Salford student's documentary on Kaiser Chiefs to air on Virgin Radio

BA Television and Radio Production student Issy Brand was granted access to the current and past members of the chart toppers for her final project, ‘A Record of Employment: The Kaiser Chiefs Story’ which details the trials and tribulations of their previous incarnations, and the build-up to and release of the band’s debut album Employment, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. 

Recorded and developed over the last few months, the radio documentary will now be aired to a national audience by Virgin Radio on Sunday 25 May.

It’s a phenomenal achievement from third-year student Issy, who has been working as an Assistant Producer at the station since January 2024, whilst juggling her studies, presenting on Salford student station Shock and playing as a goalkeeper for AFC Crewe football team, where she has been captain for the last season. 

Issy pitched the idea of the documentary to lead singer Ricky Wilson last year, and then managed to confirm original drummer Nick Hodgson and bass player Simon Rix as contributors. 

She was also able to speak to Stephen Street, the producer of Employment and Samuel Preston, the frontman of The Ordinary Boys, who took the Kaiser Chiefs on tour with them in their early days, leading to them eventually getting signed prior to the release of Employment. 

Issy said: “I saw the band for the first time in Liverpool when I was 12 years old, and that experience changed my life. As a kid, it inspired me to want to have a career where I could be in that world and speak to the bands that I loved as a peer, and share their amazing stories and experiences. 

“Employment is the kind of album that will awaken a lot of old feelings in music fans. Everyone will remember what their lives were like when it first came out and songs like I Predict a Riot and Everyday I Love You Less and Less were on the radio. It creates real nostalgia. 

“I was two when it came out but the impact that the band and this album has had on me is second to none and it still stands the test of time. I remember listening to a track, What Did I Ever Give You? off the album on a compilation record on repeat, and it stuck in my head relentlessly, and the whole album has that effect. 

“When the opportunity came to do my final project on something that has shaped my life so much, I was really grateful and obviously, could not have done it without the opportunities that have come my way through Virgin."

Issy has interviewed 17 guests in total for the documentary which runs for 50 minutes in total.
It follows the history of the band, covering their inception in Leeds as the band Runston Parva, their first record deal with defunct label Mantra, their reinvention as the Kaiser Chiefs as they headed out on the infamous 2005 NME Awards Tour, the recording and release of Employment and then an in-depth look at the album’s legacy 20 years on. 

It features exclusive audio, as well as recordings from the band’s rehearsal for their upcoming celebration tour. 

Since first pitching the project to her supervisor, Adam Fowler, Issy said that she’d had the full support from her tutors at the University to help make the documentary happen.

 

She added: “Adam had never heard of the band when I first pitched it but when I told him about how ambitious I was for it and that it could be picked up by a station, he’s been really, overwhelmingly positive about the project and has encouraged me to make it work and get it out there. I couldn’t have done it without his, and all of my lecturers' support.” 

Issy has had a memorable final year at Salford. Issy received international acclaim for her work as a student radio presenter at last year’s International Student Broadcasting Championship. She picked up Best Interview and was jointly awarded Best On-Air Team with fellow student Matt Hallsworth in addition to being named the runner-up for the Rising Star Award.

You can hear 'A Record of Employment: The Kaiser Chiefs Story' on Virgin Radio at 10pm this Sunday.