Letting The Days Go By

Andy Reilly
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  • Music Interviews
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Letting The Days Go By is a podcast about the people who make music happen. The PRs, editors, promoters, bookers, sound engineers, record shop owners, and artists who wear many hats beyond performing. Host Andy Reilly talks to music industry people about how they got there, what the job really looks like, and what they wish someone had told them at the start. Every episode comes with a companion PDF pulling out the key tips and insights from the conversation, and a Spotify playlist built around the discussion. For music fans and future industry people alike. For the people who turn up.

Episodes

  1. Oct 6

    05 - Emmanuelle Gabarda

    In this episode of Letting The Days Go By, Andy Reilly sits down with Emmanuelle Gabarda — singer, music PR, radio presenter, and cruise ship performer who spent eight years in Glasgow before returning to her native France earlier this year. They cover a lot of ground: how she accidentally became a professional singer because of a guy (her words), what it actually takes to pitch a Scottish band to French media, the quota system that most UK artists don't know exists, and what fifteen weeks performing on a sailboat across twenty countries teaches you about reading a room. There's also a genuinely useful section on why a no in PR can turn into a front page feature months after a campaign has ended — and what that means for anyone who gives up too early. Emmanuelle still presents The French Connection on Johnstone Sound and represents Scottish artists through her company L'Ode Rose, despite now being based in Montpellier. Which tells you something about how she works. Stick around for the tips recap at the end — and this episode also marks the arrival of a proper theme tune, courtesy of Former Champ.

  2. Jul 7

    04 - Ali Braidwood

    Welcome back to Letting The Days Go By, the podcast that speaks to the people working behind the music. For episode two, we're joined by Ali Braidwood, the founder of Scots Whay Hae — one of the longest-running platforms covering Scottish culture, which has been going since 2009. In that time Ali has built it from a books website into something that spans radio, podcasting, live event hosting and criticism across music, literature and beyond. Over 400 podcast episodes. A weekly show on Cam Glen Radio. And a reputation, built slowly and genuinely, as one of the most trusted voices in Scottish arts coverage. In this conversation, Ali talks about how a PhD in Scottish literature and a bad case of writer's block led to one of the most prolific careers in Scottish music writing. He talks about what it actually takes to produce a weekly radio show, how artists should approach getting coverage, and why the best networking advice he can give you is just to go to more gigs. He also appeared in an Arab Strap music video dressed as a priest. Which tells you something about the life. For anyone thinking about a career in music writing, broadcasting, or criticism — or anyone who just wants to know how to sustain something you love over the long haul — this is a warm, honest, and genuinely useful conversation with someone who has been doing it for nearly two decades and shows no signs of stopping. Find Ali online:Website: https://www.scotswhayhae.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scotswhayhae Andy Reilly Substack: https://andyreilly.substack.com/ Letting The Days Go By is hosted by Andy Reilly, music journalist, writer, author, and contributor to Scottish arts and entertainment magazines.New episodes drop weekly — each one a different person, a different role, and a different way into the music industry.

  3. Jun 30

    03 - SheBeat

    In this episode of Letting The Days Go By, Andy Reilly sits down with SheBeat — a singer-songwriter, broadcaster, and gig promoter who moved from Liverpool to Leith and built a music life across all three. They cover a lot of ground: stumbling into a love of radio through Jason Donovan, the real mechanics of getting a community radio show on air, what actually makes a track make the cut on her show, and how she balances performing her own music with platforming everyone else's. There's also some practical advice for any artist wondering how to actually get noticed by someone like her. Jodie also runs Afternoon Delight, a series of gigs in Leith — the next one is on Sunday the 5th of July at Leith Depot, and it features a couple of artists Andy ranks amongst the best of modern Scotland's artists. Stick around for the tips recap if you're trying to find your own way in — and a particular line about doing it yourself versus doing it together that's stayed with Andy since the conversation.

    03 - SheBeat

  4. Jun 23

    02 - Stuart McHugh

    In this episode of Letting The Days Go By, Andy Reilly sits down with Stuart McHugh — writer, editor, and now podcaster — who's spent the best part of 25 years at the heart of Scottish music journalism, including a long run editing Is This Music? They cover a lot of ground: swapping music across the Atlantic on mixtapes in the early nineties, the genuine logistics of pulling together a cover-mount CD, the story of a band being signed in a chip shop in Dunfermline, and what he actually looks for in a writer. There's also a few home truths for anyone hoping to make music journalism their career. Stuart gave Andy his first opportunity as a music writer, so this conversation carries a bit of extra weight — and a lot of warmth. Stick around for the tips recap at the end if you're trying to find your own way in.

    02 - Stuart McHugh

  5. Jun 14

    01 - Lydia Laws

    Welcome to the very first episode of Letting The Days Go By, the podcast that speaks to the people working behind the music. For episode one, we're joined by Lydia Laws, founder of Lydia Laws PR. In May 2026, Lydia celebrated ten years of running her own PR company, working with some of the biggest names in electronic and dance music. She's worked with artists including Sasha, Charlotte de Witte, and Blondish, championed environmental causes through music, and built a business entirely on her own terms. In this conversation, Lydia talks about how she went from working in a coffee shop and writing reviews for a local website to running her own PR company. She talks about what a pitch actually looks like from the inside, how to manage client expectations from day one, what the job costs you personally, and why — after ten years — there are still moments that genuinely surprise her. She also talks about eating granola in the Heathrow BA lounge with Carl Cox. Which tells you something about the life. For anyone thinking about working in music PR — or the music industry more broadly — this is an honest, funny, and genuinely useful conversation with someone who has done it the hard way and built something worth celebrating. Key tips from the episode, plus further reading, are available in the companion PDF: PDF link A Spotify playlist featuring the artists discussed in the episode is available here: Spotify playlist link Find Lydia Laws PR online:Website: https://www.lydialawspr.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lydialawspr_/ Andy Reilly Substack: https://andyreilly.substack.com/ Letting The Days Go By is hosted by Andy Reilly, music journalist, writer, author, and contributor to Scottish arts and entertainment magazines. New episodes drop weekly — each one a different person, a different role, and a different way into the music industry.

    01 - Lydia Laws
  • 5 Episodes

About

Letting The Days Go By is a podcast about the people who make music happen. The PRs, editors, promoters, bookers, sound engineers, record shop owners, and artists who wear many hats beyond performing. Host Andy Reilly talks to music industry people about how they got there, what the job really looks like, and what they wish someone had told them at the start. Every episode comes with a companion PDF pulling out the key tips and insights from the conversation, and a Spotify playlist built around the discussion. For music fans and future industry people alike. For the people who turn up.

Information

  • Creator
    Andy Reilly
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    5
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Andy Reilly
  • Show Website
    Letting The Days Go By