How do you discover new music, and what’s the latest gem you’ve found?

It's a mixture of collaborations, compilations, algorithms, books and websites, and podcasts, and the occasional Shazam.

This song is a case in point. I'm not sure how I originally heard of Lisa O'Neill, but I played her LP, then lost touch a bit, and then saw her sing with the Pogues. Then I saw that an old punk rock school chum had picked this as his favourite record of last year (here...and I listened more carefully to this particular song.

imho, it's a masterpiece

What is a song that feels like home to you?

Johnny Cash was the sound of my childhood, and he's followed me through adulthood into what I'm starting to think of as my old age.

A bit of trivia...Rock Island Line an American song, but Billy Bragg says that Johnny Cash adopted a change to the words that comes from East Ham's Lonnie Donegan.

What’s the first song you’d play at a party?

Just because of the title really, and these words

Wailers still be there The Jam, The Dammed, The Clash Wailers still be there Dr. Feelgood too, ooh No boring old farts No boring old farts No boring old farts will be there

Yeah, it's the punky reggae party And it's tonight Punky reggae party And it's alright

What song do you associate with the current season?

My first thought was the Sisters of Mercy's LP 'Floodland' because that's what my bit of the Shire turns into at this time of year...but instead I've gone for something equally Goth-y and very appropriate to the season

What’s your favorite love song, and why?

As Christy himself almost sang, "Oh not Christy Moore, you've picked him loads of times before".

This is a Ewan MacColl song and I'm posting it because it's a great song, and because I do remember the first time I saw her face, as clear as day.

What’s a guilty pleasure song?

This might fit the idea of a Guilty Pleasure in that it probably wouldn't have been positively featured in the NME at the time it came out....and it's also from an LP called Guilty

What’s a song you’ve had on repeat recently?

This was in my top 10 most streamed songs of last year.

Lauren Laverne now presents Dessert Island Discs. Nobody has chosen this song yet.

Another song that tells a story

What’s your favorite collaboration between artists?

Kylie came on to sing this with Nick Cave once or twice when I saw him. She wore a sparkly, pop star red dress - a bit of a contrast with the Godfathers of Goth black suits of Nick and the Bad Seeds

Which song would you use to introduce yourself to someone new?

Very old, very English, and very odd.