The XS Noize Podcast

Deb Googe and Cara Tivey join Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast to discuss The Golden Thread — their debut full-length album together as da Googie + Cara Tivey.
da Googie is the solo project of Deb Googe, best known as the bass player in My Bloody Valentine and Thurston Moore Group. Cara Tivey is a pianist and composer whose career includes work with Billy Bragg, Everything But The Girl, Blur, Au Pairs and The Lilac Time.
In this episode, Deb and Cara talk about bringing The Golden Thread to Belfast as part of the Oh Yeah Presents immersive series, where the music becomes visual as well as sonic. They discuss how the collaboration began, how Cara's piano changed the shape of da Googie, and how improvised pieces were reshaped into finished songs.
They also reflect on creative ownership after decades of working inside other people's music, the challenge of performing the material live, the physical force of My Bloody Valentine, women in alternative music, and why there is no grand master plan for what comes next.
For the Belfast performance, The Golden Thread will be presented as an immersive live event at the Oh Yeah Centre, co-produced by Oh Yeah Presents and CQAF. The visuals have been designed by Deb Googe and will be operated and installed by The Fully Automatic Model.
Listen to episode #283 of the XS Noize Podcast now.
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In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Glen Hansard for a warm, honest and deeply reflective conversation about his new live album, Don+t Settle - (Vol 1 Transmissions East).
Recorded at Berlin's historic Funkhaus with his road-hardened live band, the album brings together songs from Glen's solo career, The Frames and The Swell Season, captured with almost no fixes. Rather than a standard live album or greatest-hits collection, Don+t Settle - (Vol 1 Transmissions East) feels like an artist taking stock in the present — revisiting songs from different stages of his life and finding new meaning in them.
Glen talks about the rain-soaked show in The Hague that sparked the idea, bringing the audience onto the stage, reintroducing himself as a rock musician, and why the rawness and imperfections of the performances were essential to the record.
The conversation also goes far beyond the new album. Glen reflects on writing "Didn't He Ramble" for his father, why "Carrickfergus" made the record, the Bob Dylan cassette that changed his life, and what busking taught him about holding an audience.
He also looks back on The Commitments, Once, being recognised as Outspan in the street, Bob Dylan phoning after his Oscar win, and the growth of Dublin's Christmas Eve Busk.
It's a generous, open and thoughtful conversation about music, family, memory, performance, and why this new chapter feels less like looking back and more like planting a flag in the present.
Listen to episode #282 of the XS Noize Podcast now.
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Miles Hunt joins Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast to reflect on 40 years of The Wonder Stuff — from the band's rise through the late '80s and early '90s to what it means to still be carrying it forward today.
With The Wonder Stuff set for a major 40th anniversary UK tour in October 2026, Miles looks back on audience loyalty, writing the early records, the impact of albums including HUP, Never Loved Elvis and Construction for the Modern Idiot, and why the band still feels like a real band rather than a nostalgia act.
He also talks about burnout, the point where life in the band started to feel heavier than it should, how Vent 414 gave him a different creative outlet, and what he learned from stepping away from music to work in a brewery.
It's a warm, funny and insightful conversation about songwriting, survival, creative restlessness and starting over.
In this episode, Miles Hunt talks about:
40 years of The Wonder Stuff
audience loyalty and the bond with fans
writing the early records
HUP, Never Loved Elvis and Construction for the Modern Idiot
wider success and changing audiences
burnout and the band's first split
why The Wonder Stuff still feels like a real band
Vent 414 and the new album Second
Things Can Change and creative exhaustion
working in a brewery after music
patience, ageing and starting over
About The XS Noize Podcast
Hosted by Mark Millar, the XS Noize Podcast features in-depth conversations with some of the most influential artists in modern music.
With over 270 episodes, guests have included Steve Lillywhite, Matt Berninger, Gary Numan, Peter Hook, Bernard Butler, The Charlatans, Sleaford Mods, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Travis and many more.
New episodes drop weekly.

Carol Decker joins Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast to talk about T'Pau's return with Be Wonderful — the band's first album of original material since Pleasure and Pain in 2015.
In this candid conversation, Carol reflects on the long gap between records, reconnecting creatively with Ronnie Rogers, and what finally brought her back into the right headspace to make new music again.
She also looks back on the rise of T'Pau, the success of Bridge of Spies, the story behind "China In Your Hand", and the difficult years when everything changed.
A warm, honest conversation about success, heartbreak, survival, and finding your way back.

In this episode, Carol Decker talks about:
– The making of Be Wonderful
– Why it took so long for T'Pau to make another studio album
– Writing and recording again with Ronnie Rogers
– The difference between major label backing and doing everything in-house
– The stories behind "Read My Lips", "Stupid Love Song" and "Casual Remark"
– The real meaning behind "China In Your Hand"
– T'Pau's breakthrough in the UK and America
– The personal and professional fallout of the early '90s
– The 80s revival and why those songs still connect today
About The XS Noize Podcast
Hosted by Mark Millar, the XS Noize Podcast features in-depth conversations with some of the most influential artists in modern music.
With over 270 episodes, guests have included Steve Lillywhite, Matt Berninger, Gary Numan, Peter Hook, Bernard Butler, The Charlatans, Sleaford Mods, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Travis and many more.
New episodes drop weekly.

The Boxer Rebellion join Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast to talk about The Second I'm Asleep, their first full-length studio album since 2018.
In this episode, Nathan Nicholson and Piers Hewitt discuss the six-year gap between records, the reset the band needed, and how the new album came together through a more instinctive, less overthought creative process.
They talk about writing quickly, trusting the songs sooner, and why The Second I'm Asleep feels more immediate, spacious and human. The conversation also explores lyrical themes on tracks like "Flowers in the Water" and "Hidden Meanings," alongside wider reflections on self-doubt, growth, and the passing of time.
Elsewhere, Nathan and Piers look back on key albums including Exits, Union and Ghost Alive, speak about long-term independence, family life, and the realities of keeping a band together for 25 years.
In this episode:
– The Second I'm Asleep – the six-year gap between albums – songwriting and lyrical evolution – independence and longevity – family life, touring, and staying creative – key memories from Exits, Union and Ghost Alive


About The XS Noize Podcast
Hosted by Mark Millar, the XS Noize Podcast features in-depth conversations with some of the most influential artists in modern music.
With over 270 episodes, guests have included Steve Lillywhite, Matt Berninger, Gary Numan, Peter Hook, Bernard Butler, The Charlatans, Sleaford Mods, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Travis and many more.
New episodes drop weekly.