The Alternative Acoustic Podcast

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We talk with guitarist and composer Clive Carroll about the real mechanics of life as a touring fingerstyle musician and the trade-offs between creativity and constant travel. Clive also traces the musical line from Renaissance lute and early music to John Renborn, Tommy Emmanuel, and the acoustic guitar scene today.
• the unglamorous reality of touring and the problem of “dead time” on the road
• the pressure of internet content versus making music
• the economics of US touring and why publicity costs add up fast
• Clive’s early break supporting John Renborn and what he learned on the road
• how Renaissance and late medieval modality feeds modern acoustic guitar writing
• banjo and clawhammer technique adapted to steel-string guitar
• composing by singing first and writing away from the guitar
• double-string tunings for thicker melody and bendable tension
• why groove changes a room instantly with a thumb pick
If you just head to alternativeacousticpodcast.com, you'll find that in the style of Clive Carroll lesson, there's a tab as well.

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We sit down with Andy Crowley, also known as Andy Guitar, to unpack why acoustic and heavy music share more DNA than most players realize. We dig into tone, tech, rhythm, and motivation, then get practical about how to stop quitting and start building habits that make guitar feel fun again.
• heavy music’s resurgence and why it pairs naturally with acoustic guitar technique
• getting bigger sounds with dual pickups, multiple outputs, and blendable signal paths
• why Unplugged performances and “human” imperfections connect so hard
• using higher voicings and one-note changes to unlock emotional chord progressions
• how reverb and compression change touch, dynamics, and confidence
• rhythm as the real hook and how groove translates across genres
• why adults quit guitar and how to reframe beginner discomfort
• mental practice, musical memory, and active listening as the fastest multiplier
• simplifying songs for learners versus chasing perfect replicas of recordings
• community as the antidote to burnout through challenges, open mics, and retreats
This episode was brought to you by Ibanez UK

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Head to Alternativeacousticpodcast.com for an accompanying lesson and more....This Episode was recorded at the Jon Gomm Bootcamp 2026. A huge thanks to Rob Barnaville and Mark Morgan for the epic work on the live audio. This episode was brought to you by Ibanez UK.

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In this episode Chris chats with Stuart Ryan, check out the accompanying lesson at https://www.alternativeacousticpodcast.com/stuartryan Check out some of Stuarts books at https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Stuart-Ryan/author/B08P51Y9JQ This podcast is brought to you by Ibanez UK.

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In this episode Chris heads to Headstock HQ and chats to six artist at a special product launch event - Etaoin, Thom Pankhurst, Liam Stephenson, Tiggy Bass, Adam Ironside and Jamie Slays. This podcast is brought to you by Ibanez UK.

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This podcast is brought to you by Ibanez UK. Join the mailing list here. https://chriswoodsgroove.co.uk/thealternativeacousticpodcast/

In this conversation Chris chats with holly Poland of Candrat Records. Find out more about Candyrat here...https://www.candyrat.com/

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This podcast is brought to you by Ibanez UK. Join the mailing list here. https://chriswoodsgroove.co.uk/thealternativeacousticpodcast/

Listen to the inspirational Antonio Forcione here https://www.antonioforcione.com/

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In this episode Chris chats with Bill Vencil of Chords of Orion. This podcast is brought to you by Ibanez UK. Join the mailing list here. https://chriswoodsgroove.co.uk/thealternativeacousticpodcast/

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In this episode Chris chats with Buzz Gravelle. This podcast is brought to you by Ibanez UK. Join the mailing list here. https://chriswoodsgroove.co.uk/thealternativeacousticpodcast/ Find Buzz here... http://www.buzzgravelle.com/

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In this conversation Chris chats with Justin Sandercoe of JustinGuitar.com. This podcast is brought to you by Ibanez UK. Join the mailing list here. https://chriswoodsgroove.co.uk/thealternativeacousticpodcast/

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