A phoner with the great singer/songwriter Alejandro Escovedo, ahead of his first ever NZ tour. We talk Trump, "The Crossing", touring, his background in punk and country and how fitting in with any one genre was never his thing. We talk film and family and health and many things besides. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe
An in-depth conversation with drummer, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist in fact, Caroline Easther. She played drums in seminal NZ bands throughout the 1980s and 90s - including The Chills, Verlaines, Spines, Beat Rhythm Fashion, Let's Planet as well as working with Barry Saunders, Hobnail Boots and many others. She has a brand new solo album out, "Lucky"; her first in nearly a decade. We chat all things music - from being in a bunch of seminal Kiwi bands at various times to writing and s...
An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based, internationally-published journalist and author David Cohen. We talk music writing, his history in journalism and pay particular focus to his near-lifelong love of Leonard Cohen and how his latest book, Cohen on Cohen, is part-memoir, part-music-bio, part-travel-story, a set of separate essays that talk to one another, that aim to explain or understand the connecting points and the lost connections in David Cohen's life, often as experienced throug...
An in-depth conversation with multi-disciplinary artist, musician, manager and producer Mike Weston. He is one half of the artist entity Weston Frizzell (with Otis Frizzell) and he runs a studio space (The Area) where he enables graphic design, art, music and many other projects out into the world. We talk through his history as, variously, a DJ and music producer, live sound engineer, artist, conceptualist and enabler. We talk through the genesis of some of his artistic ideas and the focus on g...
An in-depth conversation with former TV host and Tall Black Brendon Pongia. We talk through his time playing basketball and on to sports broadcasting and then to where we first met, on the Good Morning TV show. (Brendon was the co-host I worked with most frequently). He's now working for Cure Kids, a charity he supported when he was a finalist on Dancing With The Stars. We talk through his various jobs and his life, from his childhood through to now being a parent. Get full access to Sounds Good...
An in-depth conversation with Kiwi writer and filmmaker Peter Wells. We talk about the creation and upcoming publication of his latest book, "Hello Darkness". Peter has terminal cancer - the book started life as a series of Facebook posts. In announcing his cancer to friends online Peter created a safe-space for discussion. He used Facebook for good, fostered a community, told people of his life and how he was feeling even as he faces death. We spoke from his bed in his home in Auckland. Get ful...
An in-depth conversation with Auckland-based freelance writer, reviewer, interviewer and DJ Kiran Dass. She's also the book-buyer for Time Out book store and has a long history of retailing - so we talk shop. And books. And music. Reviewing, interviewing. We share 'war stories' of time in the trenches hammering out reviews. And we talk through the development of Dass as interviewer and reviewer across print, online and broadcast platforms. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substac...
An in-depth chat with Martin Phillipps, leader of the Chills. We talk about the the seminal moments for the Dunedin band - and the ups and downs of a 40 year career and catalogue as The Chills. We talk, too, of some of Martin's favourite musicians and his many stories of meeting heroes or opening the show for them... Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
An in-depth conversation with American-born, NZ-residing "Kiwi" Marc Taddei. He's a conductor and the musical director and program organiser for both Orchestra Wellington and the Vallejo Symphony in America. He holds these posts concurrently. As a trombonist he was a member of the NZSO and worked on the ENZSO recordings among many other milestone moments. He has worked with many of classical music's biggest names and played on stages around the world. We talk through his passion and commitment t...
An in-depth conversation with Delia Shanly. She's a drummer and percussionist who has earned a living in covers bands. She's also worked extensively in arts-admin from helping to put on events and booking bands to staging public art installations. So we got behind the scenes as well as on stage. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe
A live recording of a panel discussion and Q&A with me and Nick Bollinger, chaired by Jamie Macphail. This took part in Napier at the Cabana as part of the Harcourts Hawke's Bay Arts Festival in October, 2018. Louise Ward of Wardini Books can be heard introducing the three of us. The topic is music journalism and a brief discussion too of the NZ music industry. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
A phone interview (recorded in 2015) with the legendary singer/songwriter Joan Baez. We talk through her career and talk protest and activism and also discuss her love of painting. This is the first time I've ever aired this interview. One from the archives. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe
An in-depth conversation with rapper and writer Tom Scott. We talk about his new project, Avantdale Bowling Club as well as referencing his work from the past (@-Peace/Home Brew) and talking politics, music and writing. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe
An in-depth chat with Harry Lyon, guitarist formerly of Hello Sailor and Coup D'etat and now - after 50 years in the game - the owner of a solo career, via his debut long-player, "To The Sea". We talk about the wild days of Sailor and the mild days of being on the road as a solo act in their late 60s. We talk about songwriting and the bands from the past, collaborating with Delaney Davidson and the legacy of being in one of New Zealand's greatest musical groups. Get full access to Sounds Good! a...
An in-depth conversation with Hawke's Bay artist Freeman White. We talk portraiture and landscape, we talk through his early influences (including Phil Judd) and arrive at his time spent working for movies (The Hobbit, What We Do In The Shadows) as well as creating commissioned works for city councils, including giant murals, public art and private commissions also. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
An in-depth chat with musician Reb Fountain. We talk solo work, we talk collaborating, from being the backing singer to being out front; we talk, too, of mental health and depression; suicide and domestic violence. We talk about survival. It gets heavy at times, but I feel this is a profoundly uplifting conversation. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
An in-depth conversation with songwriter, performance artist and musician Chris Wilson. We talk about his band Gold Medal Famous; we talk about New Zealand music and the alt/indie scene. We get into politics and music and taste and songwriting. It's a big chat. A lot of fun. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe
An in-depth conversation with actor Bronwyn Turei. We talk about Circa Theatre and her recent 'adoption' as part of the core crew there; we talk TV and her breakout role as "Cody" on Go Girls. We talk about the upcoming "Shortland Street: The Musical" and the preview season of Rants In The Dark which returns in January 2019. We have a big ole chat about what it takes to make it in the world of theatre, about training and focus and the lifelong passion of studying and performing as a trained stag...
An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based, Irish-born musician, promoter and event organiser Gerry Paul. We talk through his busy schedule: published children's author, session musician, live performer, promoter and event organiser. Gerry has met and worked with some of music's biggest names. And when he doesn't have a guitar in his hand or isn't wearing a high-vis vest he's usually spearfishing. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
An in-depth conversation with Auckland-based DJ, singer, percussionist and songwriter Sandy Mill. We talk SJD and local bands she's worked with including being part of Neil Finn's recent "super choir" and Facebook Live sessions. We talk too of her time in England of recording with the likes of Placebo and performing all manner of roles as a singer from main attraction to making sound effects and singing jingles. We talk about vinyl and DJing, about taste and the role of a supporting singer as we...
A repeat-visit from Claire and Andrew, aka Pirate & Queen, creators and directors of Wellington's annual LitCrawl. We first spoke for episode 86 - so check that out for their full history. Here we talk through the full programme for Wellington's 2018 LitCrawl events across the weekend of November 8-11; it's the fifth birthday for Wellington's coolest little literary festival. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based director and actor Ross Jolly. We talk Gliding On and Glide Time and Ross' roll as a commissioner and creator of Radio Drama for many years as well as being a founding member of Circa Theatre and the many plays he's directed across the years. We talk film and TV and finding jobs for between seasons and we plug the current season of Under Milk Wood at Circa Theatre Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
An in-depth conversation with Wellington writer and publisher Mary McCallum. We talk writing and publishing, journalism, poetry, broadcasting and the conversation is punctuated by readings of poems from Mary's debut poetry collection, "XYZ of Happiness". Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe
An in-depth chat with radio and TV host Jesse Mulligan. We talk comedy and formative influences, we talk about his time in commercial radio and working as a stand-up, then writing comedy or TV and moving to RNZ's Afternoons Show and his time on TV1's Seven Sharp before jumping to TV3's show, The Project. He was a writer and panellist for Seven Days. And comedy is very much on his mind and in his mind. We talk about criticism too and being brave, fearless, when speaking in public; when speaking y...
An in-depth chat with Wellington-based, internationally renowned composer Rhian Sheehan. We talk about his brand new about-to-be-released album, A Quiet Divide and his recent soundtrack work. We plug the upcoming NZ tour and talk about some of his work for TV, cinema and short films as well as composer the score for a theme-park ride and video games. Rhian was a previous guest of the podcast, way back on episode two! Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
An in-depth chat with musician Dianne Swann. From her days with Everything The Flies, through the madness of When The Cat's Away and on to England where her band The Julie Dolphin would share bills with the likes of Oasis and Radiohead. When Britpop struck big and the Kiwis had to return home she regrouped once again. Her and Brett Adams, now romantic partners as well as long-time musical buddies, created The Bads. They're now four albums deep and Dianne thinks it might be time to create her fir...
An in-depth chat with Wellington-based broadcaster, DJ, writer, publicist and promoter Martyn Pepperell. We talk through his life and career as a person concerned with music: occasional radio host, regular club DJ, writer and promoter of shows...most recently he has assisted with the reissue of "Our Garden Needs Its Flowers" by Jess Sah Bi and Peter One on the Awesome Tapes From Africa reissue label. We also talk about the very recent death of his father Bryan Pepperell. Bryan was a long-serving...
An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based photographer Peter Black. We talk through his life and work, his many books and exhibitions, his style and range and the philosophy behind photography - as he sees it. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe
An in-depth chat with Emily Writes. She's the first third-time guest of the podcast so for this conversation we talk about the toll of online writing, we talk social media beat-ups, mental health, wellbeing, family, community - friendship. And somewhere in all of that - and it gets pretty heavy, pretty quickly - there's a plug for her new book, "Is It Bedtime Yet" by Emily Writes & Friends. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe...
An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based poet Bill Manhire. We talk through his life from the bottom of the South Island to the UK and then to a temporary stop in Wellington that's been ongoing for over 40 years at this point. Manhire was the figurehead - the father - of the IIML, Victoria University of Wellington's Creative Writing undergrad and post-grad masterclasses. We talk about some of the criticisms he and the course faced and he reads from his work along the way. We talk about his...
