HAVE YOU HEARD? // Trailblazers

Have You Heard? is a series in which the team from Pod Bible meet the people behind the podcasts you may not have heard of yet. While the Oh. My. Pod. section in the magazine gives a quick shout out to shows of that ilk, Have You Heard aims to go deeper in an effort to spread awareness for shows that deserve more exposure! In this week’s edition we sat down with Nick Halkes and Eddy Temple-Morris to discuss their podcast, Trailblazers.

POD BIBLE: Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

NICK HALKES: Hi I’m Nick Halkes and i’m an Artist Manager. I also help emerging, self-releasing artists and run the Reach Up – Disco Wonderland brand with my best mate Andy Smith. I also knock out the occasional record as Nick Reach Up. My background is in setting up and running record labels (XL, Positiva and Incentive) so I’ve spent decades immersed in music. The podcast is an opportunity to explore the fascinating lives of the trailblazing pioneers who have shaped the dance/electronic music industry.

EDDY TEMPLE-MORRIS: What Nick said 😉

PB: What’s the first podcast you ever listened to?

NH: Wow, I’m honestly not sure. Possibly some random DJ mix?! I don’t remember having a big wow podcast moment.

ETM: Distraction Pieces with Scroobius Pip, of course. The gunner, the Boss, when it comes to UK podcasts.

PB: Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

NH: That’s due to Eddy! The day after he resigned from XFM, I called him and suggested that there was a gap for the definitive archive of interviews with electronic music pioneers and told him that I thought he’d be an excellent person to host it. He loved the idea, but told me there was one thing that might make it better, if I joined him behind the microphone! I wasn’t sure at first but I’m so glad I took up the opportunity.

ETM: Yep, spot on Nick. I felt that the podcast would be better if the conversation and the energy was triangular. Also Nick is far too modest to say that he’s a dance music trailblazer himself, so I get to talk to two legends every time we do one 🙂

PB: Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

NH: Desert Island Discs, Ted Talks, Sodajerker, anything I can learn from.

ETM: I started doing this before I started listening to podcasts, other than Pip’s. So the inspiration goes more from radio, Desert Island Discs for sure, and just good old fashioned conversations between colleagues and friends.

PB: Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

NH: Nile Rodgers and Quincy Jones are the two legends that I’d most like to be on the podcast. I once wrote some words about a Chic performance and what happened in the crowd (which was beautiful) when they headlined Bestival. Someone forwarded it to Nile and, amazingly, he sent me an email to say how much he enjoyed reading it which was a good day at the office! We’ve chatted before but haven’t had the level of conversation I’d like to have! We’ve been tantalizingly close to having him as a guest but it still hasn’t quite happened yet.

ETM: For me, the holy grail wish list includes Giorgio Moroder, Annie Nightingale, Trent Reznor, Vangelis, and David Sylvian But if I had to narrow that to one name it’d be David Sylvian of Japan, the first band I truly fell in love with as a teenager.

PB: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?

NH: I’ve learnt that people respond really well to natural real conversations, and keeping the proposition simple.

ETM: To listen.

PB: Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

NH: The David Rodigan episode. That one’s got the lot: humour, knowledge, and passion. David is a hero of mine, so I really enjoyed it and hopefully listeners will enjoy it, too.

ETM: Nick is right, as ever, or Gary Numan was also fantastic – and the very first one, so what better start than the start!

PB: Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

NH: I’m on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Those are probably the best places to learn what I’m up to and what I’m thinking at the moment.

ETM: I’m on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, or visit www.virginradio.co.uk