This podcast is only temporary

This is the season finale. Or is it? Something of a cliffhanger from Andy as he wraps up the story of the writing and recording of his 1994 classic album 'Destination Beautiful' by taking us through Learning to Cry, I Couldn't Leave You and – yes – The Government of Love. Side Two of the album is a very personal story and ends up with a roll call and a celebration. Andy also lets us know that he has a new poetry book out this June, in time for his appearance at the Belfast Book Festival. Here, he will be in conversation with Northern Irish writer Lucy Caldwell as well as launching the book at a reading in the Seamus Heaney Centre. He then heads south to read at Chapters Bookstore in Dublin for the June edition of The Write Stuff, and to Sellers and Newel in Toronto and the Ironwood in Calgary.Andy will be playing a solo performance of the album on his YouTube Channel in the next couple of weeks. To get an invite to the premiere, just subscribe to the channel and we will write when the date is settled.For the record, on the record are: Rod McVey - keyboards, Mudd Wallace - electric guitar, Brendan McGarrity - drums, Dave Early - percussion. Rod and Andy produced, Mudd engineered at Homestead Studios, Randalstown. If you have enjoyed the series, please share, and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. Andy writes,"Special thanks to Sebastian for the artwork, Ian and all at LNFG in Glasgow for reissuing the LP, and my tiny but much-loved band of friends & listeners who write in every week with words of encouragement (and reminding me I need to put the next one out). You are all life members of only government that means anything at all. Thank you!"Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In Episode 7 Andy starts off by talking about connections between his poems and songs and how (and why) the lyrics of some songs start off as poems, or lines or sections from poems. His first book of poetry The Music of What Happens was published in 1999, and in it you can find poems directly linked to songs on Destination Beautiful. Looking for Friends is one, and he goes on to talk about Ciao Baby, which is another. The poems he reads sections from are: 'Home', 'I'm in love with this city', 'The street symphony of Napoli', and 'Christmas in Italy'. The album with readings and live band performances recorded at Real World (and released at the same time as The Music of What Happens) is Speechless. Andy touches on many subjects including metaphor and simile (is this what one of his classes is like?) and rock'n'roll stories of the Italian tour on which he wrote Ciao Baby. It's a fun episode, and he plays tracks from the recently released first LP edition of Destination Beautiful. The version of Ciao Baby you hear in the intro and outro of this series is from the 5-track EP of unreleased and hard-to-find mixes available through Glasgow company LNFG.Finally, he reveals why poetry is on his mind – his latest book will be published at the start of June – and promises to update us with details before the end of the series.If you've listened to Series 1–4, welcome back. If you are a newcomer to the podcast, do check out previous episodes in which Andy goes track by track through his most recently released albums, telling stories about the songs and playing unreleased studio mixes that you will only find here. Happy listening and see you next week for what may be the final episode. We can never tell how many songs AW is going to get through until he sends us the recording!As always, if you are enjoying the series, please share, and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Episode 6 of the new series of This podcast is only temporary and Andy finally gets round to keeping his promise to describe the writing and recording of more than one song from his 1994 album Destination Beautiful, recently release on vinyl for the first time by Glasgow company LNFG.The first LP edition of Destination Beautiful is a bright explosion of positivity and comes in blue or yellow vinyl. We are talking Bluebell Blue or Daffodil Yellow. In this episode Andy manages to avoid telling the whole story of She Doesn't Want You Any More and He's Out There but does open up these intimate songs for us – and plays the guitar line from one and a previously unheard monitor mix of the other. The musicians he is talking about are Dave Early who played percussion on the album and Mudd Wallace who engineered and played electric guitar. If you've listened to Series 1–4, welcome back. If you are a newcomer to the podcast, do check out previous episodes in which Andy goes track by track through his most recently released albums, telling stories about the songs and playing unreleased studio mixes that you will only find here. Happy listening and see you next week for further adventures. If you are enjoying the series, please share, and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Episode 5 of the new series of This podcast is only temporary and Andy has reached the writing and recording of Punks Outside the Secret Police. It is just after the fall of the Wall, and involves adventures in Berlin and Czechoslovakia. The video Andy talks about, shot in Prague, is for Palaceful of Noise. Palaceful of Noise was the first single from Andy's previous album Out There and the story of the filming of the video, directed by Richie Smyth and produced by Fiona Whelan, is the story of Punks Outside the Secret Police, which appeared on Andy's 1994 album Destination Beautiful. Originally released on CD and cassette, Glasgow company LNFG have just released the first LP edition of Destination Beautiful. The album is a bright blue and yellow explosion of positivity and these are the vinyl colours from which you can choose.In this episode Andy plays a previously unreleased mix of Punks Outside the Secret Police from the EP included in the "2 x vinyl" LNFG option and reveals how it differs from the album version. He also mentions some well-known-at-the-time Belfast graffiti – one included in his poem Up Down, starting "We will never ...", and another that said, enigmatically and ultimately inscrutably, "Sam Todd For God". The other video Andy tells you Richie directed was The Fly by U2.If you've listened to Series 1–4, welcome back. If you are a newcomer to the podcast, do check out previous episodes in which Andy goes track by track through his most recently released albums, telling stories about the songs and playing unreleased studio mixes that you will only find here. Happy listening, see you next week for further adventures and, as Edge might say, don't stop.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In Episode 4 of the new series of This podcast is only temporary Andy tells us the story of the writing and recording of Many's the Time from Destination Beautiful, his classic 1994 album. It all starts with a knock on the door in Dún Laoghaire. Liam Ó Maonlaí has invited Tim Finn to stay. Andy answers and Tim and he kick off their friendship listening to a track and then ordering pints in a bar by the sea …Originally released on CD and cassette, Glasgow company LNFG* have pressed up the first LP edition of Destination Beautiful and it's now on release. The album is a bright blue and yellow explosion of positivity and those are vinyl colours you can choose from - take your pick!The other two versions of Many's the Time played in this episode are: the ALT version which wasn't on the 1995 album altitude but is included on the 2022 reissue here and was taken from the cassette Andy talks about here.Tim's version mysteriously adds brackets and is called Many's the Time (In Dublin) you can find it here. Listen to how different the structure is in all three versions. - and on the original there is the whole "room at the inn" part at the end. There is also a live recording on the ALT album bootleg, the rarest of all CDs.On Andy's version, Rod McVey plays keyboards (including that wonderful harmonium intro), Mudd Wallace is on electric guitar, and Brendan McGarrity on drums.If you've listened to Series 1–4, welcome back. If you are a newcomer to the podcast, do check out previous episodes in which Andy goes track by track through his most recently released albums, telling stories about the songs and playing unreleased studio mixes that you will only find here. Please share and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts – and see you next week. For more than one song? Very possibly …* Apart from Dancing Queen being referenced in the song, and ALT being named by their initials as ABBA were, what's the other reference to the poptastic Swedish combo in this episode (and all episodes this series)? Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

It's the third episode of the new series of This podcast is only temporary and Andy tries again to take us through the writing and recording of more than one song from Destination Beautiful, his classic 1994 album. However, The Beatles and a sociological theory for why the 60s were such a creative time in the UK threaten to get in the way. If you don't know the album, guess which John this song is dedicated to. And then get a hold of a vinyl copy of the album. Originally released on CD and cassette, Glasgow company LNFG have pressed up the first LP edition of Destination Beautiful and it's now on release. The album is a bright blue and yellow explosion of positivity and 'John' starts with an acoustic and organ groove, and Andy takes it from there, with help from Rod McVey on keyboards, Mudd Wallace on electric guitar, and Dan O'Neill's fabulous improvised vocals in the outro. And maybe he's Mr Tambourine Man on this track.Andy mentions the video of Religious Persuasion in which they briefly visit Randalstown and asks us to fact check Mudd's claim that Get Back was John's only lead guitar break.If you've listened to Series 1–4, welcome back. If you are a newcomer to the podcast, do check out previous episodes in which Andy goes track by track through his most recently released albums, telling stories about the songs and playing unreleased studio mixes that you will only find here. Please share and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts – and see you next week. For more than one song? Maybe. Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In the second episode of the new series of This podcast is only temporary Andy sets out with the best of intentions and then goes down a few meandering paths talking about the second track of Destination Beautiful, his classic 1994 album. The Celtic Tiger, recording backwards, crystal sets and Walk on the Wild Side are just a few of the topics up for discussion.   Originally released on CD and cassette, Glasgow company LNFG have pressed up the first LP edition of Destination Beautiful and it's on release this month. The album is a bright blue and yellow explosion of positivity and 'Thinking of Change' starts in the shared house in Dun Laoghaire, and everyone's situation about to change in a big way. If you've listened to Series 1–4, welcome back. If you are a newcomer to the podcast, do check out previous episodes in which Andy goes track by track through his most recently released albums, telling stories about the songs and playing unreleased studio mixes that you will only find here. Please share and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts – and see you next week!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Andy's back with a new series of This podcast is only temporary. This time he's telling the story of Destination Beautiful, his classic 1994 album. Originally released on CD and cassette, Glasgow company LNFG have pressed up the first  LP edition and it's on release from March 2026. The album is a bright blue and yellow explosion of positivity and in this first episode Andy finds himself living in Dun Laoghaire with fun flatmates and a situation about to change in a big way. Track one on the record is 'Street Scenes From My Heart' and the album starts on a street corner in Moscow.The video Andy refers to is on his YouTube channel here and contains contemporary footage shot by Robert Monaghan, a performance at Homestead Studios, as well as the car driving from Belfast to Dublin.If you've listened to Series 1–4, welcome back. If you are a newcomer to the podcast, do check out previous episodes in which Andy goes track by track through his most recently released albums, telling stories about the songs and playing unreleased studio mixes that you will only find here. Please share and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts – and see you next week!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

The fourth series of Belfast songwriter Andy White's podcast 'This podcast is only temporary' tells the story of the recording of the live album recorded in Abbey Road Studio Two and released as The night is approaching though some would say it was morning in 2025.Episode four takes us through from the end of the evening session through the café/bar and into the outside world. Some of the friends and family who were there reflect on the experience and Sebastian, Andy's son, goes into detail about the photography and design of the album cover. No guitars are mentioned. OK. Maybe the cases.There is an excerpt from an unreleased track not on the album. The entire album is on Bandcamp and andywhite.com to listen to, download, or order a CD or LP. There are video clips from the Abbey Road session on our YouTube channel.Welcome back, if you have been here before. If not, be sure to check out the first three series, which tell the story of the making of 'This garden is only temporary', the 'AT' album, and 'Good Luck I Hope You Make It'. Share and subscribe, and see you next time.In this episode, words and music by Andy White.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

The fourth series of Belfast songwriter Andy White's podcast 'This podcast is only temporary' tells the story of the recording of the live album recorded in Abbey Road Studio Two and released as The night is approaching though some would say it was morning in 2025.Episode three takes us through the decisions and set list of the evening session. We discover themes connecting the songs, why they were chosen, and how the audience of family and friends made such an impact on the recording. There is only one mention of a guitar.This series will include excerpts from the recordings and a couple of unreleased tracks not on the album. The entire album is on Bandcamp and andywhite.com to listen to, download, or order a CD or LP. There are video clips from the Abbey Road session on our YouTube channel and the clip of If You Want It mentioned in this episode. Welcome back, if you have been here before. If not, be sure to check out the first three series, which tell the story of the making of 'This garden is only temporary', the 'AT' album, and 'Good Luck I Hope You Make It'. Share and subscribe, and see you for the final episode next week.In this episode, words and music by Andy White.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

The fourth series of Belfast songwriter Andy White's podcast 'This podcast is only temporary' tells the story of the recording of the live album recorded in Abbey Road Studio Two and released as The night is approaching though some would say it was morning in 2025.Episode two starts with a set list that's too long and a plan for the evening that helps calm the afternoon. We discover themes connecting the songs, why they were chosen, and how a producer can help in this process. Not forgetting the importance of guitar strings to only one person in the studio.This series will include excerpts from the recordings and a couple of unreleased tracks not on the album. The entire album is on Bandcamp and andywhite.com to listen to, download, or order a CD or LP. There are video clips from the Abbey Road session on our YouTube channel and the clip of Things Start to Unwind mentioned in this episode. Welcome back, if you have been here before. If not, be sure to check out the first three series, which tell the story of the making of 'This garden is only temporary', the 'AT' album, and 'Good Luck I Hope You Make It'. Share and subscribe, and see you next week!In this episode, words and music by Andy White.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

The fourth series of Belfast songwriter Andy White's occasional podcast 'This podcast is only temporary' tells the story of the recording of the live album recorded in Abbey Road Studio Two and released as The night is approaching though some would say it was morning in 2025.Episode one starts at a gig in Camden with an invitation from BBC DJ Janice Long and a suggestion from producer John Leckie. Before you could say "Why not record a live album", John and Andy are walking across the zebra crossing and going in through the Abbey Road doors. This series will include excerpts from the recordings and a couple of unreleased tracks not on the album. The entire album is on Bandcamp and andywhite.com to listen to, download, or order a CD or LP. There are video clips on our YouTube.Welcome back, if you have been here before. If not, be sure to check out the first three series, which tell the story of This garden is only temporary, the AT album, and Good Luck I Hope You Make It. Share and subscribe, and see you next week!In this episode, words and music by Andy White.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In the final episode of the current series, Belfast songwriter Andy White concludes the story of writing and recording Good Luck I Hope You Make It  by following the inscrutable logic of the series and looking at opening track The Revolution.Written a month after Best of Times, the pandemic is deepening its hold, lockdown in Melbourne is strict, in the UK people are clapping the NHS in the streets, all over the world, musicians and actors are playing on balconies and performing online. Diving into the recording session to play you some of the layers that contributed to the making of the song, Andy talks about Gil Scott Heron and discovers a vocal take with the original lyrics, written contemporaneously, that tell an alternate story to the album version of the song.After playing the previously unheard rough mix of The Revolution, Andy explains how things have come full circle and wishes to thank all of you for listening to the latest series. There is always more to learn and more to say. We appreciate your support and, if you haven't done so already, please check out the first two series in which Andy talks you through This garden is only temporary and AT. Exclusive outlets to download or buy Andy's albums are below.Good luck we are glad you made it!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Belfast songwriter Andy White tells the story of writing and recording Best of Times from his latest album Good Luck I Hope You Make It. The pandemic is underway, lockdown has happened, and Andy starts writing this track after recording a song for a club in Italy and reading the opening passage of A Tale of Two Cities. Andy dives into the original recording session to play you some of the layers that contributed to the making of the song. He discovers a bizarre alternative ending for the song involving a reenactment of D Cummings' fateful car trip to Durham, and this is included in the unreleased rough mix of the song included here. Thanks for listening, we appreciate your support, and please subscribe if you haven't already. Do check out the first two series in which Andy talks you through This garden is only temporary and AT. Exclusive outlets to download or buy the album are below, plus the LP is on Amazon in the UK and streaming everywhere.See you next time!Empty Streets of Florence/Nelle Strade Deserte di FirenzeAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Belfast songwriter Andy White tells the story of writing and recording Talk Don't Touch from his latest album Good Luck I Hope You Make It. This song became the album's closing track, although it was written and recorded about halfway through the sessions. On March 16 the Victorian government announced a State of Emergency. Airports closed and the lockdown started. Restrictions were severe and news reports from around the world showed why. These and other events, and the prospect of solitary confinement in the studio for an extended period, all went into the song. Andy dives into the original recording session to play you some of the layers that contributed to the making of the song. Hearing the different vocal sections that go to make up the narrative is especially cool. The episode ends with a rough mix which has a completely different ending from the released version. Thanks for listening, we appreciate your support, and please subscribe if you haven't already. Do check out the first two series in which Andy talks you through This garden is only temporary and AT. Exclusive outlets to download or buy the album are below, plus the LP is on Amazon in the UK and streaming everywhere.See you next time!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In which Belfast songwriter Andy White tells the story of writing Self-isolation, opening track from Side 2 of his latest album Good Luck I Hope You Make It. The story so far? It's a few days before St Patrick's Day 2020. Things are locking down in Ireland and Italy. Not so much in Australia, where huge sporting events are taking place, and the UK, where the government is talking about 'herd immunity'. That's where today's episode starts.As ever, Andy dives into the recording session to show how many elements go into making the song, and the episode ends with a version you haven't heard before.Thanks for listening, we appreciate your support, and please subscribe if you haven't already. Exclusive outlets to download or buy the album are below, plus the LP is on Amazon in the UK. See you next time!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

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!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Belfast songwriter Andy White is telling the story of the writing and recording of  latest album Good Luck I Hope You Make It and in Episode 3 reaches the title track. This week he confronts the number one question asked of any songwriter and consults Michelle Obama, Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Undertones for help and inspiration. There are sharp intakes of breath and a gurgling baby is discovered after watching U2 singing in a Kyiv Metro Station.So much to write about! 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! Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In the second episode Andy wrestles with the dilemma of what to do with a good idea once you've written one song using it, and considers the philosophical question David Cassidy gifted to the human race, "How can I be sure?" This time it's the fourth track on Good Luck I Hope You Make It—The Day You Were Bomb, which started off being called Title Factory.As in every episode, Andy plays excerpts from the master tapes and there is an early demo of the song you won't have heard before. He also reads out a list of references in the song you may not have caught in the lyrics. I could list them here if you are interested—you can text us using the link above. Thanks for supporting the show by sharing and subscribing. Do catch up on series one and two if this is your first time. Good luck I hope we make it and see you next week!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In the first episode of series three, Andy tells the story of how the writing and recording of his latest album Good Luck I Hope You Make It began.On tour in the UK and Ireland at the end of 2019, returning to Australia in the New Year, Andy started writing one album and ended up writing another. One unfinished song was looking for a lyric - and that sparked ideas and a mode for the new album.As ever, Andy plays excerpts from the studio master tapes and includes an early version of a song you won't hear anywhere else. This series is about writing from context - telling your story from where you've been and where you are now. We hope you'll come along for the ride and share and subscribe to this series wherever you find your podcasts. Do catch up on series one and two if this is your first time. See you next week!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In the last episode of the second series, Andy looks at his favourite song on the 'AT' album he wrote with Tim Finn. 'Best Fun Time for Ages' started with a confidence, an unexpected party, a line from a sister—and ended up a record. You will hear Tim's original demo recording, Andy's exploration of the multitrack recording, and how the improvised end section came about. It's not A Day in the Life, but that's what the structure ended up resembling. As ever, the episode plays out with the last version of the song before the guys sent it to John Leckie to mix.  Thanks for your support for This podcast is only temporary, Andy says he had the best fun time for ages making this second series. He's off to tour his brand new release 'Good Luck I Hope You Make It' and perhaps that's where the next series will start. Until then, catch up with any episodes you may have missed, and do take care.Best Fun Time for Ages by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandStrings by Jonathan DreyfusDrums by Sebastian WhiteAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In the new episode Andy has reached 'It's Family', one of the most personal songs on the 'AT' album. A suggestion from Tim, experiencing a life-changing event, inspired a poem by Andy which Tim adapted into lyrics and added the melody. It's another way to co-write, and this one is a family affair.There are strings, Tim's daughter, and everyone's thinking about Kate Bush. Because everyone is always thinking about Kate Bush. As always, you'll hear a mix that no one has heard before, and the isolated string section is a treat.As Andy mentions at the start of the podcast, in November 2023, minds are on the humanitarian disaster playing out in Gaza. He has just released a new song The Time Has Come For Love. Do listen, and if you download it, proceeds go to Médecins Sans Frontières.In the meantime, please share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you next time.It's Family by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandStrings by Jonathan DreyfusAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In the latest episode of Andy's journey through the 'AT' album he wrote with Tim Finn, he goes off to Canada to play the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. Where folk is not, perhaps, what it seems. He encounters the Warrior backstage and a new song is born.Mostly, Andy waxes lyrical on Canadian folk festivals, their vibe, food, and hotels (always with thick thick walls). However, it is also about co-writing songs with A and B sections—and writing things down immediately, when they happen. As always, there are versions and mixes of the songs you haven't heard before. Please share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you next week!Warrior of Love by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandDrums by Sebastian WhiteAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

"Hotels." No, "old hotels". "Thick walls." No, "thick thick walls." Pericles, a caterpillar and dashboard lights. If you have only heard the single version of My Regeneration,  you will find the whole story here. Andy is halfway through his exploration of the 'AT' album he wrote with Tim Finn.The sleep-inducing yet fascinating BBC series Andy mentions is In Our Time.  The other Shakespeare plays are The Winter's Tale and The Tempest. We have no links for Andy's bass playing digression or his lack of interest in The Who. At least he sounds like he is having fun!As ever, this episode contains a version of My Regeneration you won't have heard before. Changing your life is hard. There's only so much affliction you can choose to ignore. Hesitation and then … regeneration. Please share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you next week!My Regeneration by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandDrums by Sebastian WhiteAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Sometimes everyone is too busy to talk. Or to meet. Andy has reached Save me a Weekend, the last track on side one of 'AT', the album co-written with Tim Finn. In Episode 5, the pals start off with one of them feeling grumpy and end up writing a wider lament. Thankfully, Andy has edited out the update on his tooth situation, but there are digressions on singing harmony and Harriet the double bass. You can listen to her on I Will Wait and One in a Million. Poetry fans will be all over pathetic fallacy.As always, you will hear early demo versions of the song as a work-in progress and one of the final rough mixes before it was sent to John Leckie to mix. Please share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you next week!Save me a Weekend by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In this episode Andy turns his attention to Everything Twice, the fourth song he and Tim Finn wrote for the 'AT' album. The three previous songs had worked – the two chums were doing it again, and that was how the songs started. You can do it twice. You'll hear how the song started with one phrase and a method songwriters use for jotting down a melody. Then a variety of increasingly crazed story lines before coming back to the original one. Doing it again, in Melbourne and Auckland.If you are interested in Molly Bloom, there is a cute video guide to Ulysses here. 'You Know My Name Look Up The Number' is here.As ever, you will hear early demos of the songs with alternative lyrics and a beautiful vocals-only recording of the song. At the end of the episode there is the final version  they sent to John Leckie to mix.Please share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you next week!Everything Twice by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Three tracks into the AT album and Andy steps up with a song that started in a similar way to I Decided to Fly from Altitude.  This time, Tim and he go back and forward writing a song about their parents, although some of it ends up being about a certain Irish mongrel.The latest dive into the AT master tapes reveals Bundle of their Dreams' relationship to Seventeen and uncovers the secrets of the dreaded Melodica.  But most of all, that writing around a theme close to your heart is a good thing to do.You'll hear demo versions of the song as a work-in-progress and the bundle they sent to John Leckie to mix. Plus Andy's toy piano. The only unanswered question is—why does he have a  toy piano? Please share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Enjoy the ride and see you next week!Bundle of their Dreams by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandSebastian White on drumsI Decided to Fly by Finn/Ó Maonlaí/WhitePlayed and recorded by ALT in MelbourneAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

After The Sea Holds the Memory, Andy and Tim started writing Three Sheep Grazing straight away. It started after a conversation with a friend about the village green and globalisation. Find out more in this second episode of the new series and hear the mysterious and marvellous  musical elements that contribute to one of the lads' favourite songs on the 'AT' album.Andy mentions two Oliver Postgate TV series he watched when he was a child (and perhaps more recently) Camberwick Green and Trumpton. Radiohead used Trumpton as the basis for the Burn the Witch video. The instrument that started the string arrangement is the Mellotron.After you listen, do check out the video of Three Sheep Grazing. Directed by Sebastian White and animated by Kai Higham it is the cutest clip ever made. Can you spot the starfish? Please share and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Enjoy the ride and see you next week!Three Sheep Grazing by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandStrings by Jonathan DreyfusAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

The podcast is back! This is the first episode of Series 2 which looks at Andy White and Tim Finn's 'AT' album song by song. Andy has dug out their original writing demos plus some of the emails that whizzed back and forwards across the Tasman Sea between the two pals. This week you'll hear what inspired Andy and Tim to get writing and how this first song came into being – an interview their ALT band mate Liam did with a Dun Laoghaire magazine, a couple of poems, and how they dragged Brian into the studio from the betting club down the road to finish the initial recording. During each episode you'll hear each song several times in different ways but not as many times as we did (or John). Why? Because it is fun and this winter is very very cold. If you subscribe wherever you find your podcasts you will get an episode each week, as if by magic.The Sea Holds the Memory by Finn/WhitePlayed and recorded by Andy and Tim in Melbourne and AucklandAndy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In the final episode of the series, Andy takes a look at the last song he wrote for This garden is only temporary, but didn't make it to the album's final running order."Sometimes the last song you write for an album makes sense of the whole album and jumps straight into the running order, but in this case I was happy that nothing would make sense of the questions that were being asked on the record. This is where I started from…"Mysterious! As is The Answers to the Questions. Thanks for your support during the first (?) series. Make sure to catch up with any episodes you may have missed, and go to Andy's Bandcamp to download this song. This podcast is only temporary. Thanks for listening. Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

This week's penultimate episode is all about the bass and includes an official bass warning. Often hiding behind everything else, this one is all about the bass. Andy's looking at Bass Priority, a track that didn't make it onto his latest album This garden is only temporary and talking about the sequencing of an album. How important this is, and suggesting some ways you could go about it. There are digressions on vulnerability in your playing style, leaving some musical ideas for another time, how the order tracks are recorded isn't necessarily the order you find them on the final version of the album, and things to think about if you're putting songs together for an album that will come out on vinyl. On the way he mentions Seventeen Seconds and Hello, as well as his own albums Rave on Andy White and Garageband. In this episode, the track is instrumental. The words were the last to arrive but turned out to be the start of his next album. In October 2023 Andy released the completed version of Bass Priority on Bandcamp. Take a listen to find out what happened next.This is the penultimate episode of the first series. As ever, please share and subscribe. See you next week.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

This episode starts off thinking it is going to be a short one but Andy gets his guitar out to take you through Shine a Light, the last track he's looking at on his latest album This garden is only temporary and discovers how even the simplest song can contain hidden complexities.  Some of these remain hidden after he tries to explain the chords (thanks to friend and mentor Joe Bennett for starting him off on this journey of explanation!)On the way he refers to The Lyre of Orpheus, The Faces, My Perfect Cousin, his own songs Get Back Home, Between a Man and a Woman and the album Destination Beautiful, in particular The Government of Love. It's been quite a ride through the album and the final episode next week should have two special guests, Steve who mixed and co-produced, and Kent who played drums. If you're new to the series it's never too late to share and subscribe! Thanks for all your support.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

This week a special guest drops in to the podcast, freelance designer Sebastian White. Sebastian has designed Andy's albums since 2014, and after chatting about granola for a bit, father and son discuss the process of conceptualising and realising the artwork for This garden is only temporary.  They find the process is remarkably similar to that involved in writing and recording the songs, on the way talking about collecting ideas, balance, conceptual art, favourite album covers and psychological stepping stones. There is at least one Tale from a Rock'n'roll Childhood and Amy the goat contributes to the conversation several times.Visual artists they discuss are Mark Rothko and Gerhard Richter. The interview with Courtney Barnett is here and the album covers they mention are The Next Day, Dark Side of the Moon, Electric Warrior, Out There, Yeezus and The Life of Pablo. If you haven't got a physical copy of the album you can see the artwork on Bandcamp (click the small icons) or Andy's Instagram. Please share and subscribe and thanks for your support. Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Alarms, reminders, notifications. Church bells and a space shuttle countdown. Hurry up and read me! You're late! This song started with a concept and collecting the sounds that expressed it. Electronic instruments suggested the beat and melody, the lyrics came after that.Telling the story of how the song came together, Andy digs deep into the recording session to reveal the component parts before playing the rough mix he took to the mix sessions in Calgary. There is a tritone warning—and maybe check you have no Zoom meetings scheduled when you listen! Throughout, Andy talks about experimentation and surprising yourself. Some of the tracks he mentions are Born Slippy, Mother,  Mr Blue Sky and Sound and Vision. And from his own albums This is Not a Television Show and Thank You.If you know the lastest album This garden is only temporary and have been following the podcast series exploring the writing and recording of the songs, you'll have noticed that Goodbye My Friend is the first track he's looked at out of sequence. This is because he has a special guest coming in next week. Please share and subscribe and thanks for your support. We have lift off … Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Most songs take their cue from visual imagery or emotions. Sometimes hearing and touch are mentioned. Take Me Back Home was started when Andy rolled down the window of his out-of-action car one hot Melbourne night and smelt French pancakes cooking in the bar across the road. In this week's episode he discusses how this took him back to another time and place. To teenage photographs, punk guitar and his piano-playing grandmother. Tom Waits and Marcel Proust are mentioned. You'll hear excerpts from the master recordings, Amy the goat, and the episode ends with a different mix of Take Me Back Home from the one on Andy's new album This garden is only temporary.We're seven songs in, with only a couple to go. If you're new to the podcast - welcome! Catch up when you can, and please share and subscribe. If you do so, the next episode will appear as if by magic in your podcast feed. Thanks everyone!Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Poets on the phone, Jim Morrison shopping for trousers, webless spiders, major/minor changes and so much simile content. Andy takes us on the rollercoaster ride of writing and recording I Miss You, the sixth song on his new album This garden is only temporary."I wanted to send someone a message without it being an email or electronic. I wanted to say I miss you." Andy talks about songs from Time is a Buffalo in the Art of War and its title. Other songs he mentions are Riders on the Storm, Sweet Gene Vincent and Be Bop a Lula. Keeping songs under three minutes, more on bridges, perfect rhymes and tartan. Not forgetting a digression on past lives. You'll hear the original recordings and a mix you haven't heard before. Andy hopes the series is becoming an inspiration for you to write or record. "This song says something real without relying on an outcome. When you're making a record, have fun. It's a good idea."Please share and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. Thanks for your support! Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

This week's episode is about writing a different kind of love song, because your own story is not like anyone else's. Making it real. Andy discusses Leonard Cohen, Janice Long, metaphors, similes, and admits how annoying it is when he talks over the music. Andy has gone into the original master recordings of Not so Far Away and you'll hear a mellotron, guitar lines, and a glockenspiel you haven't heard before. Did you spot the Marvin Gaye line on the finished album? The older songs he mentions are Vision of You and You and Your Blue Skies."If you're looking for something, it's maybe closer than you think it is."You can find the released version of Not so Far Away and stream, download or order Andy's new album 'This garden is only temporary' on Bandcamp, where all proceeds from Fire Engines, Blue Trains and Trucks, and the album it comes from, Time is a Buffalo, will go to the Ukrainian Red Cross.Please subscribe and share, thanks for your support! Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

It's becoming clearer – this podcast is about the elements that go together to make an album! This week, Andy is talking about dreams and expectations, writing about somewhere he  knows well—his hometown of Belfast—from an unexpected point of view. He discusses travelling in dreams, compares songs to dreaming, and discusses how it can be possible to 'make things right' by writing about it.As the layers that go to make up Get it Right This Time are unpeeled, you'll hear isolated mixes from the master recordings. The episode ends with the original version of the song from Andy's studio. The earlier songs Andy mentions are Birds of Passage and The Walking Wounded, and the albums he talks about are Rave on Andy White and Out There. London Calling is here. You can find the released version of Get it Right This Time and stream, download or order Andy's new album 'This garden is only temporary' on Bandcamp.There are many ways to start writing a song or an album, hopefully this will give you some ideas. "Use what you listen to, do it your own way. It's got your fingerprint on it as soon as you do it. That's how tradition works, that's how music and writing works".Please subscribe and share, thanks for your support! Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

In this episode Andy takes a deep dive into the writing and recording of the third track on his new album This garden is only temporary. He's been in the studio with the master tape, and shows you how this many-layered song was written and recorded by playing excerpts of the individual instrument and vocal tracks. Andy talks about layering, using effects, inspiration from John Leckie, how simple melodies and chords can work together and, above all, telling the truth when you are expressing something that is important to you.  Did we forget the bass pedals? Yes, and bass pedals.At the end of the first day of writing and recording, the song was ready. Later, Kent, Steve, and Rod took the story even further, but this episode ends with the first version of Everything's Turning White, recorded in four hours. As Andy says, "It has power, because it's true."We're not even half way in, but I hope you're finding part of the album's charm is a combination of spontaneity and attention to detail. Thanks for listening. If you're enjoying the series, please share—and subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Andy talks you through the writing of Tell It How You Feel, the second song on his new album 'This garden is only temporary'. He plays some of the original recordings, most of which made it to the final version, and lets you in on some of the earliest inspirations for the song.Some of the songs Andy mentions are Metal Guru, Sweet Jane and You Never Can Tell. You can listen to Rod's standout piano work with Andy on all of the early albums—check out Street Scenes From My Heart—and One In A Million from Time is a Buffalo in the Art of War is quite a journey.You can hear the full version of Tell It How You Feel and listen or download the whole album on Andy's Bandcamp. Please subscribe to here or wherever you get your podcasts and the next episode will appear as if by magic.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White

Back home in Melbourne, Andy talks you through the writing of Another Sunny Day, the first song on his new album 'This garden is only temporary'. He plays some of the original recordings, most of which made it to the final version, and talks about some of the earliest inspirations for the song and his early plans for the direction of the album. The interview where Tony Visconti analyses the master tape of 'Heroes' is here and the songs Andy mentions from his own catalogue are The Pale Moonlight, If You Want It, COWP, and James Joyce's Grave. You can hear the full version of Another Sunny Day and listen or download the whole album on Andy's Bandcamp. Please subscribe to here or wherever you get your podcasts and the next episode will appear as if by magic.Andy's albums are available on Bandcamp or www.andywhite.comPodcast artwork: Sebi White