Music at Madden’s Podcast #023 “Chunky Tunes & The Long Road to an Album” with Chunky Business

Welcome to a new episode of Music at Madden’s Podcast with me, Lynette Fay.This week in the snug, Lynette is joined by Chunky Business — accordion player Gary Curley and banjo player Stephen ‘Banjo’ McKee — for a joyful, wide-ranging conversation full of music, mishaps, and mighty tunes.The pair chat about their decade-long musical partnership, the meaning behind the word “chunky”, and finally getting their long-awaited debut album recorded — despite a run of unbelievable setbacks including double jaw surgery, a broken leg, and a nearly-lost finger. They talk about recording the album in Gary’s home studio, built by his father, and how sessions, friendship, and plenty of craic helped shape the finished sound.Gary and Stephen reflect on growing up in musical households, the importance of family and community in the traditional music scene, and how sessions around kitchen tables, local pubs, and county borders helped form their styles. From County Fermanagh to Armagh Pipers Club, university years, London sessions, and long drives for tunes, they explore how tradition is passed on — not just through music, but through people.There’s plenty of humour along the way too, from spicy fajitas fuelling one-take recordings, to banjo injuries, box-playing rivalries, and the realities of a long-distance musical relationship.A warm, funny, and deeply human episode about perseverance, place, and the joy of playing music together — recorded, as always, in the heart of Madden’s Bar.SponsorsBoatyard DistilleryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/boatyarddistillery/Website: https://boatyarddistillery.com/Ardara Distillery – Ardara Malt WhiskeyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ardaradistillery/Website: https://sliabhliagdistillers.com/ardara-distillery/