Spotlight On cover image

Spotlight On

Mike Scott of The Waterboys: The Ballad of Dennis Hopper

May 15, 2025
38:38

Today, the Spotlight shines On Mike Scott, founder of The Waterboys.

In 2014, Mike stumbled upon Dennis Hopper’s photography in a London gallery and fell into a rabbit hole that led to Life, Death and Dennis Hopper, a bold concept album that tells the story of the Easy Rider star from childhood to beyond the grave. It's a sonic movie with guest turns from Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, and Steve Earle that chronicles not just Hopper's journey but the cultural shifts he witnessed and helped create.

This marks a new peak in Mike's ever-changing four-decade career with The Waterboys, from their ‘Big Music’ beginnings to Celtic folk explorations and genre-blending surprises to come.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Waterboys’ album Life, Death and Dennis Hopper)

Dig Deeper

• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on BlueskyMastodonYouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app