Top of the Pops, Tabloids and Touring Dreams

Martin sits down with singer-songwriter Sarah Whatmore for a warm, wide-ranging conversation that moves through Manchester childhood memories, stadium atmospheres and the intimate joys of vinyl and live performance. Sarah recounts her rise in the industry, why she declined touring as a backup singer for a major pop star, and how motherhood and time away reshaped her creative choices. They discuss changes in the music business—streaming economics, songwriting revenue, and the potential of Podcasting 2.0—while celebrating physical records, acoustic sets, and the nostalgia that keeps ’80s and ’90s music alive. Show notes with links to articles, blog posts, products and services: Time to Think (Sarah Whatmore album) - Wikipedia Sarah Whatmore Sacha Skarbek EGO Search on Rozalla - EGO NetCast (May 24, 2020) Artifacts podcast Sarah Whatmore - The Top of the Pops Archive The Whiskey Jar in Manchester Castle Hotel in Manchester Old-time music - Wikipedia EGO Search on James Knights of Knight$ - EGO NetCast (August 30, 2019) Hate (single) - Shazam Chris Cameron Peter-John Vettese - Wikipedia Sarah on Instagram Episode 27 (50 minutes) was recorded at 1300 Central European Time, on September 19, 2026, with Alitu. Martin did the editing and post-production with the podcast maker, Alitu. The chapters are generated by PodChapters.