The Keyboard Chronicles

Richard Barbieri is best known as the keyboardist for the pioneering British new wave band Japan, as a core member of the progressive rock group Porcupine Tree and a successful artist in his own right. He is known for his unique approach to synthesis, atmospheric sound design, and textural playing style. Richard chats with us on his career to date, his distinct approach to creating sounds, and a great deal more.

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In this episode we speak with Christian Dinh Gulino, a UK-based keyboard player and musical director covering everything from pop tours to video game soundtracks. Aside from his arranging and production work for Square Enix Music, he has extensively toured with artists such as Bryan Ferry, Kylie Minogue and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, alongside a long-standing working relationship with Will Young. We chat on all that and more, including s...

John Linnell is one half of  They Might Be Giants, an American alternative rock band formed in Brooklyn, New York, in 1982. The group is known for their unique blend of alternative rock, experimental pop, and highly unconventional songwriting. John chats with us on his career to date, recent album The World Is To Dig and a great deal more.

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Mark ‘Squeezebox Wally’ Wallace is an Australian-based accordion and keyboard player, who for more than forty years has played around the world with a range of outfits including Weddings Parties Anything and Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission.  We cover a lot of that career, in addition to some discussion on accordions in contemporary music, some great desert island disc selections and a whole bunch more.

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Julian Emery is a UK-based songwriter, producer, and guitarist whose credits include work with artists such as Nothing But Thieves, McFly, and Lissie. This episode is a little different as Julian doesn’t play keyboards himself, but he joins the show to share his unique perspective from the producer’s chair and offers some interesting thoughts on the role keyboard players play in songs.

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Geoff Downes returns for his second appearance on the show, having originally joined us back on Episode 38. While his extensive history with Yes is well documented, this time around we focus specifically on the band’s latest album, Aurora. Geoff covers a lot of ground in this interview, and we take the opportunity to delve into his current approach to songwriting and his performance on the new record.

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Scottie Miller is an American keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and producer based in Minneapolis. Known for his blues- and roots-influenced playing style, Scottie has spent years on the road as the long-time musical director and keyboardist for Ruthie Foster. He’s also worked with Bo Diddley and Johnnie Johnson to name just two others. Alongside his work as an MD, he has maintained a steady solo career, releasing 13 albums&mda...

Danny Silverston is an American keyboardist and founding member of the Boston-based soul-pop band Couch. Known for his warm, jazz- and funk-influenced playing style, Danny has been an integral part of the seven-piece group’s collaborative writing and production process since their formation in 2018. He recently played on the band’s 2025 debut full-length album, Big Talk, and continues to tour extensively with them acros...

Paul Furness is a keyboard player and multi-instrumentalist who serves as a founding member of Brisbane indie rock mainstays Ball Park Music. Since forming the group during a university class assignment in 2008, Paul has spent nearly two decades helping anchor their melodic and eclectic sound, layering essential synthesizer textures, piano, and occasional trombone across eight studio albums. From their acclaimed debut Happiness and...

Michael Stephen Brown is a versatile American pianist and composer best known for his solo performances, rich chamber music collaborations, and unique original works. Bridging the gap between world-class piano playing and storytelling, he has recently released his debut album of all-original music, Twelve Blocks. Showcasing his distinct creative voice, the deeply personal project features...

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Peter Dasent is an incredibly versatile pianist, composer, and musical director best known for his long tenure as the resident keyboardist on ABC’s Play School, a role he has held for over two decades. While he is well known for his daily on-set improvisations for children, his impressive resume also includes leading his chamber-jazz ensemble...

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Peter Sandberg is a Swedish neo-classical and electronic pianist and composer based in Uppsala. Known for his minimalist, felt-piano compositions and atmospheric textures, he has released several acclaimed albums including Motion, Återvända, and Midnattssol. Beyond his solo work, Sandberg’s music has reached a wide audience through high-profile placements in television series such as Stranger Things,...

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Erik Deutsch is an American keyboard player currently touring with The Black Crowes. While he is well known for his extensive live and session work—including time spent with Leftover Salmon and Charlie Hunter—Erik is also a dedicated solo artist with a diverse catalogue of original jazz and funk releases. We chat with Erik about his...

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J. Willgoose, Esq. is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer best known as the founding member of the conceptual electronic rock group Public Service Broadcasting. Blending vintage synthesizers, samplers, and traditional instrumentation with extensive archival audio, he is recognized for constructing thematic musical narratives based around historical events. Known for his focused approach to sequencing and...

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 In Part 2 of our chat with the brilliant David Hirschfelder, we dive deeper into his time with John Farnham, talk on his numerous other collaborations and his incredible career as a film and TV composer. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the...

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David Hirschfelder is a globally acclaimed Australian keyboardist, composer, and arranger best known for his extensive live and studio work with pop-rock heavyweights like the Little River Band and John Farnham, as well as his distinguished career as a film score composer. His prolific output blends deep classical roots with masterful electronic and orchestral textures....

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Hazel Mills is a incredibly versatile keyboard player, vocalist, and songwriter whose impressive resume includes touring the globe with artists like Kylie Minogue, Florence + The Machine, Goldfrapp, Birdy, and The Will Gregory Moog Ensemble. We delve into everything from Hazel’s early classical roots and passion for 1960s minimalism, to her transition into the pop...

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In Part 2 of our interview with Adam Holzman, we cover his longstanding work with Steven Wilson, his bands Brave New World and Trifecta, Jane Getter Premonition, Adam’s amazing solo works, his Creative Synthesizer Technique book and some amazing stories of playing with Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea (amongst many others). There’s also a great...

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