Hi there, Simon and Brian here, welcoming you to another edition of Sode Jerker on songwriting.

Joining us for episode 317 is an English singer and songwriter, best known as founder and ever-present frontman of The The.

A true maverick of British music, he has a brand new book, Hot Off the Presses entitled Cognitive Dissident, co-authored with

his good friend Jason Wood, it's an engrossing, conversational journey through his highly eventful

and feverishly creative life. It's our great pleasure to welcome the brilliant Matt Johnson to the show.

Our guest was born in Walthamstow, East London, in 1961, and spent his early years living above

his parents' pub the

two puddings in Stratford. The family later moved to rural Suffolk, then to Essex,

where the 11-year-old, and increasingly music-obsessed Matt, formed his first band,

the glam rock-inspired Roadstar, and began writing his own songs.

He left school at 15, intent on getting his foot in the door of the music business,

and eventually got himself a job as a gopher at DeWolf Music in the heart of London's Soho.

Over time, he learned the studio ropes, rose through the ranks to assistant engineer,

and was even able to work on his own material during downtime.

It was during this formative period that the concept for the the, the took shape,

Matt's experimental DIY approach taking its cues from the prevailing post-punk ethos of the time.

In 1979, the same year the band gave their first live performance, Matt's limited edition

cassette album, C Without Being Seen, brought him to the attention of the 4 AD label,

who would ultimately issue his 1981 debut solo

LP, Burning Blue Soul. Two years later, the excellent follow-up, Soul Mining, was the first to be

released under the banner of The The, and boasted such imperishable songs as This Is the Day,

Giant, and of course the shimmering uncertain smile, which features what is surely

...