Stories. Songs. Seasons.

Tom Shiels

We’re all made of stories, but they’re not always profound. It’s something your grandad told you. A song that takes you back to a road trip. The smell of smoke in the air in autumn or a saying that still pops into your head at the strangest times. Often, the smallest moments are where memories are made. In Stories. Songs. Seasons. the podcast, writer Tom Shiels sits down with a new guest every episode to talk about three stories that have shaped them, three songs that have moved them. And the season which most feels like home.

Episodes

  1. 18h ago

    Bryony Good - 'I love wading about in not knowing'

    This week, I chat with Bryony Good, artist, photographer and founder of In a Land, a gallery and working artists’ studio in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. Her work explores folklore and the uncanny. Bryony shares three stories: being stranded in a bog on the moors as a child, her mum’s insistence that fairies lived under the bridge at Nutclough Wood, and the strange discoveries she made while photographing places tied to folklore. Her three songs are Sharon Van Etten, Wilco and Sister Sledge, and her season is autumn, which always reminds her of her mum. You can find out more about In a Land here. You can find Bryony's website here. Follow In a Land on Instagram here. Follow Tom Shiels on Instagram here. And tickets for my Leeds show can be found here.

  2. 5d ago ·  Bonus

    Bonus episode: Apple tarts and apple sours

    In the first bonus episode of the Stories. Songs. Seasons. podcast, I ramble through Halloween memories from Derry, home to the biggest Halloween party in Europe. I talk about the apple tarts my granny made and the toffee apples that were a danger to teeth. I speak about an Elvis costume, my punk phase and the Scream mask that came down from the attic every year. There’s a near miss at a Revs gig in 2003, a night in Manchester with Glen Hansard, and a ghoulish story about a Christmas gift that ended a teenage relationship and inspired a song. Live event: Heart Headingley, December I’ll be playing songs and reading from my essay collection, Stories. Songs. Seasons. Tickets: https://storiessongsseasons.substack.com/p/stories-songs-seasons-live-event Video Glen Hansard playing “Fitzcarraldo” at the RNCM, Manchester, 31 October 2023: https://youtu.be/SoLxso3yI4Y?si=I9hgwDh7GZ5FOT5O Send in your stories, songs and seasons Bonus episodes are a chance to hear from you. Tell us your favourite stories, songs or season at stories.songs.seasons@gmail.com. Coming up A great line-up of guests is on the way between now and the end of the year. New conversations land every Friday on the main podcast. Enjoyed it? Follow, like and review on your podcast app. It really does help others find the show.

  3. Oct 30

    Harry Cleary - 'put your phone down and listen'

    Harry Cleary is a writer, Leeds United fan and Oasis super fan who works at Movember on reimagining masculinities. In this episode he talks about the 1975 European Cup final, Ripping Yarns and the debut novel he's written about his father. His songs cover David Bowie, the Stone Roses and Oasis, and his season is Spring. Along the way we talk about football as a language men use to say what they can’t say directly, and why Harry’s first small step for anyone wanting to talk, read or write more is to put the phone down and listen. You can find Harry's work on Substack here. And you can follow Harry on Instagram here. Tickets for my live show in Leeds on December 5th are available here. Send your favourite song, story, or season to stories.songs.seasons@gmail.com

  4. Oct 8

    Three more stories (bonus episodes are coming)

    This week it's just me, reading three pieces from the Stories. Songs. Seasons. archive. For the love of dogsGoldie, a golden Labrador who went to the shop by herself and ran up a bill. Coco, a Lhasa Apso who still gets his cups of tea. Rio, who slept at the bottom of the bed after my night shifts. And Marley, who turned up in my dad's house at the right time. The year I was stalked by Seamus Heaney's ghostIt started on what would have been Heaney's 85th birthday and carried on for months. Books, the radio, a portrait in the National Concert Hall bar, breakfast in Wicklow and a letter to Marie Heaney. A run of coincidences that got a bit out of hand. MoyaMoya Brennan died on the night of Monday 13 April. This one is part what I felt that night and part what I'd written about her the year before: a signed lyric sheet for "In a Lifetime" that arrived at my parents' house in 2006, and nights at Club Beo in Leo's Tavern. Mentioned in this episode Ómós Sheamuis, by Zoë Conway and John McIntyre"In a Lifetime", Clannad with BonoClub Beo, Leo's Tavern, GweedoreSeamus Heaney HomePlace, BellaghyOver Nine Waves by Marie HeaneyPreoccupations by Seamus Heaney Send me yoursI'd love to hear your own stories, songs or season. Write to me at stories.songs.seasons@gmail.com and tell me about a story that has stayed with you, a song that means something, or the season you love most. I'll read some of them out on the show. Bonus episodes start 1 NovemberFrom 1 November there will be a bonus episode as well as the Friday show. Your emails will help shape them. Read the written versionsAll three are on the Substack: storiessongsseasons.substack.com

  5. Oct 1

    David Toms - 'life can come first in life'

    This week on Stories. Songs. Seasons., I'm joined by poet and writer David Toms to talk about three stories, three songs, and one season. David grew up in Waterford, the youngest of six, and has lived in Norway since 2016. He's the author of the memoir Pacemaker and the new poetry collection Holdover Fire. His stories take us from a grand-uncle who led a 1960 Liverpool dock strike and was kept going in prison by seaweed wrapped in newspaper, to the age of sail in Master and Commander, to Joyce's "The Dead". His songs are from I Am Kloot, The National, and Saint Sister. His season is winter. FIND DAVID TOMS Holdover Fire (order here) Instagram: (follow here) MORE FROM STORIES. SONGS. SEASONS. Substack: https://storiessongsseasons.substack.com Follow Tom Shiels on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itstomshiels/ If you enjoyed the episode, a rating or a share helps the show reach more people.

  6. Sep 25

    Three stories

    A solo episode - three of my own stories This week's a bit different. Instead of speaking with a guest, I thought it was a good time for you to find out a bit more about me, so here's three stories I've written, read out loud. Read the full pieces: Tell Me There'll Be SaturdaysGrá Mór, JamieInternet Killed the Video Star Coming up:I've got a live show in Leeds on 5 December at Heart Headingley. Tickets: https://storiessongsseasons.substack.com/p/stories-songs-seasons-live-event Subscribe to Stories. Songs. Seasons. on Substack: storiessongsseasons.substack.com And find me on Instagram, the handle is @itstomshiels

  7. Sep 18

    Jackie Lynam - 'something cool will happen today'

    Jackie Lynam is a writer and librarian from Dublin who has been writing poetry since 2017. Lynam’s poems have been published in several journals and anthologies, and have been shortlisted for the Anthony Cronin International Short Poem Award and RTÉ’s The Prompt writing competition. Her writing has also featured in the Irish Independent and on RTÉ Radio 1’s Sunday Miscellany programme. Jackie’s debut chapbook Traces: Poems and Essays was published in 2023 and was longlisted for the Carousel AWARE Prize for Independently Published Authors. It was Alan Hanna’s bestselling poetry book in 2023.You can find out more about Jackie and grab a copy of her collection Traces here.  Listen to the songs we talked about on the Stories. Songs. Seasons. playlist here.  Follow Stories. Songs. Seasons. on Instagram here. And buy tickets to Tom Shiels live in Leeds on December 5th 2026 here.

  8. Sep 10

    Richard Walters - 'crying in the supermarket is underrated'

    What a way to kick off the podcast with Richard Walters. Richard is a critically acclaimed UK artist and Grammy nominated songwriter. As a solo artist, he has released five albums and four EP's since 2007. His music has featured on a number of TV shows including Grey's Anatomy, Netflix's After Life and CSI: Miami.As a songwriter and collaborator Richard has worked with an eclectic mix of artists including Grammy winner Joe Henry, British icon Alison Moyet, US alt-rock legends Semisonic, a number of key players in the electronic music world - including Deadmau5, Kaskade, and Sultan + Shepard - current UK poet laureate Simon Armitage (as part of the band LYR) and Oscar nominated actress and singer Florence Pugh. Collectively, his work has amassed well over 200 million streams. Recent commissions have included 'Blossomise' for The National Trust, the North-East Culture Awards winning 'Firm as a Rock' for Durham Brass festival 2022 & 2025, and a new piece for the BBC Proms 2025.Richard’s releases have gained notable support from Lauren Laverne and Guy Garvey at BBC 6 Music, Jo Whiley and Dermot O’Leary at BBC Radio 2, and a number of influential publications including The Guardian, The Line of Best Fit and Mojo Magazine. Find out more about what's going on with Richard by following him on Instagram. You can read the poem Eden Rock by Charles Causley here. Follow Tom Shiels on Instagram here. Get tickets for Stories. Songs. Seasons. Live at Heart Headingley in Leeds here.

  • 8 Episodes

About

We’re all made of stories, but they’re not always profound. It’s something your grandad told you. A song that takes you back to a road trip. The smell of smoke in the air in autumn or a saying that still pops into your head at the strangest times. Often, the smallest moments are where memories are made. In Stories. Songs. Seasons. the podcast, writer Tom Shiels sits down with a new guest every episode to talk about three stories that have shaped them, three songs that have moved them. And the season which most feels like home.

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