Announcing Singles Going Steady: A Podcast
About the podcast
What makes a great single? Singles Going Steady will search for the answer as it highlights classic singles from the punk, new wave, alternative, and indie scenes and related contemporary singles. These are singles that the hosts (at least one of them!) love and find notable and believe listeners will too. The podcast will examine the music, the art and artifact of the object, the context of its release, and the significance of the recording in the history of music. A bit music appreciation, a bit music history, a bit personal memoir, each episode will explore the lineage of a musical moment. Sometimes, creators behind the recordings will be guests, sharing secrets and insights behind the birth of the single. The podcast includes reviews and recommendations of related books and videos so listeners can slake their thirst for even more information about featured artists. But mostly, this is art appreciation you can dance to!
“I’m finding the album art explanations fascinating. Y’all are knowledgeable af!” – Jess, a beta listener
Singles Going Steady is a podcast started in late 2018 by Zub Records’ Adrienne Meddock and Steve McGowan. The show is recorded in both Greenville, South Carolina and Durham, North Carolina. Steve and A wanted to share and explore the magic of pop perfection that is the single. They both are avid record collectors. On the podcast, they examine and celebrate singles from their favorite artists. They also share stories of shows they played, saw, booked, or regrettably missed with many of these bands. About the hosts
In 1980, Stephen McGowan’s cousin Ross visited him in the US, bringing with him a collection of revolutionary singles from Scotland, including classic Buzzcocks. Hearing those records changed Steve’s life . … After meeting through an interstate high school Model UN, Cuban delegate Steve sent PLO representative Adrienne Meddock mixtapes loaded with these singles, hooking her, changing her life... Eventually, Meddock joined Steve’s band, The Beef People, and together they started Zub Records, an Indie music production company that booked a weekly national touring new music showcase in
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Greenville, SC, ran a sound reinforcement company, and published a monthly ‘zine, Zub Alert, promoting it all.
After an intensive musical and personal partnership through the 80s, Meddock and McGowan parted ways in the early 90s. Steve has remained active on the music scene in Greenville, especially in live sound engineering. Adrienne has been active in the area of intellectual property studies. Now, on the heels of what they have termed “a quarter-century palate cleanser,” they have resumed their musical partnership and are eager to talk with each other and their listeners about the records they love.
They have started the Singles Going Steady Podcast to explore wonderful tracks from their favorite bands. They will share their lifelong passion for all things Zub (their friend’s neologism for super cool) and hope you will listen and find the enthusiasm contagious. The Namesake
The podcast name pays homage to the paragon of single collection releases, the Buzzcocks’ 1979 Singles Going Steady album. If the podcast has a guiding spirit, it is to celebrate the legacy of that record. A great overview of the album is available at Pitchfork. The Bona Fides
Meddock (WXYC, WXDU) and McGowan (WMRB, WPLS) both have extensive experience in on-air radio presentation and both have published music commentary. Steve ran a recording studio and a music store for many years, and still is a live and recording sound engineer. Meddock has over 25 years public presentation experience on music and art intellectual property issues. She briefly attended the School of Design at NC State and studied art and design history at UNC-CH.· Listen
Stream or download Singles Going Steady Podcast at zubrecords.com (click on the podcast logo), or on iTunes, Stitcher, Rodio Public, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, CastBox.fm, PocketCast, and Google Play Music.
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Stephen McGowan and Adrienne Meddock recording in Durham, NC in August, 2018. Photo credit: Billy Martin