27 October 2026 is the 40th anniversary of XTC’s Skylarking and a big birthday deserves a big celebration. Joining us at the party for this episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast are XTC’s Colin Moulding, Blur’s drummer Dave Rowntree, BBC Radio 4 presenter Samira Ahmed and Labour Member of Parliament Rupa Huq.

As well as 40 years of Skylarking, they talk about Want it Bad, the new single by Colin Moulding, released on 18 September 2026 and available from Burning Shed.

Want it Bad by Colin Moulding

A Hard Day's Night (BFI Film Classics) by Samira Ahmed

No One You Know: Dave Rowntree's Early Blur Photos

What Do You Call that Noise? The XTC Podcast is sponsored by Burning Shed, the online home for all XTC CD, vinyl and official merchandise.

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

The special guest in today’s episode of What Do You Call that Noise? The XTC Podcast is Steve Lillywhite who, in 1979, was the 24-year-old producer of Life Begins at the Hop, XTC’s first single featuring Dave Gregory, followed by Drums and Wires and then 1980’s Black Sea. All these years later, he still looks back at it as a charmed period of his life.

The six-time Grammy Award winner has also worked on the first three albums by U2, Peter Gabriel’s third solo album, Fairytale Of New York with The Pogues and the first and only album by The La’s.

Music from Ashley Smith.

What Do You Call that Noise? The XTC Podcast is sponsored by Burning Shed, the online home for all XTC CD, vinyl and official merchandise.

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.

Published on 16 July 2026, Record Collector presents… XTC is a whole magazine dedicated to Swindon’s finest. If features interviews with Andy Partridge, Colin Moulding, Dave Gregory and Terry Chambers, as well as insights from Steve Lillywhite, John Leckie, Hugh Padgham, Nick Davis and Mike Batt.

To mark the occasion, this episode of What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast brings together editor Jeremy Allen and contributors Imogen Bebb, Huw Thomas and Mark Fisher to go behind the scenes on this special magazine.

Song courtesy of Paulcito.

Record Collector presents… XTC

Paulcito on Bandcamp

What Do You Call that Noise? The XTC Podcast is sponsored by Burning Shed, the online home for all XTC CD, vinyl and official merchandise.

What Do You Call That Noise? An XTC Discovery Book available from www.xtclimelight.com

If you’ve enjoyed What Do You Call That Noise? The XTC Podcast, please show your support at https://www.patreon.com/markfisher

Thanks to the Pink Things, Humble Daisies and Knights in Shining Karma who’ve done the same.