The Shanty Show

Pressgang Mutiny
  • 4.3 (3)
  • Music Interviews

The Shanty Show is a video and audio podcast about sea shanties and maritime music, featuring conversations with the best shanty singers, folk musicians, scholars, and historians from around the world. Hosted by Pressgang Mutiny.  "Certainly one of the best features of the contemporary maritime music community." - Maritime Music Directory InternationalContact us at:www.pressgangmutiny.com@pressgangmutinypressgangmutiny@gmail.com

  1. Jul 14

    32. "There's no Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for our music" with Dean Calin of Bounding Main

    Dean Calin is a shanty singer with the Chicago-based group Bounding Main and the driving force behind the Maritime Music Directory International (seashanties4all.com), an online database of shanty bands, festivals, and performers from around the world. Dean got his start singing shanties at the Bristol Renaissance Fair in 1998 and went on to co-found Bounding Main in 2003 — a group that has since performed across North America and Europe, from Paimpol to Krakow. We talk about how shanties took over the American Renaissance fair circuit, Bounding Main's 22 years together, and the vision behind the MMDI — a resource Dean built to document and preserve the global shanty community. We also discuss the lack of Black representation in a genre with deep African-American roots, the rise of shanty sings across North America, why shanties became a symbol of freedom in communist Poland, and Dean's ongoing health journey. Dean gives us an update on Bounding Main's upcoming album and shares some unforgettable stories from touring in the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland.

  2. 11/05/2025

    32. "The joy is having the songs get out there" with Bob Walser

    SEASON 2 PREMIERE We're finally back after a long haitus! In this kickoff to Season 2, we welcome folklorist and musician Bob Walser to the show to discuss his journey into the world of shanties and, particularly, his work uncovering new shanties in the recordings and documents of 1930s collector James Madison Carpenter. We also discuss the historical significance of dreg songs, the influence of Afro-Caribbean music on shanties, and the legacy of Carpenter and other collectors in documenting folk music. The conversation also touches on the accessibility of historical music collections and personal anecdotes that highlight the joy of sharing and singing traditional songs.

  3. 05/30/2025

    31. Let's talk about Newfoundland music and shanties with Fergus O'Byrne of Ryan's Fancy

    Our guest is Canadian folk music icon Fergus O'Byrne. Fergus is an incredible singer and was part of the legendary Newfoundland band Ryan's Fancy who were awarded the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.  In this episode, we explore the early days of English and Irish folk music communities in Toronto and the East Coast, discuss Ryan’s Fancy’s popularity and TV shows, and share thoughts on the power and importance of singing together. ⚓︎ Shanties and songs featured: Rant and Roar, trad. arr. by Ryan’s FancyMaid of Amsterdam, trad. arr. by Ryan’s Fancy and Tommy MakemAvondale, trad. arr. by Al O’DonnellGeneral Taylor, trad. arr. Great Big SeaTiree Love Song, by Hugh S. Robertson, arr. by Ryan’s Fancy⚓︎ Find out more about Pressgang Mutiny here: pressgangmutiny.comfacebook.com/pressgangmutinyTikTok, X, and Instagram: @pressgangmutiny

  4. 05/26/2025

    30. The untold story of Polish shanties, with Marek Szurawski

    Poland has one of the world's most vibrant shanty scenes. In 2023, we performed at the Port Pieśni Pracy festival in Tychy, Poland where we were introduced to Marek Szurawski. Marek is a former merchant mariner and journalist who was instrumental in introducing shanties to Poland in the 1980s on his radio program Kliper siedmiu mórz. He still performs regularly as a solo act and with Stare Dzwony ("Old Bells") and we were told he was the 'Oracle of Polish Shanties'. James and Stefan sat down with Marek in the summer of 2022 in Tychy and recorded this interview. ⚓︎ Shanties featured: Northwest Passage, by Stan Rogers, arr. and translated into Polish by The SmugglersThe Maid of Amsterdam, trad. arr. by Marek Szurawski⚓︎ Find out more about Pressgang Mutiny here: pressgangmutiny.comfacebook.com/pressgangmutinyTikTok, X, and Instagram: @pressgangmutiny

  5. 05/14/2025

    29. Remembering Tall 12, The Last Shantyman

    We bid farewell to the last living shantyman, George "Tall 12" Frederick. Tall 12 sang the shanties of his home town of Barrouallie as a whaling gunman and kept the tradition alive until his death on May 6, 2025 at the age of 79. He performed around the world in the early 2000s as part of the Barrouallie Whalers. We are joined by his friend Vincent Reid, film maker and producer Akley Olton, and shantyman and musicologist Dan Lanier who knew and worked with Tall 12 to preserve the legacy of the Barrouallie shanties. This video also includes archival footage, photos, and recordings from Tall 12's performances as well as footage from Pressgang Mutiny's film "Bear Away Yankee, Bear Away Boy", filmed with Tall 12 in St. Vincent in October 2022. Check out Akley Olton here: https://www.youtube.com/c/AkleyOlton And make sure to watch our interview with Tall 12 here: https://youtu.be/pbEsZqN0DSc?si=QAZxkyhDRHlVcZEX

  6. 04/28/2025

    28. Sea waves to airwaves (CBC interview + 'Haul Away Joe' premiere)

    The good people at CBC Radio One's 'Fresh Air' invited James and Stefan on to chat all things shanties as well as about the upcoming new Pressgang Mutiny album 'Departure'. We discuss the origins of shanties, connections to other musical projects, how 'Departure' came about, and premiered a version of 'Haul Away Joe' off the new album.

  7. 08/31/2024

    27. "A good submariner is a sleeping submariner" with Tom Lewis

    Tom Lewis is a brilliant singer and songwriter, and has written so many well-known and loved songs including “The Last Shanty”, “Marching Inland” and “Sailor’s Prayer”. Like Cyril Tawney before him, Tom is also a former submariner with the Royal Navy having spent years circling the arctic in diesel-electric submarines during the Cold War. We caught up with Tom in between performances on his recent tour of Southern Ontario to talk through his life story, his influences, his time on subs, and of course, his famous songs. With a special singing appearance by the Bytown Sea Shanty Collective.    ⚓︎ Find out more about Pressgang Mutiny here:  - pressgangmutiny.com  - facebook.com/pressgangmutiny  - TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram: @pressgangmutiny

  8. 07/28/2024

    26. Live interview and performance from us!

    We were invited onto Music from Studio 2 on CIUT89.5FM to sing some songs and chat about shanties. We cover a lot of what we've learned through our discussions on this show, share some music from our upcoming album Departure, and talk about some of our projects to further promote, preserve, and progress shanties.

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4.3
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Shanty Show is a video and audio podcast about sea shanties and maritime music, featuring conversations with the best shanty singers, folk musicians, scholars, and historians from around the world. Hosted by Pressgang Mutiny.  "Certainly one of the best features of the contemporary maritime music community." - Maritime Music Directory InternationalContact us at:www.pressgangmutiny.com@pressgangmutinypressgangmutiny@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Pressgang Mutiny
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pressgang Mutiny
  • Show Website
    The Shanty Show