Kelley Deal

Kelley Deal

Author: BBC Radio 6 Music January 16, 2018 Duration: 30:09

Gemma Cairney continues The Leisure Society, a new series interviewing cultural icons, tastemakers, artists and musicians about their pastimes, hobbies, collections and loves beyond what they are known for. This week Gemma joins Kelley Deal lead guitarist with The Breeders, in a wool and craft shop, where she describes how she swapped her heroin habit for knitting. From her work with the Breeders and beyond, Deal has created powerful, inspiring rock music and served as a positive influence for young women looking to get into bands. She also won the 2017 Gibson Les Paul Award which honors guitar playing and innovation. During the programme she speaks about growing up with twin sister Kim Deal in Dayton Ohio, and how she once auditioned as drummer for her band the Pixies, leaving her job as a defense contractor with top-secret clearance to go on tour with Nirvana and being introduced to knitting through a support band.


Gemma Cairney hosts The Leisure Society with Gemma Cairney, a space where the usual interview format is gently set aside. Instead of focusing on career highlights or latest projects, conversations drift toward the quiet corners of a guest's life-the activities and passions that fill their time away from the spotlight. Produced by BBC Radio 6 Music, this podcast offers a series of warm, revealing chats with a wide range of cultural figures, from musicians and artists to writers and thinkers. You'll hear about forgotten hobbies, cherished collections, and the simple, often quirky loves that sustain them. It’s in these details-the model trains, the birdwatching, the obsessive book collecting-that a different portrait emerges, one of the person behind the public persona. Each episode feels like an invitation to pull up a chair and listen in on a conversation between friends, discovering the shared human need for play and curiosity. Tuning into this podcast provides a refreshing pause, a reminder that what we do for pure joy often tells the most interesting story of all.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 18

The Leisure Society with Gemma Cairney
Podcast Episodes
Kathy Burke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:08
Gemma joins Kathy Burke round at her house to talk about her love of television.
Bonnie Greer at the British Museum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:41
Gemma Cairney joins Bonnie Greer at one of her favourite places, the British Museum.
Ben Watt birdwatching [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:17
Gemma joins musician Ben Watt for a spot of birdwatching
Zawe Ashton on shopping [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:58
Actress Zawe Ashton joins Gemma Cairney to the talk about how she spends her leisure time shopping in retail parks and how these seemingly menial non-artistic places calms her. Born in Hackney in London, Zawe attended Ma…
Damon Albarn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:39
Gemma Cairney joins Damon Albarn for a chat about travel and adventure at his studios.
Kristin Hersh on snakes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:58
Throwing Muses frontwoman Kristin Hersh joins Gemma Cairney at the reptile house.
Sir Paul Smith on cycling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:44
Gemma Cairney is joined by fashion designer Paul Smith to discuss his love of bicycles.
Santigold on interior design [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:16
Santigold is the moniker of Philadelphia-born musician and producer Santi White. She released her debut album Santogold in 2008, followed by Master of My Make-Believe in 2012. She has since collaborated with the likes of…
Michael Stipe on photography [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:35
Gemma Cairney continues a new series of The Leisure Society, interviewing cultural icons, tastemakers, artists and musicians about their pastimes, hobbies, collections and loves beyond what they are known for. For this p…
Theresa from Warpaint on science [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:24
Gemma Cairney continues a new series of The Leisure Society, interviewing cultural icons, tastemakers, artists and musicians about their pastimes, hobbies, collections and loves beyond what they are known for. For this p…