11/4 - In The Crowd

‘Music is stronger than any antibiotic, any medicine. It can lift you out of anything.’

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Blaine Harrison, lead singer of Mystery Jets, is also a ‘property guardian’, who lives and works in the capital’s empty commercial premises.

For a while, the entire floor of an office block on London’s Strand was his home. Each weekend he had a front-row seat as NHS marches, Brexit protests, Extinction Rebellion demos and Tommy Robinson rallies made their way past his window. 

Olly Mann and Blaine Harrison, the Brainyard, March 2020

In this thoughtful interview with Olly, he explains how what he saw on the streets inspired his songwriting.

Mystery Jets’ new album, A Billion Heartbeats, is released April 3.

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Recording The Zeitgeist remotely with our Blue Yeti X mics.

Meanwhile, in The Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart considers how the current lockdown has prompted an unlikely rebirth for retro-gaming, VR, quiz apps and even ancient gaming platform Second Life. There’s also some chat about deckchair storage... 

If you have a suggestion of a trend Ollie can test - from his home in Dorchester, for now - get in touch via our Feedback form.

Thanks to our sponsors, Blue Microphones: we recorded this edition of the Zeitgeist on their Yeti X mics.

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Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a listener who wants to know what issues may present themselves if he sources the HIV prevention drug PrEP from online suppliers based abroad. 

Alix consulted with the activist team at PrEPster, IWantPrepNow and Terrence Higgins Trust, and, for more about this topic, highly recommends checking out the work of Nathaniel Hall – who wrote a compelling play about contracting HIV via his very first sexual encounter – and following Jason Domino on Twitter.

If you have a question of sex for Alix to answer in a future edition of the show, just use our Feedback form. You can remain anonymous if you wish.

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Our Record of the Month is Bittersweet by Lianne La Havas - and, if you like it, get ready for the album, which drops 5th June:

There’s more Mann-endorsed music on our Spotify playlist here.
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Wanna be a Mannbassador? Buy us a beer, or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - and then send us an email to tell us about yourself. 

Got a question for our How To Be A Dad episode, out May 1st? Fill out our Feedback form and send it in now for Olly, Tom and Stu to answer.

Stay safe, keep well, and we’ll see you next month. x

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This episode is supported by Beer52. To get a free crate of eight delicious beers, a snack and a magazine, delivered straight to your door, visit Beer52.com/Modern.

11/3 - My Dad Was Defrauded

Scammers took £160,000 from Nick’s father in just eighteen months.

He believed, in return, they’d send him gold, or stocks and shares, or even come to his home in Cyprus and begin a relationship with him. Instead, they just kept the cash.

In a reflective, revelatory conversation with Olly, Nick recounts how he confronted his Dad, to prevent him burning through his pension - and the moment he realised not all was as it seemed…

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Continuing the financial theme, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart investigates the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement. If he saves 50% of his earnings, can Ollie live on his passive income?

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And, in the Foxhole, Alix Fox - fresh from a rope bondage class - advises a listener who wants to squeeze and stretch her boobs in the bedroom, without causing any long-term damage.
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Music this month comes from Mann-fan Sebastian Schub (himself interviewed on the show in Sep 2019), with his excellent debut single, Paradise:

If you have a story to share in a future edition of the show, a challenge to set Ollie, or a question of sex for Alix, just get in touch via our Feedback form.

If you’d like to be a Mannbassador, just buy us a beer or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, and follow-up with an email to tell us about yourself.

The Modern Mann is an independent podcast, and we rely on listener contributions to continue. If you can afford to support us financially, please send us a donation - we massively appreciate it.

We’ll see you with something new on April 1st!

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This episode is supported by Beer52. To get a free crate of ten delicious beers delivered straight to your door, visit Beer52.com/Modern.

11/2 - The Candidate

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Layla Moran MP is fighting to keep her seat.

There are trolls, there are threats, there are hostile journalists.

And throughout the journey, as she campaigns in the 2019 general election... we are at her side.

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In this Modern Mann exclusive, host Olly Mann and producer Matt Hill accompany the Liberal Democrats’ rising star as she pounds the streets, battles her opponents, and goes public about her sexuality.

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From campaign launch to vote count, we learn what it takes to face the electorate in a divided nation.

And, quite by accident, find ourselves documenting someone who may yet become leader of one of Britain’s major political parties...

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Elsewhere this episode, Ollie Peart tries out a trio of health trends in this month’s Zeitgeist - getting seriously sweaty at CrossFit, bouldering his way round a climbing course in Poole, and trying his hand at Ayurvedic massage. You’ll never dress your salad with sesame oil again.

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Meanwhile, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox advises a listener affected by inflammatory skin condition Lichen Sclerosus. Can a body-mapping app keep the heat in his relationship - even as he applies emollient to stop the burning? Perhaps, if he can uncover the ‘tiny everyday thrills’ of daily sensuality...

(For more support about sex with LS, Alix recommends Sam Evans’ blogs for Jo Divine, and the Facebook group LS UK Awareness).

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Our record of the month is ‘Your Light’ by The Big Moon, from the album ‘Walking Like We Do’ - follow-up to their Mercury Music Prize nominated debut, ‘Love In The 4th Dimension’.

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If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please tell your friends - we’re @themodernmann on Twitter - or leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

And, if you can afford to support us financially, please buy us a beer.

As an independent podcast, we can only make the show thanks to the generous support of listeners like you.

We’ll be back on March 1 with a brand new episode.

In the meantime, if you have a suggestion of a guest Olly should interview, a trend Ollie should test or a sex question Alix should answer - get in touch via our Feedback form.

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11/1 - The Mum Who Gave Up Drinking

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“I thought everyone else was able to cope with alcohol, and I was the only one who couldn’t”

Clare Pooley gave up a booze-fuelled job in advertising - complete with a bar in the office and a massive expenses budget - to be a full-time Mum to her three kids.

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But as she left the ladette lifestyle behind, she didn’t find herself drinking any less. In fact, she was polishing off ten bottles of wine per week, as she tells Olly in this confessional, compelling conversation...

Clare’s book, ‘The Sober Diaries’ is out now, and her blog Mummy Was A Secret Drinker and Facebook page SoberMummy provide support if you’re looking to give up drinking. Clare also recommends Club Soda and Soberistas.

Meanwhile, for this month’s Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart has been digitising the Prime Minister and trawling through clips of Olly on The Alan Titchmarsh Show to create a terrifying ‘deep fake’ hybrid. Is misinformation the future of news? And can AI services like Lyrebird and Resemble contribute something positive to the world of podcasting?

If YOU would like to suggest a trend for Ollie to test out, fill out our Feedback form now.

Elsewhere, Alix Fox kicks off the one hundredth edition of The Foxhole with THE perennial penile puzzler: can pumps or pills give you greater length and girth down-below?

She meets the man behind one of the world’s most popular extenders, and considers whether, sometimes, size concerns aren’t just about ‘locker room syndrome’, but may be a healthy expression of kink. 

If YOU have a question of sex for Alix to answer in a future edition of the show, just fill in our Feedback form - you can remain anonymous if you wish.

Music this episode comes from Cavetown, with his charming song ‘Things That Make It Warm’; indisputably our first record of the month about birds building nests:

Remember, The Modern Mann is an entirely independent podcast, funded in part by your generous donations. If you’ve enjoyed our first one hundred episodes for free, and can afford to give financially to the show, follow the links 👇. Thanks!

DONATE! Moonclerk // PayPal

See you for our next edition on 1st Feb.

Happy New Year!

This episode is sponsored by Thriva, the health-tracking finger prick blood test you do at home. Get 50% off your first kit by visiting Thriva.co and using the code Mann50.

10/9 - How To Write A Christmas Hit

Slade. Wizzard. Wham!

When it comes to Christmas songs, we know what we like, and we like what we know.

But is there a magical formula to writing a festive hit? Can a novice, armed with the right chords, instruments and lyrical motifs, unlock the secret to cracking the Christmas charts?

Last year, our very own Ollie Peart attempted to give it a go. This is his story…

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Including footage never previously broadcast, in this feature-length documentary Olly Mann tracks Ollie’s journey, as he consults music journalist Chris Lochery and songwriter Philippe-Marc Anquetil to discover the role of ‘freewriting’, the significance of writing in a major key, and the importance of ‘finding the line’.

The Sounds Of Christmas was released in December 2018 - but we’ve never announced its final chart position, or revealed how much money it made for charity, until now.

There’s also a BRAND NEW 2019 MIX OF THE SONG for you to buy.

As before, Ollie’s share of the publishing rights, and every penny of artist royalties, go to Samuel’s Charity. Get it HERE.

Samuel's Charity work with underfunded children's wards in the UK to provide support and comfort to families. From supplying decent meals and internet access, to medical kit that makes children's live that much more comfortable, Samuel's Charity makes a positive difference to hundreds of family's lives at a very stressful time.

If, after hearing Olly meet Samuel’s dad, Martin, you’d like to make the charity a festive donation, please do so HERE.

Big thanks to all the podcasters who gave their time and participated in the song, including: The Guilty Feminist, The Two Shot Podcast, Do The Right Thing, Answer Me This!, Wannabe, The Tip Off, The Comedian’s Comedian, The Beef and Dairy Network, Fun Kids Radio, and For F1’s Sake.

Remember, this whole mad enterprise began when Jim Taylor, occasional member of Reverend And The Makers, sent Ollie a challenge by filling in our Feedback form. If YOU have an idea of a trend for Ollie to investigate in our next season of The Modern Mann, contact us now!

Here’s the video Ollie made for the song, featuring Mann-fans from around the world:

We’ll be back with a brand new episode on Wednesday, January 1st 2020. Until then… Happy Christmas!

This episode is supported by Beer52.com - the UK’s No.1 beer club. Mannfans can claim a FREE case of beer, worth £24 at beer52.com/mann.