BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds have announced their Summer 2023 schedules.
Former Manchester Roadhouse barman Guy Garvey, now also known as the frontman of Elbow and a TV and radio regular, will be showcasing more of his favourite music, interviews with songwriters and recorded-live session tracks in a newly extended three-hour show. His Sunday afternoon programme, which is produced in Salford, will run 1pm-4pm from 2nd July.
Garvey said: “It’s great to get more time on air and I’m going to do interesting things with it. My current two-hour show is bursting at the seams with recommendations from the listeners, the Poet Laureate and Becapedia, plus strings of fascinating archive and of course amazing new music. This is an opportunity to do more of the patient ‘two or three album tracks in a row’ kind of broadcasting that always gets such a great response. BBC Radio 6 Music is still the best and the only radio station in the land that gives its presenters so much freedom. I’m a very lucky man.”
6 Music’s next Artist in Residence will be Romy from The xx and she will be the first to feature in the new timeslot (9pm-10pm, Monday-Thursday), from Monday 5th June.
Romy said: “It’s a pleasure to be following in the footsteps of some amazing artists who have presented 6 Music Artist in Residence series so far, like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoebe Bridgers and Arlo Parks. I’ll be sharing tracks that have meant a lot to me in the past, music I’ve found and loved recently and a few stories along the way. Looking forward to it!”
From Monday 19th June, 6 Music’s Artist in Residence series will see an eight episode run from Manic Street Preachers. The iconic band performed a blistering set at Clwb Ifor Bach for the 6 Music Festival in 2022, including a memorable cover of Borderline by Madonna. The event saw the band finally fulfil a 32-year-old promise after they were booked to play the venue, but cancelled as they needed to sign their new record contract.
Manic Street Preachers will be followed later in the summer by Brooklyn-based indie band Big Thief, who will present their own series of eight shows.
Another new artist joining 6 Music is Nathan Shepherd. Shepherd is known for the viral music mash-ups he produced during lockdown under his band name, Good Future. After DJing at this year’s 6 Music Festival, he’ll be sharing his love of indie across the decades every Friday night (9-11pm), from 16th June in the newly expanded Indie Forever show. Broadcasting live from Salford, the show will continue to feature nothing but solid gold, upbeat indie bangers, with a sprinkling of the finest current and future hits.
Shepherd said: “What an absolute dream and huge honour it is to be hosting a weekly show on my favourite radio station. It was a huge privilege to bring you my playlist takeover on Indie Forever back in December last year, so to now be hosting my own programme is utterly surreal! I’m so excited to get started and play you all some of my favourite indie bangers, as well as the indie classics of tomorrow that will be with us forever.”
Other previously announced schedule changes include New Music Fix Daily, which launches on Monday June 5th (7pm-9pm), presented by Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant. During the show’s first week, expect highlights from the Primavera Sound music festival in Barcelona, where Depeche Mode, Kendrick Lamar, Blur, Rosalía, Four Tet, Fred again.., Skrillex, St. Vincent, The Moldy Peaches and Le Tigre are all performing.
Primavera Sound is the latest festival that 6 Music will be bringing to listeners, joining past broadcasts from Glastonbury, All Points East in London, The Great Escape in Brighton and the station’s very own 6 Music Festival in Greater Manchester.
Following New Music Fix Daily, from 10pm, Marc Riley and Gideon Coe come together with their brand new show, Riley & Coe, to play music from every era and genre. Listeners will have the chance to get lost in their incredible record collections, brand new recommendations and stories over the course of the week. The pair’s newly shared slot attracted controversy when it was announced due to a perceived curtailing of the pair’s airtime.
Live music remains an integral part of the evening schedule at 6 Music. Listeners can expect to hear performances across weeknights and brand new sessions for Riley & Coe will include Beak, The Sonics, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and more, as well as recorded-live performances from the extensive BBC Archive.
Samantha Moy, Head of 6 Music, says: “6 Music is united by its love of all types of music. We’re really happy to be joined by so many of the artists that we love and champion in a new look 6 Music schedule – which we hope will give our audience much to enjoy over the coming months.”
6 Music will celebrate LGBTQ+ voices throughout June with the return of its annual Loud and Proud season of special shows, guest presenters and mixes. The season launches with four shows, co-presented by artists, who will share their musical loves, lives and stories. The line up includes:
- Skunk Anansie’s Skin & Grove (Monday 29th May, 7pm-9pm)
- Ezra Furman & Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! (Tuesday 30th May, 7pm-9pm)
- Rufus Wainwright & Justin Vivian Bond (Wednesday 31st May, 7pm-9pm)
- Lava La Rue & Kindness (Thursday 1st June, 7pm-9pm)
Following these shows, feminist punk band Big Joanie will present four three-hour specials (9pm-midnight).
6 Music’s Loud and Proud All Dayer takes place on Friday 9th June, with non-stop, uplifting music from 5am – midnight. Each daytime show (5am-7pm) will end with a 30 minute guest mix or playlist from an LGBTQ+ artist that 6 Music loves.
There will also be another chance to hear John Grant’s Loud and Proud special programmes, first broadcast in June 2021, on Sunday 11th and 18th June (1pm-4pm).
Other playlists and programmes available from 29th May onwards on BBC Sounds include indie, emo and rave specials, artist collections from the Pet Shop Boys, Skunk Anansie and Kae Tempest slots from Sleater-Kinney and Andy Bell and the Deep Dive Into Queer Country documentary.
