About Birth. School. ROCK! Death. A fierce panda podcast
It took a while, but like the last bus home on a freezing winter night it got here in the end. Behold the arrival of the fierce panda records podcast, aka Birth. School. ROCK! Death. In each episode an alternative guest joins label boss Simon Williams on the SO sofa to chew through the pawful of hopefully-not-awful songs which have defined their life and career.
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I am not a number, I’m a free man! The sixth of the six live Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcasts is here. Recorded in the Tonic Music Lounge at Shiiine On in Miiinehead, this episode sees fierce pandaman Simon Williams talk through the tracks of their tears with an admirably enthusiastic James Atkin from EMF and BRA (but sadly not ELO). In essence: ‘Unbelievable’ was a shiny number one in the US but James just wanted to be on tour with grubby cool Fraggle Rock band. In another essence, hear how EMF were booed ON stage supporting Carter USM at ULU. Hair-raising stuff. Bentley Rhythm Ace will be powering into Shiiine On at Skegness at the end of March - take no Prisoners…
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2 Mar 2026
Episode #18 - Sarah Dixon (Writer)
It’s 5 alive time as the live episodes of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. reach the fifth stage of proceedings. This time around we change the cultural angle slightly as writer Sarah L Dixon riffs with fierce panda boss Simon Williams in the Tonic Music Lounge at Shiiine On Festival. But the indie vibe lives on, as Sarah’s poetry in the ‘90s was inspired by the lyrics of her favourite bands, and her fourth book, ‘A Bit Like Falling In Love’, is an extended poem to the likes of Carter USM, EMF and the Frank & Walters. Discover the tracks of her tears on this here pod and hear her words of wisdom when Sarah performs on Sunday March 29th on Shiiine On in Skegness.
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23 Feb 2026
Episode #17 - Mark Morriss (The Bluetones)
Go fourth and multiply! Yip, it’s number 4 in the pawful of live Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcasts recorded at Shiiine On in Miiinehead. In this episode Simon from fierce panda riffs with Mark Morriss from The Bluetones, who started out on the panda’s ’Return To Splendour’ EP in 1994. As they prepare to return to the splendour of Shiiine On in Skegness at the end of March, as well as the launch of their brand new ‘Atlas’ album in April, the singer talks about brotherly record collecting in the ‘80s, going through A Goth Phase and the career rebirth of a deep shade of Bluetones. As well as guiding us through the tracks of his tears, of course…
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16 Feb 2026
Episode #16 - Andrew ‘Tiny’ Woods (Ultrasound)
It’s the third live episode of the Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcast, recorded in the Tonic Music Lounge at the Shiiine On festival in Miiinehead. This time around singer Andrew ‘Tiny’ Woods from epic rocksters Ultrasound chooses the tracks of his tears. They started on fierce panda in the ‘90s and returned for the ‘Play For Today’ album in 2012. Now Tiny takes to the panda sofa to talk fragrant hype, failed hopes and colossal melodic outbursts. Still The Same Band then…
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9 Feb 2026
Episode #15 - Clint Boon (Inspiral Carpets)
It’s time to launch our second live Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcast, recorded in the Tonic Music Lounge at Shiiine On in Minehead. Joining fierce panda’s Simon Williams is Inspiral Carpets’ organ-groover Clint Boon. As they prepare for a new (re)lease of life on Scruff of the Neck records Clint talks us through the joys of ‘Fireball XL5’, the power of the Pistols, the meaning behind ‘This Is How It Feels’ and performing knee slides across the dancefloor while DJing at Simon Panda’s wedding. Good times, all the time.
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2 Feb 2026
Episode #14 - Rick McMurray (Ash)
After a bacon’s dozen of episodes of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. at the end of 2025, the fierce panda records podcast returns with a pawful of live pods recorded in the Tonic Music Lounge at the Shiiiine On festival in Miiinehead. As ASH embark upon another blast around the UK first out of the rock blocks is their drummer, which makes this a case of Birth. School. RICK! Death. As Mr McMurray talks about a 30 year career spent careering around the world, from ‘Jack Names The Planets’ to ‘Ad Astra’, and spills the beans on the his imminent ferocious side project, Burned As Witches. Mint!
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19 Dec 2025
Christmas Special - Father Crispmas (AKA Del Currie, Spudos Crisps)
And so this is Crispmas, and what have we done? We’ve only bloomin’ well recorded a festive edition of the mighty Birth. School. ROCK! Death podcast, that’s all. Joining fierce panda’s Simon Williams this time around is Father Crispmas himself, aka Del Currie, head honcho of the Spudos crisp emporium - think salt’n’shake on steroids. And then hop on board the magic Yuletide bus as Del and Simon trade the Crispmas songs which have soundtracked their lives as well as carefully detailing the crisp fads, fashions and flavours which have followed them through the Birth. School. ROCK! Death. doorway. Del used to send fierce panda his demos in the ‘90s, and fierce panda never responded. Listen to this podcast to find out how Del is getting his sweet, sweet revenge, and then listen to the special seasonal Spotify playlist - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/50Loh4L4hbNWcYbCaCc7p1?si=qMZFZK9eRmegLpoXWOwWpQ
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15 Dec 2025
Episode #12 - Debs Wild (Team Coldplay)
12 pods until Christmas? Yes indeedy, and that twelfth episode of the Fierce Panda Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcast is with us in full effect. Our special guest this time around is DEBS WILD from Team COLDPLAY. Way before the panda released their ‘Brothers & Sisters’ single in 1999 Debs was on the Coldplay A&R case, the first genuine advocate of the quartet’s burgeoning potential. With their ten night stint at Wembley Stadium in the rear mirror the pod arrives as the updated version of her indispensable ‘Life In Technicolor’ Coldplay book launches at the Dublin Castle in Camden Village on December 16th with a live Q&A and much more besides. Get the full Crispmas Martin SP over here:
https://www.ents24.com/london-events/the-dublin-castle/rock-n-roll-book-club-coldplay-special-with-debs-wild-and-simon-williams/7374116
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8 Dec 2025
Episode #11 - Ivan Proctor (China Bears)
Episode legs 11 of the Fierce Panda records podcast Birth. School. ROCK! Death. brings forth Ivan Proctor, singing guitarist in West Country indie dreamers CHINA BEARS. As the band prepare to headline the panda Christmas party at The Victoria on December 10th and for the launch of the deluxe reissue of the ‘Participation Trophy’ album on the 12th, Ivan talks us through the tracks of his tears. Rather excellently the man from China Bears chooses songs by Atomic Kitten and Frightened Rabbit. Animal magic ahoy…
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1 Dec 2025
Episode #10 - Jonny Woods (Wynona Bleach)
It’s Episode Ten of the Fierce Panda podcast Birth. School. ROCK! Death. Just three more panda pods until Christmas! This week label fool Simon Williams is joined by one Jonny Woods, ebullient guitaring force in Belfast bubblegrungers Wynona Bleach. As they gird their loins for the 2026 follow up to their ‘Moonsoake’ album Jonny talks about the highs of touring the USA and lows of coming back home among a zillion other things. Wynona Bleach release the suitably cheery ‘(Don’t Know Why) I Wish You A Merry Christmas’ on December 1st. Ningle all the way, indeed…
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24 Nov 2025
Episode #9 - Albert Gold (aLBERT gOLD)
It’s Episode 9 of the mighty Birth. School. ROCK! Death. podcast, brought to you by Fierce Panda records. This week label boss Simon conversates with Hackney’s finest alt-soul artiste aLBERT gOLD. As he prepares for the new year launch of brand new material focusing on personal growth and introspection after writing about so much heartbreak and pain, he talks childhood, top tunes and making himself an ace singer. Hear aLBERT’s dulcet tones on ‘California’, alongside Phundo & Tom Ford, released on December 5th.
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19 Nov 2025
Episode #8 - Jed Morgans (Hideous Mink, Opus Kink)
It’s episode 8 of the fierce panda podcast called Birth. School. ROCK! Death. What can possibly go wrong? Nothing at all as this week magazine editor, label boss and frantic muso Jed Morgans hits the SO sofa. Last week he played his wild saxamaphone onstage in Opus Kink at a rampant Electric Ballroom. Last whenever, his Hideous Mink label released the toweringly glowering ‘Hideous Collective’ compimilation album, chocful of all your latest perverted leftfield loves. And lastly, but never leastly, Tanzana’s ‘Covert’ supercool single is tickling our Scottish indie pinky punk eardrums. Honk Kong, indeed…
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10 Nov 2025
Episode #7 - Simon Williams (Fierce Panda)
It’s the seventh episode of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. and we are smashing through the fourth wall as this week’s Fierce Panda podcast guest is…Simon Williams from Fierce Panda as he prepares to curate the Tonic Music parlour at Shiiine On festival later this week. Jed Morgans from Hideous Mink asks the questions while Simon sits in the hot spot of the sofa to gurgle softly about the highs of ELO and the Farmer’s Boys while merrily misremembering key facts about his own back furry back catalogue. Good times, people. Good times.
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3 Nov 2025
Episode #6 - Angus Rogers (Opus Kink)
Episode Six of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. has snuck in through the back door, glowering at the scatter cushions and casting a giant dark shadow over the hearth rug. Because this week’s fierce panda podcast finds Opus Kink singer Angus Rogers in full seething effect as he rattles through the tracks of his tears. With his band of skronking jazz post-punkas preparing to decimate the Electric Ballroom on November 7th the mighty frontman talks poetry, passion and passionately poetic farewells. Top lad.
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27 Oct 2025
Episode #5 - Jo Bevan (Desperate Journalist)
Episode Five of the florid Fierce Panda podcast Birth. School. ROCK! Death. crashes in through the conservatory door in the company of Jo Bevan from the mighty Desperate Journalist. Armed with a bionically glowering pre-post-punk catalogue, including current Fierce Panda album ‘No Hero’, the quartet hit the road this week, giving us a fine time for a compelling chat about high art, real indie and touring with total heroes with the DJ singer.
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20 Oct 2025
Episode #4 - J. Willgoose, Esq. (Public Service Broadcasting)
The fourth forthright episode of the Birth. School. ROCK! Death. Panda Podcast brings forth learned musical student J. Willgoose, Esq. As driving force in Public Service Broadcasting he joins us on the release campaign for ‘Night Flight’, the remix companion to their ‘The Last Flight’ album, to talk instrumental glories, literal literary research and orchestral manoeuvres in the park.
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13 Oct 2025
Episode #3 - Glenn Smyth (Solar Eyes)
It’s episode three of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. and our guest is one Glenn Smyth (pronounced ‘Smith’), frontman in Brummie psych rock combo Solar Eyes. With their second album, ‘Live Freaky! Die Freaky!’, out right now and a UK tour occurring any minute in the future, the singer chats about hearing his music on Match of the Day, writing a concept record about escaping the clutches of the Manson Family and his great hometown love for ELO. Boy, he’s got the Birmingham Blues…
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6 Oct 2025
Episode #2 - Tim Wheeler (Ash)
The second episode of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. brings Tim Wheeler and his five fruity song choices to the SO sofa. As Ash head to the stars, and indeed to the stores, with their excellent ‘Ad Astra’ album, the Northern Irish power punk popper spills the beans on breaking America in all the wrong ways and playing onstage with Coldplay at Wembley as well as ruminating over 30something years of ever-youthful melodic mayhem.
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29 Sept 2025
Episode #1 - Louis Eliot (Rialto)
Episode #1 of Birth. School. ROCK! Death. sees Louis Eliot, debonair driving force behind RIALTO, talk about life in a ‘90s band too louche for Britpop and lost on the musical margins for much of this century. Until that is the release of current Fierce Panda album ‘Neon & Ghost Signs’, a poignant return to Noirpop form which warranted a headline Scala show and a slew of springtime Supergrass supports. Louis’ own Birth. School. ROCK! Death journey lands just as Rialto tour with Louise Wener’s Sleeper. Lou, Lou electric Lou, in every sense…
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