Every now and then I invite someone who isn’t a muso, to Take 5. It makes sense right; all of us are affected by music, and the songs that soundtrack our lives. Ben Shewry’s trajectory has been remarkable. He heads up Attica, acclaimed as the best restaurant in Australia, and one of only two that has made it into the world’s Top 50 Best Restaurant list. He appeared on that very first season of Netflix’s Chefs Table series, and has popped up on Masterchef as a special guest over the years. The ea...
Jun 05, 2020•41 min
Melbourne duo Remi have been making music for almost a decade. We first met then in 2014, when they uploaded a song called Sangria to triple j Unearthed. I still remember finding it online, it was instantly catchy and I instantly wanted to know everything about them. They put out two records, and made a name for themselves with their live shows. The pairing of MC Remi’s elastic rhymes with the killer production of Sensible J made their music a no brainer. And so as they ready to release their th...
May 29, 2020•33 min
Melbourne duo Remi have been making music for almost a decade. We first met then in 2014, when they uploaded a song called Sangria to triple j Unearthed. I still remember finding it online, it was instantly catchy and I instantly wanted to know everything about them. They put out two records, and made a name for themselves with their live shows. The pairing of MC Remi’s elastic rhymes with the killer production of Sensible J made their music a no brainer. And so as they ready to release their th...
May 29, 2020•33 min
Jessie Ware got her start in the club. Back before she was making her own music, Jessie’s voice jumped on songs by SBTRKT, and her love of dance music has stayed with her throughout her career, where every album is always partnered with some killer remixes. Her debut album “Devotion” came out in 2012, and in the years since she’s released soaring records of ballads and bangers. In between crafting four albums, she also started a podcast with her mum. Table Manners sees Jessie and Lenny invite so...
May 22, 2020•29 min
Tori Amos is an icon. From her arrival onto the scene in 1992 with her debut album Little Earthquakes, to redefining how we felt about classical piano, and opening the door for so many to do it their own way. Her voice, her style, and her presence has blown us away for almost three decades. Tori has released fifteen studio albums, consistently toured all over the world, and penned two books; the latest of which is titled Resistance. That was the catalyst for me asking Tori Amos to Take 5. But to...
May 15, 2020•43 min
I’ve been chasing Miranda Tapsell to Take 5 for years. The proud Larrakia Tiwi woman has proven hard to pin down because she’s been so busy making movies, starring in TV shows, and writing. Many of us first saw Taps in 2012, in her breakthrough role as Cynthia in The Sapphires. But she’s also been a star of stage and small screen, performing in plays, on telly as Martha in Love Child, and a regular guest on Get Krackin’, and most recently as the lead star and co-writer of Top End Wedding. In amo...
May 08, 2020•36 min
The Rapture are one of my favourite bands. They were the sound of the noughties; with their punk-funk party out of New York City, they’d define a scene and fill every dancefloor on Indie night at the local pub. Every now and then, I like to dip into the Take 5 archives and share a conversation from the past because, while this podcast has been around for almost three years, the Take 5 has been going for more than fourteen. I’ll be honest, some of these early conversations are a bit rough. You’ll...
May 01, 2020•18 min
Anna Calvi is a powerhouse. A virtuoso guitarist from a young age, it took her a while to gather confidence to get behind the mic; but when she did, the world took notice. In the last decade, Anna has released three acclaimed albums, she’s toured Australia, and she’s consistently pushed the boundaries, sonically and lyrically. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Anna a couple of times before, and it’s always a trip to hear her diminutive speaking voice when you know the power she has on stage and o...
Apr 24, 2020•28 min
For many of us who came of age in the 90’s, Dave McCormack was a familiar voice. As lead singer of Custard, his husky voice atop some truly whimsical indie rock drew us out of the angsty guitar scene of the time; they made songs that were playful and were a beacon beaming out of the Brisbane scene. The band called it a day right after their most successful album Loverama. Dave would go on to play in other bands, he began composing soundtracks for film and television, and his voice would become f...
Apr 17, 2020•33 min
Georgia Barnes grew up in raves. As the daughter of Neil Barnes from Leftfield, she seemed destined to make music herself, and her formative years where her childhood bedroom was also their studio certainly helped her along the way. These days, we know her simply as Georgia. Her second album Seeking Thrills came out in early 2020, and we were well acquainted with her talents. She’s got an incredible knack for making earworms; her songs wriggle in and get stuck in your head as soon as you’ve hear...
Apr 02, 2020•37 min
Sydney singer Ngaiire is a powerhouse. I remember the first time I heard her voice, I was a goner. The way her voice curled around every lyric was one thing, but her songwriting craft showed a promise that would pay off in the EP’s and albums that would follow. Music has always been a big part of Ngaiire’s life. As a child of the 90’s, she grew up listening to pop songs in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, then Australia. She would find a connection particularly to Janet Jackson and Talib Kweli;...
Mar 26, 2020•32 min
There’s a family tree of modern music and one of its biggest branches is New Order. The Manchester band, formed in the wake of Joy Division’s untimely end, have fed into the sound of almost every band and artist you’ve loved for, for forty years. Even if you’re not a fan, you can trace their blueprint across all you hear. Their transformation from post punk to electronic music, swept up kids who would go on to become techno DJ’s, rock bands, pop acts, and everything in between. In the 80’s, they...
Mar 19, 2020•37 min
I still remember the first time I heard Hot Chip, and I distinctly remember the yellow sleeve their first album came in. It didn’t reveal much about the band, except that they made this comforting electronic music, they seemed like nerds with a heart of gold, and their lead singer’s voice was an instant friend. By their second album Hot Chip had added a whole lot more party to their sound, and from then on they’ve been part of so many of our memories. Whether on record, or live, these geeks beca...
Mar 12, 2020•33 min
It’s Girls to the Front on the Take 5 podcast! A Frankensteined special of some of my favourite recent conversations with incredible women. Celebrate International Women’s Day with some incredible humans, sharing their favourite songs by some amazing creators over the past decade. Yumi Stynes on Janelle Monae - ‘Pynk {ft. Grimes}' Eleanor Dixon from Kardajala Kirridarra on Emily Wurramara - Lady Blue Jen Cloher on Camp Cope – The Opener Kimbra on Anohni - ‘Drone Bomb Me’ Kasey Chambers on Beyonc...
Mar 07, 2020•36 min
If you came of age in the 2010’s, the sound of Hayley Mary’s voice would have been a tonic. As the lead singer of The Jezabels, she soared over big, dramatic pop songs, and drew a dedicated fanbase from all over Australia. In early 2020, Hayley stepped out on her own with her debut solo EP; and while the sound of it showed another side of her, one thing remained the same. That voice. Always cutting through, always lifting us up when we needed it the most. Carving out blocks of time is a tried an...
Mar 05, 2020•32 min
American artist Natalie Mering didn’t always sing folk music. Back in the day she was into noise rock; she played bass with the kind of heavy bands you see late at night before she re-emerged as Weyes Blood. Once Natalie got on the mic, we all melted. It’s not just her incredible 70’s pop-folk vocal, but the worlds she takes us into; whether on her breakthrough album Front Row Seat to Earth, or last year’s incredible Titanic Rising. It was after speaking to her about the latter, that I knew I wa...
Feb 27, 2020•31 min
Leigh Whannell is a guy who likes to scare you. Back in 2004 he wrote and starred in Saw; it was a horror movie done on a budget, it’d go on to make millions, and it got Hollywood’s attention. Pretty soon, Leigh and his mate James Wan were on a role; they’d make sequels and new horror films, and these two guys from Melbourne were all of a sudden the talk of the town. Fast forward to 2020, and Leigh is writing and directing his take on the classic HG Wells story, The Invisible Man. It’s a modern ...
Feb 20, 2020•28 min
It’s been almost 20 years since we first met Clare Bowditch. Back in 2003 she grabbed our attention with her brooding debut single “Human Being”. This writer was one we wanted to hear more from, and over the years we’d hear Clare craft many more beautiful songs, star on TV in “Offspring”, and become a leader in the music community as a collaborator and mentor. Until now though, we didn’t really know what came before that first song. But last year Clare Bowditch wrote her memoir, Your Own Kind of...
Feb 13, 2020•37 min
Pennywise are Cali punk legends. From backyard parties in Hermosa Beach, to touring the world over the past quarter of a century, the band have built a huge fan base; particularly in Australia. So when they came back again to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their “Straight Ahead” album, I asked the guitarist Fletcher Dragge, to Take 5. Fletcher has always been a good chat, as up for a party as he is a solid dive into politics and punk. And it’s clear that the latter, in both genre and ethic, h...
Feb 06, 2020•28 min
Norman Cook is a legend. Under the moniker Fatboy Slim the British producer and DJ has been making us dance for decades. His breakthrough album “You’ve Come a Long Way Baby” gave us ‘Right Here Right Now’, ‘Gangster Trippin’, ‘The Rockafella Skank’, and of course ‘Praise You’. Twenty years ago that song came in at #4 in the Hottest 100, but his popularity has never waned, and when he visited Australia to play massive outdoor shows, I asked him to Take 5. Norman’s background is textured; in the 8...
Jan 30, 2020•34 min
Norman Cook is a legend. Under the moniker Fatboy Slim the British producer and DJ has been making us dance for decades. His breakthrough album “You’ve Come a Long Way Baby” gave us ‘Right Here Right Now’, ‘Gangster Trippin’, ‘The Rockafella Skank’, and of course ‘Praise You’. Twenty years ago that song came in at #4 in the Hottest 100, but his popularity has never waned, and when he visited Australia to play massive outdoor shows, I asked him to Take 5. Norman’s background is textured; in the 8...
Jan 30, 2020•34 min
It’s been a massive year for the Take 5. Since 2006 I’ve been having conversations that go well beyond music, but in the last couple of years I feel as though these co-hosts have gone deeper than ever. In 2019 alone, I had so many pinch myself moments, so I wanted to share them with you here in a frankensteined best of: a Take 10 to cap off a big year. Over the next little while you’ll hear why this segment is so special. And if this is your first time listening, it’s a great smorgasboard to fea...
Dec 13, 2019•1 hr 7 min
Ever since we first met American duo Best Coast, they’ve worn their love of California on their sleeves. Bethany Cosentino & Bobb Bruno have visited our coastal country a few times too and in 2012 they did the Take 5. The theme was “west coast is the best coast” and after listening to this, you’ll be convinced. Get ready for some California love, as the charming Best Coast take you on a holiday to LA. Randy Newman - ‘I Love LA’ Tupac - ‘California Love’ The Mamas & The Papas - ‘Californi...
Dec 05, 2019•20 min
Spiderbait are no strangers to triple j and Double J. They’re part of the fabric of Australian festival culture, they’re Hottest 100 champions, and drummer Kram has recently popped up again on stage in our annual One Night Stand gig in Lucindale. In 2012, when Kram did the Take 5, Spiderbait were gearing up to play a greatest hits set at Splendour in the Grass. He took us on a trip down memory lane, through some of the band's most amazing moments. Metallica - ‘Whiplash’ The Breeders - ‘Cannonbal...
Nov 29, 2019•28 min
The story of Refused is an interesting one. The Swedish hardcore punk legends had a strong fanbase and released three albums, the final of which was a modern classic. In 1998, The Shape of Punk to Come was just that: a forecast for how the scene would change, mashing genre and all the while bringing the fire they’d had from the get go. Soon after, they split up. Some members would go on to form The International Noise Conspiracy, and Dennis Lyxzén continued to rule as a wild and energetic frontm...
Nov 21, 2019•27 min
Through the early to mid-noughties, Amanda Palmer’s voice cut through as frontwoman for the Dresden Dolls. Their cabaret pop filled the airwaves, and when she went solo fans were just as curious. Palmer is a woman of great conviction; she speaks often about the communities that form around art, and is unrelenting in her commitment to her own vision. She’s also great company. When she did this Take 5 in the Summer of 2011, she had just got married and was about to release her album Amanda Palmer ...
Nov 14, 2019•25 min
Elbow are one of those bands who hold a place in your heart. Maybe it’s the timbre of Guy Garvey’s voice or the stomping emotion they bring to their music. They’ve long been visitors to Australia and in 2011 made the trek to play Splendour in the Grass. When Guy Garvey and Pete Turner from the band did the Take 5 they’d just been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for the third time and had a solid history behind them already. They shared their songs of nostalgia. Japan - ‘Ghosts’ Public Enem...
Nov 07, 2019•20 min
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros landed into the scene with their song ‘Home’. It was all over the radio, on soundtracks to films, you still hear it on TV advertisements. It was in 2012 that I asked Jade Castrinos and Alex Ebert from the band in to Take 5. They were wrapping up a huge tour with Mumford & Sons, and made some time to come by and share their songs from the road. Their song list was brilliant, so get ready for a perfect road trip soundtrack. Alabama Shakes - ‘Hold On’ JAY-Z ...
Oct 31, 2019•21 min
There are certain bands that are part of the fabric of Double J and triple j. Powderfinger is one of them. As we trek through the Take 5 archives, I want to take you back to summer 2015, when triple j was celebrating our 40th birthday. It was such an amazing time: we got to connect to dots between the original Double Jay to triple j to our new Double J family. Former presenters jumped on air, we played heaps of wonderful memories across our networks, and we celebrated with a massive concert in S...
Oct 24, 2019•20 min
Julia Jacklin now has two brilliant albums behind her, but three years ago she was just starting to get traction as a solo artist with her debut album. We’d known her as a member of the band Phantastic Ferniture, but her solo work stopped us dead in our tracks. As the Take 5 dips into the archives here’s one from May 2017, when Julia Jacklin was back in Australia for a minute between a US and European tour. Jack White - ‘That Black Bat Licorice’ Erykah Badu - ‘Otherside of the Game’ Grimes - ‘Ar...
Oct 17, 2019•17 min
