A RADIO Nova documentary by The Irish Sun's Showbiz Editor Ken Sweeney has been shortlisted for an IMRO Radio Award. The Trashcan Sinatras tells the story of the Scottish indie band who have survived bankruptcy and serious illness to release six acclaimed albums. Producer Ken told The Irish Sun: "Even if you’ve never heard of The Trashcan Sinatras you’ll find their story inspirational.
"I'm thrilled with this IMRO nomination and that more people might hear their music." And band member John Douglas said: "We're delighted by this IMRO nomination. To have some limelight shone on us is fantastic.
" Signed by Go-Discs in 1987, the Trashcan Sinatras needed the permission of Frank Sinatra to tour the US, voiced in the programme by actor Morgan C. Jones. Despite selling 100,00 copies of their debut album, the group were later dropped, lost their studio, were declared bankrupt and ended up busking in the London Underground.
But the internet turned their careers around by connecting them to fans worldwide. The programme also hears how John, husband of Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader, had his life saved by a surgeon from Cork. The music doc sound was engineered by Billy Farrell.
Ken's previously produced radio documentaries include RTE Radio's PPI Winning Michael Jackson's Irish Driver, R.E.M: Out of Athens, and In Search of the Blue Nile , and 2023's The Go-Betweens & The Irish Writers for Radio Nova.
Author John Niven as well as BBC presenters Gideon Coe and Gary Crowley, have praised the new Radio Nova Trashcan Sinatras documentary, available to listen to HERE . Previously speaking about the documentary, Ken said: "I'm staggered that no one has made a radio documentary about The Trashcan Sinatras before. "The stories the band told me blew my mind, as did the opportunity to turn it into a soundscape of their beautiful music with the help of Grammy-nominated engineer Billy Farrell and Radio Nova.
"The Trashcan Sinatras are great company, and their stories will have you laughing and reminiscing." Radio Nova received five other IMRO nominations including for Morning Glory with PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe, and nods for radio hosts Dee Woods and Kieran McGuinness. The winners of the 2024 IMRO awards will be announced at a glittering ceremony at the Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny on October 4.
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