Jen Thomas

There are several things that I love in life. Pizza, tattoos, writing, flamingos, woodland animals…..and radio.

Since January I’ve been presenting a show called The SRA Selector, and had interviews and guests such as Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, The Amazons, The Pale White, Counterfeit and many more, including local heroes HECK,the gloriously named Taco Hell and The Varletts.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BR1VsQMjEDA/

In November I was picked to present the SRA Selector, a student version of The Selector Radio show. The Selector is presented by the wonderful Goldierocks and created by Folded Wing and The British Music Council, broadcasting in 40+ countries around the world, and 6 of us were chosen to create our own version of it.

There’s a video here about the SRA Awards (I’ll do another post about that soon) and a bit more about the SRA Selector.

The show specialises in British new music, and at least 50% of our playlist each week was chosen from their playlist. Mine was more like 50-75% each week as I loved the songs!

In January we headed down to the Folded Wing HQ in Hackney for two days of training. There were Q&A’s with Goldierocks and Monki from Radio 1, as well as learning about live sessions, planning our shows, creating sounds and much more. It was a brilliant few days, getting to see performances from Otzeki and Happyness, before pairing up to present a live show on the last day.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BO7pedODh4_/

I started my show the week after, on January 15th, and I genuinely have no idea where time has gone! 11 shows in total, and interviews with: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, The Amazons, The Pale White, Counterfeit, Vukovi and Into The Ark.

There were special guests in the studio most weeks, with some of the best musical talent the East Midlands has to offer: Matt Reynolds from HCBP/HECK, Rich List, Taco Hell, The Shrives, Eva Plays Dead plus live sessions from The Varletts and Rob Green.

Dean Jackson from The Beat/BBC Introducing East Midlands dropped in for a chat about the scene and share his wealth of knowledge.

The show was initially one hour long, but halfway through I was able to get an extra hour so was able to showcase even more great music. Have a look for the hashtag #SRAselector on Instagram and Twitter to see what we’ve all been up to!

WIN a signed @counterfeitrock poster. To enter: follow me & retweet this. Winner announced 8pm Sun on #SRAselector https://t.co/UL6yT0zHS7 pic.twitter.com/zmLe1j6hTX

— Jen Thomas (@JournoJenThomas) March 21, 2017

Every week I tried to include some of the incredible local musicians we have in Nottingham and the East Midlands, as well as some of my favourite new rock and metal bands that I felt were a good fit alongside the Selector and Folded Wing’s playlist.

I discovered many brilliant new artists, and invited my studio guests to do a “take over” and pick some of their favourite new bands too as they often have friends in bands and have an ear to the ground to find the best talent first, from playing gigs with them.

It wasn’t all heavy rock though, with the beautifully soulful sounds of Rob Green in session, to interviewing reality tv stars Into The Ark who made it to the final of The Voice with their incredible vocals, I made sure to mix things up.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQV89bLFFy5/
It was often eclectic, but I’ve had a fantastic three months and I’m sad that it has finished! The final show was a hectic one, with the Counterfeit interview and giving away a signed poster, with hundreds of tweets and messages coming in from their dedicated fanbase.

It’s been a wild ride and I’ve learned so much, a huge thanks to all at Folded Wing, The Selector and The British Music Council.

See below for links to every show that I did, as well as the full tracklistings for each show.

All eleven of the shows can be found here: Mixcloud Shows

15/01/2017 – The debut show

• 1 Wild Flowers by Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes
• 2 Bubblegum by Mystery Jets
• 3 One Drop by Be Charlotte
• 4 Heart & Soul by L.A Spring
• 5 Saint Claude (Tourist Remix) by Christine and The Queens
• 6 Enough by Counterfeit
• 7 Totem by Heck
• 8 Bootcut Jimmy The G by Hooton Tennis Club
• 9 More To You by As December Falls
• 10 No Care by Daughter
• 11 In My Mind Without Moving (Session) by Wovoka Gentle
• 12 When Cameron Was In Egypt’s Land by Wovoka Gentle
• 13 Little Something by The Amazons
• 14 Kevin by Cabbage

22/01/2017 – The one with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

• 1 Enemy Lines by The Pigeon Detectives
• 2 Risk To Exist by Maximo Park
• 3 One Drop by Be Charlotte
• 4 Sand Drone by Eat Fast
• 5 Honey by Bryde
• 6 Wild by Trudy & The Romance
• 7 For The Thrill Of It by Counterfeit
• 8 Strange Or Be Forgotten by Temples
• 9 Totem by Heck
• 10 B.H.S by Sleaford Mods
• 11 Husbands by Savages
• 12 Back To Black by Amy Winehouse
• 13 Wild Flowers by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
  
  

29/01/2017 The one with Matt Reynolds from HECK

• 1 Risk To Exist by Maximo Park
• 2 Burn This Place by Vex Red
• 3 You Don’t Get It by Harlea
• 4 Heart & Soul by L.A Spring
• 5 Cake by FREAK
• 6 Good As Dead by HECK
• 7 MISSISSIPPI by Jamie Lenman
• 8 Hold This by The Big Moon
• 9 E.T by Screech Bats
• 10 The Patriot by HCBP
• 11 All The Love by Rich List

05/02/2017 The one with Rich List in the studio and Theme Park session tracks

• 1 Bad Bohemian by British Sea Power
• 2 Darkjewel by Gallops
• 3 Risk To Exist by Maximo Park
• 4 Resolution by Desperate Journalist
• 5 What It Feels Like by Bruising
• 6 Two Hearts by NZCA Lines
• 7 Music Is The Answer by Joe Goddard
• 8 Cry Baby by Fickle Friends
• 9 Esha Ness by Rich List
• 10 Common Things by Little Comets
• 11 Hotel Motivation by Pulled Apart By Horses
• 12 The Patriot by HCBP
• 13 Lost For Words by Betraying The Martyrs
• 14 You Don’t Get It by Harlea
• 15 Mississippi by Jamie Lenman
• 16 Already Dead by Otzeki
• 17 I’d Do Anything (Session Tracks) by Theme Park
• 18 LA (Is stealing my friends) by Theme Park
• 19 I Recollect by Living Body
• 20 Bones by Eva Plays Dead
• 21 Just Don’t by Our Mother
• 22 My Ghost by Into The Ark
• 23 Hold This by The Big Moon
• 24 Never Never by Phobophobes

12/02/2017 The one with the Into The Ark interview and Otzeki session tracks

• 1 Gentle Storm by Elbow
• 2 My Ghost by Into The Ark
• 3 Fire That Burns by Circa Waves
• 4 For The Thrill Of It by Counterfeit
• 5 Reaction by The Pale White
• 6 Hiding With Boys by Creeper
• 7 Champion by Slow Club
• 8 Hotel Motivation by Pulled Apart By Horses
• 9 Was It Really Worth It? by The Sherlocks
• 10 Brightest Creatures by Into The Ark
• 11 Already Dead (session track) by Otzeki
• 12 Falling Out (session track) by Otzeki
• 13 KICK IT by The Shrives

19/02/2017 The one with The Shrives

• 1 Black Magic by The Amazons
• 2 KICK IT by The Shrives
• 3 Less by Bryde
• 4 City Of Sin by The Varletts
• 5 Fire That Burns by Circa Waves
• 6 Snake Tongue by BABE PUNCH
• 7 Reaction by The Pale White
• 8 Oh! Darling by The Beatles
• 9 All This Time by Otzeki
• 10 Meat On My Bones by Bad Sounds
• 11 Don’t Sweat It by Hannah Lou Clarke
• 12 How Can I Compete by The Magic Gang
  

26/02/2017 The one with Taco Hell

• 1 Black Rain by Creeper
• 2 Big Picture by London Grammar
• 3 Comatosed by Borders
• 4 Red by Grumble Bee
• 5 Reaction by The Pale White
• 6 Fire That Burns by Circa Waves
• 7 Less by Bryde
• 8 CANDY BAR by Sit Down
• 9 Don’t Sweat It by Hannah Lou Clarke
• 10 All This Time by Otzeki
• 11 Hotel Motivation by Pulled Apart By Horses
• 12 Control by Tigercub
• 13 Strangle Of Anna by The Moonlandingz
• 14 Hold The Door by Taco Hell
• 15 Past/Future by Brightlight City
• 16 Eulogy by Kermes
• 17 Whippoorwill by Clock Opera
• 18 Autopilot by Happy Accidents
• 19 Boyfriend by Marika Hackman
• 20 Honeypot by Cherry Hex & The Dream Church
• 21 We Were Young by Austeros
• 22 Tired As by The Staves
• 23 Genocide by Hometruths
• 24 Best Friend by Rex Orange County

05/03/2017 Notts special with Dean Jackson, Matt from HECK & Rob Green session

• 1 Black Magic by The Amazons
• 2 Reaction by The Pale White
• 3 Once Before My Dear by Sawyer
• 4 Hold The Door by Taco Hell
• 5 Less by Bryde
• 6 Alright by One Giant Causeway
• 7 Magnified by Kagoule
• 8 The Big Picture by London Grammar
• 9 On Track (Live Session) by Rob Green
• 10 Blue (Live Session) by Rob Green
• 11 Don’t Sweat It by Hannah Lou Clarke
• 12 The Patriot by HCBP
• 13 Beach by Will Joseph Cook
• 14 Control by Tigercub
• 15 Battenburg by Autumn Diet Plans
• 16 Petrichor by Tall Ships
• 17 2.36am by Grey Hairs
• 18 Tired As by The Staves
• 19 Totem by HECK
• 20 Boyfriend by Marika Hackman
• 21 Black Slug by Church Of The Cosmic Skull
• 22 What You Want by ZUZU

12/03/2017 the one with Eva Plays Dead in the studio plus interviews with The Amazons and The Pale White.

• 1 Vampires by Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes
• 2 Leaving You Behind by Clean Cut Kid
• 3 Spin by Eva Plays Dead
• 4 If Nothing Breaks, Nothing Moves by Arcane Roots
• 5 By Your Side by The 1975
• 6 Had Enough by Lower Than Atlantis
• 7 Hope Lasts by Hannah Peel
• 8 Nerve by Don Broco
• 9 Beach by Will Joseph Cook
• 10 Hang ‘Em High by Black Peaks
• 11 Control by Tiger Cub
• 12 Wild Flowers by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
• 13 Sucker by The Big Moon
• 14 Heavy and Ephemeral by Brooke Bentham
• 15 Long Lost Nobody (Live Session) by L.A Salami
• 16 The Patriot by HCBP
• 17 Black Magic by The Amazons
• 18 Endless Memory by The Lightning Year
• 19 Less by Bryde
• 20 I’ll Tell You Why by L.A Salami
• 21 What You Want by ZUZU
• 22 Reaction by The Pale White
• 23 Petrichor by Tall Ships
• 24 La Di Da by Vukovi

19/03/2017 the one with The Varletts live session.

• 1 Oxygen by Catfish & The Bottlemen
• 2 Leaving You Behind by Clean Cut Kid
• 3 Fever Dream (live session) by The Varletts
• 4 In Loving Memory (live session) by The Varletts
• 5 Mint & Marigold (live session) by The Varletts
• 6 By Your Side by The 1975
• 7 Black Magic by The Amazons
• 8 Comatosed by Borders
• 9 Totem by HECK
• 10 As Yet Untitled by Counterfeit
• 11 Away With The Night by Prides
• 12 What You Want by ZUZU
• 13 Toronto by Tusks

26/03/2017 the one with the Counterfeit interview and highlights.

• 1 As Yet Untitled by Counterfeit
• 2 Oxygen by Catfish & The Bottlemen
• 3 A Sign by Charlotte Hatherley
• 4 By Your Side by The 1975
• 5 Black Magic by The Amazons
• 6 Three Worn Words by Alt-J
• 7 Goodbye by Circa Waves
• 8 Mint & Marigold by The Varletts
• 9 For The Thrill Of It by Counterfeit
• 10 Be Kind by Desperate Journalist
• 11 Through Windows by Happyness
• 12 Brightest Creatures by Into The Ark
• 13 Leaving You Behind by Clean Cut Kid
• 14 A Love Song by SONS
• 15 The Patriot by HCBP
• 16 Death Surf A52 by Unqualified Nurse Band
• 17 Black Rain by Creeper
• 18 Hope Lasts by Hannah Peel
• 19 Blue by Rob Green
• 20 Sucker by The Big Moon
• 21 Vampires by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
• 22 Away With The Night by Prides
• 23 Enough by Counterfeit
• 24 The Hills by All The People
• 25 Mahal Kita by Emmy The Great