Season 2 of The Encore Club comes to a chaotic festive close with a Grinchmas Special and Christmas Eve season finale featuring The Yorkshire Grinch. Instead of the usual dream concert format, this episode flips the script entirely as Will takes The Grinch on a musical journey inspired by A Christmas Carol, complete with three festive ghosts and a whole lot of unexpected emotion, nonsense, and onion-based storytelling.

Across the episode, The Grinch is visited by the Ghost of Gifts Past, Present, and Yet To Come, each one forcing him to confront memories, music, and moments that slowly chip away at his famously tiny heart. From childhood Christmas memories and feelings of isolation to the strange comfort of being included, this episode unexpectedly touches on why Christmas can be difficult for a lot of people, even while keeping things loud, ridiculous, and laugh-out-loud funny.

There are confessions about secretly loved songs, least hated Christmas tracks, guilty pleasures, and the music that manages to hit emotionally despite the Grinch’s best efforts to resist it. The conversation bounces between festive classics, movie soundtracks, dance music, TikTok trends, and artists that could finally lure him out of isolation and back into Whoville. Along the way, Will puts him through Encore Club traditions with a Christmas twist, including advent calendar questions, festive games, wild would-you-rathers, and helping Santa put together a DJ set for elves and reindeer that is guaranteed to cause chaos.

It is an episode packed with character comedy, musical deep dives, unexpected sincerity, and complete festive madness. This Grinchmas Special wraps up The Encore Club’s nine-episode daily Christmas run, released from December 12th through Christmas Eve, and serves as the official Season 2 finale. Whether you love Christmas, hate it, or sit somewhere in between, this episode is the perfect way to end the year with music, laughter, and a heart that might just grow a few sizes bigger.

The Encore Club Christmas run continues with Episode 38, as Will sits down with Barnaby Baker from Australian band Friends of Friends for a warm, honest, and wide-ranging conversation about music, identity, and surviving as an independent artist. Recorded as part of our festive run of nine episodes released daily from December 12th through to the Christmas Eve season finale, this episode blends reflective moments with humour, chaos, and a genuine love of live music.

Barnaby talks openly about growing up in Australia, discovering music as a form of escape, and how his early experiences shaped both his songwriting and his approach to creativity. He reflects on the realities of starting and sustaining a band in Australia, from geographic isolation to the financial and emotional challenges of DIY touring. The conversation explores what it really means to build something slowly, without shortcuts, while trying to stay true to yourself in an industry that often rewards speed over substance.

Throughout the episode, Barnaby shares stories from the road, discusses how Friends of Friends developed their sound, and explains why community and connection matter more to him than chasing numbers or viral moments. As always on The Encore Club, the conversation builds toward Barnaby’s dream concert, where he lays out the ultimate venue, lineup, and atmosphere that would define his perfect live music experience. Thoughtful, funny, and deeply human, this episode is perfect for fans of Friends of Friends, independent music lovers, and anyone curious about the real stories behind modern bands navigating the music industry.

If you want it slightly punchier, more reflective, or more Christmas-forward, I can tweak it in seconds.

Here’s a fun, scroll-stopping Instagram caption that fits your tone and the image without being salesy:

🎄 EPISODE OUT NOW 🎄

Episode 38 of The Encore Club is live and it’s a Christmas chaos special with Barnaby Baker from Friends of Friends 🇦🇺

We talk growing up in Australia, building a band the hard way, DIY touring, dream gigs, and somehow end up at a Live Aid-style Blink-182 set with a personal beer-dispensing man involved 🍺

It’s honest, funny, reflective, and very on brand for our Countdown to Christmas run.

🎧 Listen now
🔗 Link in bio

Let us know what Barnaby’s dream concert says about him 👀🎶

Sure, here it is with hashtags added and kept clean and discoverable:

🎄 EPISODE OUT NOW 🎄

Episode 38 of The Encore Club is live and it’s a Christmas chaos special with Barnaby Baker from Friends of Friends 🇦🇺

We talk growing up in Australia, building a band the hard way, DIY touring, dream gigs, and somehow end up at a Live Aid-style Blink-182 set with a personal beer-dispensing man involved 🍺

It’s honest, funny, reflective, and very on brand for our Countdown to Christmas run.

🎧 Listen now
🔗 Link in bio

Let us know what Barnaby’s dream concert says about him 👀🎶

#TheEncoreClub #FriendsOfFriends #BarnabyBaker #PodcastEpisode #MusicPodcast #IndieBand #AustralianMusic #DIYTouring #BandLife #LiveMusic #DreamConcert #ChristmasPodcast #CountdownToChristmas #Blink182 #IndieMusic

create an istagram post description saying episode out now and link in bio make in fun and interesting attached is the image to go with itadd hashtags

The Encore Club Christmas run continues with Episode 37 as Will is joined by Sophie Patrick and Claire Chittick from Australian indie band Betty Taylor for a funny, honest, and end of year conversation full of chaos, creativity, and genuine reflection. Sharing a mic and plenty of laughs, Sophie and Claire talk openly about what it is really like to be in a band together, from songwriting and creative disagreements to the deep friendship that keeps everything grounded when things get hectic.

Across the episode, the pair reflect on how Betty Taylor came together, the realities of building a band from the ground up in Australia, and how touring, travel, and constant movement can shape both the music and the people behind it. They discuss the balance between ambition and staying true to who they are, the pressure that can come with growth, and how learning to trust each other has been key to navigating the highs and lows of band life. There is plenty of humour along the way, with stories that capture the weird, wonderful, and occasionally unhinged moments that only happen when you are chasing gigs and writing songs together.

As always on The Encore Club, the conversation builds towards the band’s dream concert, where Sophie and Claire piece together their ideal lineup, venue, and encore moments. This opens up a wider chat about the shows that shaped them, the artists who inspired them to start playing music, and the gigs that reminded them why they fell in love with performing in the first place. It is thoughtful, ridiculous, and very on brand for a festive episode.

With relaxed Christmas energy and plenty of personality, Episode 37 is the perfect listen as The Encore Club counts down to its Christmas Special season finale. Whether you are already a fan of Betty Taylor or discovering them for the first time, this episode offers a real, unfiltered look at band life, creative growth, and staying excited about what comes next.