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Artwork for The Strange Brew

The Strange Brew - artist stories behind the greatest music ever recorded

Jason Barnard
The Beatles
David Bowie
Rock Music
Songwriting
Music Industry
John Lennon
Folk Music
Paul Mccartney
1960s Music Scene
Manfred Mann
Fairport Convention
Covid-19
Renaissance
Bob Dylan
Music Collaboration
The Jam
Rock and Roll
George Martin
Genesis
Badfinger

Rock music from the mid 60s onwards - podcasts, features and much more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes301Founded17 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Music InterviewsMusicMusic History

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Artwork for The Strange Brew

Latest Episodes

Geoff Downes and Chris Braide talk about Trauma, the new Downes Braide Association album, and how the project has evolved since the first DBA record in 2012. They discuss the difficult circumstances behind the record and the hope that runs through it... more

YouTube

Deep Purple play their last show of this run on 19 December in Mexico City. After two weeks at home for Christmas, Gillan goes straight back into work with the band, before leaving their Nashville sessions three days early to rehearse for a twenty fi... more

YouTube

When Jimmy Webb first saw Joni Mitchell at the Troubadour, he sent roses to her dressing room with a letter asking her to tea. It went unanswered. The following decade, after they had become friends, she told him she had moved the couch while clearin... more

YouTube

Randy Edelman is probably best known to British listeners for the records he made in the 1970s and early 1980s, including Uptown Uptempo Woman and Concrete and Clay. The Carpenters recorded his songs and took him on tour, and his records found an aud... more

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Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Jimmy Webb
Songwriter and musician
Episode: Jimmy Webb
Randy Edelman
Songwriter and film composer
Episode: Randy Edelman
Martin Youth Glover
Musician and founder/creative behind CHANT Artist Collective
CHANT Artist Collective
Episode: Youth: From Dub and Killing Joke to The Orb, Paul McCartney & Pink Floyd
Allan Clarke
Singer, former lead of The Hollies
The Hollies, Buddy Holly Education Foundation
Episode: Allan Clarke
Steve Hackett
Guitarist and former Genesis member
Solo career / Genesis
Episode: Steve Hackett & Steve Rothery
Steve Rothery
Guitarist of Marillion
Marillion
Episode: Steve Hackett & Steve Rothery
Mari Wilson
Singer and artist, discussed her career and latest album
Episode: Mari Wilson
Jeremy Clyde
Member of Chad & Jeremy, songwriter and performer
Chad & Jeremy
Episode: Jeremy Clyde – Chad & Jeremy
Chad Stuart
Member of Chad & Jeremy, songwriter and performer
Chad & Jeremy
Episode: Jeremy Clyde – Chad & Jeremy

Host

Jason Barnard
Host of the show, providing long-form, in-depth interviews with musicians and industry figures.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 187 ratings
  • Please more studio quality

    Unfortunately many interviews were done by VC or even telephone with rather questionable quality, sometimes hard to understand. But those that were not, are great!

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Matiasmoulin
    Switzerland8 months ago
  • Another top Interview

    Congratulations Jason on your interview with Jeff Skunk Baxter. In all these interviews your knowledge of the subject and the person being interviewed shines through. One can tell that your knowledge and care for the subject impresses your interviewee. This makes the interviews immensely enjoyable. The Skunk Baxter interview is a case in point. Thank you.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Joolsjm
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Beautiful and in-depth

    Came here in search of Peggy Seeger and found an inspirational conversation , loved the one with Neil Storey too, great interviewer really knows his stuff when it comes to music and the art of conversation - lots of sonic gems, Stories,and words of wisdom

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Nina Miranda singer
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Top stuff for retro music buffs

    If you are into anything from beat bands to post punk outfits this is your podcast. Full tracks, in depth interviews, knowledgeable host - like listening to Mojo magazine!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mark Eggins
    Australia3 years ago
  • The peak of deep dive interview podcasts

    The combination of long form dialogue sessions with influential musicians and expertly curated (and often seldom heard/rare) accompanying tracks is unbeatable. Jason’s sensitive approach undergirded by passionate research drives insightful questions and results in revelatory interviews with many artists who rarely grant interviews. I particularly enjoyed the chats with Jim Lea, Gilbert O’Sullivan and Gerry McAvoy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    nick moroney
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is a must for retro music fans who want behind-the-scenes stories and track-level context.
Listeners praise the host's calm, knowledgeable approach and the depth of archival detail.
Guests are often legends or near-forgotten figures, making for rare, valuable conversations.
A few listeners note occasional audio quality issues with remote interviews but consistently high-quality, thoughtful questions when the format works.
Feedback highlights the show's niche, but highly engaged audience and strong production of music history storytelling.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Jimmy Webb
Q: So you've got 10 dates coming up over in England and Ireland, would it be right to say you're a bit of an Anglophile?
Yes, I spent years there, and London feels like a second home. I've grown into the culture and I have strong connections there.
Youth: From Dub and Killing Joke to The Orb, Paul McCartney & Pink Floyd
Q: Can you share a memory about working with The Orb or KLF that captures your approach to collaborative projects?
Youth notes the flat-sharing setup with Alex, which evolved into forming Wow Modo and producing seminal records with KLF and The Orb, highlighting a philosophy of close collaboration, fearless experimentation, and leveraging technology to expand creative horizons.
Youth: From Dub and Killing Joke to The Orb, Paul McCartney & Pink Floyd
Q: What inspired the CHANT Artist Collective's multi-genre direction?
He describes Dan Morrill's synesthesia and the concept of trees guiding each album, with Relics establishing a base in dub and future projects branching into ambient, crowd rock, electronic, and African influences, all under a shared ecological and sonic theme.
John Leckie on XTC and The Dukes of Stratosphear
Q: So you first saw XTC in 1977, and that appeared where they'd just been signed to Virgin, is that right?
It was around 1976-77; I went to see them at a club in Hammersmith, hit it off with them and Simon Draper, and then moved into working on early XTC records and the 3D EP, leading to White Music and beyond.
Steve Hackett & Steve Rothery
Q: How was the album assembled and how did song ideas develop in this collaboration?
Hackett explains a process of jamming to generate core ideas, then giving each other space to add colors and details, while balancing spontaneity with structure to keep the music adventurous without losing coherence.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Age Range
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Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Strange Brew

What is The Strange Brew about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show focuses on long-form conversations with influential musicians, producers, and industry insiders, centered on career trajectories, studio storytelling, and historical context from the 1960s onward. Episodes frequently blend technical insights about recording and performance with behind-the-scenes anecdotes, personal philosophy, and the evolving music landscape, often weaving in cross-cultural, archival, or narrative threads that illuminate a band's evolution and the broader scene. A notable strength is the host's calm, knowledgeable interviewing style, which tends to draw out rare stories and forgotten details, making it especially appealing to listeners who love deep dives into rock, pop, and the people behind iconic records.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Strange Brew?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Strange Brew. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Strange Brew and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Strange Brew get?

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How many subscribers and views does The Strange Brew have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Strange Brew has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Strange Brew?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Strange Brew:

1. Word In Your Ear
2. Rockonteurs with Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt
3. Something About the Beatles
4. Sodajerker On Songwriting
5. 1001 Album Complaints

How many episodes of The Strange Brew are there?

The Strange Brew launched 17 years ago and published 301 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Strange Brew?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Strange Brew?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Strange Brew from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Strange Brew?

Recent guests on The Strange Brew include:

1. Jimmy Webb
2. Randy Edelman
3. Martin Youth Glover
4. Allan Clarke
5. Steve Hackett
6. Steve Rothery
7. Mari Wilson
8. Jeremy Clyde

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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