Max Richter is one of the most loved modern composers in the world. He’s sold millions of albums, and been streamed billions of times. Max’s work is just as likely to be heard in prestigious concert halls as through your tv speakers, and his scores for shows like Leftovers and Bridgerton, or films like Ad Astra, have been critically acclaimed. Richter’s compositions are as comfortable in the catwalks of Paris as the hallways of your home, and his music has been a beautiful saviour and release to...
Feb 26, 2021•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kate Mulvany is a professional storyteller. An award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and actor, she’s built a name for herself in her incredible performances, whether in The Great Gatsby, The Little Death, or opposite Al Pacino in the Amazon series Hunters. On stage she’s redefined roles like Richard III, and Kate is acclaimed for her writing, holding a knack for adapting and reinterpreting Australian classics. The latest, is her version of Playing Beatie Bow, and in the week before her sold o...
Feb 19, 2021•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Kate Mulvany is a professional storyteller. An award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and actor, she’s built a name for herself in her incredible performances, whether in The Great Gatsby, The Little Death, or opposite Al Pacino in the Amazon series Hunters. On stage she’s redefined roles like Richard III, and Kate is acclaimed for her writing, holding a knack for adapting and reinterpreting Australian classics. The latest, is her version of Playing Beatie Bow, and in the week before her sold o...
Feb 19, 2021•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Status Quo, and Neil Diamond all have in common? Tana Douglas. She’s recognised as the world’s first female roadie, and got her start as a teenager working with a young band who were about to release their debut album. The band was AC/DC, and that story is just one of hundreds that have filled her extraordinary life. Tana would go on to tech for The Who at Wembley Stadium, Iggy Pop in Amsterdam, even Elton John, playing a birthday party at Windsor Castle....
Feb 12, 2021•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast What do Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ice Cube, Status Quo, and Neil Diamond all have in common? Tana Douglas. She’s recognised as the world’s first female roadie, and got her start as a teenager working with a young band who were about to release their debut album. The band was AC/DC, and that story is just one of hundreds that have filled her extraordinary life. Tana would go on to tech for The Who at Wembley Stadium, Iggy Pop in Amsterdam, even Elton John, playing a birthday party at Windsor Castle....
Feb 12, 2021•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fat Mike from NOFX is a bit of a legend. As frontman for the band for almost four decades, he’s been the soundtrack to countless generations of punk fans. He set up Fat Wreck Chords, championing other bands for the past 30 years. And when he’s not doing that, he’s getting around with supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. If you know anything about Fat Mike, you know he doesn’t play by the rules, so that’s where his theme led us. From formative songs by Meatloaf, to re-energising moments from...
Feb 04, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Fat Mike from NOFX is a bit of a legend. As frontman for the band for almost four decades, he’s been the soundtrack to countless generations of punk fans. He set up Fat Wreck Chords, championing other bands for the past 30 years. And when he’s not doing that, he’s getting around with supergroup Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. If you know anything about Fat Mike, you know he doesn’t play by the rules, so that’s where his theme led us. From formative songs by Meatloaf, to re-energising moments from...
Feb 04, 2021•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are only a handful of people I ask back to Take 5. Brendan Cowell is one of them. The actor, author, playwright, and poet is a master storyteller who lives a full life. And in the decade since we last met on air, he’s starred alongside Billie Piper in hit plays on Broadway and the West End, had a key role on Game of Thrones, written a book, and scored a major part in the two new Avatar sequels shooting in New Zealand. It’s no surprise though, Brendan has an electricity about him. He draws ...
Jan 29, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are only a handful of people I ask back to Take 5. Brendan Cowell is one of them. The actor, author, playwright, and poet is a master storyteller who lives a full life. And in the decade since we last met on air, he’s starred alongside Billie Piper in hit plays on Broadway and the West End, had a key role on Game of Thrones, written a book, and scored a major part in the two new Avatar sequels shooting in New Zealand. It’s no surprise though, Brendan has an electricity about him. He draws ...
Jan 29, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast I still remember the first time I heard Magic Dirt. The burning sounds of their single “Ice” captured my 16 year old heart, and I can still recall climbing the stairs of my favourite city record store to buy their “Life Was Better” EP. Adalita was the coolest woman I knew; she shredded on stage and exuded the ultimate rock n roll attitude. In the years that would follow, I’d see them play on stages small and large, then follow Ads down her solo path to hear a whole other side of her musical hear...
Jan 21, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast So we’ve taken another trip around the sun, and before we have a short break – I want to leave you with the annual best of buffet, for the Take 5. It’s been a remarkable year for this podcast. When the borders closed, and the tours stopped, we – just like everyone else – had to figure out how to do things differently. What I realised pretty quickly, is that music was central to how we got through… and for many of us, those deep connections in the stories that we tie to songs, got even stronger. ...
Dec 17, 2020•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast So we’ve taken another trip around the sun, and before we have a short break – I want to leave you with the annual best of buffet, for the Take 5. It’s been a remarkable year for this podcast. When the borders closed, and the tours stopped, we – just like everyone else – had to figure out how to do things differently. What I realised pretty quickly, is that music was central to how we got through… and for many of us, those deep connections in the stories that we tie to songs, got even stronger. ...
Dec 17, 2020•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast American rapper Common is a renaissance man. Growing up on the south side of Chicago, his records reflected the world he saw; and the one he wanted to see. He’s an acclaimed poet, has featured on the silver screen as a lead actor, and taken to the stage as an activist; using his platform to rally against social injustice, and rally for unity, for peace, and for change. He does this all with love, as you’ll hear for yourself. For his Take 5, I asked him to Take 5 with his music for a movement. Th...
Dec 11, 2020•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast American rapper Common is a renaissance man. Growing up on the south side of Chicago, his records reflected the world he saw; and the one he wanted to see. He’s an acclaimed poet, has featured on the silver screen as a lead actor, and taken to the stage as an activist; using his platform to rally against social injustice, and rally for unity, for peace, and for change. He does this all with love, as you’ll hear for yourself. For his Take 5, I asked him to Take 5 with his music for a movement. Th...
Dec 11, 2020•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tara June Winch knows how to tell a story. In 2006 she released her first novel, Swallow the Air. It won a bunch of awards, and was added to the high school curriculum. Years passed. She released a collection of short stories, but it wasn’t until 2019 that she published her follow up. And oh what a follow up it was. The Yield is the tale of two generations, a Language that tells their story, and a connection to culture that stretches back tens of thousands of years. A Wiradjuri woman herself, Ta...
Dec 03, 2020•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Tara June Winch knows how to tell a story. In 2006 she released her first novel, Swallow the Air. It won a bunch of awards, and was added to the high school curriculum. Years passed. She released a collection of short stories, but it wasn’t until 2019 that she published her follow up. And oh what a follow up it was. The Yield is the tale of two generations, a Language that tells their story, and a connection to culture that stretches back tens of thousands of years. A Wiradjuri woman herself, Ta...
Dec 03, 2020•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast 2010 was a big year for bangers. The Australian dance music scene in particular, was thriving. Stalwarts like The Presets and Cut Copy were kicking it, and a new breed of beat makers were coming up, soundtracking hedonistic summer days and big festival party nights. This was the year Bag Raiders released their debut album, and on it’s 10th anniversary I invited the duo to Take 5 and go back. Jack and Chris joined me for the final Take 5 for Ausmusic Month, and so I thought it’d be fun to stay lo...
Nov 26, 2020•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast 2010 was a big year for bangers. The Australian dance music scene in particular, was thriving. Stalwarts like The Presets and Cut Copy were kicking it, and a new breed of beat makers were coming up, soundtracking hedonistic summer days and big festival party nights. This was the year Bag Raiders released their debut album, and on it’s 10th anniversary I invited the duo to Take 5 and go back. Jack and Chris joined me for the final Take 5 for Ausmusic Month, and so I thought it’d be fun to stay lo...
Nov 26, 2020•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast I think we can all agree 2020 has been a YEAR. No one more so than country music singer Fanny Lumsden. Based in the tiny town of Tooma, on the western side of the Snowy Mountains, her release plans for her beautiful third album Fallow took a turn for the worse, when disaster and pandemic struck. But that didn’t stop Fanny. Her resilience, and optimism has carried her and her community through this year, and it’s why I asked her to share her songs of solace for her Take 5. Fanny Lumsden has been ...
Nov 19, 2020•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast I think we can all agree 2020 has been a YEAR. No one more so than country music singer Fanny Lumsden. Based in the tiny town of Tooma, on the western side of the Snowy Mountains, her release plans for her beautiful third album Fallow took a turn for the worse, when disaster and pandemic struck. But that didn’t stop Fanny. Her resilience, and optimism has carried her and her community through this year, and it’s why I asked her to share her songs of solace for her Take 5. Fanny Lumsden has been ...
Nov 19, 2020•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bjorn Stewart is a slashie. An actor, director, writer, and comedian; I became a massive fan seeing him doing Quarantine Cooking Challenges on the lockdown TV series At Home Alone Together. He’s also written and appeared on Black Comedy, and has been performing on stage for years. Recently Bjorn flipped to director, and will soon showcase his latest project, a comedy called All My Friends Are Racist. I wanted to get to know Bjorn, so asked him to Take 5 with the full course. Five songs for five ...
Nov 12, 2020•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bjorn Stewart is a slashie. An actor, director, writer, and comedian; I became a massive fan seeing him doing Quarantine Cooking Challenges on the lockdown TV series At Home Alone Together. He’s also written and appeared on Black Comedy, and has been performing on stage for years. Recently Bjorn flipped to director, and will soon showcase his latest project, a comedy called All My Friends Are Racist. I wanted to get to know Bjorn, so asked him to Take 5 with the full course. Five songs for five ...
Nov 12, 2020•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Where do I begin with Kylie Minogue? She’s been in our lives for over three decades, she’s sold more than 70 million records, holds multiple ARIA and Brit Awards, and a Grammy. Over fifteen studio albums, countless tours, and plenty of other side hustles, she has become one of the most legendary Australians alive. She’s just Kylie, our Kylie, and she’s an icon. No doubt like many of you, I grew up with Kylie Minogue. Her new albums would be on every Christmas and birthday wish list, and as I got...
Nov 05, 2020•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Roisin Murphy is a force of nature. We first met her as one half of Moloko, whose pop house hits made them a household name. But since 2005 Roisin Murphy has carved out an incredible solo career, and a dedicated fanbase to boot. Her latest album is Roisin Machine; it’s a deep cut of house, disco, and industrial sounds fuelled by her formative years in Manchester and Sheffield. Roisin’s life story is pretty fascinating, which is why I asked her to choose her foundation songs. From formative momen...
Oct 29, 2020•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are some bands that just sound like summer. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, are one of them. Those jangly guitars, the three part harmonies… pressing play on their songs sends me straight to the beach, to balmy nights and road trips with friends. We’re on the cusp of summer right now but given 2020’s shitshow of a year I figured we may as well skip ahead to that happy place. So I asked Tom from the band to Take 5 with his “songs of summer”. Whether it’s a sound, or a memory, he transporte...
Oct 22, 2020•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast You know when you meet someone, and from the get go you think, you’re good people. Julia Baird is good people. An acclaimed journalist and broadcaster, she’s spent her life chasing rabbits down the hole, fighting for the causes that deserve it, and telling the stories of icons and everyday folk alike. Julia’s life has been a tale of two cities; a childhood in New York that would bring her back to the Big Apple and be the site of some of her biggest moments. And a home in Sydney, where as host of...
Oct 15, 2020•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast So where I do even begin with Peter Garrett? He’s one of the most iconic front men, and activists in Australia. As lead singer of Midnight Oil, he lit a fire with their music, bringing the plight of First Nations peoples, of environmental degradation, and the threat of nuclear war, to Top 40 radio. The Oils were the first band I ever saw live. I was 12, and my parents took the whole family along to their Blue Sky Mining tour. That lit a fire in me, of the excitement and connection of live music....
Sep 25, 2020•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s hard to remember it now, but back in 2010 Tame Impala were getting excited about the prospect of their first headline American tour. The Perth band had just released their debut album Innerspeaker. We all thought it was pretty good, and it would go on to win the J Award for Australian Album of the Year. This month, September 2020, we’ve been celebrating great Australian debuts on Double J Radio, so I thought it’d be fun to jump in the time machine, and dig into the Take 5 archives to share ...
Sep 18, 2020•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast For Felix Riebl, exploring the world has been his life for more than twenty years. As founding member of The Cat Empire, touring all over the planet and experiencing all kinds of wild adventures is his day job. Away from the stage his curious spirit has taken him to some incredible places. And creatively, the map he draws with his music (whether in his band, solo, or collaborating with others) is broad and unknown. From Athens to New Orleans, Glastonbury Festival to the remote Pilbara, settle in...
Sep 11, 2020•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever seen one of Karen O’s outfits and thought to yourself “who MADE that?”. Today you’re going to meet her. Christian Joy is a fashion designer and lifelong collaborator of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman. Her DIY style has become iconic over two decades, gracing album covers, video clips and wild stage shows. For this untrained punk from Iowa, meeting Karen O right before Yeah Yeah Yeahs broke it big, changed the trajectory of her life. In between that epic friendship she’s made costum...
Sep 04, 2020•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
