By Epigram Music
The student station is preparing to air a special broadcast to mark new music from the legendary Bristol alumnus James Blunt.
Burst Radio is preparing to enter its final week of the academic year. Last October, it returned effortlessly to our airwaves, giving us a non-stop 10am-10pm online schedule, and on 1st November 2021 it went 24/7, joining award-winning Bristol station BCfm for overnight broadcasting. Mixing their local output seamlessly with student programming earned the station listeners across the city, and widespread acclaim for their diverse mix of speech and music.
Today (Sunday 27th March), the station celebrates legendary Bristol alumnus James Blunt as he releases new music. At 7pm, another alumnus, Marcus Brigstocke, will be chatting to Xander Brett, and at 8pm they’ll air James Blunt: From A to Z: a documentary presented by a collection of the station’s 75 hosts. It forms part of The Best of Burst Radio’s final edition, a weekly programme that has been syndicated to BCfm since October, and has garnered interest from BBC Radio Bristol, responsible for broadcasting their documentary on Keith Floyd in 2020 and extracts of their Wurzels programme last year, alongside a two-page spread for The Bristol Magazine.
One of Burst’s most recent programmes is a selection of words and music with Bristol poet Philip Dixon, and the production team says this – and the upcoming Blunt documentary – is symptomatic of their determination to deliver a diverse mix of programmes in the station’s 25th year, alongside the fast-paced daily Brunch, Hangover Brunch and music shows. Station Manager George Ruskin reaffirmed his words to Epigram last year, saying “celebrating local culture continues to be at the heart of Burst’s programming.”
James Blunt released his debut album in 2004, with its hit You’re Beautiful propelling him to world fame. He was determined for it not to be his ‘one hit wonder’, and for the past eighteen years he has continued to release music, appearing across the world and touring with the likes of Elton John and Ed Sheeran (he’s currently performing to packed arenas in Europe).
Tune in to Burst Radio’s celebration of James Blunt from 7pm to 9pm this Sunday 27th March at burstradio.org.
