Episode 199: Simon Bird & Stuart Murdoch On The Music Of Days Of The Bagnold Summer

Soundtracking with Edith Bowman

We have another Soundtracking Live for you this week, recording at the Glasgow Film Festival back in February before lockdown came into effect.

Edith's guests were Simon Bird and Stuart Murdoch, discussing their collaboration on Simon's gorgeous directorial debut The Days Of The Bagnold Summer, for which Belle & Sebastian provided the music.

Starring Monica Dolan and Earl Cave (son of Nick), Days of The Bagnold Summer is based on a graphic novel by Joff Winterhart, and tells the story of a single mother and her 15 year-old son as they navigate the stresses and strains of a school summer holiday in each other's company. It's a beautiful piece of work, and you can watch it now on home entertainment formats.

As we'll hear, Belle & Sebastian furnished Simon with loads and loads of music, some of which had lyrics, some of which did not - instead serving as more traditional instrumental score. You can listen to the album in full via Matador records.