And the Hello there and welcome to Soda Jaker on songwriting. This is Simon, joined as ever by Brian, and with us for episode

258 is a singer-songwriter and musician best known as the principal creative force behind,

not to mention founder and frontman of, celebrated Irish power popper's Pugwash

and one half of the Duckworth Lewis method.

Across the three decade career he's collaborated with the legs of Neil Hanen, Ray Davies,

Michael Penn, Ben Folds, Matt Berry and Andy Partridge,

and his winning melodies of one in the admiration of such luminaries as Brian Wilson and his

hero Jeff Lynn.

As this episode hits the Feeds, he's just dropped his first official solo album

the self-produced the rest is history and what a tuneful beautifully crafted thing it is

which will come as no surprise to anyone already familiar with this fellow's output.

We are chuffed to welcome the excellent Thomas Walsh to the show.

Thomas was born in 1969 in the suburb of Drimnet in Dublin.

He developed his love for Classic Pop songcraft at an early age,

devouring what he heard on the TV and radio,

his parents Gilbert O'Sullivan, Slade and Roywood L.P.'s,

and the Alsteward, Mike Oldfield, Queen, and perhaps most significantly E. L.O records he plundered from his elder brothers collections.

His heart duly set on a career in music. Thomas first learned the drums while still in single digits, then picked up the guitar at around the age of 15.

His first songs followed not too long after that, and Thomas later used the compensation from a childhood

cycling accident to set up a four-track recording studio in his parents'

garden shed?

Inspired by Andy Partridge's shed, exploits perhaps?

...