The Shanty Show

Dean Calin is a shanty singer with the Chicago-based group Bounding Main and the driving force behind the Maritime Music Directory International (seashanties4all.com), an online database of shanty bands, festivals, and performers from around the world. Dean got his start singing shanties at the Bristol Renaissance Fair in 1998 and went on to co-found Bounding Main in 2003 — a group that has since performed across North America and Europe, from Paimpol to Krakow. We talk about how shanties too...

SEASON 2 PREMIERE We're finally back after a long haitus! In this kickoff to Season 2, we welcome folklorist and musician Bob Walser to the show to discuss his journey into the world of shanties and, particularly, his work uncovering new shanties in the recordings and documents of 1930s collector James Madison Carpenter. We also discuss the historical significance of dreg songs, the influence of Afro-Caribbean music on shanties, and the legacy of Carpenter and other collectors in documenting ...

Our guest is Canadian folk music icon Fergus O'Byrne. Fergus is an incredible singer and was part of the legendary Newfoundland band Ryan's Fancy who were awarded the Dr. Helen Creighton Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In this episode, we explore the early days of English and Irish folk music communities in Toronto and the East Coast, discuss Ryan’s Fancy’s popularity and TV shows, and share thoughts on the power and importance of singing together. ⚓︎ Shanties and songs featured: Ra...

Poland has one of the world's most vibrant shanty scenes. In 2023, we performed at the Port Pieśni Pracy festival in Tychy, Poland where we were introduced to Marek Szurawski. Marek is a former merchant mariner and journalist who was instrumental in introducing shanties to Poland in the 1980s on his radio program Kliper siedmiu mórz. He still performs regularly as a solo act and with Stare Dzwony ("Old Bells") and we were told he was the 'Oracle of Polish Shanties'. James and Stefan sat down ...

We bid farewell to the last living shantyman, George "Tall 12" Frederick. Tall 12 sang the shanties of his home town of Barrouallie as a whaling gunman and kept the tradition alive until his death on May 6, 2025 at the age of 79. He performed around the world in the early 2000s as part of the Barrouallie Whalers. We are joined by his friend Vincent Reid, film maker and producer Akley Olton, and shantyman and musicologist Dan Lanier who knew and worked with Tall 12 to preserve the legacy of th...

The good people at CBC Radio One's 'Fresh Air' invited James and Stefan on to chat all things shanties as well as about the upcoming new Pressgang Mutiny album 'Departure'. We discuss the origins of shanties, connections to other musical projects, how 'Departure' came about, and premiered a version of 'Haul Away Joe' off the new album.

Tom Lewis is a brilliant singer and songwriter, and has written so many well-known and loved songs including “The Last Shanty”, “Marching Inland” and “Sailor’s Prayer”. Like Cyril Tawney before him, Tom is also a former submariner with the Royal Navy having spent years circling the arctic in diesel-electric submarines during the Cold War. We caught up with Tom in between performances on his recent tour of Southern Ontario to talk through his life story, his influences, his time on subs, and o...

We were invited onto Music from Studio 2 on CIUT89.5FM to sing some songs and chat about shanties. We cover a lot of what we've learned through our discussions on this show, share some music from our upcoming album Departure, and talk about some of our projects to further promote, preserve, and progress shanties.

Jack Coutts is a member of the legendary shanty group Stormalong John. We sat down with Jack and his daughter Hannah aboard the Pilgrim at the world's largest sea music festival in Paimpol, Brittany for a chat and a sing in between sets. We discuss the origins of the band, what it was like touring in Poland in the 80s behind the iron curtain, and performing with Stan Hugill. And of course we get some singing in too! ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Live song: Pique la baleine, trad. arranged by Press...

As part of our European tour, we stopped in at Whitby Folk Week to do a few concerts and sit down with our favourite shanty singer, Jim Mageean, or “Shanty Jim”. In a wide-ranging chat with plenty of singing and a wonderful live audience, we discuss the burgeoning shanty scene in Poland, Jim's 1983 victory with Johnny Collins at the Eastern Bloc's answer to Eurovision, the growing consensus around the true origins of shanties, and much more! It's a conversation we won't soon forget. ⚓︎ Shant...

We're back with another special live episode, recorded in front of an audience at St. John's Church as part of the Connecticut Sea Music Festival. Our guests this time are David Jones and Joseph Morneault. David is a stalwart of the shanty scene in the North East US, moving there from London in 1965 and becoming deeply involved with the NYC folk music scene. He sings solo and with many acts including The Starboard List, The Bermuda Quadrangle, Poor Old Horse, and The New York Pa...

Brise-Glace (Icebreaker) is a Montreal-based quartet who sing maritime folk from Quebec, the Canadian Maritimes, Brittany and North America. Comprised of Quebecers Jean-Francois and Antoine and Bretons Gwenn and Alexandre, they have a fascinating take on shanties as an international music and one that intersects many other musical genres. They're also the hosts of (...ahem) the world's second most popular shanty podcast, “Bordel de Mer”, which you should definitely check out. We had the chanc...

In our first ever LIVE episode, we took the stage in front of the wonderful Fundy Sea Shanty Festival audience to sing some songs and chat all things shanty with UK singer-songwriter-shantyman Chris Ricketts. We hear all about how he first fell in love with shanties, his time performing on cruise ships, as well as his approach to arranging and song-writing that came to life most recently on his album Songs in the Key of Sea. Chris' self-deprecating sense of humour and beautiful singing voice ...

SEASON 1 FINALE: Canadian shanty singers Pressgang Mutiny talk to Martin Hugill the son of "the last shantyman" Stan Hugill who authored the seminal shanty tome Shanties from the Seven Seas. Martin is also a talented musician and singer in his own right, performing in a shanty duo with his brother Phil and with the concert and ceilidh band Canol. In this episode, we explore Stan's life story (including multiple shipwrecks and careers!), challenge some commonly held myths about the man, and he...

Michał is a member of the Polish shanty group Perły i Łotry and a sitting Member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. Shanties play a special role in the Polish music scene, which is surprising given the country is largely land-locked! Michał talks to us all about how shanties came to be so popular in his country and what makes shanty singing in Poland different from anywhere else in the world. We also get his on-the-ground perspective on the war in neighbouring Ukraine. ⚓︎ Shanties feature...

Jon “JD” Darley is a member of the chart-topping shanty group The Longest Johns, based out of Bristol, UK. Their rendition of “Wellerman” went viral on TikTok in the early days of 2021 and launched them into stardom. But even prior to that, The Longest Johns were innovating new ways to reach new audiences with their music online. In this episode, we talk to Jon about the whirlwind of the last two years, how they have blended their love of traditional music with their love of video gaming, and...

Heather Wood first rose to fame as part of the legendary 60s traditional vocal harmony group The Young Tradition, alongside Peter Bellamy and Royston Wood. In this episode, Heather shares her story from deciding to leave the army to take up singing, through the formation of the YT, her adventures around the world including singing with Janis Joplin at the Newport Folk Festival, and Peter’s suicide and legacy. Heather is an inspiration, and a very fine singer, songwriter, and storyteller indee...

Kimber's Men are shanty legends. John, Neil, Gareth, and Steve joined us from Gareth's kitchen in West Yorkshire to sing a few songs and have more than a few laughs. We talk about how they got their start, some of their biggest highlights and fondest memories, and the joys of singing together. After 20 years, 4 albums, and hundreds of concerts there's not much they haven't seen or sung! ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Opening credits: Paddy Doyle's Boots, trad. arranged by Pressgang Muti...

Ian Robb and James Stephens are singers and musicians based near Ottawa who have had a front row seat to the evolution of the Canadian folk music and sea music communities since the ‘70s and have played with groups such as The Friends of Fiddler’s Green and Finest Kind. They have just released a new album, Declining with Thanks that contains a mix of traditional and composed songs and, of course, some songs of the sea. In this wide-ranging episode, we explore the ever-present and timely theme...

In August of 2022, St. Martin's, NB will host the very first Fundy Sea Shanty Festival. Featuring concerts, workshops, children's programming, and even a pirate march, the Festival will be the only shanty festival in Eastern Canada. Gary Caines is the principal organizer of the Festival and is also member of shanty group Before the Mast. In this episode, he talks to us about how the idea for the Festival came about, what he's hoping it will achieve, and his ambition to grow the Festival to th...

Miguel Perez is a singer and multi-instrumentalist and a member of El Pony Pisador. Based out of Barcelona, El Pony have been making waves in the shanty world with their irreverent and fun interpretations on classic shanties, including on their latest album "It's Never Too Late for Shanties". Miguel talks to us about how the group first found shanties, how they've been received in their native Catalonia, the way they play with musical inspiration from other genres as wide-ranging as ragtime a...

Coda are a County Mayo-based group of seven singers and musicians who have developed their own unique and richly-harmonised approach to vocal performance from diverse vocal and instrumental backgrounds, including folk, trad, blues, rock, pop music and of course shanties - all uniquely complemented by their multi-part vocal harmony experience gained from classical choral music. We talk to them about the intersection of shanties and Irish traditions, their experience going viral with their vide...

Séan McCann is a founder of the iconic Canadian band Great Big Sea and an Order of Canada recipient for his advocacy for people living with mental health and addiction issues. His latest album, Shantyman, is a powerful return to the music of the sea that he grew up with. We speak to him about his first encounters with these songs, recording with Great Big Sea, his journey through addiction to recovery, and the vision behind his fantastic new album. ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Opening credits: Pa...

The town of Barrouallie on the leeward side of the island of St. Vincent has a long history of longshore whaling. Taking to sea in 25-foot wooden whaleboats powered by rowing and sails, the whalers of Barrouallie developed a rich tradition of a capella work songs, many of which share their roots with well-known deepwater sea shanties. In this episode, we talk with George “Tall 12” Frederick, one of the most successful harpoon gunners in Barrouallie history who also has a genuine claim t...

Ian Bell is a brilliant singer and songwriter from Southwestern Ontario with a deep fascination and passion for the traditional music of the Great Lakes. We met up with him at the Port Dover Harbour Museum to sing some songs and chat about the history of Great Lakes maritime trade, the songs it gave rise to, and how all that music would have been lost to time were it not for the efforts of one man. ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Opening credits: Paddy Doyle's Boots, trad. arranged by Pressga...

In the late 1800s, ships from Yarmouth, on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, could be found in every major seaport in the world. Many people in Yarmouth today can trace their heritage back generations to sailors, shipbuilders, traders, fishermen, and port workers – including members of the Yarmouth Shantymen. They’ve been belting out shanties around the East Coast for almost 40 years and it was a chance encounter with them that encouraged members of Pressgang Mutiny to give this whole shan...

Jim Mageean, or “Shanty Jim”, has been leading some of the best shanty sessions in the world for decades. His lengthy discography now includes his most recent project, a series of books and accompanying recordings titled Heave Away, Haul Away and Sail Away. In our first trans-Atlantic episode, we chat about Jim’s long history with shanties, his family history down the mines, why there are so many folk songs from Newcastle, and his early encounters with Stan Hugill, a bottle of rum, and three ...

Seán Dagher has one of the most widely heard and recognized voices in all of shanties thanks to his work on the soundtrack for the video game Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. He talks to us about how he got involved with that project, the process of recording it (including the “drunk takes”), and how the success of the game and soundtrack changed his life. We also discuss his groundbreaking work with the Montreal music project La Nef and the runaway success of his Shanty of the Week YouTube p...

Shanties were long considered "men's songs" and it was frowned upon for women to lead them. That is, until The Johnson Girls and other pioneering female singers decided to break through the "especially bearded, especially beer-bellied" resistance. In this episode, we chat about their many wild adventures, why they love shanties and how they pick and arrange songs, and the many great singers who supported them along the way. And of course, we get some fantastic singing in. Don't miss thi...

Take a look at shanties through the frame of Craig Edwards and Gibb Schreffler who have studied shanties intensely for years. From West African work songs, through the popularization of the banjo in America, through the Beatles in Liverpool. Join us on a trip around the world and through the years that explores the origins, evolution, present day relevance and future possibilities of the genre. ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Opening credits: Paddy Doyle's Boots, trad. arranged by Pressgang Mutiny -...

New Orleans is famous for its singular culture and music. So what do shanties look like there? Alex McMurray from The Valparaiso Men's Chorus talks to us about his journey with shanties that has taken him from New York to Tokyo DisneySea to New Orleans, the impact of Katrina and the pandemic on the music scene there, and of course the Chorus' unique, second line-infused take on shanties. ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Opening credits: Paddy Doyle's Boots, trad. arranged by Pressgang Mutiny - Live s...

An episode focused on the Mystic Seaport Museum and Sea Music Festival with former festival director and member of the seminal shanty band Forebitter Geoff Kaufman along with Mystic Seaport Chanteyman Marc Bernier. ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Opening credits: Paddy Doyle's Boots, trad. arranged by Pressgang Mutiny - Live song: Down Trinidad, trad. arranged by Geoff Kaufman - Live song: It's Advertised in Boston, trad. arranged by Marc Bernier - Live song: Paddy, Lay Back, trad. arranged by M...

A wide-ranging, informative, and hilarious conversation with renowned shanty singer and educator David Coffin, song leader of the Revels musical program and Director of the Narration Program for Boston Harbor Cruises. ⚓︎ Shanties featured: - Opening credits: Paddy Doyle's Boots, trad. arranged by Pressgang Mutiny - Live song: Noah's Ark, trad. arranged by David Coffin - Live song: Chantey Challenge, by David Coffin - Closing credits: Bully in the Alley, tra...