Fender Jackson

05/06/2026

New episode of The Ireland Podcast is now online:

An Irishman in China - Shanghai

https://youtu.be/nNPnoKkdujs

A couple of months ago I spent another week in Shanghai, one of the strangest and most fascinating cities I’ve ever visited.

In this episode I go through videos I filmed there and reflect on:

colonial history and the Bund
futuristic skyscrapers and BYD supercars
marriage markets in People’s Park
qipao exhibitions
traditional Chinese music
live Queen tribute bands
rooftop bars
Irish connections in the middle of Shanghai
and the strange mixture of communism, capitalism, old China and futuristic China all existing together at the same time.

There’s also:

a street artist sketching me while I was recovering from gastroenteritis
thoughts on learning Chinese
memories from staging musicals in China
and a left-handed guitarist who accidentally taught himself guitar upside down.

Shanghai still feels mysterious to me even after visiting it several times, which is probably why I keep going back.

Available now on YouTube and podcast platforms.

A couple of months ago I spent another week in Shanghai, one of the...

19/05/2026

https://youtu.be/K7k8rMV2XBw

After years as a rock musician and music teacher in China, Fender thought he’d do something different on The Ireland Podcast and talk about music theory.

This episode explores split chords (slash chords) and how artists like David Bowie, The Beatles and The Beach Boys used them to create emotional tension and atmosphere in songs such as God Only Knows, Life on Mars? and Where Are We Now?

Featuring live piano demonstrations throughout.

What are your favourite songs that use slash chords?

Why do songs by The Beatles, The Beach Boys and David Bowie sound so emotionally rich? One of the reasons is Split Chords (aka slash chords).In Part 1 of thi...

14/05/2026

A piano and vocal interpretation of “Sensitize”, composed by Ciaran McLaughlin and originally recorded by That Petrol Emotion from the album *Chemicrazy*.

I’ve used split chords throughout the arrangement - a technique I love for creating emotional tension and colour. One famous example of a split chord is on the opening of “The Long and Winding Road”. I was also thinking about songs like “God Only Knows” and David Bowie’s “Where Are We Now?” while arranging this version.

Steve Mack and I recently discussed these songs, harmony, and production on Episode 211 of The Ireland Podcast. Link in comments.

Piano, vocals, and production by Fender Jackson
Video by Salthill Media