States of Independence

Ep 11: Trunk Records - with Jonny Trunk

Welcome back to States of Independence! This special episode goes deep into the story of Trunk Records, home of The Wicker Man soundtrack, Joe Harriott's Hum Dono, Michae

Ep 10: From BB to 4AD with Simon Neil, Mat Berninger, Martin Mills & Jamie East

In this last episode of the series we’re at the end of the 90s, a time when Beggars Banquet were signing a lot of guitar bands, but finding it hard to get any of them awa

Ep 9: Buffalo Tom, Trevor Tanner, Aki Nawaz and Natacha Atlas

Beggars contains multitudes. Here, three very different acts from its storied roster share their own experiences of the label. Buffalo Tom’s Bill Janowitz recalls emergin

Bonus Ep: Love, Rockets, Voodoo Dolls, and Malevolent Fire Spirits feat. Daniel Ash & David J

Bonus time! A story so compelling, we thought it deserved its very own episode. Behold: the full account of the fire that gutted Rick Rubin’s studio, destroyed all of Lov

Ep 8: Love and Rockets feat. Daniel Ash & David J

When Love and Rockets tentatively emerged from the ashes of Bauhaus, Daniel Ash and David J were mainly looking for a way to get out of the shadow of their first, totemic

Ep 7, Part 2: The Go-Betweens feat Robert Forster

In part two of this Go-Betweens special, frontman Robert Forster remembers his dear friend, the late Grant McLennan, the band they began together as schoolboys, and his g

Ep 7, Part 1: The Go-Betweens feat. Lindy Morrison

For every Gary Numan or The Cult, there’s a few Go-Betweens. Those bands that stood right on the brink of breaking through – but, by some trick of fate or circumstance, n

Preview: Fela Kuti: Fear No Man

Subscribe to ⁠Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.⁠ In a world that’s on fire, what is the role of art? What can music actually…do? Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a pr

Ep 6: Beggars and Charlatans! feat Tim Burgess

It’s the dawn of the 90s and Beggars Banquet, after a decade of goth darkness, are due a little refresh. Enter, The Charlatans – a band surfing the crest of the baggy zei

Ep 5: After The Fall feat. Brix Smith

Mark E Smith was many things. Visionary songwriter? Certainly. Enduring champion of DIY culture? Without a doubt. Lifelong grunt-worker at the Post-Punk factory? Sure, wh

Ep 4, part 1: Gene Loves Jezebel feat. Jay Aston

Rock and roll partnerships are tempestuous at the best of times. Throw twin brothers into the mix? That’s a recipe for Armageddon. Gene Loves Jezebel were, for a stretch

Ep 4, part 2: Gene Loves Jezebel feat Michael Aston

There are two sides to every story… In part two of the Gene Loves Jezebel saga, Michael Aston shares his own recollections of the band he formed, loved, and lost with his

Ep 3: Cult Following feat Billy Duffy

After the split of Bauhaus, a whole new wave of goth bands step into the breach. But none will prove so pivotal in the story of Beggars Banquet as The Cult. Here, Martin

Ep 2: Numania and The Decade of Darkness. feat. Gary Numan, John Rocca (Freeez), & Peter Murphy (Bauhaus)

Gary Numan has gifted Beggars Banquet their very first number one. So why is neither he nor the label happy? We step inside the intense backlash that comes with fame, as

Ep 1: Birth of the Banquet feat. Gary Numan

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was Beggars Banquet. The story starts in 1974 with three mates, a little bit of cash, and the dream of opening a record shop. But

States of Independence - Trailer

In States of Independence hear first-hand the stories behind the world's greatest independent record labels. The series includes new interviews with luminaries signed alo