Tim Wheeler on Ash’s 1977 at 30, Girl From Mars & Coming of Age at 19 (#292)
Release Date: 07/14/2026
LE BOOM on Immersive Shows, Irish Identity & Community (#294)
The XS Noize Podcast
LE BOOM’s Christy Leech joins Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast ahead of the duo’s 360° immersive floor show at Limelight 1, Belfast. Christy explains how secret raves and unconventional venues inspired LE BOOM to perform in the middle of the audience, removing the separation between the band and the crowd. He also recalls an unforgettable show on a boat in Sydney Harbour and discusses the community that has developed around LE BOOM’s live performances. The conversation explores Christy’s creative partnership with his brother Andy, combining electronic music with spoken word, and...
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The XS Noize Podcast
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Tim Wheeler on Ash’s 1977 at 30, Girl From Mars & Coming of Age at 19 (#292)
The XS Noize Podcast
Tim Wheeler joins Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast to discuss Ash’s landmark debut album 1977, its 30th Anniversary Edition, “Girl From Mars,” “Goldfinger,” Owen Morris, young fame, Northern Ireland and taking the album back out on the road. Originally released in 1996, 1977 turned Ash from teenage upstarts from Downpatrick into one of the defining guitar bands of the era. Featuring “Girl From Mars,” “Goldfinger,” “Kung Fu,” “Oh Yeah,” “Angel Interceptor” and “Lose Control,” the album captured a young band moving at full speed — melodic, noisy, chaotic...
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Tony Visconti on David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Thin Lizzy & Blackstar (#291)
The XS Noize Podcast
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Rosa Walton on ‘Tell Me It’s A Dream,’ Let’s Eat Grandma and Cyberpunk 2077 (#290)
The XS Noize Podcast
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Dea Matrona on ‘Hate That I Care,’ Self-Producing and Creative Independence (#289)
The XS Noize Podcast
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The XS Noize Podcast
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The Hoosiers on New Album ‘Compassion,’ Toxicity & Finding Joy Again (#287)
The XS Noize Podcast
In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Irwin Sparkes and Alan Sharland from The Hoosiers to discuss their new album Compassion, the toxicity that inspired it, and how the band found joy, self-belief and purpose again. The band first broke through in 2007 with their debut album The Trick to Life, featuring huge singles including “Worried About Ray” and “Goodbye Mr A.” But this conversation is not just about looking back. It is about where The Hoosiers are now — creatively, personally and emotionally. Irwin and Alan talk about making Compassion, the ideas...
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Robert Arkins on The Commitments, Jimmy Rabbitte and Life After the Film (#286)
The XS Noize Podcast
In this episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Robert Arkins, best known to millions as Jimmy Rabbitte in Alan Parker’s classic 1991 film The Commitments. Robert looks back on life before the film, his musical roots, fronting his own band Housebroken, and how his sister first introduced him to Roddy Doyle’s book. He reflects on why he initially saw The Commitments as a possible distraction from his music, before becoming the face and voice of one of the most beloved music films ever made. In this warm and honest conversation, Robert talks about working with Alan Parker,...
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Nerina Pallot on 25 Years of Music and Why Hope Still Matters (#285)
The XS Noize Podcast
Nerina Pallot joins Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast to discuss 25 years of music, her new career-spanning collection Fire Escape Symphonies: The Best of Nerina Pallot, and the songs, fans and experiences that have shaped her journey. In this episode, Nerina reflects on looking back across her catalogue, the emotional weight of “Everybody’s Gone To War,” taking an anti-war song onto Top of the Pops, and why she now hears some of her early songs differently after years of distance. She also talks about not fitting neatly into pop or indie, trusting her instincts, writing for Kylie...
info_outlineTim Wheeler joins Mark Millar on the XS Noize Podcast to discuss Ash’s landmark debut album 1977, its 30th Anniversary Edition, “Girl From Mars,” “Goldfinger,” Owen Morris, young fame, Northern Ireland and taking the album back out on the road.
Originally released in 1996, 1977 turned Ash from teenage upstarts from Downpatrick into one of the defining guitar bands of the era. Featuring “Girl From Mars,” “Goldfinger,” “Kung Fu,” “Oh Yeah,” “Angel Interceptor” and “Lose Control,” the album captured a young band moving at full speed — melodic, noisy, chaotic and full of life.
In this conversation, Tim reflects on what it feels like to see 1977 turn 30, why the album still belongs to both the band and the fans, and how Ash managed to stay together when so many bands from that era did not.
Tim also looks back on working with producer Owen Morris, who brought energy, chaos and confidence to the sessions. He talks about recording “Kung Fu,” “Angel Interceptor,” “Girl From Mars” and “Goldfinger,” how Owen pushed the band in the studio, and why “Goldfinger” became such a major step forward for Ash as songwriters.
The episode also explores the new 30th Anniversary Edition of 1977, including the B-sides, the long-lost track “Bittersweet Blue,” the band’s live STABAL performance, and why the B-sides from that era might be the strangest Ash album of all.
Elsewhere, Tim opens up about the pressure of becoming successful at 19, having a number one album, appearing on Top of the Pops, touring the world, and trying to deal with the mental and emotional weight of dreams coming true while everything was moving too fast.
Tim also discusses the Northern Irish identity in Ash’s music, the humour, melancholy and resilience that helped carry the band through, the emotional pull of playing Belfast, and why the 1977 anniversary tour feels like a celebration rather than simple nostalgia.
At its heart, this episode is about youth, friendship, pressure, survival, guitar music, and a record that became a coming-of-age story for both Ash and their fans.
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