This Album…with William Hann

This Album…with William Hann is a weekly music podcast where host William Hann takes a deep dive into his guest’s album of choice. We spoke to William to find out more…

What inspired you to create This Album Podcast, and how did the concept come together?

It came together quickly! I appeared on two music podcasts within the space of 2 weeks (22 Grand Pod and the Oasis Podcast) and it confirmed something I always secretly suspected…. “I’d be quite good at this and I could add some value here….”

Within 24 hours of saying to myself that I’m going to do it, I had the concept, the artwork, the first few guests booked, microphones purchased, and theme music written.

It took a further 48 hours for my mates to stop laughing and taking the piss out of me though!

In my day job, I’ve always worked in proactive sales, so I’ve developed the skill set of being a good communicator and listener (…or so I’d like to think!) inevitable that I’d be getting into podcasting really…

This Album… host, William Hann

Your show invites guests to talk about albums that are special to them – what makes an album worthy of discussion in your eyes?

What I really love is the personal attachments that people have to an album. So where most podcasts can be quite clinical or scientific in discussing music, I’m more interested in how badly my guests were dressed when they discovered an album, who broke their heart, all the mad memories they made while listening to the album. That kind of thing.

But I guess if an album was recorded or released in a unique way, that’s always going to be of interest.

The first episode I recorded (yet to be released that episode though) was on Another Side of Bob Dylan and that album was recorded within 4 hours! I didn’t know you could just do that! So straight away you have a conversation topic.

Has there been an album choice that completely surprised you or changed the way you think about a particular artist?

Almost every episode!

It’s really proven that if you listen to an album and give it a few goes with an open heart and mind, the reward is significant! There must be a life lesson in that somewhere….

The album I’ve covered that’s furthest away from what I normally listen to is 100 Gecs second album, 10,000 Gecs. I’m not sure if you’ve listened to much Hyper pop… but bloody hell! It is a lot!

And yet, by my third listen of the album, I started connecting with it and finding joy in it and respecting them a lot more as artists.

Having said that, I’ve got an upcoming episode on Soundgarden. I’m really trying man… but I’m not connecting with that at all yet! Let’s see if a couple more listens changes that.

Who has been your dream guest so far, and is there anyone you’d love to have on the show in the future?

Stu Whiffen, of course!

Also, getting to spend an hour chatting to Russell from Bloc Party was a dream come true for a little indie boy like me.

But Matt Crosby from Radio X was the perfect guest. I’ve been listening to his Radio X show with Ed Gamble for 5 years and his episode was the exact amount of in-depth album discussion and silliness I’d always hoped the show would have. PLENTY of silliness on that one.

It was also the funniest I’ve ever been! I thought I’d shrivel next to a proper comedian, but man, I was on fire that day! Podcast gold!

William Hann (right) in conversation with Russell Lissack (left), Bloc Party lead guitarist, on episode 7

Music can be deeply personal – have there been any particularly emotional or memorable moments on the podcast?

I’ve been lucky that all my guests so far have been very vulnerable and open.

I guess the episode with Matt Crosby had a real unexpected gear change when he revealed that the silliest song on the album we were discussing had hidden depth about “radical acceptance” and the difficulties that come with being a trans person in Trump’s America.

I thought Frog On the Floor by 100 Gecs was just a silly song about a frog coming to a party!

As a host, how do you approach guiding conversations to balance personal anecdotes with music analysis?

The podcast is very conversational and I think making sure that it’s entertaining and funny is of far higher importance than accurately describing the brand of hi hat the drummer used.

But I always have a small scripted section which I spend quite a lot of time preparing. That allows me to get the analytical bit out of the way, then start asking the important questions like “which member of Interpol still wore a full suit to soundcheck despite it being the hottest day ever recorded in London.” (It was guitarist Daniel Kessler)

But really, I love a deviation and the guest’s album of choice is just a vehicle for us to share anecdotes and chat shit.

What’s next for This Album Podcast? Any exciting plans or changes coming up?

I was recently asked to host a series of Q and A’s on stage at The M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, that was absolutely class! I think I did a really good job of it and I’d love to do more on stage interviews at festivals this summer.

I’ll definitely be announcing a live show in London soon too.

But what I really want is the podcast to just continue being of a real high quality and I reckon it’s only going to get better as time goes on.

I don’t know what the next 12 months will bring, but I promise it won’t be boring.

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