what goes on behind festivals and events! Joined by a wide range of knowledgable panelists: Molly Banbury, Pete Wheeler, Sarah Stuffins and Suzanne Stallard.

Captured live at our bi-monthly Music Meet-up, they discuss their journey into organising different festivals and events, giving us an insight into what goes on, as well as sharing some tips & tricks on how you could get involved in similar roles.

*This is a live recording, so inconsistent noise throughout*

In this Music Changing Lives podcast Abbie, Gavin and Harrison sit down to reflect on the last couple of years of XOX and look at the future of the project.

Watch this on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/RaTUYN6Lqb0

This episode Harrison is talking about the world of radio with experienced guests:  Charlie Charles (B Radio), Paul Collins (Wallingford Radio), Tomson Chauke (B Radio/Gold Dust Radio) and Vicky Thompson (B Radio).

Captured live at our bi-monthly Music Meet-up, they discuss their journey into radio, as well as sharing some tips & tricks!

*This is a live recording, so inconsistent noise throughout*

In this Music Changing Lives podcast we're back with K.Kayne and Abbie Hill!

Part 2 of our conversation, this time Abbie and K.Kayne breakdown the track 'Hold Me Close'. The birth of the song, the production of it, and the process as a whole. 

In this Music Changing Lives podcast Harrison is joined by K.Kayne and Abbie Hill. 

K.Kayne is a Riser artist, working alongside Abbie Hill on all his releases, but he started out as a Readipop Participant. This is a discussion about his journey with us!

Live from the XOX Project's 909 event, Readipop presents the afternoons conversation and live demonstration from Saytek Live!

Harrison and Saytek discuss the Roland TR-909's legacy, before Saytek shows how he builds a beat on the machine.

*This is a live recording, so inconsistent noise throughout*

This episode Harrison is talking about sound & music for screen with experienced guests: Jocelyn Chandler-Hawkins (Through A Different Lens), Matt Hulse (Artist & Filmmaker) and Simon Stolland (Cinematographer). Captured live at our bi-monthly Music Meet-up.

*This is a live recording, so inconsistent noise throughout*

With Readipop Festival now only one week away, we thought it would be a great time to get to know a bunch of our local acts before you get to see them live!

Find out about them, learn the music that has changed their lives, and get a snippet of what they sound like. You may even discover your next favourite artist!

Visit www.readipop.co.uk/festival for more information and to buy tickets!

Live from the XOX Project's 303 event, Readipop presents Saytek live and guests! With performances from Standard Model, Electrohed and Saytek. Gavin Lombos asks Saytek a few questions prior to his live performance using the TB-303.

This episode Harrison is talking about touring with experienced guests: Gavin Lombos (also known as Electrohed), Jack Shepherd (Ed Sheeran Experience), Sabrina Findlay (Music Made Fearless) and Tim Greaves (Artist Liaison and Tour Manager). Captured live at our bi-monthly Music Meet-up.

*This is a live recording, so inconsistent noise throughout*

OSP joined Harrison in the studio for this month's podcast!

Esa, J Blackz, and Subject walk us through the breakdown of their track 'Call Me'. The birth of the song, the production of it, and the process of lyric writing. 

About OSP:
First formed in 2014, the Reading-based brotherhood OSP - comprised of Esa Kwame (rapper, beat maker), J Blackz (rapper, singer-songwriter, beat maker), Silqe (rapper, beat maker), and Subject (producer, engineer) - has always strived to become a positive force within the UK’s hip-hop community. Originally standing for Only Speak Positive, the four-piece earned their mantra through a string of bold and vibrant cuts that looked to deliver a powerful message of tolerance and respect through their work. While also regularly collaborating with other artists as well as solo material in recent years, the synergy between the artists has been unparalleled ever since they first came together, as they look to deliver a sound that is lacking from the commercial world.

A recorded version of our bi-monthly Music Meet-up. With an in-depth introduction to some of the team behind Readipop; our day to day work, what we do within the music industry in and around Reading, and all the other work we do in the community too!

We invited our young people to share their experiences within Readipop's AAA programme.

Over the course of a week we interviewed young people who come for 1:1 sessions with our music leaders as well as those who join us for our AAA Friday sessions to see what they had to say about Readipop and what we do!

Readipop’s recorded meet up’s are back, this time the podcast is focused on the LGBTQ+ community in the music business.

We're joined by Sophie Sheehan (Colours and Fires/Reading Pride), Abbie Hill (Readipop) and Elucidate's Theo Bostock & Caleb Paice. They will be discussing their story, work and achievements - reflecting on their experience as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

In this month's Music Changing Lives podcast, we're joined by Hannah Williams and Sophie from Colours&Fires, as they discuss identity, loss and empowerment through music.

Hannah Williams

Hannah Williams, and her band 'The Affirmations', have toured the world, with Hannah sampled by rap royalty Jay-Z and Tyler the Creator. Hannah's powerful and soul voice also taken her to the final of 'The Voice', where she dueted with Sir Tom Jones.

Listen to Hannah Williams and The Affirmations here.

Hannah's music was used with permission from Record Kicks.
Photo (used in artwork) Credit: Olivier Gestin

Colours&Fires

Sophie is a Reading Legend and on the town's Pride committee, whose prog-infused folk rock has taken her everywhere from supporting Suede's Richard Oakes to Trans Pride Brighton.

Listen to Colours&Fires here. 

In this Music Changing Lives podcast you get a chance to meet the Readipop team.

Amy, Louise, Yusef, Abbie and Harrison,  talking about their individual roles at Readipop, alongside what we do as a charity in and around Reading.

This is also our first video podcast, so check it out here on YouTube https://youtu.be/qSJJR9HHTjA.

Listen back to Team Readipop at our live 'Music Meet Up' masterclasses, where industry experts give inside knowledge on how the Music community can best progress their music and careers.

In our first live recorded meet-up, we're joined by Chris Bound (Mystic Sons / 1985 PR) who gives the low down on the best ways to promote your recorded music.

This month we're bringing you a special episode of the 'Music Changing Lives' Podcast.

Local Afrobeats star Danny Lampo is joined by highlife legend Prof. John Collins - reporting in from Accra - to discuss the changing sound of West-African music, the growth of African genres on a global scale, and the ever present legacy of Fela Kuti (who John knew personally and played with at the New Afrika Shrine).

You can find out more on John Collins here.
You can find out more on Danny Lampo here.

The Readipop 'Music Changing Lives' podcast is back once again!

This time we're joined by singer-songwriter Frances, who has written for the likes of Elton John, Rudimental, Katy Perry and Dua Lipa, as well as producing her own solo work, and Hatty Taylor, who is starting a new solo recording journey of her own after playing as one half of local legends Vienna Ditto.

This month the group discusses music as a tool for communication, the craft of songwriting, and keeping your cool in front of music legends.

Find out more on Hatty Taylor here:

https://www.instagram.com/hattytaylormusic/?hl=en-gb

Find out more on Frances here:

https://www.francesmusic.com

Readipop founder, Gavin Lombos introduces XOX Project - a new Readipop project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in conversation with Richard Bentley, Matt Foster and Readipop's Abbie Hill. 

XOX Project:
The sound of modern music can be defined by a few numbers: 303, 808 and 909. The numbers refer to the instruments that created the signature sounds of hip hop, house, techno, garage, acid and dance music culture. Once they were only known by creators but now they are celebrated in culture eg 'Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreaks'. Whilst the sounds and influence are ubiquitous within modern music, the actual instruments are rare, collectible and increasingly inaccessible to young and emerging musicians and the public. 

XOX project will explore, archive, share and celebrate the instruments that spawned many of the musical subcultures from the last 40+ years of electronic music and DJ/club culture. Readipop is creating a publicly accessible music heritage space where people can access, use and learn about a selection of influential, rare, vintage, heritage drum machines and synths and explore how these instruments contributed to the birth of many underground musical sub-genres that have subsequently become the sound of mainstream dance/pop music. 

Readipop host, Yusef Sacoor leads us through a discussion at the start of this exciting project...

00.00 - intro
03.20 - intro to the idea
06.30 - rarity from unpopularity
09.00 - iconic nature and tactility
10.20 - synth memories and inspiration 
13.50 - frame of reference
14.50 - access to the means of production
15.30 - intended usage of the 303 & 606
17.30 - real instruments v emulation
19.10 - limitations and creativity
21.30 - 303s, retro
23.00 - the Roland TB-303
25.00 - happy accidents and determinism
27.00 - favourite synths
32.00 - what is a synth or a drum machine?
36.25 - sonic signatures of genres
40.00 - historical significance and ubiquity
41.00 -  value to education
45.00 - emotional connection and imperfection
47.10 - what are we doing?
51.30 - beyond XOX boxes 
54.00 - favourite tracks, sounds, bands
57.00 - playing out on the 303…

We're back!

After a little while away, the Readipop podcast is back. Join Abbie, Pete and Yusef from the team as we get to know more about Reading's

This month we're joined by Grammy winning producer Don Chandler and Julia and Matt from local blues royalty Ma Bessie, discussing growing up in Reading (and being schoolmates), playing with your heroes and hiding from your bosses to fit in extra guitar practices.
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Learn more about Don Chandler here, or join almost 30k other subscribers learning reggae bass via his YouTube channel here.

Learn more about Ma Bessie here, and catch Julia evoke the legendary Bessie Smith here.

Team Readipop are back with a brand new #MusicChangingLives podcast. Joined by Valeras - the Reading Festival favourites and local indie icons - and John B - once described by Mixmag as 'One of D&B’s few genuine global super-producers' - the team and this month's guests talk about the growing job spec and skills base needed by modern popular musicians and how they have kept fans up to date and engaged throughout the COVID-19 crisis.


Valeras -
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John B -
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Readipop -

Readipop is a Reading based Music and Arts charity. We run a number of project using music to change people's lives and work with everyone from vulnerable young people to the elderly, and beginners up to underrepresented and budding professional musicians.

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After a little break, Team Readipop are back - this time joined by singer-songwriter Amya-Ray and rapper and spoken-word artist Sami Switch.

Recorded during #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, we touch on the positive power of music and creating music on mental health, latest releases and how Boney M's success led to a growing rap career!

Learn more about Sami Switch here, and purchase/stream 'Victoria' here.
Learn more about Amya-Ray here, and stream 'Stella' here.


Amya-Ray:

"​AMYA-RAY IS A BERKSHIRE BASED SINGER/SONGWRITER WHOSE UNIQUE BRAND OF ETHEREAL-POP SOUL FUSION IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN EVERYDAY LIFE"

..finding beauty in the mundane and offering a vivid account of the hopes, fears and frustrations of a young woman in the modern world.  Her shows are intimate experiences, with songs drawing directly from personal life experiences and delivered with unflinching honesty.   
 
Her debut single ‘Stella’ is a case in point - a bold exploration of teenage female alcoholism which manages to find a message of hope in spite of its bleak subject matter. “I like to captivate people through emotion, telling a story and taking them on a journey. “  She grew up surrounded by music ranging from Classic Rock, Gospel, Garage, Drum & Bass, Bollywood to RNB. This diversity is reflected in her own influences, which include London Grammar, Banks, Erykah Badu, Lianne La Havas, Warpaint and Nina Simone.  Amya is currently in the studio working on new releases.

Sami Switch:

Sami Switch is a half tunisian, half irish singer, songwriter, rapper and poet from Reading. He is signed to BMG publishing and has current writing credits on various chart songs, including an official chart number 3 with "Wes Nelson - See Nobody". After releasing 3 bodies of work (Carpe Diem, Momento Mori, Solace) we can see he’s got an incredible understanding of the way words work, and how to play with them. His lyrically layered experiments need to be peeled like an onion. His viral poem "Ocean of Pain' deciphering and exploring his mental health opened up work with mental health charities and blogs and is a big part of his work.

This week we're graced with the presence of two UK No.1 spot holders who've hit the charts in different decades, but both continue to create music to get up and dance to.

Tom Hollings of current UK No.1 act Billen Ted  talks surfing the Sea Shanty wave to No.1, and balancing that success with both his serious dance music and production work, as well as his love for hard rock and metal.

He is joined by Steven Collazo of Disco/Soul legends Odyssey, who discusses growing up in New York, working to complete some of his late mothers recordings, and how he (for a while) became the producer-in-chief for Wiltshire's very own heavy metal scene.

Listen to more:

Odyssey
Billen Ted
Learn more about Readipop here.
Support Music Changing Lives here.
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