Since launching in 2013, When the Levee Breaks has become a Saturday night instituation on the 2SER airwaves. The hsow has had a revolving cast of hosts but has remain anchored by longtime 2SER presenters Pete Pasqual and Eo.

For the uninitiated, can you tell us just a little bit about When the Levee Breaks, what the show is about and how it got started on 2SER?

When The Levee Breaks is about playing music on vinyl: specifically, different genres of music, new release and over time, that we all want to share with our station listeners. After ten years or so (!), When The Levee Breaks is still full of upbeat earworms and psychy rabbit holes due to the long-time collecting passions and habits of myself (Pete Pasqual), co-presenters EO (Erica Olson), Tim Ritchie and Modman (Nick Chesh) and moonlighters Raffi Lovechild, Lost Johnny and Love Buzz (now with their own shows on 2SER).

Levee is a show I’ve always wanted to do (Pete speaking here) since first hearing Radio Nova in France. The first time I heard the station in 1995 I was blown away by how eclectic it sounded, but it all managed to make sense musically. It would play a Daft Punk track, followed by a Serge Gainsboug number, followed by a thumping Techno track by Laurent Garnier.

When I got back from that trip I really tried to stretch the boundaries of the show I was doing then (called Back To Funk, now hitting its 45th anniversary!), which kinda worked for me, but not to the extent that it does now with Levee.

Pete, you’ve been a longtime presenter on 2SER, going back to the 80s/90s with Back to Funk – do you have any favourite moments from hosting the show (that are fit to retell)?

Quite a few actually. One prominent memory was seeing Isaac Hayes at the Hilton Hotel. We asked the promoter if there was any chance of getting our albums autographed and she said, ‘she’ll see what she could do’.

It was about 10 minutes after she took off with our stack of vinyl, that she returned and said ‘that the band would like to meet you both’. When I walked into the room we were greeted with the sight of the whole band (a 15-member group who all originally recorded with Isaac on his hits on Stax Recordings) passing around our records to see if they were playing on a particular album, so that they could sign it. Isaac along with the band were such lovely people. An equally beautiful moment for me on Back To Funk was for my radio hero Tim Ritchie to do a monthly segment on the show, called ‘Future Funk’. I am beyond delighted that he is also now part of the 2SER and Levee family on a regular basis.

When the Levee Breaks is devoted to playing music on original vinyl – what are some of your favourite vinyl discoveries (past or present)? *These could be musically amazing or just plain weird or stupid.

We love finding the forgotten and overlooked tracks which could be on weird Japanese covers comps to Hungarian Pop albums from the 50’s or 60’s. It’s usually the covers that bring us in first. Can’t really pick one track….there’s too many!

EO – I have a few!

Kutiman – Losing It (feat. Karolina) – 2007 – Melting Pot Records

The Ainsley Dunbar Retaliation – Let It Ride – 1969 – Blue Thumb

Tony Bizarro – Que Se Faz Da Vida – 2022 – Vampi Soul

The Sylvers – Stay Away From Me – 1973 – MGM

Gwen McRae – All This Love That I’m Giving – 1990 – Flame Records

Maxayn – Trying’ For Days – 1972 – Capricorn Records

As well as collecting and playing records, you’re also devoted traders in rare records as well, including running the Newtown Record Fair. Can you tell us some tips for anyone looking to build a collection, or just the 101’s of digging for gems?

Newtown Record Fair is a great gem of a place to visit as well as the stores that surround the area. Always have a list of some items you’d like to find and then explore and dig albums that look interesting. Have your phone handy to listen online while you’re digging.

Never turn up your nose to common rock or pop albums either as there’s sleepers in those grooves. And ALWAYS talk to your record seller about what you are interested in, if they have any of it, and what they recommend. By doing this, you’ll find your people – and gems 🙂

You can hear Pete, Erica, Tim Ritchie and Modman every Saturday night on When the Levee Breaks on 2SER from 6-8pm on 2SER (and repeating Tuesday afternoons at 2pm).

The next Newtown Record Fair is on Sunday September 7 at The Bank Hotel in Newtown from midday to 5pm (and the first Sunday of every second month therafter).