TODAY’S RADIO

LOLA VS POWERMAN 2.45PM, RADIO 4

★★★

The album Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround by the Kinks was recorded in 1970, when Ray Davies was in the middle of a messy legal battle, and CocaCola was a teensy bit cross about appearing in the lyrics for Lola. Ray and Paul Sirett have drawn on those events for this radio drama, starring Emma Frankland as Lola, which features new versions of the album’s songs.

RYLAN ON SATURDAY 3PM, RADIO 2

★★★★

Rylan catches up with Westlife and gets news about the band’s latest album, Wild Dreams. Shane, Markus, Kian and Nicky recorded the tracks during the darkest days of Covid, but the mood of the album is upbeat,

with songs about new beginnings and hope. Adding to that upbeat feeling, Westlife have included a bonus track of Uptown Girl, recorded at a concert at Ulster Hall.

FIRST AND LAST 9PM, RADIO 2

★★★★

Emeli Sande and Guy Garvey join Cerys Matthews for this first of a two-part series that is part of Radio 2’s celebration of the art of songwriting. They look back at the very first songs they wrote, and then at their most recent work. Emeli and Guy mull over the way their approach to music has changed during their careers – and how they themselves have changed over the years.

NEW MUSIC SHOW 10PM, RADIO 3

★★★★

Last Wednesday, The Ivors Composer Awards – which were first presented in 1956 – were handed out at the British Museum for the best new jazz and classical works of 2021. Alex Paxton, Tansy Davies and Nwando Ebizie were among this year’s nominees.

Tom Service and Sara Mohrpietsch present highlights from the ceremony. SUSAN JEFFREYS

Emeli Sande (9pm, Radio 2)