GAME CHANGING is a series of in-depth music conversations presented by Chris Sheldon and Tim Thornton, analysing those moments in a music career when fortunes change, and why.
Record producer Chris Sheldon and musician/writer Tim Thornton have known each other for well over forty years – they are first-cousins – but they’ve never worked together. Over lunch in late 2018 Chris suggested developing a podcast in which they investigate the concept of “changing the game” in one’s music career, whether it be employing a different working method, altering the way you communicate with others, changing the way you write or record songs, or simply those moments when the stars align to make the music more convincing, reach a wider audience, or make the phone ring and launch careers.
Over the next few months Chris and Tim batted ideas to and fro, eventually deciding to give it a shot: the basic plan being that Tim would speak to the musicians, Chris would speak to the producers.
In late 2019 they launched the first “series” of Game Changing, featuring the bands This Is The Kit and Field Music, producers Flood and Gil Norton, and singer-songwriter Sophie Hunger. See a complete list of episodes here.
CHRIS SHELDON cut his music production teeth in the 1980s, as an engineer for The Icicle Works, Prefab Sprout and Roger Waters. His first big success as a producer came with Therapy?’s 1994 album Troublegum. Since then he has produced and mixed records for Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro, Shed Seven, Feeder, Bloc Party, Keaton Henson, Skunk Anansie and The Boxer Rebellion, among many others.
TIM THORNTON has been the drummer and guitarist for Fink since 2005, with whom he has recorded seven albums for Ninja Tune and toured internationally. His novels are 2009’s The Alternative Hero, described by The Guardian as “the indiest book of all time”, 2010’s Death of an Unsigned Band, and 2018’s celebration of a rock festival in the afterlife, Felix Romsey’s Afterparty.
Game Changing logo by Dawn Kelly.
Tim & Chris pic by Crestina Velia Forcina.
GAME CHANGING 