In this episode, we sit down with Peter Koppes, founding guitarist of The Church, to explore the deep currents of his musical life—from early influences to legendary albums, solo works, and new collaborations.

What we cover in this conversation:
• 🎹 Early beginnings: Why Peter’s first love was the Hammond Organ, how he wound up on drums, and the Beatles’ surprising link to bossa nova.
• 🎸 Forming The Church: The transition from Precious Little → Baby Grande → The Church, and setting the record straight on Steve Kilbey’s “firing” from Baby Grande.
• 🌌 The Church’s legacy: Recording Starfish, the happy accidents behind “Under the Milky Way,” and Peter’s reflections on key tracks like Almost With You, Reptile, and A New Season.
• 🥁 Behind the music: Richard Ploog’s contributions, producers pushing drummers to click tracks, and what changed between Starfish and Gold Afternoon Fix.
• 🎼 Solo artistry: Manchild & Myth and From the Well—his painterly approach to songwriting and the role of collaborators.
• 🌀 Syncretism project: A creative partnership with Dave Scotland, the track “I Live,” and weaving cultural/ambient elements into new soundscapes.
• 🌱 Family & future: Reflections on boxing lessons as a child, the spirit in music, and his daughters’ project Rain Party.

A candid, wide-ranging conversation with one of alternative rock’s great sonic architects.

👉 Follow Peter’s music:
Website: https://peterkoppes.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdn2kYdQR2yQJ6YcU0QluJQ/featured
X: https://x.com/peterkoppes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peter.koppes.3
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5ENOFSRHD8RnVWRp4gQJha?si=pU-8kinsTBiteH-ciPTG8g

👉 The Church:
Shadow Cabinet: https://shadowcabi.net/

👉 Snow Koppes:
Bandcamp: https://snowkoppes.bandcamp.com/album/supastar

👉 O and Shea:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2vw6GFtH8CBLQmXATwArqW?si=rny5tquYQ2qkmlBzFGQMkg
Bandcamp: https://oandshea.bandcamp.com/

👉 Follow Post-punk Heartstrings for more deep dives into the sounds that move us:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PostpunkHeartstrings
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjKWsuzqWiSY0vln1Py5ahg
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kngtZ8HsbDL0YFt4m6otZ?si=8c5782e8d30e4258

Floodland by The Sisters of Mercy: Choral Doom and Drum Machines in the Twilight

Spotify for Creators – Podcast Episode Guide

In this episode, we wade through the sonic fog of Floodland, the 1987 landmark from The Sisters of Mercy. With personal stories, deep dives, and a few laughs, we unravel the gothic myths, machines, and melodrama behind one of the most iconic albums of the era.

We open by sharing our first brushes with The Sisters of Mercy:

• Jimmy first heard “This Corrosion” but didn’t love it—so he never explored the rest of the album

• Jim recounts his own discovery story and first impressions

• Jerry came to SOM from a very different starting point: 1950s music

• Airdale’s track “Space Is Falling” comes up, with a reference to SOM that caught our attention

📌 And yes, the band’s name comes from a Leonard Cohen song featured in the 1980 film The Gun Runner—a literary touchstone that fits Eldritch’s brooding, poetic aesthetic.

We revisit the band’s early days and explore the Floodland era mythos:

• The Sisters formed in 1980 in Leeds, England

• Patricia Morrison’s role in the Floodland sessions remains one of rock’s more elegant mysteries

• SOM trading cards and other cult fan artifacts spark memories and conversation

• Jerry shares a concert story involving a flying cigarette from Andrew himself

• The “Dominion” video was filmed in Jordan and gives off major Hellraiser or Indiana Jones vibes

• And yes, they once toured with Public Enemy

We also talk about the striking contrast between Andrew Eldritch’s singing voice and his regular speaking voice—both equally iconic, in very different ways.

Dr. Avalanche isn’t just a drum machine—it’s a character in the band’s lore.

• From early hardware to upgraded samplers, this unblinking rhythm section keeps time with eerie consistency

• Brendan (of The Mourning) even has a tattoo of the band’s Merciful Release label logo, joining Chris from JC&tSK in paying tribute

• We share our own experiences using drum machines and discuss whether Avalanche feels cold and mechanical—or oddly emotional and essential

We discuss how Andrew Eldritch brought in producer Jim Steinman to co-write and co-produce “This Corrosion.” That move helped secure a £50,000 advance, and the result was one of the most over-the-top, anthemic tracks in goth history.

Jimmy admits that “This Corrosion” didn’t click with him at all when he first heard it—and that kept him from giving the rest of the album a fair shot for years.

We also explore the possible meaning behind “Lucretia My Reflection,” often read as a tribute—or critique—of Patricia Morrison.

Here comes the eternal question: Is Floodland a goth album?

• Eldritch has famously rejected the goth label for decades

• Yet between the cover art, the tone, the themes, and the fanbase… the case for “yes” is hard to ignore

• We explore how Floodland compares to work by Bauhaus, Siouxsie, or The Cure

• Does the album define goth, transcend it, or parody it?

We break down the songs that make Floodland such an enduring and unusual experience:

• “Dominion/Mother Russia” opens with a Cold War flourish

• “Flood I” introduces the spiritual, apocalyptic tones that echo throughout

• “Lucretia My Reflection” is taut, cryptic, and endlessly cool

• “1959” closes the core album with stark minimalism

• “This Corrosion” is either high drama or pure camp—or both

• “Flood II,” “Driven Like the Snow,” and “Neverland” deepen the mood further

We also touch on bonus tracks “Torch” and “Colours,” added on the remastered version of Floodland, and give a nod to follow-up album Vision Thing. Despite the acclaim, Floodland marked the beginning of the end for SOM's studio albums.

🖤 Thanks for listening to Post-Punk Heartstrings.
Subscribe for more tales of eyeliner, machines, and majestic melancholy.

🎙 Post-punk Heartstrings – Episode 042
Guest: Kevin Bianchi of Vanishing Shores
Special Guest: Mark Feldbush
Title: Ghosts, Maps, and Enduring Hope

In this intimate and far-reaching conversation, Kevin Bianchi—frontman of Cleveland-based indie rock/Brit-pop outfit Vanishing Shores—shares the story behind the band's formation, his personal musical journey, and the emotional and lyrical depth that defines their sound.

Kevin reflects on:
• 🎸 The spark that led to forming Vanishing Shores and his path into music
• 🧭 Early projects that helped shape his current sound
• 🎧 Influences from Paul McCartney, Neil Finn, Elvis Costello, Bruce Cockburn, and Mark Heard

We dive deep into Kevin’s lyrical world:
• 👻 The recurring presence of ghosts in songs like “In Between” and “Monologue + Transcript” as metaphors for memory, loss, truth, and the Holy Spirit
• 📝 The personal significance of lines like “We want the truth like ghosts” and “Hope is a dark train”
• 🌊 Reflections on Bande-son pour la survie and Maps, and how isolation and introspection informed their creation
• ⭐ Favorite lyrical lines from “Long Gone” and “First Light”, and the stories behind them

Kevin also pulls back the curtain on the Vanishing Shores sound:
• 🎙 The role of collaborators and layered vocal harmonies in crafting emotional impact
• 🥁 The intensity and energy brought by the rhythm section, both in studio and live
• 🎹 The atmospheric use of synthesizers to shape mood and texture
• 🌅 The meaning behind the band name Vanishing Shores and its thematic resonance

💿 Later in the episode:
We’re joined by Mark Feldbush to discuss the upcoming benefit compilation album No Distance Between Us: A Benefit for Ukrainian Refugees, supporting the humanitarian work of the International Rescue Committee. Kevin shares his motivation for contributing to socially conscious projects and how music can be a vehicle for empathy and action.

This conversation is a journey through the poetic and sonic world of Vanishing Shores—a band rooted in introspection, spiritual yearning, and emotional honesty. Whether you're a longtime fan or discovering their music for the first time, Kevin Bianchi’s insight offers a rich and rewarding listen.

You can find the music of Vanishing Shores at the following links:

Vanishing Shores website: https://vanishingshores.com/

Bandcamp: https://vanishingshores.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vanishingshores

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vanishingshores5514

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4o1hUb6mX2C3QpeF8r8lzX?si=l1x02d9YSdSOGOo2lv3HHw

Please look the band up and support!

You can find Post-Punk Heartstrings on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PostpunkHeartstrings

Post-punk Heartstrings can now be found onYouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjKWsuzqWiSY0vln1Py5ahg

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