Twenty-five years after their final album, XTC continue to inspire new generations of musicians. In this episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, Grammy Award-winning songwriter Madison Cunningham talks about finding inspiration in River of Orchids, 1000 Umbrellas and Easter Theatre.

The musician also talks about her love of a riff, lyrical ambiguity and following her musical instincts.

Madison Cunningham

Madison Cunningham, Jacob Collier and Chris Thile covering XTC's River of Orchids

This month’s song is by Stephen Dahill

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

How much further up the charts would Senses Working Overtime have climbed if the sleeve had been made of heavier material? What does the finish on the cover of Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down tell us about its sales?

In this edition of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, we explore the fascinating relationship between XTC and cardboard in the company of Professor Penelope Letterhead…

Oh, and it is also 40 years since the Dukes of Stratosphear released 25 O’Clock.

You have been listening to:

Boy:48

The Ephemera

David Feltham

Fog99horn (Ed Stainsby)

Innocents Abroad

Pond Yacht (James Hollingworth)

Simon Russell

XTeeHee

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

To commemorate the death of Rick Buckler on 17 February 2025, this episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast features an interview the drummer did with a group of XTC fans and fellow musicians in March 2018.

Buckler recorded Sound Affects with the Jam at the same time as XTC were working on Black Sea and, indeed, he joined in with the clapping on Don’t Lose Your Temper.

Recorded for What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book, the conversation ranges from musicianship to studio techniques, from session drummers to formative influences, from home-made kits to ride cymbals.

Joining Buckler around the table in 2018 were Mark Fisher, Mark Thomas, Andy Rankin, Laurie Langan, Sarah Palmer, Rohan Onraet, and Louis Barfe.

Music by Keith McTaggart.

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Photograph: © Allison Burke

Darryl Bullock was a massive fan of XTC, an avid record collector and one of the tireless organisers of the online and in-person XTC fan conventions. He died, way too young, on 23 December 2024.

He was such a pillar of the fan community that this month’s episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast is dedicated to him – with thoughts especially for his husband Niall Milligan.

As well as tributes from those who knew him, the podcast features a previously unreleased interview Darryl did with the artist Ken White at the XTC fan convention in Swindon in 2022. Ken painted several murals around Swindon, including the much missed Swindon celebrities mural, as well as painting the backdrop for the cover of XTC’s Black Sea.

Music from Dan Barrow.

Darryl Bullock links:

• Love and Fury: The Life, Death and Legacy of Joe Meek is published in the UK by Omnibus on 13 March 2025
• Blog
• The World’s Worst Records
• XTC collection
• On collecting
• Interviewing John Leckie
• On XTC from an LGBTQI+ perspective

Dan Barrow and The Florida Recounts

Ken White: Muralist and Painter, Amberley Publishing

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

In this edition of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, we go behind the scenes to see how deals get signed, press releases get written and records get released. Joining us are Ronnie Gurr, who went from producing a punk fanzine to working in the Virgin press office; Mike Smith, who signed Andy Partridge to Warner Chappell Music as a songwriter; Ben Wardle, who paved the way for one of the collaborations between Andy and Stephen Duffy; and Youie Mourra, who got tantalisingly close to releasing a series of XTC retrospective collections.

Music from Jordan Cooper

XTC photos in Hanging Around Books

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Illustration of Andy Partridge by Mike Smith

In the second of a special two-part edition of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, supporters on Patreon ask questions they had always wanted Andy Partridge to answer that he never gets asked.

The challenge was to come up with questions that would surprise, delight and generally intrigue the XTC frontman. They do not disappoint!

The results take us on a fascinating journey from the Beatles to broccoli, from Fireball XL5 to The Last Balloon – and beyond.

Music from Chris Badley and Foolish Men.

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Ace remixer Steven Wilson has already given XTC’s 1986 album Skylarking a 5.1 surround sound makeover and now he has gone one step further with a mix in whizzy new Dolby Atmos, which means those glorious sounds come at you from every direction – including above.

This episode of What Do You Call that Noise? The XTC Podcast heads to the L-Acoustics studio in North London for a playback session of the new mix in the company of XTC guitarist Dave Gregory and Steven Wilson.

Additional commentary from Jonathan Jacques. Bonus questions by Yvonne Wootton.

Music from Kenny Alton.

L-Acoustics website

Steven Wilson website

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

In the first of a special two-part edition of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, supporters on Patreon ask questions they had always wanted Andy Partridge to answer that he never gets asked.

The challenge was to come up with questions that would surprise, delight and generally intrigue the XTC frontman. They do not disappoint!

The results take us on a fascinating journey from the Beatles to broccoli, from Fireball XL5 to The Last Balloon – and beyond.

Music from Terry Arnett and Planet Sunday.

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.