The first time I heard Stella Donnelly, I knew she was a star. Then I saw her live, and the heavy weight and brutal honesty of her songs made way for comedy interludes, even cabaret. There’s more to Stella Donnelly, than meets the eye. For all of these reasons, I’ve long wanted her to Take 5. Her music has given many a sense of community, a home, so I wanted Stella Donnelly to tell me about the songs that belong, for her. From Billy Bragg to Jenny Hval to male choirs from Wales, this is a beauti...
Nov 19, 2021•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast The first time I heard Stella Donnelly, I knew she was a star. Then I saw her live, and the heavy weight and brutal honesty of her songs made way for comedy interludes, even cabaret. There’s more to Stella Donnelly, than meets the eye. For all of these reasons, I’ve long wanted her to Take 5. Her music has given many a sense of community, a home, so I wanted Stella Donnelly to tell me about the songs that belong, for her. From Billy Bragg to Jenny Hval to male choirs from Wales, this is a beauti...
Nov 19, 2021•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Damon Albarn is one of the busiest men in music. We first met him as frontman for Blur, he kicked off Gorillaz a decade or so after that, and in between collaborated with Malian musicians, wrote operas based on Monkey, and formed supergroups with members of The Clash and Tony Allen. You get the sense that he doesn’t like to sit still, so it was a coup to ask him to do that, for a spell, to Take 5. On the day he released his new solo album, Damon invited you into his universe across songs. There ...
Nov 12, 2021•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Damon Albarn is one of the busiest men in music. We first met him as frontman for Blur, he kicked off Gorillaz a decade or so after that, and in between collaborated with Malian musicians, wrote operas based on Monkey, and formed supergroups with members of The Clash and Tony Allen. You get the sense that he doesn’t like to sit still, so it was a coup to ask him to do that, for a spell, to Take 5. On the day he released his new solo album, Damon invited you into his universe across songs. There ...
Nov 12, 2021•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast As soon as I heard Amyl and the Sniffers, I was hooked. The name for one: genius. And this band out of Melbourne, with a phenomenal frontwoman and wild live show, held a lot of promise. They delivered on their debut, and kept that fire alive on the follow up too. Amy Taylor is the lead singer of Amyl and the Sniffers, and every time I’ve spoken to her I’ve been left feeling giddy afterwards. As we kick off Ausmusic Month for another year, who better to ask to Take 5? From Slim Dusty to Barkaa to...
Nov 05, 2021•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast As soon as I heard Amyl and the Sniffers, I was hooked. The name for one: genius. And this band out of Melbourne, with a phenomenal frontwoman and wild live show, held a lot of promise. They delivered on their debut, and kept that fire alive on the follow up too. Amy Taylor is the lead singer of Amyl and the Sniffers, and every time I’ve spoken to her I’ve been left feeling giddy afterwards. As we kick off Ausmusic Month for another year, who better to ask to Take 5? From Slim Dusty to Barkaa to...
Nov 05, 2021•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast When people ask me who’s on my bucket list to Take 5, Billy Bragg is up there. The poet and activist has been part of my life since I was born. He’s a regular visitor to Australia, and his activism, songs and stories have captivated me for decades. So having him join me on the day he released his new album, was a dream come true. The Million Things That Never Happened is a pandemic album, and we all leaned on songs to get us through the last two years. So I asked Billy to share his songs for the...
Oct 29, 2021•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast When people ask me who’s on my bucket list to Take 5, Billy Bragg is up there. The poet and activist has been part of my life since I was born. He’s a regular visitor to Australia, and his activism, songs and stories have captivated me for decades. So having him join me on the day he released his new album, was a dream come true. The Million Things That Never Happened is a pandemic album, and we all leaned on songs to get us through the last two years. So I asked Billy to share his songs for the...
Oct 29, 2021•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ruby Wax is an icon of comedy and interviewing. Through the 90’s and early 00’s Ruby’s BBC TV specials saw her chatting with the most famous people of the times: Madonna, Jim Carrey, Imelda Marcos, Donald Trump, OJ Simpson, and Pamela Anderson. Her disarming docu-interviewing style preceded people like Louis Theroux, and when she wasn’t getting up in people’s grill, she was script editing Absolutely Fabulous. These days Ruby is an author and mental health advocate, but she still does it all with...
Oct 22, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ruby Wax is an icon of comedy and interviewing. Through the 90’s and early 00’s Ruby’s BBC TV specials saw her chatting with the most famous people of the times: Madonna, Jim Carrey, Imelda Marcos, Donald Trump, OJ Simpson, and Pamela Anderson. Her disarming docu-interviewing style preceded people like Louis Theroux, and when she wasn’t getting up in people’s grill, she was script editing Absolutely Fabulous. These days Ruby is an author and mental health advocate, but she still does it all with...
Oct 22, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever seen those videos online where someone hears a song, and they’re instantly transported back to a moment? It could be someone with Alzheimers or Dementia, or with a brain injury or trauma that language can’t reach, but music can. Maybe you’ve known someone with autism, who is non verbal but can communicate with song. It’s called music therapy, and the science behind it, is incredible. Usually the Take 5 is with a muso, or person in the public eye. But I wanted to step into another r...
Oct 14, 2021•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever seen those videos online where someone hears a song, and they’re instantly transported back to a moment? It could be someone with Alzheimers or Dementia, or with a brain injury or trauma that language can’t reach, but music can. Maybe you’ve known someone with autism, who is non verbal but can communicate with song. It’s called music therapy, and the science behind it, is incredible. Usually the Take 5 is with a muso, or person in the public eye. But I wanted to step into another r...
Oct 14, 2021•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Over the past decade, James Blake has gone from grabbing our hearts with the Wilhelm Scream, to collaborating with some of the biggest names on the planet. The London born producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist has always kept it moving; expanding his sound, testing new waters, and through it all remaining grounded in what matters. I first met James back in 2011, just as the hype around him was beginning to grow. And I’ve been lucky to catch up with him over the years at various points. But...
Oct 08, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sufjan Stevens is one of the most prolific songwriters working today, and it feels as though his drive to write songs is as much about the creation of music, as it is the understanding of creativity itself, and finding different ways to explore it. He first heard Angelo De Augustine a few years ago, and when you hear Angelo’s voice you’ll understand why Suf signed him to his label. And why they decided to make an album together. A Beginner’s Mind is a record inspired and created by a few forces....
Sep 30, 2021•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sufjan Stevens is one of the most prolific songwriters working today, and it feels as though his drive to write songs is as much about the creation of music, as it is the understanding of creativity itself, and finding different ways to explore it. He first heard Angelo De Augustine a few years ago, and when you hear Angelo’s voice you’ll understand why Suf signed him to his label. And why they decided to make an album together. A Beginner’s Mind is a record inspired and created by a few forces....
Sep 30, 2021•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a special Take 5, as we mark the 30th anniversary of Nirvana releasing Nevermind. This was the record that brought grunge into the mainstream, it changed the game not just for the Seattle sound, but catapulted it into a worldwide movement. To celebrate this iconic moment, I dug up some of my most treasured conversations from the Take 5 archives, with the people at the centre of the scene. You’ll hear from Butch Vig, the producer who shaped Nevermind. From Jonathan Poneman, who signed Nirvan...
Sep 23, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s a special Take 5, as we mark the 30th anniversary of Nirvana releasing Nevermind. This was the record that brought grunge into the mainstream, it changed the game not just for the Seattle sound, but catapulted it into a worldwide movement. To celebrate this iconic moment, I dug up some of my most treasured conversations from the Take 5 archives, with the people at the centre of the scene. You’ll hear from Butch Vig, the producer who shaped Nevermind. From Jonathan Poneman, who signed Nirvan...
Sep 23, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Matthew E White is a jack of all trades. A producer hailing from Richmond, Virginia, he’s worked with everyone from Sharon Van Etten to Natalie Prass, Justin Vernon to The Mountain Goats. A few years ago he set up Spacebomb, a studio and label which also acts as a community space for artists to experiment. This all feeds off his own work, as a multi-instrumentalist, former jazz player, and songwriter for whom music has no boundaries. In short, Matt is the kinda guy you love to get stuck talking ...
Sep 10, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast The AIR studios in Montserrat are the stuff of legend. Back in the 80’s, Sir George Martin set up a place to record in the middle of the Caribbean. It was an escape for the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Dire Straits. The Police captured one of their biggest albums there, and Duran Duran hung out for a spell too. This haven in the West Indies was short lived though; a hurricane then a dormant volcano that became active, changed the island forever. Now this story is being...
Sep 02, 2021•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The AIR studios in Montserrat are the stuff of legend. Back in the 80’s, Sir George Martin set up a place to record in the middle of the Caribbean. It was an escape for the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Dire Straits. The Police captured one of their biggest albums there, and Duran Duran hung out for a spell too. This haven in the West Indies was short lived though; a hurricane then a dormant volcano that became active, changed the island forever. Now this story is being...
Sep 02, 2021•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Steph Tisdell is here to help. Literally. The proud Ydinji woman may be up on stage telling jokes these days, but a few years ago she was at uni, and looking ahead to a career in human rights law. That all changed one fateful day, and what led her to stand up comedy is a story you’ve gotta hear yourself. The comedy path has seen her win multiple awards, and appear on TV and radio across Australia, but social justice remains at the core of all she does. And you’ll hear why this local leg...
Aug 26, 2021•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Steph Tisdell is here to help. Literally. The proud Ydinji woman may be up on stage telling jokes these days, but a few years ago she was at uni, and looking ahead to a career in human rights law. That all changed one fateful day, and what led her to stand up comedy is a story you’ve gotta hear yourself. The comedy path has seen her win multiple awards, and appear on TV and radio across Australia, but social justice remains at the core of all she does. And you’ll hear why this local leg...
Aug 26, 2021•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast John Parish has crafted some of the indie music’s most acclaimed albums. The Bristol producer has been behind Aldous Harding’s last two records, he co-wrote and produced Eels “Souljacker”, and Giant Sand’s “Chore of Enchantment”, and recently he’s been working with The Goon Sax and Parquet Courts. He’s a composer and musician too, releasing his own works and soundtracking beautiful scenes on stage and screen. But John’s longest creative relationship is also his most celebrated, a lifelong musica...
Aug 20, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast John Parish has crafted some of the indie music’s most acclaimed albums. The Bristol producer has been behind Aldous Harding’s last two records, he co-wrote and produced Eels “Souljacker”, and Giant Sand’s “Chore of Enchantment”, and recently he’s been working with The Goon Sax and Parquet Courts. He’s a composer and musician too, releasing his own works and soundtracking beautiful scenes on stage and screen. But John’s longest creative relationship is also his most celebrated, a lifelong musica...
Aug 20, 2021•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Danny Cohen is the creator of wild dreams. His music video’s have seen King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard crawl inside a giant custom built vulture, his photography has beckoned Mac DeMarco into a bathful of cigarettes, and his video for Kirin J Callinan, with a screaming Jimmy Barnes over the hills, has clocked more than sixty two million views. The Melbourne based photographer and filmmaker has also just directed his first feature length film. It’s a doco on another regular collaborator, Court...
Aug 12, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Danny Cohen is the creator of wild dreams. His music video’s have seen King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard crawl inside a giant custom built vulture, his photography has beckoned Mac DeMarco into a bathful of cigarettes, and his video for Kirin J Callinan, with a screaming Jimmy Barnes over the hills, has clocked more than sixty two million views. The Melbourne based photographer and filmmaker has also just directed his first feature length film. It’s a doco on another regular collaborator, Court...
Aug 12, 2021•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast You might know Jack Steadman as frontman for British indie band, Bombay Bicycle Club. But for the past few years he’s stepped out as a solo artist, going under the moniker of Mr Jukes. It’s a project that’s allowed him to go beyond the indie realm and produce music that’s full of classic soul, funk, and hip-hop. And his latest album, features new young MC Barney Artist. On the day they released “The Locket”, the two of them joined me from London to Take 5. I’m a big fan of their sound, but I als...
Aug 05, 2021•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast You might know Jack Steadman as frontman for British indie band, Bombay Bicycle Club. But for the past few years he’s stepped out as a solo artist, going under the moniker of Mr Jukes. It’s a project that’s allowed him to go beyond the indie realm and produce music that’s full of classic soul, funk, and hip-hop. And his latest album, features new young MC Barney Artist. On the day they released “The Locket”, the two of them joined me from London to Take 5. I’m a big fan of their sound, but I als...
Aug 05, 2021•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast You know when someone comes along, and everyone who meets them falls under their spell? Tony Armstrong is that someone. The freshly minted sports presenter for ABC News Breakfast has been making waves for the past couple of years, commentating the footy on Triple M and the National Indigenous Radio Service, and making bad news more palatable, on The Weekly. But before all of this, Tony was in the game, playing AFL Footy with three teams and spending his childhood working towards that goal. Every...
Jul 30, 2021•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast You know when someone comes along, and everyone who meets them falls under their spell? Tony Armstrong is that someone. The freshly minted sports presenter for ABC News Breakfast has been making waves for the past couple of years, commentating the footy on Triple M and the National Indigenous Radio Service, and making bad news more palatable, on The Weekly. But before all of this, Tony was in the game, playing AFL Footy with three teams and spending his childhood working towards that goal. Every...
Jul 30, 2021•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
