Totally On Track Podcast

Episode 8 of Totally On Track spotlights a classic 80s love song that is the epitome of what a true love song should be.Smooth, understated, and beautifully delivered, it doesn’t try to be clever or complicated. It simply says what so many of us want to hear, and maybe more importantly, what so many of us hope to feel. To feel chosen, adored and that special someone to someone. To know you’ve found something real.This one isn’t tied to a specific place or moment in time. It’s more about the feeling it creates. Warm, reassuring, and quietly confident in its message.Sometimes the songs that strike a chord don’t take you back somewhere specific. Sometimes they simply remind you what matters most - namely to love and be loved.Thanks for listening. Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

In Episode 7 of Totally On Track, I’m talking about a song that feels more like a moment than a memory.A quiet, understated track from the early 70s that doesn’t demand your attention, but somehow holds it anyway. The kind of song that finds you at exactly the right time and stays with you long after it ends.No big production. No drama. Just something calm, reflective, and quietly powerful.Sometimes the songs that strike a chord don’t shout. They settle.Have you got a song like that? Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Totally On Track, I share a haunting spoken word song from a London-born female artist…It’s a song I first heard on California radio. Out in 1987, it’s become a "modern rock classic".It perfectly captures something we all recognise now as ghosting. Except this was long before the term had even been coined.It’s a slow, melancholy tale of girl meets boy at a party. She describes the connection, excitement, confusion, and the creeping realisation that what she thought was real…wasn’t.Some songs fade. Others stay with you word-for-word, years later. This is one of those for me. I can’t think of too many songs that I could actually recite, verbatim, but this is one…Have you ever had a track that felt beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure? One that stayed with you long after it ended? Possibly even decades later? Leave me a comment and let me know. Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Totally On Track, I revisit a dreamy alternative track from 1993 that seemed to appear everywhere in the early 90s.It’s one of those songs that doesn’t belong to a single memory, but somehow carries the atmosphere of an entire chapter of life. For me, it brings back a small one bedroom flat in Glasgow’s West End, a job at a local radio station, the early days of living in Scotland, and the complicated mix of grief, change and uncertainty that came with that time.We talk about the album it came from, the quiet power of slow atmospheric music, and how songs sometimes end up meaning something completely different to listeners than what the songwriter intended.More than thirty years later, the track is still finding new audiences and has now crossed the billion-stream mark, proving that some songs simply refuse to fade.Hit play and travel back to ‘93 with me. Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Totally On Track, we head back to around 1980.A teenage bus ride to Tower Records in Campbell. One of the first albums bought with my own money. Classic rock energy. A Top 100 hit song from 1979 that never made it big on the charts, but made a permanent mark on me.This is a story about growing up, feeling average, finding a theme song in unexpected places, and slowly realising you’ve been totally independent your entire life without quite noticing.From California bus rides to Glasgow charity shop vinyl finds, and a possible trip south to see the Red Rocker again after forty five years, this one is about music that shapes identity.Have you ever had a song that quietly helped you become who you are? Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

In Episode 3 of Totally On Track, we head back to the summer of 1990, to a warm bedroom in California with the hum of Highway 280 drifting through the window. This time it’s a track from the second album by a Dublin band, not one of the big singles, but a deeper cut that opens with shimmering guitars and a sax line you feel more than hear. It’s a song about place, about belonging, and about the strange feeling of being settled and restless at the same time. When I hear it now, I’m transported straight back to that room, just before life shifted and I moved across the world. Have you got a song that feels like home? I’d love to hear what it is. Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

In Episode 2 of Totally On Track, I talk about a song released in the seventies that quietly grew into something much bigger for me over time.It wasn’t an instant obsession, but it became a personal anthem in ways I couldn’t have predicted. Years later, it followed me across the world, into radio studios, and into a version of myself that felt like home.This episode is about how songs don’t always arrive fully formed in our lives. Sometimes they wait. Sometimes they grow with us. And sometimes they end up feeling like a theme song you never consciously chose.What’s the song that became your theme? Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

Totally On Track Episode 1Have you ever heard a song for the first time and known, instantly, that it would stay with you forever?In this first episode of Totally On Track, I go back to a Sunday night in December 1984, listening to the radio in my teenage bedroom as an import single from one of my favourite high school bands made its UK debut.What followed wasn’t just a lifelong love of a song, but a connection to the person who introduced it to me, and a lesson about memory, music, and what I later learned to call “milestone moments”.This episode isn’t about facts or charts. It’s about how a few notes can transport you straight back to a person, a place, or a time, and why some songs never let go.What’s your milestone song? Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

Just back from California and finally shaking off the jet lag (sort of). Though it was time to share my record and CD hauls from the Golden State.Transcript of Audio (With a few ad libs mixed in)Hey, it’s Thea here – and I’m just back from spending April in California! Between the sunshine, seeing old friends, Canva Create, several road trips, and a few epic meals, I also managed to squeeze in some proper record shopping in Santa Cruz and Los Angeles.Let’s start in Santa Cruz…Santa Cruz – Streetlight RecordsFirst stop: Streetlight Records in downtown Santa Cruz. They had this brilliant deal – 10 CDs for $10. So, naturally, I scored a little stack.A few highlights?* The Dunwells – Blind Sighted Faith (2012) – Harmony-rich Leeds lads… Not sure I even know a track on this or from them, but I’m curious!* Mojo Presents: How Soon Is Now? (2017) – A Smiths tribute CD, brilliantly curated and full of jangly nostalgia.* Mojo: Best of 2024 – A fresh collection of modern legends and rising stars. Always love seeing what Mojo picks.* Uncut Presents: John Peel's Festive 15 (2023) – A cracking tribute to the legendary tastemaker, full of indie gems.* Ed Sheeran – + (2011) – His debut. Not everyone’s cuppa, but I’ve got a soft spot for this one.* Kristin Hersh – Sky Motel (1999) – Haunting and poetic, just like you’d expect from the Throwing Muses frontwoman.* Tyler Hilton – The Tracks of Tyler Hilton (2004) – Charming debut. Total throwback to singer-songwriter vibes and early 2000s CW days. Speaking of which, I also picked up...* Five for Fighting – America Town (2000) – Yup, the “Superman” one. Great piano pop.* Sammy Hagar – Unboxed (1994) and The Essential Red Collection (2004) – A proper Red Rocker double whammy.* Hunters & Collectors – Fate (1991) – Aussie rockers I once played American football with after a soundcheck at One Step Beyond in Santa Clara. Random, right?OK, so yes… I got more than 10. But a few are gifts, so I’ll keep those under wraps.A few not in the sale were:Cigarettes After Sex – X's (2024) $15.00 =- One of my fave bands in the last decade. So sensual and cinematic as ever and the brilliant Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever (1989) $7.99 It was a among my stolen cassettes so good to get this classic on CD. It’s Petty at his most effortlessly brilliant.Santa Cruz – On the StreetLater that night, I was out for dinner in downtown Santa Cruz with my Lasso Con co-founder Chris Yeh, when I spotted a guy—Michael, I think—selling crates of vinyl right there on the street.I ended up grabbing:* Foreigner – Head Games (1979) – A punchy, swaggering rock classic.* Sammy Hagar – Musical Chairs (1977) – One of his early solo records, pre-Van Halen.Got both for $15 – not bad for a bit of street crate-digging!Los Angeles – Record Store DayThen it was down to LA for Record Store Day, which meant a visit to Gimme Gimme Records – and yep, more treasures turned up:* Icehouse – Measure for Measure (1986) – Lush, synthy Aussie goodness for just two bucks.* JoBoxers – Like Gangbusters (1983) – Pure Brit-funk joy. So catchy.* Adam Ant – Strip (1983) – Glitzy, flamboyant, and totally of its time.But the big wins?* The Cure – The Top (1984) – A psychedelic, genre-blurring trip of a record. I lost my original in the great vinyl theft, so this felt like sweet redemption.* Simple Minds – Sparkle in the Rain (1984) – Another stolen gem I was thrilled to replace. Found it at Arrero Records in LA. Just $6!So yeah, it might not have been the biggest haul I’ve ever done, but there were some proper gems in there. A few replacements for my missing records, some nostalgic scores, and plenty of fresh listens ahead. So I’ll catch you on the next haul. Until next time, I’m Thea, sayin’ “See Ya!” :) Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

Music, Memories, and Mixtapes - by Thea Newcomb @ Totally Content UKWhere did my fascination with the Emerald Isle even come from? I can’t quite pinpoint it. It could be from the framed print of a remote Irish cottage that hung on the wall of my small Californian bedroom...Calling to me like some kind of mystical beacon. Or maybe it’s the supposed 31% of Irishness that the Ancestry DNA test says I possess. Perhaps it’s from the first time I heard the new single from the Boomtown Rats' "I Don’t Like Mondays," on the local radio station.Whatever the case may be, U2 quickly became my favourite band in high school, and I was obsessed. I had a weakness for boys with typically Irish names. You know Desmond, Brendan, Seamus, that sort of thing.But while U2 kick-started my obsession, they weren’t the only Irish band to steal my heart. Hothouse Flowers, Something Happens, and most of all, A House, became my late teens soundtrack. And yes, I once showed up on frontman Dave Couse’s doorstep in 1989. (But to be fair, he did give me his address, so…)A House and the Blue LightI’d seen A House play with The Go-Betweens (RIP Grant McLennan) in Santa Clara or was it Palo Alto, I can’t quite remember, but the guys were kind enough to put me on the guest list for the next night’s gig in San Francisco. That show was a chance to hang out with the lads again, but the real highlight was my later trip to Dublin.I got to spend time with them on a few occasions during that visit. Once, Dave and Feargal took me to a local church and then high up into the Wicklow Mountains to the 300-year-old Blue Light Pub. A pub that would be name-checked in the Black Velvet Band’s cover of “Werewolves of London” a year later.On the drive down the hill from the pub, I remember spotting someone walking up the hill in a Bauhaus shirt and remarking, “Ohhh, Bauhaus.” Dave’s was impressed and a little shocked that I even knew who they were. His impression was that the average American had no musical taste or knowledge. He’s probably not altogether wrong but I’ve always loved music from the UK and Ireland.That comment has always stuck with me. The other thing he said that’s seared into my memory was that I could “talk the hind legs off a donkey,” which, though probably also true, stung and stunned me to silence—at least momentarily.I spent a fair amount of time with bassist Martin during that trip. Of all the band members, he was the one I knew best, thanks to several painfully expensive transatlantic phone calls. When we met up again in person, he gifted me a few of his own Irish mixtapes. They’re treasured by me to this day. Thanks, Martin.I suspect that visit to Dublin may have pushed me into the “uberfan” category. It seemed to put me on some kind of band blacklist because, after that, the communication grew colder. But despite that, I kept listening to A House for years. And even now, if I hear an A House song, I can sing every word. It always sparks beautiful memories of that joyful journey.Sadly, some of my most cherished A House singles were among the 150 records stolen from me during the pandemic. Including my prized “Heart Happy” 12" that was autographed by the band and something I’ll never be able to replace.Setanta Records and College RadioMy 1989 trip also introduced me to the brilliance of Setanta Records. I remember picking up my first Setanta single, Power of Dreams’ “A Little Piece of God” in London. Thankfully, that one wasn’t stolen. But if it had been, I just checked Discogs and it’s there for 95p plus a fiver for shipping, so there’s that. My copy of the 12" single is priceless.That discovery led me to start corresponding with the guys at Setanta and they ended up sending me records by acts like Into Paradise, The Divine Comedy, and The Frank and Walters. I began my stint in college radio, those acts became part of my regular playlist.The name of my radio show? “Britain and Beyond,” naturally. It was a show I’d later reprise at Q96, my first job in commercial radio, at Q96, when I moved to Scotland in 1992.Still Chasing the Irish Soundtrack More than three decades later, my love for Irish music hasn’t faded. I’ve done radio shows dedicated to Irish bands, interviewed many, and even made new Mixcloud mixes celebrating Ireland.Speaking of which, in honour of St. Patrick’s Day, I compiled a one-hour mix called Irish Heartbeats yesterday. It’s a “heart on my sleeve” set of love songs, capturing a whirlwind of emotions ranging from unconditional love to unrequited love, lost love, and even a glimmer of optimism for the future.Listen to this Irish Mix for FREE on Mixcloud NowAt some point this year, I hope to get back to Dublin and beyond—not just passing through the airport on my way to California like I’ll be doing soon. There are so many places I’d like to explore and people I’d love to connect or reconnect with.And you…?What about you? What are your thoughts about Ireland? Who are some of your favourite Irish singers, songwriters, and bands? Let’s see if I know them or if they’re someone I’ve yet to discover. To be fair, my knowledge of Irish acts from the 2000s onward is pretty patchy. But I did just see Snow Patrol a few weeks ago, and that was pretty ace! Gosh, I love that Lightbody!Well, that’s all for now. Until next time, I’m Thea, saying “See Ya.” Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

Do you remember the first time you fell in love with a record? That moment when the needle drops, the world fades away, and for a few minutes, nothing else matters. Music has a way of freezing time, tying us to moments, people, and places—sometimes in ways we don’t even realise until they’re gone.Hi, I’m Thea Newcomb, founder of Totally Content.My love affair with records started with 7" singles in the late ‘70s - but really kicked into overdrive in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, back when I was living in California.I worked in record stores, for indie and major labels, and even did college radio.Over time, my collection grew—rare promos, cutouts, autographed copies, and some seriously sentimental finds.After my father, my music collection was the thing I cherished most. But when I moved to Scotland, I made a decision I’d come to regret—I left it behind with him until he passed in 2018.After my dad passed, my collection moved from his place to a friend’s house, then another’s in 2020. I photographed my entire collection in January 2020 - so I knew exactly what I had before flying back to Scotland.I trusted a few different friends to look after the music in 2020 and they had them until my next trip in the fall of 2022. At the time, I didn’t realise how much was missing—even as I filmed them!it wasn’t really until January 2024 when the palette of 17 boxes arrived that I started to notice that many of my most prized records and precious memories were gone. All of my U2, Tears for Fears and A-house singles, The Furs, The Cure, Simple Minds, and the Housemartins too. In the end, over 150 records were stolen by the trusted friend or friends.It felt like losing a piece of myself, and honestly? It broke me.Not just my vinyl went missing…It wasn’t just my vinyl — it was my cassettes, CDs, even my school yearbooks—were gone too!It sent me into a deep depression, sleepless nights, panic attacks, the works. It was not just the loss of physical goods, it was the betrayal and the loss of the friendship.By spring, I had a choice: stay stuck in that loss or start rebuilding. So, I picked up a turntable and got back into record shops.Slowly but surely, I began reclaiming my stolen collection. Friends helped—some sent me records they had, others sent birthday and Christmas gifts. By the end of 2024, I had replaced 40 of them. Not all exact matches, but close enough to count.I still have about 100 to go, and I’m on a mission to find my lost gems. If you want to follow along, I’ve shared some Record Hauls on the Totally Content YouTube channel...There’s plenty more to come.In fact, Record Store Day is next month, and I’ll be back in California—probably in some second-hand shop, searching for another lost piece of my collection.Next time, I’ll share more about the records at the top of my replacement list.If you want to support me, you can buy me a coffee (but let’s be real, a record would be better), become a paid subscriber, or just leave a like or comment—every little bit keeps the mission alive.Thanks for listeningUntil next time, I’m Thea, saying see ya.More to the Story:* My Missing Records - A Vinyl Oddyssey (my first post about the ordeal)* Steal My Heart, Not My Records* 40 Replaced Records Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe

👋 Hey There, it’s Thea, here! Welcome to my little corner of the Internet. If you’re into music, retro tech, and all the pop culture goodness from the 80s, 90s, and beyond, you’re in the right place. I’ll be sharing what I’m listening to, watching, making, buying, and selling—whether it’s vinyl, cassettes, MiniDiscs, classic flicks, or binge-worthy TV.You’ll also see some of my music-themed merch designs and the occasional, “Wait, does anyone else remember this?” type moment.For my fellow music lovers, I’m kicking off ‘Spin of the Day’—because what’s life without a killer soundtrack?Paid subs get a shot at a wee treat from me each month—could be a book, some music, a piece of merch or maybe even a personalised mix by me just for you! (I’m still working all that out…)Start writing today. Use the button below to create a Substack of your ownIf all this sounds like your vibe, stick around, say “hey”, and let’s geek out together.Until next time, I’m Thea saying, “see ya!” Get full access to Totally Content UK at totallycontentuk.substack.com/subscribe