Épisodes

  • Manufacturing Inspiration: Songwriting Habits of Mikey Mason

    Manufacturing Inspiration: Songwriting Habits of Mikey Mason
    Nov 18 2025
    Geek-rock musician Mikey Mason joins me to talk about writing songs on schedule, his New Music Monday ritual, and how to stay creative every single week. Music by Caliceltic, May Will Bloom, The Gothard Sisters, and Mikey Mason. This is Pub Songs & Stories #311 0:18 - Caliceltic "The Beer from St James Gate" from 2023 and Me 5:25 - WELCOME TO PUB SONGS & STORIES Every song has a story, every episode is a toast to Celtic and folk songwriters. Discover the stories behind the songs from the heart of the Celtic pub scene. I am your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Today's episode dives into the creative mind of comedy-rock songwriter Mikey Mason. If you've ever struggled to finish a song or waited for inspiration to strike, this conversation will change how you think about writing. Mikey writes and releases a brand-new song every Monday. And he does it without relying on his muse. We'll talk about manufacturing inspiration, using unusual prompts, and turning routine into creative freedom. 6:59 - UPCOMING SHOWS NOV 22: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairburn, GADEC 6: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairburn, GADEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. If you're new to the show, please follow us. You can do that at PubSong.com. I have a new band with my daughter Inara. We are called May Will Bloom and at IrishFest Atlanta, we released a brand new single. 9:40 - May Will Bloom "Star of the County Down" from Single A big thanks to my… GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON If you're enjoying Pub Songs & Stories or you've been spinning my music for years, follow me on Patreon. It's free to join, and you'll get early, ad-free episodes along with updates on what I'm creating next. But the real magic kicks in when you become a Patron of the Arts. Patreon is how independent musicians like me keep making music, telling stories, and sharing these pub-song adventures with you. For just $5 a month, you unlock a treasure trove of exclusives—unreleased songs, behind-the-scenes podcasts, video concerts, rare bootlegs, and surprises you won't hear anywhere else. Want the full rundown? Email follow@celtfather and I'll send you all the details. 13:35 - NEWS Mark your calendar for December 5. That's the next Bandcamp Friday. It's also the official release of Another Faire to Remember by Brobdingnagian Bards. If you loved our Renaissance festival classic, A Faire to Remember, you will love this one as well because it was made for you in mind. Follow our mailing list on Patreon to be the first to hear of the release to read some stories from our Renaissance festival past. It's http://patreon.com/thebardsChristmas music is in the air. In fact, Celtic Christmas Music is a podcast where you can enjoy Christmas music by Celtic musicians. There are over 80 episodes including some of my music.Are you looking for the perfect Celtic stocking stuffer? Give a gift that's green… and a little bit magical. At MageRecords.com, you'll find eco-friendly Irish and Celtic treasures made to delight the music lovers, the festival wanderers, and the folklore fans in your life.Wood-burned album pins and for a limited time, Celtic Christmas ornaments. Small enough to slip into a stocking… and meaningful enough to make someone smile long after the holidays. So this year, skip the plastic. Go Celtic. Go sustainable. Visit com and fill those stockings with something worth keeping. Check out my new Kickstarter, Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you listen. Email pictures of where you're listening to follow@celtfather . I'll send you a free gift and you can learn more about how to follow this podcast. 16:33 - The Gothard Sisters "Moment in Time" from Moment in Time 19:55 - TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. 20:23 - QUEST & CHORUS of How to Write Songs on Schedule (and Still Stay Inspired) Where every place has a story, every story has a song, and every song is a step in the quest. Mikey Mason is a U.S.-based "geek-rock" musician. He blends his stand-up comedy background with music rooted in sci-fi, fantasy, board games, cats and role-playing. He spent more than a decade as a full-time stand-up comedian performing across the U.S. In 2011 his song "She Don't Like Firefly" went viral on YouTube and earned attention from outlets including Nerdist, SyFy, MTV Geek News, Dr. Demento and Time magazine. Since then, Mikey has released numerous albums and EPs and now primarily works as a musician and artist whose work draws heavily on his ...
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    1 h et 9 min
  • Quest & Chorus #6: From Carnac to Fangorn | The End of the Quest (special feat: Pub Songs and Stories #310)

    Quest & Chorus #6: From Carnac to Fangorn | The End of the Quest (special feat: Pub Songs and Stories #310)
    Nov 4 2025
    Over 3,000 stones rise from the fields of Carnac. They stand silent, waiting, like the trees of Fangorn Forest, patient and alive beneath their stillness. In this episode of Quest & Chorus, we walk among ancient alignments, uncover old legends, and listen to what endures. Featuring music from The Irish Lassies, Dublin Gulch, and Brobdingnagian Bards. This is Quest & Chorus #310 0:27 - The Irish Lassies "Hammer Up Whisky Down" from Immigration Stories 5:20 - WELCOME TO QUEST & CHORUS Welcome to Quest & Chorus, where ancient stones still speak and songs remember what trees never forget. I'm your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and typically host of this show as Folk Songs & Stories, but today, we call it Quest & Chorus. Quest & Chorus is a 6-part podcast series. I fuse Celtic and folk music, science fiction and fantasy, and travel into a podcast with a quest. In each episode, you will get a clue to unlock a secret reward. And at the end of the season, you will combine all of those clues to unlock an even bigger amazing reward. And today we walk not into a forest—but into a field that feels like one. The Alignments of Carnac stretch across the land like rows of rooted giants. They are silent. But not still. And if you listen… they speak in echoes. Today we talk of nature, of memory, and also of what I learned about food waste. WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR FOOD Freezing fruitCompostingPlantingPickling vs fermentingSoupsGranola You don't have to do it in one day. It's taking me several years. And it doesn't have to be perfect. You just have to be open to learning. Check out Sustainable Jungle and One5C. They have a lot of real, practical and non-judgemental tips on how to be more eco-friendly with your food and your life. If you're new to the show, please follow us. You can do that at PubSong.com. UPCOMING SHOWS NOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with InaraNOV 14-16: CONjuration, Duluth, GANOV 22: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairburn, GADEC 6: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairburn, GADEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. 15:37 - Dublin Gulch "Sarah Daly/The Copper King's Daughter" from Tap 'Er Light Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you listen. Email pictures of where you're listening to follow@celtfather . I'll send you a free gift and you can learn more about how to follow this podcast. 19:59 - NEWS Celtic Christmas Music releases the first official episode of the season.Looking for volunteers to work the Nerdy Wonderland table and promote the event. It takes place Dec 7.New Band with Inara–May Bloom. Planning to release an Album Pin and Single A big thanks to my… GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON If you enjoy this podcast or you love listening to my music, please follow my Celtfather Patreon page. You can sign up for free and get updates on what's new and you can get an ad-free edition of this podcast before public listeners. But you get so much more when you become a Patron of the Arts. Patreon is one of the ways modern musicians and podcasters make a living. For just $5 per month, you'll get exclusive, unreleased songs, podcasts, video concerts, bootleg concerts, and so much more. Email follow@celtfather to get more details! Pull Up a Stool and Join the Band! Follow me on Patreon for behind-the-scenes stories, ad-free episodes of Pub Songs & Stories, and a few free MP3s to take home. It's free to follow — but if you toss a coin in the bard's hat, you'll help keep the music playing every week. TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. In 2017, I led a Celtic Invasion of Brittany. You can read about our search for the Holy Grail in France. In the meantime, it's time for the… QUEST & CHORUS of ALIGNMENTS OF CARNAC Over 3,000 standing stones stretch in careful lines through the fields of Carnac. No one knows exactly why they're here. Were they a celestial map? Some say they mark burial grounds. But walking by them, I didn't feel like I was in a graveyard. I felt like I was among the elders. It reminded me of Fangorn Forest, home of the Ents. In The Lord of the Rings, Fangorn is a place where time moves slowly. Trees remember battles that men have forgotten. Carnac is a lot like that. The stones are not dead. They're just waiting. I can't help but wonder who placed them here, so careful and deliberate. The stones of Carnac weren't raised by elves or Ents, but by real people. Neolithic builders, thousands of years before written history. ...
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    36 min
  • Quest & Chorus #5: Crossing the Waves to Skellig Michael (special feat: Folk Songs & Stories #309)

    Quest & Chorus #5: Crossing the Waves to Skellig Michael (special feat: Folk Songs & Stories #309)
    Oct 21 2025
    The sea around Skellig Michael never rests. Waves slam the cliffs like a heartbeat, and mist rises from the rocks like breath from some sleeping giant. Eight miles off the Kerry coast, this jagged island looks less like a piece of earth and more like a fragment of another world. More than a thousand years ago, monks climbed 600 stone steps to live here, chasing silence, prayer, and the edge of heaven. Today, visitors come for the same reason, though they may not know it. Whether you're drawn by faith, history, or a galaxy far, far away, Skellig has a way of making you listen to what the sea remembers. And that's where today's story begins — between exile and return, faith and freedom, stone and surf. Because sometimes, we're all just trying to find our way back to the ocean. With Music from Niamh Dunne, Wolf Loescher, and Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira. This is Quest & Chorus #309 0:58 - Niamh Dunne "Ballyneety's Walls" from Portraits 4:17 - WELCOME TO QUEST & CHORUS Welcome to Quest & Chorus, where every wave might carry a myth, and every exile still dreams of home. I'm your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and typically host of this show as Folk Songs & Stories, but today, we call it Quest & Chorus. And today, we drift to the edge of the world, To Skellig Michael, where the sea swallows history and monks once whispered their prayers to gulls. It's also where a Jedi gave up the fight. And where a selkie sings himself back into the sea. Today's theme may seem like exile or perhaps it's where you truly belong. Quest & Chorus is a 6-part podcast series. I fuse my love of Celtic and folk music, science fiction and fantasy, and travel into a podcast with a quest. In each episode, you will get a clue to unlock a secret reward. And at the end of the season, you will combine all of those clues to unlock an even bigger amazing reward. If you're new to the show, please follow us. You can do that at PubSong.com. UPCOMING SHOWS NOV 1: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Festival, Fairburn, GANOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with InaraNOV 14-16: CONjuration, Duluth, GANOV 22: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Festival, Fairburn, GADEC 6: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Festival, Fairburn, GADEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. 6:24 - Wolf Loescher "Rovin' Journeyman" from Child of Alba Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you listen. Email pictures of where you're listening to follow@celtfather . I'll send you a free gift and you can learn more about how to follow this podcast. News If you're looking for Celtic Halloween music, I have a large selection of such music. While my Happy Songs of Death album fits the bill, I also did a series of concerts inspired by that theme for several years. Follow the link in the shownotes for details. A big thanks to my… 7:45 - GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON If you enjoy this podcast or you love listening to my music, please follow my Celtfather Patreon page. You can sign up for free and get updates on what's new and you can get an ad-free edition of this podcast before public listeners. But you get so much more when you become a Patron of the Arts. Patreon is one of the ways modern musicians and podcasters make a living. For just $5 per month, you'll get exclusive, unreleased songs, podcasts, video concerts, bootleg concerts, and so much more. Email follow@celtfather to get more details! 9:47 - Jocelyn Pettit & Ellen Gira "Going Home" from Here To Stay 13:15 - TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. In 2026, you can join me for a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. Let's begin the… 13:47 - QUEST & CHORUS of SKELLIG MICHAEL Eight miles off the coast of County Kerry is the island of Skellig Michael. It is a jagged twin-peaked island. Its name comes from the Irish Sceilg Mhichíl which means Michael's Rock. It was dedicated to the Archangel Michael. The island's history began in the sixth century. Monks sought isolation and closeness to God. So they settled there because the early Irish monastic tradition valued hardship, solitude, and spiritual testing. The monks carved out a small community on narrow terraces more than 600 steps above sea level. The monastic settlement they built still survives. They built a cluster of beehive stone huts, stone crosses and terraces connected by narrow paths. Everything was dry-stone construction. That means they were fitted together without mortar. They were built so well that they have lasted over a millennium. The monks grew small ...
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    25 min
  • Quest & Chorus Ep. 4: Come Adventure to The Quiraing on Skye (special feat: Folk Songs & Stories #308)

    Quest & Chorus Ep. 4: Come Adventure to The Quiraing on Skye (special feat: Folk Songs & Stories #308)
    Oct 7 2025
    The Quiraing is not a gentle place. Stone spires jut skyward, cliffs crumble toward the sea, and paths twist like they're still being carved by giants. It's a landscape that doesn't promise safety—it dares you to take another step. On Skye, they say even dragons once hid in these folds, rising to defend the island from invaders. And standing here, staring into that mist and stone, you can feel it: adventure isn't slaying dragons. It's choosing to face the one within. Music from Kinnfolk, Ed Miller, and Marc Gunn. This is Quest & Chorus #308 0:39 - - Kinnfolk "Highland Laddie" from Star Above The Mountain 4:21 - WELCOME TO QUEST & CHORUS Where every hill might hide a dragon, and every fear might be your map. We stand on the edge… of a cliff, of a journey, of ourselves. The Quiraing, on the Isle of Skye, is a land caught between movement and stillness… earth sliding slowly toward the sea. And standing here, staring out over stone teeth and mist-choked valleys, you might ask: Should I go forward? Or turn back? I'm your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and typically host of this show as Folk Songs & Stories, but today, we call it Quest & Chorus. Quest & Chorus is a 6-part podcast series. I fuse my love of Celtic and folk music, science fiction and fantasy, and travel into a podcast with a quest. In each episode, you will get a clue to unlock a secret reward. And at the end of the season, you will combine all of those clues to unlock an even bigger amazing reward. If you're new to the show, please follow us. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Review of ALEP 6: A Long Expected Party. Stories: 6 mile hikeDressing like a hobbitPlaying music with Kelly and Mitch in the Dancing Pony.Providing the atmosphere for Middle-EarthSunrise over The ShireSinging beneath the stars. Ed Miller has a gift for turning lived experience into song. In "The Wide Rio Grande," he tells the story of a young Scottish singer facing the sting of rejection at the U.S. border — and how that moment bound him to countless others who've risked everything to cross into a new life. It's a song about displacement and determination, about rules that separate and courage that refuses to be denied. From Houston to Laredo, from Scotland to Mexico, it is both personal and universal — a reminder that behind every border there are human hearts, still daring to cross. 11:19 - Ed Miller "The Wide Rio Grand" from Many's The Fine Tale The Wide Rio Grande Lyrics and music by Brian McNeill Fifteen years gone, the airport in Houston A young Scottish singer stands waiting in line He's been too long apart from the home of his heart It's a young Texas sweetheart so fair and so fine But the man at the desk with his uniform shoulders Gives uniform reasons and a uniform smile Takes more than a song son. The paperwork's wrong son Fly back where you came from just 5000 miles Come all you brave lads who follow my story I'll stand at the border and give you my hand Here's honor and luck, good health, and glory To those who would try for the wide Rio Grande London to Mexico, ready to try again Walk through a border that thousands have crossed Join the bold dispossessed of the South and the West For a white boy from Scotland, no irony lost But he knows as he reaches the light in Laredo With the guards looking on and the sun beating down That the hard law and order, the rules on the border Has made him at one with the men who have drowned Come all you brave lads who follow my story I'll stand at the border and give you my hand Here's honor and luck, good health, and glory To those who would try for the wide Rio Grande So the next time you walk the wrong side of the border Remember this song as you think on your lot For every man, Jack, who can take the road back Should think on the fortune of those who cannot For Wetback's a name that they whisper in corners But there's one man hear who will wear it with pride For a fence or a wall means nothing at all For a heart full of courage will ne'er be denied Come all you brave lads who follow my story I'll stand at the border and give you my hand Here's honor and luck, good health, and glory To those who would try for the wide Rio Grande Compadres and amigos who follow my story I'll stand at the border and give you my hand Here's honor and luck, good health, and glory To those who would try for the wide Rio Grande 15:50 - UPCOMING SHOWS OCT 11: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GAOCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GANOV 1: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Festival, Fairburn, GANOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with InaraNOV 14-16: CONjuration, Duluth, GANOV 22: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Festival, Fairburn, GADEC 6: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Festival, Fairburn, GADEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever ...
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    35 min
  • Quest & Chorus #3: Tintagel - History, Shipwrecks & Myth (special feature Folk Songs & Stories)

    Quest & Chorus #3: Tintagel - History, Shipwrecks & Myth (special feature Folk Songs & Stories)
    Sep 22 2025
    Welcome to Quest & Chorus, where songs remember what history forgets. I'm your bard, and today, we climb a legendary cliff—where myth and memory blur. To Tintagel. Some say King Arthur was born here. Others say he died here. And whether that's true or not doesn't really matter… Because this place feels like the kind of place where someone says goodbye. Today, we raise a glass—to stories that fade, and the people who carry them. This is Quest & Chorus #307 0:30 - Heather Dale "Mordred's Lullaby" from The Trial of Lancelot and The Secret World of Celtic Rock 3:41 - WELCOME TO QUEST & CHORUS Where every place has a story, every story has a song, and every song is a step in the quest. I'm your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and typically host of this show as Folk Songs & Stories, but today, we call it Quest & Chorus. Quest & Chorus is a 6-part podcast series. I fuse my love of music, science fiction and fantasy, and travel into a podcast with a quest. In each episode, you will get a clue to unlock a secret reward. And at the end of the season, you will combine all of those clues to unlock an even bigger amazing reward. If you're new to the show, please follow us. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. UPCOMING SHOWS SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KYOCT 11: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GAOCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GANOV 1: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Festival, Fairburn, GANOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with Inara Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you listen. Email pictures of where you're listening to follow@celtfather . I'll send you a free gift and you can learn more about how to follow this podcast. News October Patreon Membership Drive. Get a free album: Field of Drams: Kilted Drinking SongsFlash Sale on MageRecords.comGuess the Secret Word to Unlock a reward. A big thanks to my… GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON If you enjoy this podcast or you love listening to my music, please follow my Celtfather Patreon page. You can sign up for free and get updates on what's new and you can get an ad-free edition of this podcast before public listeners. But you get so much more when you become a Patron of the Arts. Patreon is one of the ways modern musicians and podcasters make a living. For just $5 per month, you'll get exclusive, unreleased songs, podcasts, video concerts, bootleg concerts, and so much more. Email follow@celtfather to get more details! 7:55 - Brobdingnagian Bards "Do Virgins Tast Better Medley" from A Faire To Remember 12:43 - TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. In 2026, you can join me for a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. Let's begin the… QUEST & CHORUS of TINTAGEL, CORNWALL - History & Myth Tintagel is carved into the coast of Cornwall — cliffs like the broken edge of a sword, sea spray rising like breath. Ruins cling to the stone. A castle? Maybe. A dream? Definitely. But before we step into the realm of Arthur and Avalon, let's talk about what Tintagel really is. 🏰 The History The site we call Tintagel Castle was built in the 1230s by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, the brother of King Henry III. Richard was a man of immense wealth and ambition. And his castle wasn't entirely practical. It wasn't raised to defend farmland or trade routes. It was built as a statement — to tie himself to the powerful myths already woven into Tintagel's cliffs. But Tintagel's story stretches much further back. Archaeological excavations reveal traces of a post-Roman settlement from the 5th to 7th centuries. Pottery and glassware from the Mediterranean show that Tintagel was a hub of high-status trade — a gateway where Cornish kings connected with the wider world. Of course, life on these cliffs was never easy. The seas around Tintagel are beautiful but brutal. The jagged rocks and fierce Atlantic storms made this stretch of coast notorious for shipwrecks. For centuries, sailors feared the Cornish coast as "the graveyard of ships." Wreckage would wash ashore, and in the medieval period — and even later — locals salvaged timbers, cargo, and stories from the sea. These wrecks added to Tintagel's aura: a place where lives and legends were broken against the rocks, where the ocean itself seemed determined to test humanity's endurance. So Tintagel is not just a romantic ruin. It is a site of trade, ambition, and survival — a place shaped as much by the storms of the sea as by the myths of men. 🗡️ The Mythology Of course, it's the legends ...
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    28 min
  • Quest & Chorus #2: A Lonely Shore on the Calf of Man (special feature Folk Songs & Stories)

    Quest & Chorus #2: A Lonely Shore on the Calf of Man (special feature Folk Songs & Stories)
    Sep 9 2025
    The Calf of Man, just off the southern tip of the Isle of Man. There's a decayed building there. And on its wall hangs a strange thing. A life preserver—round, red and white, worn by time. It made me wonder: What do we leave behind to save the ones who come after us?" This is Quest & Chorus #306 0:21 - We Banjo 3 "Alive With You" from Open The Road 3:14 - WELCOME TO QUEST & CHORUS Where every place has a story, every story has a song, and every song is a step in the quest. I'm your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and typically host of this show as Folk Songs & Stories, but today, we call it Quest & Chorus. Quest & Chorus is a 6-part podcast series. I fuse my love of music, science fiction and fantasy, and travel into a podcast with a quest. In each episode, you will get a clue to unlock a secret reward. And at the end of the season, you will combine all of those clues to unlock an even bigger amazing reward. We're sailing to the Isle of Man to talk about hope, abandonment, legacy, moving forward, and what comes next. If you're new to the show, please follow us. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. UPCOMING SHOWS SEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KYOCT 11: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GAOCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GA Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you listen. Email pictures of where you're listening to follow@celtfather . I'll send you a free gift and you can learn more about how to follow this podcast. 4:55 - Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh "Cad É Sin Don Té Sin" from Neadú 8:23 - Bill Mullen "Irish Rover" from The Beginning A big thanks to my… 11:06 - GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON If you enjoy this podcast or you love listening to my music, please follow my Celtfather Patreon page. You can sign up for free and get updates on what's new and you can get an ad-free edition of this podcast before public listeners. But you get so much more when you become a Patron of the Arts. Patreon is one of the ways modern musicians and podcasters make a living. For just $5 per month, you'll get exclusive, unreleased songs, podcasts, video concerts, bootleg concerts, and so much more. Email follow@celtfather to get more details! TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. In 2026, you can join me for a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. Let's begin the… QUEST & CHORUS of CALF OF MAN The Calf of Man is a small island located about a half mile off the southern tip of the Isle of Man. It is a protected national park that is part of the Manx National Heritage. It is home to large number of species of birds, including some colonies that migrate there. Around 33 species of seabirds breed on the islet annually, including Manx Shearwater, Kittiwake, Razorbill and Shag. Every year, I take a small group of people to explore our Celtic heritage. It's called Celtic Invasion Vacations. Next year, we're going to Galicia in Spain. That's one of the most-obscure Celtic nations. But in the summer of 2024, we did a Celtic Invasion of the Isle of Man. On the invasion, we took the Wild Life and Scenic Trip around Calf of Man with Shona Boat Trips. They are one of the small boat operators that give tours. Desi was our guide. He lived on the island for a year. We didn't get to explore much of the land. Because the Calf of Man is raw. The kind of place the sea keeps for itself. There was a building by the shore. We couldn't inspect it during our fifteen minutes on the ground, but it looked like just the bones of a dwelling, stone clinging to stone. And from its wall, there was one oddity that stood out in the stark landscape. A life preserver. That's wild to think about. A life preserver is a tool meant to save someone in the future, and it was hanging on the ruins of a home from the past. It reminded me of Miranda, from the movie, Serenity. A planet left behind. A warning not given. A silence that cost too much. That building, that place… it feels like Miranda. Not because it's dead. But because someone left it—hoping it might save someone else. In the first episode of Firefly, Malcolm Reynolds is fighting in Serenity Valley. A soldier standing next to him is terrified that they are gonna die. Mal tells him, "we're too pretty to die." He's filled with so much hope. A moment later he watches in horror as his air support leaves. He watches his Angels fly away as the soldier next to him is shot down. Two-thirds of the Independents died in the Battle of Serenity Valley. Two-thirds of Mal's fellow soldiers did...
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    21 min
  • Quest & Chorus #1: Don't Blink at Kilmartin (special feature)

    Quest & Chorus #1: Don't Blink at Kilmartin (special feature)
    Aug 26 2025
    Quest & Chorus is a six-part series where I share songs, stories, and places along with a game to make the adventure even more fun. This is the first episode in your quest. A reminder to be present with those who you love, while we travel through time to Kilmartin Glen in Scotland. This is Quest & Chorus on Folk Songs & Stories #305 0:12 - Tan and Sober Gentlemen "All the Time" from Regressive Folk Music 4:18 - WELCOME TO QUEST & CHORUS Where legends meet lyrics, and every place sings a story. I'm your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and typically host of this show as Folk Songs & Stories, but today, we call it Quest & Chorus, and we begin our journey in a place where time stands still, literally. Welcome to Kilmartin Glen, in Scotland. A valley lined with stones that don't move, don't blink, and yet they watch… As you and I walk the long path of memory, love, and time itself. If you're new to the show, please follow us. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. NEWS Poll: What are your favorite songs on Come Adventure With Me?Merch: Buy Come Adventure With MeAre you ready to answer the secret question to unlock your free gift? Click here. 4:55 - UPCOMING SHOWS AUG 28-SEP 1: Dragon Con, Atlanta, GASEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KYOCT 11: The Lost Druid Brewery, Avondale Estates, GAOCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GA 5:05 - TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos. In 2026, you can join me for a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com. 6:02 - Tulua "Rambling Boys of Pleasure" from No Coming No Going 11:48 - The Secret Commonwealth "Dubhachas (I'll Dream of Times Like This)" from Last Call The ads on this podcast pay for some of the hosting and podcast editing. My time producing the show is paid for by my… 15:43 - GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON Thank you so much for your generous support of my music. Patreon is how the modern musician makes a living with music. Album Pin and CD sales help me to perform in person. But my livelihood is entirely funded by Patrons of the Arts. You can sign up for as little as $5 per month. You'll get exclusive, unreleased songs. You'll get this and other podcasts I produce. Plus, you'll get access to a huge archive of video concerts. Email follow@celtfather to get more details! If you can't support me financially right now, just sign up on Patreon for free. You'll also get weekly updates. Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you're listening. You can also message me on Facebook. Email me, send me pictures of where you're listening. follow@celtfather Let's begin the… 16:54 - QUEST & CHORUS of KILMARTIN GLEN In a valley near the West Coast of Scotland is Kilmartin Glen. There you will find standing stones. Not one or two, but many laid out like a memory. Kilmartin Glen is considered to have one of the most important concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in Scotland. There are more than 350 ancient monuments within a six mile radius of the village, with 150 of them being prehistoric. In the glen that we visited, we got a nice sized taste of those monuments. If you stand still long enough, you might be able to look back into time, like the TARDIS from Doctor Who. But these time machines don't fly, they stand cold and alone, watching everything, never blinking. Count the stones in the cover image and let prime numbers guide you to unlock your first Quest. These stones watched lovers part and children grow old. And in their stillness, they remember everything. They carry the weight of forgotten voyages. They are beautiful. And they are a little bit sad. That sadness seemed appropriate in 2022 when I led my Celtic Invasion of Scotland to Kilmartin Glen. The group was shrinking due to Covid. The feeling as people left the group. This song, 'Blink,' was born of that fear, the fear of blinking and losing something beautiful. Of falling in love with someone so radiant, so unique, that you fear time itself. But also… It's a love song for the moment. It's for every second you choose to stay present, even when it hurts. Learn more about my song #277 "Blink". Unlock the secret page. 22:31 - Marc Gunn "Blink" from Come Adventure With Me That's the end of today's tale, but the song lives on. Come back next week as we sail the Calf of Man through loss and resilience. Until then, don't blink. Don't look away. And may your memories always sing. 26:04 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Quest & Chorus. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to...
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    27 min
  • Harry Potter Rising of the Moon: The Cat Who Lived (to Sing Irish Songs) #304

    Harry Potter Rising of the Moon: The Cat Who Lived (to Sing Irish Songs) #304
    Jul 1 2025
    Wanna hear a Harry Potter inspired cat song? Plus learn some facts about whether you should declaw your cat. Celebrate Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers' 20th anniversary with this special podcast of the new and the old. This is Folk Songs & Stories #304 0:34 - Marc Gunn "Rising of the Moon" from Irish Drinking Songs: The Cat Lover's Companion 2:40 - WELCOME TO FOLK SONGS & STORIES I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic folk musician living in Atlanta, Georgia and host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I'm also a cat lover as you'll hear later on in the show. If you're new to the show, please subscribe. You can do that PubSong.com or Just send me an email to follow@celtfather. Got a cat picture? Send it to me to post in the podcast. NEWS Poll: What's your favorite song on Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers?Merch: Buy Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers on Patreon or Bandcamp. 3:23 - UPCOMING SHOWS JUL 19: Fiddler's Green Coffeehouse Concert series @ 8 PM, First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta. 470 Candler Park Dr. NE / Atlanta GA 30307. 404-378-5570. firstexistentialist.org, Presented by Atlanta Area Friends of Folk Music (AAFFM)JUL 31-AUG 3: Gen Con, Indianapolis, INAUG 28-SEP 1: Dragon Con, Atlanta, GASEP 24-28: ALEP 6, Harrodsburg, KYOCT 17-19: MultiVerse, Peachtree City, GANOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with InaraDEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM. 4:16 - Blibbering Humdingers "No Shame in Hufflepuff" from Free Awkward Hugs 8:21 - SUPPORT THE CLUB The show is brought to you by my supporters on Patreon. If you enjoy this podcast or my music, please join the Club. You get something new every week. It could be a blog, an exclusive podcast, downloadable song, printed sheet music, or stories from the road. Plus, you'll get access to all of my Coffee with The Celtfather video concert series. Email follow@celtfather ! If you can't support me financially, just sign up on Patreon for free. Special thanks to our newest and returning patrons: CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I lead a small group of people on an exciting adventure to one of the Celtic nations and other exciting locations. In 2026, we're going on a Celtic Invasion of Galicia in Spain. Galicia is indeed one of the more obscure Celtic nations to those of us who are most familiar with Ireland and Scotland. Find out more at CelticInvasion.com. 9:52 - CAT MUSIC LOVERS #6: "HARRY POTTER AND THE RISING OF THE MOON" & DECLAWING CATS FAQ Why you should not declaw your cats, and some great alternatives, plus a cat silliness on the net. Cat Music & News Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers now availableThe Mows, a daily cat web comicStuff On My Cat, pictures of cats with things on them.My Cat Hates You.com, Pictures of sneering putty tatsHouse of Dra, designer shirts for Renaissance & Celtic Festivals,Cats I Met on the Road Artemis (She's a tabby colored singularity...)Cassiopeia (Cassie for short, she used to belong to Satan, but he couldn't handle her so he dumped her off at MadLadyRed's house.)The kitties were Cicero (the big gray that tried to conquer my car), Ophelia (the nervous orange one), and Fortuna. Declawing FAQ, Original article was written by Veterinarian, Dr. Christianne SchellingDeclawing Alternatives,Another declawing alternative is Soft Paws, or call 1-800-989-2542.Irish Drinking Songs, the Cat Lover's Companion CD Special thanks to these suppporters: Susan Saint-Lockhart, Charles Walker, Scott Robinson, Jennifer L. Sperry, Shelley Oden, Elizabeth Northrup, R N Goddard, Mary Mealiffe, Larry Lochner, Catherine Devine, David & Deborah Kaye Bibb, Kathryn Robinson, Charlotte Straight, Tay Aston, Fred Milano, Sandra Bobleter, Shelley Clifford, Matthew Williams, Dennise D Hunting, Roger Skulsky, Brenda Jarvis, Virginia Page, Kelli McLaughlin, Alan Brown, Steve Shonk, Fireball Express, Sarah leonard & Sarah Gruetz, Rebecca Jordan, Sara Carman, Beth Beal The Cat Lovers Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn. 24:45 - Marc Gunn & The Dubliners' Tabby Cats "Harry Potter and the Rising of the Moon" from Irish Drinking Songs for Cat Lovers harry potter/rising of the moon autoharp, lead vocal: Marc Gunn banjo: franco bordoni fiddle: James "Cedric" Hazlerig dombek: Michelle Hedden bass: Ari Koinuma bgv: Marc Gunn, Ben Hamby, Blake McCaig, Sarah Dinan 27:10 - CREDITS Thanks for listening to Folk Songs & Stories. This episode was edited by Mitchell Petersen. You can follow and listen to the show on my Patreon or wherever you find podcasts. Sign up to my mailing list to learn more about songs featured in this podcast and discover where I'm performing. Remember. Reduce, reuse, recycle, and think about how you can make a positive impact on your environment. Have fun and sing along at www.pubsong.com! #pubstories
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    29 min