Glasgow Sessions

Episode #24 - Dumbarton Wind Ensemble

Out at Mugdock Country Park for some quiet nature and ambiance recordings on a warm Sunday afternoon, host Richard Lee stumbled into something completely unexpected: the Dunbartonshire Wind Ensemble in full flow.What started as a field-recording trip turned into an impromptu live session with a multigenerational community band whose youngest member is 12 and whose oldest is in their 80s. After a chat, they kindly agreed to let him hit record – and this episode is the result.This is exactly what Richard loves about Glasgow and the surrounding areas: you go out for one thing and end up discovering something beautiful happening in a corner of a park.The next full Glasgow Sessions episode is with Kaz Sharply, but this little moment from today jumped the queue and he wanted to share it while it’s still fresh.Enjoy this spontaneous session with the Dunbartonshire Wind Ensemble. If you like what you hear, give them a follow, support your local music community, and look them up on Facebook to see what they’re up to next. You can also find out more on their website:https://dunbartonshirewindensemble.co.uk/And if you’d like to keep up with Glasgow Sessions, you can follow the show on Instagram at @glasgowsessions, and listen on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Episode #23 - Kat Harrison

In this episode of Glasgow Sessions, Richard sits down with actor, writer, director, voice‑over artist and acting coach Kat Harrison – the working‑class creative force behind Chaos Collective and Break A Leg Academy (BALA).They talk about Kat’s journey from youth theatre in Cumbernauld to founding her own theatre company and launching a pay‑what‑you‑can acting school in Glasgow, built to open doors that were almost closed to her. Kat shares what it really looks like to balance single parenthood, neurodivergence, creative work and community building in a sector that isn’t always kind to working‑class artists.The conversation dives into BALA’s new production of John Lyly’s 16th‑century play Gallathea – a queer Elizabethan “romp” about love, disguise and identity – and what it means to stage that story in 2026 at The Ferry on the Broomielaw. Kat also reflects on the time she met and worked with @hitrecordjoe, and the vital work he’s doing to champion artists in a fast‑changing era of AI.Along the way, there’s honest chat about access, confidence, class, and the power of small acts of kindness to change the whole direction of a life.🎟 Gallathea – Show InfoBreak A Leg Academy (BALA) presents Gallathea at The Ferry, 25 Anderston Quay, Glasgow G3 8BX, on June 15, 16 & 17.Doors: 7:00 PM | Show: 7:30 PMMore info: breakalegacademy.com🔗 FollowKat on Instagram: @kat_harrison_creativeBreak A Leg Academy: @breakalegacademy_bala🎧 Listen & SubscribeYou can find Glasgow Sessions on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music – follow or subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.

Episode #22 - The Importance of Scots with Keeks Mc, Cat Cochrane, and Kaz Sharply

In this episode of Glasgow Sessions, host Richard Lee sits down with returning guests Keeks Mc and Cat Cochrane, and welcomes debut guest Kaz Sharply, for an hour of poetry and chat in modern Scots. Together they explore how the language is being spoken and written right now – in families, schools and streets – and what happens when that collides with TikTok slang and global internet English.Across the session you’ll hear poems about family and home, school days and unforgettable classmates, PTSD and the way places hold memory, alongside the daft, funny moments that keep us going. The guests talk about code‑switching, emerging dialects, and why it’s vital that young people see their own language on the page, not just hear it in the playground.The episode also touches on the growing support for Scots in competitions and funding, the pressure to “translate” into English, and the importance of staying authentic to your own voice. As Glasgow Sessions continues to evolve into a cultural archive, this instalment captures a living snapshot of how Scots carries who we are – right now – in this city.Guests:Keeks Mc – Instagram: @keeksmcpoetryCat Cochrane – Instagram: @catchochrane_writerKaz Sharply – Instagram: @kazsharply and @wittyandsharp

Episode 21 - Keeks Mc, Stephen Watt, Dev McMath

In this episode, Richard Lee is joined by three phenomenal poets and dear pals of the show: Keeks Mc (@keeks_mc), Stephen Watt (@stephenwattpoet), and making his debut as a fellow co-host of Glasgow Sessions, Dev McMath (@devmcmath_poet). Across the episode, we move from belly laughs to gut punches, talking Scots language and identity, Glasgow’s buzzing spoken-word scene, and the strange comfort of 90s nostalgia, VHS tapes, and Super 8 reels.Keeks brings fiercely heartfelt Scots work about voice, class, and the “kinch wi death”; Stephen mixes whisky timelines, bats, and family home movies into that singular blend of humour and tenderness he’s known for; and Dev charts finding home in Scotland and trying to make sense of the chaos of the new twenties.There are plenty of daft stories - from Irn-Bru sacrilege to teenage Disaronno schemes - alongside conversations about grief, dementia, aging, and why this city’s poetry community means so much to us. It’s a warm, raucous, deeply human episode, and we're delighted to share it with you.Follow the poets:Keeks Mc - @keeks_mcStephen Watt - @stephenwattpoetDev McMath - @devmcmath_poetAnd keep up with the show at @glasgowsessions.

Special Annoucement

In this special announcement episode of Glasgow Sessions, host Richard Lee is joined by Dev McMath to reflect on how the project has grown over the past few months - and where it’s heading next.What started as a grassroots platform for live music and spoken word has quickly evolved into something bigger: a growing cultural archive of voices, scenes, and stories from across Glasgow. With more artists reaching out and more listeners tuning in, the conversation turns to what that growth means, and how Glasgow Sessions can continue to develop.Together, Richard and Dev discuss the vision behind the project, the idea of documenting the city in a meaningful way, and why now feels like the right time to expand.This episode also marks a call-out to creatives across Glasgow - especially editors, videographers, and collaborators - who want to be part of building something that represents the city on a wider, international stage.Follow Dev McMath: @devmcmathFollow Glasgow Sessions: @glasgowsessions

Episode #20 - Ash-Lee De Haldevang

Ash-Lee De Halevang joins us for a fiercely honest conversation about identity, transience, and finding home after a childhood stretched between London, East Lothian, Singapore, Malaysia, Cornwall, and now Glasgow. We talk about growing up dyslexic and uprooted, Warrior Cats as a gateway into reading, and the moment a single creative writing exercise catapulted Ash from bottom set to top set and set them on the path to becoming a writer.Ash traces her journey from early filmmaking into poetry, the “real university” of open mics, and a three-year commitment to writing a poem a day. We dig into influences like Audre Lorde, Gil Scott-Heron, John Cooper Clarke, Savannah Brown, and hip hop, and what they taught Ash about voice, politics, and performance.There’s frank discussion of mental health, dyslexia, and the feedback loop of sad poetry – as well as how community, mentorship (including Mothtales and Phil Thomson), and spaces like Loud Poets, the Lilac Collective, and Glasgow’s spoken word scene helped Ash find a more sustainable, communal way of making art. We also talk about working across poetry, scripts, and film, and how an idea finds its form.A central thread is gender identity and trans rights: Ash shares the story of coming out as transgender to her parents last October, how that moment reshaped her relationship to their work, and what it means to create as a trans poet in the current political climate. This episode contains personal reflections on mental health and one poem that engages with real-world politics, including corporate complicity in war. Listener discretion advised.Follow the show on Instagram: @glasgowsessionsListen to Glasgow Sessions on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.

Episode #19 - Peter Brown / ’Pete The Street’

Peter Brown - Pete the Street | Glasgow SessionsIf you've ever walked through the city and spotted someone standing at an easel in the pouring rain - no umbrella, no shelter, just paint and canvas - there's a good chance you've just met this week's guest.Peter Brown, known as Pete the Street, is one of Britain's most celebrated plein air painters. For over thirty years he's stood on pavements from Bath to London to New York - and increasingly, right here in Glasgow - painting everyday life exactly as it unfolds, in all weathers, never from a photograph, always in the thick of it.He's a Past President of the New English Art Club, Banksy chose him to feature in Cut & Run at the GoMA, and just recently he was on Union Street painting the Glasgow station fire as it happened while the TV cameras filmed him doing it.In this episode we talk about building a career from scratch on the pavements of Bath, painting lockdown London when the streets fell silent, his Banksy collaboration, why Glasgow has gotten completely under his skin - and his forthcoming Glasgow paintings exhibition.Follow Pete: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petethestreet1/ 🌐 Website: https://www.peterbrownneac.com/ 🖼️ Glasgow Paintings: https://www.peterbrownneac.com/glasgow/Subscribe to Pete's newsletter at peterbrownneac.com for updates on his upcoming Glasgow exhibition.Listen to Glasgow Sessions on: 🟢 Spotify 🎵 Apple Podcasts 🟠 Amazon Music📸 Instagram: @glasgowsessionsGlasgow Sessions is a podcast celebrating the artists, musicians, poets, and creative voices of Glasgow and beyond. New episodes regularly - follow and subscribe wherever you listen.

Episode #18 - Attack / Release April 2026

Episode 18: Attack/Release at Bloc+ — Cinema Hotdogs, Ty Lumnus & A'BearGlasgow has always been a city of sound-makers. From the basement rehearsal room to the experimental club night, this is a city that has never stopped pushing music into new territory - and Attack/Release is one of the spaces keeping that spirit fiercely alive.In this episode, we head down to Bloc+ on Bath Street for the April session of Attack/Release - a free monthly night dedicated to live experimental electronic music, founded and hosted by Fraser Rowan (aka Ty Lumnus).You'll hear three brilliant live sets from three very different artists:Cinema Hotdogs - making his Attack/Release debut and launching a brand new cassette release on the night. The latest project from producer Andrew Merrick, blending cinematic soundscapes with lo-fi electronic warmth.Ty Lumnus - Glasgow's modular synth architect and the founder of this very night, launching his new album Resonances in the Hidden Field on Astral Discs. Melodic dystopian soundscapes meet hypnotic, meditative ambient territory.A'Bear - a South African-born, London-based psychedelic electronic musician whose cosmic polyrhythms and warped basslines create something you feel as much as hear.Bloc+ has been one of Scotland's most vital small venues since 2001 - a place where Twin Atlantic, Frightened Rabbit, and Biffy Clyro all played early gigs before the arenas came calling. No entry fee, no barrier between you and the music, no compromise.This one's for the late-night listeners. Turn it up.Next Attack/Release: Wednesday 27th May 2026 @ Bloc+ featuring Laurie Black, Zonos, and AM Frequencies — free entry, 9–11pm.Huge thanks to James and Chris at Bloc+ for making this episode possible.Follow Attack/Release: @attackreleaseglasgowFollow Glasgow Sessions: @glasgowsessions🎧 Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music💜 Support the podcast and help keep these conversations going: patreon.com/GlasgowSessions

Episode #17 - Kelvingrove Writers

Glasgow has always been a city of storytellers.From the tenement close to the poetry night, this is a city that has never stopped finding its voice - and today's guest is making sure that tradition carries on.Jess Smith is the founder of Kelvingrove Writers - a free, grassroots writing group she started in 2022 with a simple but powerful idea: that writing shouldn't be the preserve of the privileged few. That everyone, regardless of background, experience, or confidence, deserves a space to tell their story.What began as a small fortnightly circle has grown into something genuinely special. Today, Kelvingrove Writers runs regular sessions every second Monday, completely free. They've published their own anthology, run sold-out retreats, collaborated with the Scottish Working Class Network, and partnered with galleries and literary organisations right across Scotland.In this episode, we talk about how it all began, what drives Jess to keep it going, and why spaces like this are vital for the cultural life of our city. Joining Jess are members Tom, Cate, Sam, Andrew, and Molly - all brilliant writers who bring their own voices to the conversation.And woven through the episode is the beautiful sound of the Glasgow Trad Society, colouring the edges of this recording with the music of the city we're talking about.At its core, this is a conversation about belonging - about sitting down with a pen and a page, and knowing the person next to you is rooting for you.Featured in this episode:Jess Smith — @jessica.smxthTom — @toms_booksCate — @cate_a_bSamual AdamsAndrewMolly — @molly.mallinderFind Kelvingrove Writers: @kelvingrovewritersWith thanks to: @dramglasgow and @glasgowuni_trad🎧 Glasgow Sessions is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music — just search Glasgow Sessions.Follow the show on Instagram: @glasgowsessionsSupport the podcast and help keep these conversations going: patreon.com/GlasgowSessions

Episode #16 - Jay-Lee CCTV

Glasgow Sessions #16: Jay-Lee CCTV — Govan Rap, Scheme Life & Building the Scottish Scene (Live Performances from Patrick Studios)From Govan's housing schemes to headlining Audio Glasgow, Jay-Lee CCTV brings raw Glasgow rap to Glasgow Sessions. Rapper, producer, events manager, and one half of the duo CCTV with Jam Harvie, Jay-Lee's been building the underground for over five years — and his debut solo album All Or Nothing (Scheme Hing label) is twelve tracks of unflinching scheme life.This episode features Jay-Lee performing "Canny Forget", "Cold Stare", and "Mirror" LIVE in Patrick Studios — pure fire captured raw.We talk through the album's heavy hitters — "Stuck in Time", "Nae Hame", "Never Again" — and the mixes that take you from grimey pop to DNB to garage without breaking stride. Jay-Lee opens up about "Money Talks" as a direct response to Govan gentrification and the East Govan Community Council, plus CCTV's festival run from Solfest's Scheme Hing tent to Knockengorroch, Lindisfarne, and that Mobb Deep support slot he won.From winning comps to running year-round Scheme Hing events with Loki, Kryptik, and the Scottish rap family, to his January take that "Scottish rap's having its moment" despite the "no money, no respect" reality — this is working-class Glasgow rap at its most real. Special shout-out to @becciwallacemusic for the vibes.In this episode:Live performances: "Canny Forget", "Cold Stare", "Mirror" from Patrick StudiosLife in Glasgow's schemes through All Or Nothing"Money Talks" vs Govan gentrificationScheme Hing events, Audio Glasgow's Last Live of '25, festival runsScottish rap's moment despite industry realities🎧 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music — search "Glasgow Sessions"👉 Follow Jay-Lee: @jaylee_cctv👉 Stream All Or Nothing: jayleecctv.bandcamp.com👉 Follow Glasgow Sessions: @glasgowsessions🤝 Support independent Scottish podcasting: patreon.com/GlasgowSessionsNext Episode: Out in the field with @kelvingrovewriters — poetry, community, and Glasgow's writing scene.#GlasgowSessions #JayLeeCCTV #GlasgowRap #ScottishGrime #SchemeHing #GovanRap #LiveRap #PatrickStudios #WorkingClassVoices #Podcast #ScottishMusic #GlasgowCreatives