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The Shanty Show

Pressgang Mutiny

32 episodes

2 weeks ago

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 ...

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Music Interviews

Places & Travel,

Society & Culture,

Music Commentary

All content for The Shanty Show is the property of Pressgang Mutiny and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

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 ...

Show more...

Music Interviews

Places & Travel,

Society & Culture,

Music Commentary

Episodes (20/32)

The Shanty Show

31. "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 ...

2 weeks ago

1 hour 2 minutes

The Shanty Show

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: Ra...

5 months ago

1 hour 13 minutes

The Shanty Show

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 ...

6 months ago

33 minutes

The Shanty Show

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 th...

6 months ago

39 minutes

The Shanty Show

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.

6 months ago

21 minutes

The Shanty Show

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 o...

1 year ago

1 hour 2 minutes

The Shanty Show

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.

1 year ago

1 hour 2 minutes

The Shanty Show

25. LIVE: Jack Coutts of Stormalong John at the Paimpol Festival de Chants du Marin en Bretagne

Jack Coutts is a member of the legendary shanty group Stormalong John. We sat down with Jack and his daughter Hannah aboard the Pilgrim at the world's largest sea music festival in Paimpol, Brittany for a chat and a sing in between sets. We discuss the origins of the band, what it was like touring in Poland in the 80s behind the iron curtain, and performing with Stan Hugill. And of course we get some singing in too! ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Live song: Pique la baleine, trad. arranged by Press...

2 years ago

28 minutes

The Shanty Show

24. LIVE: Jim Mageean at Whitby Folk Week

As part of our European tour, we stopped in at Whitby Folk Week to do a few concerts and sit down with our favourite shanty singer, Jim Mageean, or “Shanty Jim”. In a wide-ranging chat with plenty of singing and a wonderful live audience, we discuss the burgeoning shanty scene in Poland, Jim's 1983 victory with Johnny Collins at the Eastern Bloc's answer to Eurovision, the growing consensus around the true origins of shanties, and much more! It's a conversation we won't soon forget. ⚓︎ Shant...

2 years ago

1 hour 15 minutes

The Shanty Show

23. LIVE: David Jones and Jos Morneault at the Connecticut Sea Music Festival

We're back with another special live episode, recorded in front of an audience at St. John's Church as part of the Connecticut Sea Music Festival. Our guests this time are David Jones and Joseph Morneault. David is a stalwart of the shanty scene in the North East US, moving there from London in 1965 and becoming deeply involved with the NYC folk music scene. He sings solo and with many acts including The Starboard List, The Bermuda Quadrangle, Poor Old Horse, and The New York Pa...

2 years ago

44 minutes

The Shanty Show

22. A Shanty Show Special: Brise-Glace at the Fundy Sea Shanty Festival

Brise-Glace (Icebreaker) is a Montreal-based quartet who sing maritime folk from Quebec, the Canadian Maritimes, Brittany and North America. Comprised of Quebecers Jean-Francois and Antoine and Bretons Gwenn and Alexandre, they have a fascinating take on shanties as an international music and one that intersects many other musical genres. They're also the hosts of (...ahem) the world's second most popular shanty podcast, “Bordel de Mer”, which you should definitely check out. We had the chanc...

2 years ago

46 minutes

The Shanty Show

21. A Shanty Show Special: Chris Ricketts LIVE at the Fundy Sea Shanty Festival

In our first ever LIVE episode, we took the stage in front of the wonderful Fundy Sea Shanty Festival audience to sing some songs and chat all things shanty with UK singer-songwriter-shantyman Chris Ricketts. We hear all about how he first fell in love with shanties, his time performing on cruise ships, as well as his approach to arranging and song-writing that came to life most recently on his album Songs in the Key of Sea. Chris' self-deprecating sense of humour and beautiful singing voice ...

2 years ago

46 minutes

The Shanty Show

20. "The Voyage is Done" with Martin Hugill

SEASON 1 FINALE: Canadian shanty singers Pressgang Mutiny talk to Martin Hugill the son of "the last shantyman" Stan Hugill who authored the seminal shanty tome Shanties from the Seven Seas. Martin is also a talented musician and singer in his own right, performing in a shanty duo with his brother Phil and with the concert and ceilidh band Canol. In this episode, we explore Stan's life story (including multiple shipwrecks and careers!), challenge some commonly held myths about the man, and he...

3 years ago

1 hour 17 minutes

The Shanty Show

19. "Translates from Polish" with Michał Gramatyka of Perły i Łotry

Michał is a member of the Polish shanty group Perły i Łotry and a sitting Member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. Shanties play a special role in the Polish music scene, which is surprising given the country is largely land-locked! Michał talks to us all about how shanties came to be so popular in his country and what makes shanty singing in Poland different from anywhere else in the world. We also get his on-the-ground perspective on the war in neighbouring Ukraine. ⚓︎ Shanties feature...

3 years ago

38 minutes

The Shanty Show

18. "Adequate!" with JD of the Longest Johns

Jon “JD” Darley is a member of the chart-topping shanty group The Longest Johns, based out of Bristol, UK. Their rendition of “Wellerman” went viral on TikTok in the early days of 2021 and launched them into stardom. But even prior to that, The Longest Johns were innovating new ways to reach new audiences with their music online. In this episode, we talk to Jon about the whirlwind of the last two years, how they have blended their love of traditional music with their love of video gaming, and...

3 years ago

1 hour 1 minute

The Shanty Show

17. "I was the loose cannon in the middle" with Heather Wood

Heather Wood first rose to fame as part of the legendary 60s traditional vocal harmony group The Young Tradition, alongside Peter Bellamy and Royston Wood. In this episode, Heather shares her story from deciding to leave the army to take up singing, through the formation of the YT, her adventures around the world including singing with Janis Joplin at the Newport Folk Festival, and Peter’s suicide and legacy. Heather is an inspiration, and a very fine singer, songwriter, and storyteller indee...

3 years ago

55 minutes

The Shanty Show

16. "This is a Shanty Family" with Kimber's Men

Kimber's Men are shanty legends. John, Neil, Gareth, and Steve joined us from Gareth's kitchen in West Yorkshire to sing a few songs and have more than a few laughs. We talk about how they got their start, some of their biggest highlights and fondest memories, and the joys of singing together. After 20 years, 4 albums, and hundreds of concerts there's not much they haven't seen or sung! ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Opening credits: Paddy Doyle's Boots, trad. arranged by Pressgang Muti...

3 years ago

59 minutes

The Shanty Show

15. "Creating community by singing together" with Ian Robb and James Stephens

Ian Robb and James Stephens are singers and musicians based near Ottawa who have had a front row seat to the evolution of the Canadian folk music and sea music communities since the ‘70s and have played with groups such as The Friends of Fiddler’s Green and Finest Kind. They have just released a new album, Declining with Thanks that contains a mix of traditional and composed songs and, of course, some songs of the sea. In this wide-ranging episode, we explore the ever-present and timely theme...

3 years ago

1 hour 3 minutes

The Shanty Show

14. "Announcing the Fundy Sea Shanty Festival" with Gary Caines

In August of 2022, St. Martin's, NB will host the very first Fundy Sea Shanty Festival. Featuring concerts, workshops, children's programming, and even a pirate march, the Festival will be the only shanty festival in Eastern Canada. Gary Caines is the principal organizer of the Festival and is also member of shanty group Before the Mast. In this episode, he talks to us about how the idea for the Festival came about, what he's hoping it will achieve, and his ambition to grow the Festival to th...

3 years ago

41 minutes

The Shanty Show

13. "One life is not enough to know all of it" with Miguel Perez of El Pony Pisador

Miguel Perez is a singer and multi-instrumentalist and a member of El Pony Pisador. Based out of Barcelona, El Pony have been making waves in the shanty world with their irreverent and fun interpretations on classic shanties, including on their latest album "It's Never Too Late for Shanties". Miguel talks to us about how the group first found shanties, how they've been received in their native Catalonia, the way they play with musical inspiration from other genres as wide-ranging as ragtime a...

3 years ago

57 minutes