Take 5

Neil Finn is one of our greatest living songwriters. In Split Enz and Crowded House, solo and in his collaborations, his tunes have become the soundtrack to our lives. 

I’ve been chasing Neil to Take 5 for the TV series since the beginning, and finally he said yes. Even better, he invited us to film at his own studios. Roundhead, a pale green building on an Auckland street that has seen some incredible music history go down.

Bunker down in the basement of Roundhead, as Neil Finn shares the DNA of his songwriting heart, and the music that soars for him.

• David Bowie – ‘Quicksand’
• Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No.8 “Pathétique” in C minor, Op. 13, 2nd Movement: Adagio cantabile (performed by Arthur Rubinstein)
• Split Enz – ‘Time for a Change’
• The Beatles – ‘Across the Universe’
• Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong – ‘Summertime’

Watch Take 5 on ABC iview: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

Many of us have grown up with Claudia Karvan. She's been on our screens since she was 10 years old, starring in films like The Big Steal and The Heartbreak Kid. And we’ve fallen in love with her on the small screen, in her long running roles on The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way. These days, Claudia is not only an actor but a hugely successful producer behind TV shows like Doctor Doctor and Bump.

Through all she does there is a great sense of optimism, so I gave her the theme of hope. And from John & Yoko to The Velvets to BARKAA, she confirmed once again why she is universally loved.

• John Lennon – ‘Hold On’
• Ibrahim Ferrer – ‘Marieta’
• The Velvet Underground – ‘I’m Sticking With You’
• BARKAA – ‘We Up’
• Sinéad O’Connor – ‘Thank You for Hearing Me’

Watch Take 5 on ABC iview: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

Bill Bailey is one of the most loved comedians in the world. From his breakout role as Manny in the cult TV show Black Books, to his exceptional talent for playing multiple instruments, he always leaves his audiences feeling brighter. Bill is fascinated with natural history and humanity, his curiosity knows no bounds and music has been a constant companion. 

I asked him to Take 5 with songs that reflect humanity, and he gifted me an extraordinary conversation about life, death, risk taking and memory making. I was buzzing after this chat, and I hope you will be too.

• The Kinks – ‘You Really Got Me’
• PJ Harvey – ‘Big Exit’
• Johnny Cash – ‘Hurt’
• Foals – ‘Mountain At My Gates’
• Talking Heads – ‘Once In A Lifetime’

Watch Take 5 on ABC iview: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

We’re diving into a new season of Take 5 on ABC TV and ABC iview, with all of season three now up to stream! And while Take 5 comes back to your screens, you’re gonna hear special extended cuts right here on the podcast. 

Season 3 is a ripper. Comedian Bill Bailey, beloved actor Claudia Karvan, rock legends Neil Finn and Bernard Fanning, performer extraordinaire Casey Donovan… and to kick it all off, the one and only Dannii Minogue.

Dannii has been in the public eye since the age of 10. As a kid on Young Talent Time, she jumped into soap opera Home & Away then hit the pop charts with her dance hits. She designed her own fashion line, judged rising stars to 20 million people in the UK, and now hosts the UK’s first ever queer dating show. Dannii Minogue has lived many lives. So what were the catalysts that drove her extraordinary career? 

From an icon who set her path, to victorious songs of survival and reminders of living life to the full, this is a beautiful conversation that will show Dannii Minogue in a whole new light.

• Olivia Newton-John – ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’
• Madonna – ‘Into the Groove’
• Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – ‘Kids’
• Ultra Naté – ‘Free’
• Agnes – ‘Selfmade’

Watch Take 5 on ABC iview: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

Irish singer CMAT has been taking the world by storm. Shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize and counting Elton John as a fan, her country-twinged songs capture heartbreak with a healthy dose of humour.

A couple of albums in, and an Australian visit on the way, I thought it was high time we got to know the woman from Ireland, born Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson. After listening to this, you'll want to be her bestie. With an extraordinary music knowledge and plenty of craic, dive into CMAT's suckerpunch songs.

• Dory Previn - 'The Lady With The Braid'
• Belle and Sebastian – 'Expectations'
• Gary Stewart – 'She’s Actin' Single (I’m Drinkin' Doubles)'
• Car Seat Headrest – 'Maud Gone'
• Brenda & The Big Dudes – 'Weekend Special'

Michelle Brasier is a comedian, actor, writer and singer. You might have seen her on Aunty Donna, Mad As Hell and Thank God You're Here, or caught one of her award winning stand-up shows.

Michelle has also just published her first book; it’s a memoir titled My Brother's Ashes are in a Sandwich Bag, and it’s beautiful, it’s funny, and it's filled with hope. It reminds us of the little moments in life that make it shimmer. And from Bonnie Tyler to Bo Burnham, Michelle will share the right song for the right moment, with you.

• Bonnie Tyler - 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'
• Bo Burnham - 'Look Who’s Inside Again'
• Lady Gaga - 'Paparazzi'
• Johnny Cash - 'Ring of Fire'
• Arcade Fire - 'Wake Up' 

Dan Kelly is one of our best songwriters. He's whimsical, charming, and with indie-pop hooks for days. Almost 10 years since his last album, he’s now back with GOLDFEELS, and a decidedly more serious outlook. But Dan still knows how to draw you into a yarn and make you smile.

He also looks to some heroes for inspiration, grounding, and to follow their arrow. So dig into his 'story time' Take 5 with five incredible songwriters.

• Joni Mitchell – 'Carey' 
• The Pogues – 'Medley: The Recruiting Sergeant/The Rocky Road to Dublin/Galway Races'
• Emma Donovan & The Putbacks – 'Pink Skirt' 
• World Party – 'Ship Of Fools'
• Irma Thomas – 'It’s Raining'

Noel Gallagher is just like you.

Putting aside the fame and fortune, the hit records and the very public family issues, at his heart he's a big music nerd. As a kid he idolised the songs on the record player and worshipped the legends who wrote them.

His Take 5 theme was 'escape', and growing up in a council estate in The North, music was Noel’s escape. He’d be transported by older kids' records and dance till dawn at the infamous Haçienda nightclub. But even as his fame grew and he moved to big houses in the leafy parts of London, the desire for music to whisk him away remained.

• Pink Floyd – 'Nobody Home'
• The Smiths – 'Asleep'
• Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – 'This Guy's In Love With You'
• Air – 'All I Need'
• The Beatles – 'I Am The Walrus'

Contains strong language. This episode was originally broadcast in 2023.

A special little treat for you in the feed this week; a conversation with Nick Cave. After years away, he's returned to doing interviews, and Zan Rowe was lucky to get the only Australian radio interview with him. They spoke about Wild God, the legacy of the Bad Seeds, people lost, and things found. About frogs.

Settle in for a beautiful conversation with one of the greatest artists and poets of our time. A fella who has been through it, and emerged with new purpose. The one and only, Nick Cave.

Emily Wurramara is one of my favourite Australian musicians. 

The Warnindhilyagwa woman writes from the heart, sings with the smokiest voice around, and has a laugh that is truly infectious. This is a glorious Take 5. Settle in for some beautiful energy, lots of laughs, and real insight into the songs that tell her story of new beginnings.

It’s been six years since Emily’s debut album, a lot has changed in her life but now she’s back with NARA, and on the day she released it I invited her to Take 5.

From John Fogerty to Brandy to The Cure, take a ride through the musical map of Emily Wurramara's big heart.

• John Fogerty – ‘I Will Walk With You’
• Brandy – ‘Sittin' Up In My Room’
• Inner Circle – ‘Bad Boys’
• Cat Power – ‘Sea of Love’
• The Cure – ‘Friday I'm In Love’

In 2004, a rock doco came out that was pure chaos. Dig! captured 7 years in the life of The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre as they tried to break it big. Made by a young first-time filmmaker called Ondi Timoner and her brother David, it's a wild story about growing up, art vs commerce, friendship and bust ups. 

20 years later it's been re-cut as Dig! XX, with over 40 minutes of never-before-seen footage, and shown for the first time in Australia at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). I jumped at the chance to get Director Ondi Timoner into the studio to Take 5. Because Ondi has stories. Dig in, and revel in this curious, creative mind.

• New Order - 'Temptation'
• The Manish Boys - 'Take My Tip'
• Bob Marley & The Wailers - 'High Tide Or Low Tide'
• Max Richter - 'Prelude 2'
• The Waterboys - 'Fisherman's Blues'

If you enjoyed Max Richter's 'Prelude 2' check out his Take 5 here.

Ever since I first heard them, Middle Kids have been a favourite. 

Exceptional songwriting, brilliant playing, and Hannah Joy’s beautiful voice. 

They’ve now got three albums under their belt, the latest of which is called Faith Crisis Pt 1. I’ve wanted to invite Middle Kids in to Take 5 for a while, and when Hannah said yes, and sent her songs back, I knew we’d be in for a treat. Strap in for a beautiful wander across some incredible songs, and a heartfelt chat about finding faith again.

• Radiohead - 'Let Down'
• Enya - 'Caribbean Blue'
• IDLES - 'The Wheel'
• Simon & Garfunkel - 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'
• Kendrick Lamar - 'Money Trees [Ft. Jay Rock]'

You know that feeling when you’re watching a movie or TV show and the perfect song hits at the perfect moment? 

Think Lost in Translation when ‘Alone in Kyoto’ by Air comes in, or the visceral scenes from The Bear soundtracked by Refused’s ‘New Noise’.

You don’t just see films, you hear them.

Such is the power and responsibility of the music supervisor who carefully selects the right song for the right scene and has it hit at just the right moment. 

It's Jemma Burns' job to make that magic.

From the new series of Heartbreak High to Boy Swallows Universe, Top of the Lake to Okja, it’s Jemma’s brilliant music brain behind those perfect song selections.

The theme for this Take 5 is synchronicity songs. Not the all-time greatest soundtrack moments, but stories from Jemma's own experience and relationship with film and sound.

• 'Forbidden Colours' by Ryuichi Sakamoto from Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983), directed by Nagisa Ōshima
• 'The Rhythm Of The Night' by Corona from Beau Travail (1999), directed by Claire Denis    
• 'Goon Gumpas' by Aphex Twin from Morvern Callar (2002), directed by Lynne Ramsay
• 'Silly Games' by Janet Kay from Lover's Rock (2020), directed by Steve McQueen
• 'Coming' by David Motion, Sally Potter & Jimmy Somerville from Orlando (1993), directed by Sally Potter

Dylan Alcott is a deadset legend.  A former Australian of the Year, multi-gold medallist, and disability advocate, but before all of that, he sat down to Take 5.

Sarah Blasko has a voice that never lets you go.

Her debut album The Overture & the Underscore was released 20 years ago, and she’s been a constant presence ever since. Always pushing the boundaries of her art and anchoring everything she does with that transcendent voice.

Two decades on from her debut, and 6 years since her last album, Sarah Blasko is back with new music.

It's the perfect excuse to revisit a wonderful conversation from 2018, when she’d pushed through a rough period of writer’s block to get her sixth album Depth of Field out into the world.

It was on the same day the album was released, that she came in to Take 5 with her breakthrough songs. Tunes that busted through a creative block and led her in new directions.

• PJ Harvey - 'To Bring You My Love'
• Björk - 'Venus As A Boy'
• Tori Amos - 'Pretty Good Year'
• Mazzy Star - 'Into Dust'
• Sonic Youth - 'Swimsuit Issue'

This episode was originally broadcast in 2018.

There's no other artist quite like DOBBY. 

The proud Filipino and Murrawarri artist (real name Rhyan Clapham) is a composer, rapper, producer and drummer. He's been performing and releasing music for years, but only just released his debut album.It’s called WARRANGU; River Story, and it’s about the plight of the Murray-Darling river system. The artistry on this album is magnificent. DOBBY expertly weaves together his own compositions with field recordings and stories from elders, all while documenting the history of these pivotal water sources and the devastating impact water theft has had on them.This Take 5 falls in NAIDOC Week, and the theme in 2024 is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.’In keeping with this theme, DOBBY shares his songs of fire. The music that lights him up inside and keeps the stories burning.

• Miss Kaninna - 'Blak Britney'
• No Fixed Address - 'We Have Survived'
• Snotty Nose Rez Kids - 'RED FUTURE [Ft. Electric Fields]'
• Mo'Ju - 'Change Has To Come'
• Kobie Dee - 'Warriors & Storytellers'

Who knew cooking competitions would take over Australian television?Back in 2010, the finale for the second season of MasterChef became the most watched non-sporting event of that year. And the winner? Adam Liaw.

He'd been working in Japan when he decided to enter the TV cooking comp, and he quickly became a firm favourite. After his win, everything changed. He published cookbooks, became the host of Destination Flavour on SBS, started a family, took people on foodie tours, and now hosts The Cook Up. Full disclosure – I’ve been on it and it was a dream come true.

Adam has also joined me to Take 5 – twice. He was so brilliant the first time in 2013, I invited him back, six years later. And his theme? Songs that set it off.

Adam’s had a lot of big, life-altering moments that have all happened in the public eye, so I wanted to find out about the other turning points in his life. When the cameras weren’t rolling.

Whether it was playing tennis air guitar in a childhood bedroom, or bonding with his wife over a new fave, this Take 5 will make you love Adam Liaw even more.

• Starship – ‘We Built This City’
• Smashing Pumpkins – ‘Bullet With Butterfly Wings’
• Beastie Boys – ‘Ch-Check It Out’
• Montaigne – ‘I'm A Fantastic Wreck’
• Wiley, Stefflon Don & Sean Paul – ‘Boasty [Ft. Idris Elba]’

This episode was originally broadcast in 2019.

If you don’t know Susan Rogers by name, you’ll know her work. A female producer and sound engineer in an industry dominated by men, her drive and commitment landed her side by side with Prince as his star soared. She was his audio technician right before he started recording Purple Rain, and was his sound engineer through his commercial peak – capturing Parade, Around the World in a Day, The Black Album, and Sign o' the Times. Susan had a front row seat to the creative genius and intense work ethic of one of the greatest artists of our time.

2024 marks the 40th anniversary of Purple Rain, so to celebrate, I’m bringing you a Take 5 for the ages.

When we first spoke back in 2020 I was blown away. Not only does Susan have this incredible legacy with Prince, but after they parted she would go on to produce some of the biggest hits of the 90’s. Then she became a Professor at one of the world’s most prestigious music schools.

Her feelings about the emotional connections we have to sound, and what it means to be a good listener, resonated deeply with me, and I know they will with you too.

• James Brown - 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'
• Prince - 'Let's Go Crazy'
• Geggy Tah - 'Whoever You Are'
• Barenaked Ladies - 'One Week'
• Wilson Pickett - 'In the Midnight Hour'

This episode was originally broadcast in 2020.

Vika and Linda are national treasures. We first met the Bull sisters alongside the Black Sorrows, doing backing vocals for Paul Kelly, and then bursting out on their own with their debut album. That record turns 30 this year, and to celebrate, I’m taking you to a glorious Take 5 from the archives with Vika and Linda.

The year was 2019, and their theme was “sibling songs”. They picked it too, and you’ll see why. Families singing together is the very backbone of what they do.

• The Andrews Sisters - 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy'
• The Pointer Sisters - 'I'm So Excited'
• The Staple Singers - 'I'll Take You There'
• Bee Gees - 'Islands In The Stream (Live At The MGM Grand 1997)'
• Crowded House - 'It's Only Natural'

This episode was originally broadcast in 2019.

Adam Hills has lived an extraordinary life. From getting his start in stand up comedy to beaming out to millions on The Last Leg and Spicks and Specks. He's been awarded an MBE and even been immortalised on an Australian postage stamp. When he’s not on stage and screen, Adam is out on the field playing disability rugby, or smashing a tennis ball. He has a boundless energy and passion for living life.

On Spicks and Specks each episode, he asks his panellists to share stories. But no one ever asks him for his, and Adam Hills has stories. It’s why I asked him to Take 5. As the beloved music quiz show returns to ABC and ABC iview, we’re taking a wander through Adam’s Hall of Fame. Settle in for laughs, tears, and a lot of valid name dropping from an absolute legend.

• The Flaming Lips - 'Do You Realize??'

• Little Shop Of Horrors [Soundtrack] - 'Suddenly, Seymour'

• Dan Sultan - 'Nyul Nyul Girl'

• Bobby McFerrin - 'Don't Worry Be Happy'

• Elbow - 'One Day Like This'

Back in 1989, Neneh Cherry released her debut album. Raw Like Sushi was a smash in the UK and here in Australia. This young Swede based in London caught all of our attention, and through the 90’s she’d release two more albums before taking a breather from music. But her creative life began way earlier. With an artist mother and jazz legend Don Cherry as her stepfather, Neneh’s childhood was a life less ordinary. She split it between commune-style living in rural Sweden and loft apartments in New York, and when she moved to London as a teen, she fell in with some of that city's most creative punks – people she remains friends with to this day.

Her story is wild, which is why - back in 2019 - I invited her to Take 5. As we mark 35 years since that debut, I'm dusting this gem off to share it again with you. Settle in for a convo with one of the greats, and an extraordinary chat about the power of song.

• Tanya Winley - 'Vicious Rap'
• Stevie Wonder - 'Living For The City'
• Frank Ocean - 'Seigfried'
• Dice Ailes - 'Otedola'
• Nina Simone - 'Mississippi Goddam'

This episode was originally broadcast in 2019.

Can you remember when Ill Communication first came out? If you came of age in the 90’s like me, it was a huge album. Bursting outta the gates with 'Sure Shot', with hits like 'Get it Together' and 'Sabotage'... it’s one of Beastie Boys most varied and loved albums, and in 2024 it turns 30 years old.

The sound of this album is as fresh as it was in 1994, and to mark this big anniversary I dug into the archives to dust off one of my favourite conversations of all time. The one and only Mike D. Take a trip around New York City with a fella who knows it better than most.

• Notorious B.I.G. - 'Juicy'

• The Strokes - '12:51'

• Nas - 'N.Y. State of Mind'

• ESG - 'Moody'

• Wu Tang Clan - 'C.R.E.A.M.'

This episode was originally broadcast on triple j in 2014.

Brooklyn band Grizzly Bear helped shaped the sound of modern indie music. Across their five albums they layered intricate and nuanced guitar music with choirboy vocals and a whole lotta heart.

They broke through in 2006 with their second album, Yellow House, but it was 2009’s Veckatimist which took Grizzly Bear to a whole new plane and became one of the most loved albums of the decade.

To mark its 15th anniversary, I’m throwing back to a brilliant chat I had with frontman and founding member, Ed Droste back in 2018. Ed is a gorgeous human, and I have such fond memories of this conversation. With Grizzly Bear’s layered music in mind, I gave him the theme “songs that unravel.” 

• Beach House - 'Master of None'
• Björk - 'Army of Me'
• Pavement - 'Fight This Generation'
• Aaliyah - 'One In A Million'
• Adele - 'Rolling In The Deep' (Jamie xx Shuffle)

This episode was originally broadcast in 2018.

Kasey Chambers is a living legend. Five number one albums, fourteen ARIA Awards, she is the youngest woman to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. Kasey grew up with music. As a kid she’d travel across the Nullabor with her dad, at the end of each day the family would always gather around the campfire to sing songs. She would go on to play with the family band, but it was her 1999 debut album The Captain that was her breakthrough to a solo career that has been rich and rewarding.

That debut turns 25 this year, and to mark the anniversary I dipped into the archives for a Take 5 we captured back in 2019. We were celebrating The Captain back then, and the other musical breakthroughs Kasey had experienced through her life. I loved this chat so much; Kasey is a ray of light with her feet firmly on the ground. And hearing her talk about the songs she loves was such a gift.

• Emmylou Harris - ‘Boulder to Birmingham’
• Ben Harper - ‘Fight For Your Mind’
• J.S. Ondara - ‘Torch Song’
• Beyoncé - ‘Don't Hurt Yourself {Ft. Jack White}’
• Steve Earle - ‘Copperhead Road’

This episode was originally broadcast in 2019.

Angie McMahon is one of those artists that stops you in your tracks. She caught my attention back in 2017 with 'Slow Mover' and immediately I was asking, who is this? A debut album followed, then a few years later the follow up. And her second album has taken Angie into another realm, selling big iconic rooms like the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Forum several times over.

I’ve wanted to Take 5 with Angie for a while, and the ideas around her latest album seemed perfect for exploration. Light, Dark, Light Again is about cycles, and I wondered which songs had the sense of revolution for her. From Bon Iver to Big Thief, this is a rich conversation about the very pulse of life, the cycles we go through, and the music that helps us through.

• Bon Iver - 8 (circle)
• Sara Bareilles - Once Upon Another Time
• Joni Mitchell - Circle Game (live at Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles 1974)
• Janelle Monáe - Turntables
• Big Thief – Not

It’s a special Take 5 this week, as we mark 10 years of Double J! To mark our birthday, I thought it’d be fun to invite one of our biggest listeners on to Take 5. And he just happens to know about the power of radio to connect, and create a place for people no matter where we are.

Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald is in radio himself, for almost 20 years he’s been with Nova, most of it in the primo Breakfast spot. And for most of Double J’s life he’s been sliding into our DM’s to let us know how much he loves the station. Fitzy will often tell me how much he loves each Take 5, and for a while I’ve wanted to ask him to do it. 

So we did, and you’ll understand why I’ve been so keen to have him on. From Cosmic Psychos to God, this is a beautiful capture of a truly giant heart.

• Cosmic Psychos - Nice Day To Go To The Pub
• Courtney Barnett - Depreston
• Bad//Dreems - Jack
• Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Memory Lane
• God – My Pal

You know that question about who you’d invite to your dream dinner party? Beth Ditto is always at the top of my list. This sassy icon from the deep south grabbed my attention more than 20 years ago fronting the Gossip, and has held it ever since. From punk beginnings, to big hit bangers, gracing catwalks and the small screen, and carving out a space for those without that huge, powerful voice, she is legendary.

From day dot, Beth Ditto has been out and proud. A queer woman whose body positivity predates current conversations and whose activism makes its way into every one of her songs. The political and personal are always intertwined with Beth, and she’s always making us dance. Gossip took a break for more than a decade; most of us assumed they were done. But in 2024 they came back. With new album Real Power and plenty of fire still inside.

It gave me the chance to tick off one from the bucket list, and ask her to Take 5. What followed is more than I could have dreamed of, a capture of everything I know keeps the flames lit inside, and a beautiful connection to the power of song. Take 5 is always about our heroes becoming fans, and it was a joy to witness Beth Ditto’s fandom and her rebel songs.

• George Michael - Freedom! '90
• Nina Simone - Mississippi Goddam
• Queen - We Are The Champions
• Missy Elliott - She’s a Bitch
• Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl

Bri Lee is an author, journalist, and activist. You’ve probably seen her pop up on telly, in panels, and online, because in just over 5 years Bri has carved out an acclaimed career, publishing the bestselling Eggshell Skull and another two books of non-fiction. Her work has interrogated how the legal system deals with sexual crimes, the realm of eating disorders, and the class structures within education, and all of it is written through a personal prism.

In 2024, Bri turns her hand to fiction for the first time in her debut novel The Work. It’s the story of New Yorker Lally and Sydneysider Pat; two people in the art world who are not artists themselves, but trying to curate a life better than the one they came from. In everything she writes, Bri has a fascination with power. And from DC to AC/DC, you'll hear why.

• Destiny's Child - Independent Women, Pt. 1
• AC/DC - Back In Black
• The Preatures - Yanada
• Karen O & Danger Mouse - Redeemer
• Chappell Roan - After Midnight

Dave McCormack has one of those voices. As lead singer of Custard, his husky tones and the band’s playful indie rock beamed out of Brisbane in the 90s. They were a happy haven from the angsty guitar scene of the time. In 1999, after 5 albums and tonnes of shows as one of Australia’s favourite live acts, Custard called it a day.

Dave McCormack would go on to play in other bands, he began composing soundtracks for film and television, and his voice would become familiar to an entirely new generation playing Bandit, the blue heeler dad in the mega hit kid’s show Bluey.

Custard reunited in 2015 and have since released another 3 albums together. In 2020, during the first wave of lockdowns, I asked Dave McCormack to Take 5. His theme was cornerstone songs; the tunes he always returns to. And the reason I want to return to this wonderful conversation, is because we’re celebrating the most famous blue heeler in the world gracing our screens once again. This time with an epic 28-minute episode of Bluey. That’s like the Oppenheimer of the Bluey universe.

So settle in for this very fun chat from the archives. And if your kids are listening, sorry for the confusion. Now you have an excuse to play them your old Custard albums.

• ABBA – S.O.S.
• Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
• Britney Spears - Toxic
• Devo – Peek-A-Boo
• Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue

This episode was originally broadcast in 2020.

Adrianne Lenker feels things deeply. You hear it in every one of her songs, whether solo, or with her band Big Thief. Lucky for us, she shares it all, and over the past few years has become one of the most promising and prolific songwriters around; making 6 albums on her own and 5 with her band.  

Her latest is “Bright Future” and it’s another stunning record of genius songwriting, and the inspiration for me to head back into the Take 5 archives and share this wonderful conversation from 2019.

At the time, Adrianne was actually on holiday in Australia and it felt fitting, because her life had been a transient one, constantly on the road touring all over the world. But even when taking a break, she made time to share a conversation about music.

This ended up being so much more. It’s about connection, about how melancholy can filter through joy, and how you can find space in the most intensely crowded of sounds. Even if you don’t know Adrianne’s work intimately, this is a conversation that will speak to you. It’s one I haven’t stopped thinking about since.

It feels like, for Adrianne, music has always helped her understand the world around her. When she speaks about songs, everything slows down. She has a way of articulating what is often intangible, and when I watch interviews with her I find I’m drawn in to a kind of meditative state – she just has a way of seeing the world that is captivating. For all of these reasons, back in 2019 I asked her to Take 5. Her music gets under my skin, and I wanted to find out what got under hers. Dive in for this unforgettable and poetic conversation.

• Sibylle Baier – Driving
• Bill Callahan – What Comes After Certainty
• Ithaca – Impulse Crush
• Sheer Mag – Point Breeze
• Life Without Buildings – Sorrow

This episode was originally broadcast in 2019.

Well I hope you’re up for a laugh, cos this Take 5 is a special one. As comedy festival season kicks it around Australia, I’ve dug into the Take 5 archives and pulled out some of my favourite chats with comedians. Unsurprisingly, they’re great storytellers. And as we know from almost 20 years of Taking 5, everyone has a connection to music.

There’s another throughline to these tales too, they all speak to adventure; to shifting to a new place for a new perspective, and often a whole new beginning.

You’ll hear Celia Pacquola remember her early shows making it big in Edinburgh, Fred Armisen talk about his transition from music to comedy, Rose Matafeo’s Rastafarian parents, how Steph Tisdell was gonna be a lawyer before hopping on a plane to the UK, and Simon Amstell’s tip into teenage years onstage.

• Belle & Sebastian – Step Into My Office, Baby
• Sleater-Kinney - Start Together
• Stormzy – Cigarettes & Cush (Ft. Kehlani & Lily Allen)
• Kelis – Millionaire (Ft. Andre 3000)
• Patrick Wolf – The City

Laurie Anderson is bucket list. The artist, violinist, and poet has been exploring the world in her unique way for decades. She caught our breath releasing O Superman, and has continued to bring play, humour, and curiosity into all she does.

Laurie was also the yin to Lou Reed’s yang, as a life and creative partner; putting on concerts for dogs, and most recently feeding her and his writing into a supercomputer to see what AI would spit out, in their voice.

That was the catalyst for me asking Laurie to Take 5; and her work in AI as an artist over the past few years explores all the questions we’re having today about machine learning. Settle in, this is such a poetic conversation, full of great wisdom and plenty of laughs as well. I loved speaking with Laurie about music, and loved how much she embraced the theme I gave her, of duality. From Marianne Faithfull to Maggie Rogers, this is an extraordinary conversation with an all time great.

• Marianne Faithful – Falling in Love Again 
• Ornette Coleman – Lonely Woman
• Lou Reed – Magic And Loss (The Summation)
• Bob Dylan – Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
• Maggie Rogers – Alaska

Kate Crawford's atlas of sound.

Jack Antonoff is one of the most celebrated producers working today. With 10 Grammys under his belt, including three in a row for Producer of the Year, he has shaped the sound of pop music over the last decade.

Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Lorde… these are just some of the names he’s produced and co-written with. And within the industry, he’s known as a brilliant collaborator – opposite to the classic Svengali directing himself into the story. Jack listens, guides, and celebrates the song. For him, it’s about the feel more than anything else.

Jack is also a muso himself; for years he’s played in bands and written songs. And you can tell what a fan he is, and how his big heart is filled with music. From R.E.M. to Joanna Newsom to Waterboys, this is a glorious celebration of songwriting, from a Jersey boy who followed his dreams.

• R.E.M. – At My Most Beautiful
• Saves The Day – Hold
• Joanna Newsom – Sadie 
• Tom Waits – Hold On
• Waterboys – The Whole Of The Moon

It’s fair to say, boygenius’ debut album was highly anticipated. But did you know that it was an Australian producer that helped bring it to life? Catherine Marks was born and bred in Melbourne, but made her way to the UK where she’s been working with everyone from PJ Harvey to Foals, The Killers to, yes, boygenius.

Her work is lauded across the world, winning awards and fans as one of the rare women to celebrated in the field. And while home in Australia for a hot minute, Catherine joined Zan Rowe to Take 5. The magic of what happens when crafting a song or an album can sometimes be intangible, and it’s made up of a million elements that bring music to life. You're invited into her studio to see the big picture of making five extraordinary songs.

• Wolf Alice – Storms 
• The Big Moon – Bonfire 
• Manchester Orchestra - The Silence 
• Roman Lewis - Mindless Town
• boygenius - Not Strong Enough 

In the early 00’s The Streets burst onto the scene. Original Pirate Material was like nothing else around, combining garage beats with everyday stories from a geezer we could all relate to. Mike Skinner wanted to literally push things forward, taking the garage genre in a new direction and using his lyrics to talk about what was really going on inside the hearts and minds of people in the clubs. It struck a chord, and The Streets got a lot of attention.

Over five albums Mike Skinner would tour Australia a whole lot, always playing festivals and always drawing a huge crowd. Then in 2011 he called it a day, releasing his final album and doing his final shows as The Streets. Music stayed in his life though. He threw himself into producing, directing, and most notably DJ-ing, behind the decks instead of out front on stage.

Across his five songs choices we get a snapshot of a kid writing raps in his notebook in a hostel in Sydney. As well as the man today who is older, wiser, more grounded but with plenty of stories to tell. From Johnny Cash to Grim Sickers to Daft Punk, this is The Streets, Taking 5 with Zan Rowe and playing us his songs from then and now.

• Johnny Cash - A Boy Named Sue
• Snoop Dogg - Serial Killa [Ft. D.O.C., RBX & Tha Dogg Pound] 
• Grim Sickers - Open The Till [Ft. Ghetts & Darker The Shadow Brighter The Light]
• Daniel Bedingfield – Gotta Get Thru This
• Daft Punk - Human / Together / One More Time / Music Sounds Better with You / Stardust (Instrumental) [Live]

Comedian Cameron James loves music. For years he’s been telling his stories through song, ploughing through personal history with a hook and a melody. You would have seen him pop up on funny panel shows, or heard him in hit podcast Finding Drago.

Cameron’s latest comedy show is called Mixtape, and it’s a love letter to the songs that shape our lives. Which is why he’s the perfect person to Take 5. From Silverchair to Gladys Knight & the Pips, settle in for some ripper stories and the art of the mixtape.

• Silverchair – The Greatest View
• Iggy Pop – Candy
• New Radicals – You Get What You Give
• Gladys Knight & the Pips – Midnight Train To Georgia
• Tyler, the Creator – See You Again

Zoë Coombs Marr has been making us laugh for years. You might have seen her doing award winning stand up comedy, often doing meta shows that twist our brains. Maybe you caught her alter ego Dave, or have seen Zoë pop up on The Weekly, The Project and watched her brilliant 3 part series Queerstralia.

Zoë is one of my favourite creators; she always keeps me guessing with what she’ll do next, and she always does it differently to everyone else.

Her 2024 comedy show seems to be her most personal to date, cos it’s her story. “Every Single Thing In My Whole Entire Life” will see her dig through it all, on stage across Australia. It’s an idea that lends itself well to a soundtrack, which is why I asked her to Take 5. From Elaine Stritch to Yothu Yindi to Romy, this is a funny and glorious conversation about life itself.

• Yothu Yindi - Treaty 
• Elaine Stritch - Are You Having Any Fun 
• The Lemonheads - The Outdoor Type 
• Hot Chip - Bath Full of Ecstasy
• Romy - Enjoy Your Life 

It’s been a big week for Kylie Minogue. 20 years after she won her first Grammy, she backed it up; grabbing Best Pop Dance Recording for "Padam Padam".

It caps off one of the biggest recent peaks of Kylie’s career, and that’s saying something. Since most of us were little kids, Kylie has been in our lives. As an actor who became a pop star who became an icon in Australian music. She’s a chameleon, a stayer, and she fills every dancefloor with her magic.

I love Kylie Minogue, and I thought it’d be fun to crank open the Take 5 archives, and share the brilliant convo I had with her back in 2020.

It was the first year of the pandemic, she’d been working away for months on a shimmering new record, and on the day she joined me to Take 5, Disco was released everywhere.

It felt like the perfect salve in a tough time; the community and dancefloor we all craved, and who better to gift it than the Queen of Pop. From Donna Summer to Daft Punk, this is a glorious celebration of Kylie's foundations.

• Donna Summer – Love To Love You Baby 
• Earth, Wind & Fire – September 
• Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive 
• Bee Gees – Night Fever 
• Daft Punk – Around The World 

We’re kicking off the 2024 Take 5 season with an absolute legend. He’s a star of the small screen, a comedian, a children’s book author, he’s part of the very fabric of Australian life, and 20 years ago he won the Gold Logie.

As we celebrated the Hottest 100 of 2003 on Double J, I jumped into the time machine to relive it ALL with the brilliant and delightful Rove McManus. And from pop stars to drummers to nerds, he shared the songs that were gold, to him. 

• Ben Folds Five - One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces
• P!nk - So What
• They Might Be Giants - Doctor Worm
• G Flip - The Worst Person Alive
• Powderfinger - Burn Your Name

It’s fair to say 2023 has been a year for Caroline Polachek. Her second solo album soared into our hearts on Valentines Day, and stayed there. It solidified her place as one of the most remarkable musicians operating today; her voice as one of the most incredible of our time, and her output an unflinching celebration of art in all forms. Sonically, visually, and spiritually, Caroline Polachek defies genre and time. She’s just a marvel.

Desire, I Want To Turn Into You has topped many best of lists this year, and it’s Double J’s #1 album of 2023. So what an absolute treat to see out this year with the woman herself, and Take 5. Volcano’s have featured heavily in her live shows, and capture the energy of what she does in every way. So I asked her to pick “volcano songs” and she really delivered.

From wild American composers to glitchy electronic trailblazers, and the mysterious world of Sault... this is a joy for the senses, the heart, and the mind.

• Harry Partch – Daphne of the Dunes      
• David Sylvian – Before the Bullfight
• Greetje Bijma & Oceanic – Step Snakes   
• Pink Floyd – The Great Gig in the Sky
• Sault - Air

Spoon are one of those bands that are quiet achievers. Over 25 years they’ve put out 10 albums and toured all over the world… they’ve weirdly never become super famous, but have a very dedicated bunch of fans. And I say weirdly, cos frontman Britt Daniel knows how to write a hit.

He’s one of my favourite songwriters, and you can hear in Spoon’s songs and their curiosity that there’s a deep love for music and melody. From Sinatra to Prince to Gambino, this is a fall down the rabbit hole of a great musical mind.

• Gloria Jones - Tainted Love
• Frank Sinatra - Strangers in the Night
• Prince - If I Was Your Girlfriend
• AC/DC - Rock And Roll Damnation
• Childish Gambino - Redbone

If you’re like me and came of age in the 90’s, then Supergrass loom large. The UK band exploded into the Brit Pop scene like a firecracker, with a song that captured the cheeky charm they’d come to be known for. Six albums followed, before they called it a day. And a few years later, lead singer Gaz Coombes went out on his own.

In the last decade or so, Gaz has released a handful of critically acclaimed solo albums, and despite the madness of the era he came up in, remains one of the more grounded and lovely muso’s around.

Gaz came to Australia to support Robbie Williams on some huge stadium shows, and while he was here I asked him to Take 5. From Scott Walker to Broadcast to Lennon, this is a brilliant conversation and peek into a great songwriter’s brain.

• Captain Beefheart - Sure ‘Nuff ’n’ Yes, I do
• Daniel Rossen - Silent Song
• Broadcast - I Found The F
• Scott Walker – It’s Raining Today
• John Lennon – Remember

Rhys Nicholson grew up making people want to laugh. As a kid in Newcastle, they were supported every step of the way, with a family of wild creatives and even an uncle in a famous Australian band.  Over the past few years, Rhys’s star has shone brighter and brighter. Winning major comedy awards, becoming a judge on Ru Paul’s Drag Race Down Under, and now writing their first memoir Dish. 

But did that broke teenager moving to Sydney to give comedy a crack, have any inkling about how life would unfold? To find out, I asked Rhys to Take 5 with the unexpected. And from John Prine to Ru-Paul, mapped a beautiful picture of Rhys's magical life. 

• Scissor Sisters – Running Out 
• David Byrne – Glass, Concrete and Stone 
• John Prine – In Spite of Ourselves 
• Georgia Mooney – War Romance 
• Ru Paul – Sissy That Walk 

For more than a decade now, Flight Facilities have been bringing the party. Starting life as DJ’s in Sydney’s club scene, they began making their own original music with “Crave You”, and from the get go were onto a winner. But that love of DJ-ing and deep cuts was always central to their foundations, and when not performing on big stages they were stitching together Decades Mixes, capturing ten years in a musical time capsule. These mixes became the stuff of legend, and as they clock fifty odd years of bangers, it felt like a perfect time to Take 5.

From crate digging samples, to hidden gems, and timeless bangers, this is a joyful journey through time.

• Labi Siffre - I Got The (1975)
• Punkin Machine - I Need You Tonight (1981)
• Black Box - I Don’t Know Anybody Else (soul mix) (1990)
• The Similou - All This Love (2006)
• Todd Terje - Inspector Norse (2012)

Liz Stringer is one of Australia’s finest songwriters. And she’s been doing it for years, honing her craft across six albums and countless stories. Her latest is a beauty, the critically acclaimed First Time Really Feeling. It’s one of those albums that floored me when I first heard it, and continues to, two years on. Liz is about to play it live one last time, stripped back and in solo mode, before she enters a new chapter in making a new album.

So I thought this would be a perfect time to sit down with Liz and capture her in this moment. We all go through stages, through cycles. And the things that inspire us and push us into new ways of thinking are always surprising. From Sam Fender to Lianne Le Havas to Archie Roach, hear the songs that have soundtracked Liz Stringer’s creative cycles.

• Sam Fender - Spit of You
• Lianne La Havas - Can't Fight
• Midnight Oil - Dreamworld
• Yara - Bad Behaviour
• Archie Roach - Love in the Morning

For more than 20 years, Pendulum have been at the top of the D&B game. Hailing from Perth but breaking through to the London scene, their massive sound has seen them play big stages, drop huge hits, and blend their love of heavy guitar and electronic music in all they do.

But their musical palette is broad, which you’ll discover when founding member Rob Swire Takes 5 with the whole shebang. From Spiderbait to Empire of the Sun to Karnivool, this is a capture of the many sides of one of Australian music’s biggest exports.

• Spiderbait - Buy Me A Pony
• Silverchair - Freak (Remix For Us Rejects) 
• Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
• Karnivool - Simple Boy
• Woodes – Dots

Over the last few months, a steady murmur has been building about a film called Past Lives. It’s the story of childhood friends, sweethearts even, who part ways when they’re 12 in South Korea and reunite many years later. And it’s the directorial debut of playwright Celine Song.

It just opened in Australia, and lucky for us, the writer and director came out recently to share its story. While in town, I asked her to Take 5 with her past and present. And from Grizzly Bear to Leonard Cohen to Modest Mouse, captured Celine’s own story and some beautiful reflections on human connection.

1. 1.Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks
2. 2.Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Californication
3. 3.Leonard Cohen - True Love Leaves No Traces 
4. 4.The Killers - When You Were Young
5. 5.Modest Mouse - Float On 

If you’ve watched any Australian telly over the past 20 years, then you’re well acquainted with Julia Zemiro. She’s charmed us as the host of RocKwiz, visited famous people’s childhood’s in Home Delivery, and been a theatresports champion. She’s Roz in the TV series Fisk, and she brought a local connection to Eurovision when hosted the Australian telecast.

Above all she loves music, and it was high time I invited Julia to Take 5. I always love chatting with her, but I didn’t expect some of the revelations she let drop in this conversation. About the road she took to get here, and what she’s thinking about doing next. From ABBA to Jacques Brel to Everything Everything, this is a beautiful capture of an extraordinary human’s story so far.

• Abba - That's Me
• Jacques Brel - Amsterdam
• Yothu Yindi - Treaty
• Conchita Wurst - Rise Like A Phoenix
• Everything Everything - Duet

August 11, 2023 marks 50 years to the day since hip-hop was born. It’s a genre, a scene, a philosophy that has changed the world; not just in music, but in culture, communication, and how we see ourselves.

Over the years I’ve had the great pleasure of chatting with a ton of hip-hop legends, so I’m dusting off the crate and digging into Take 5’s past to share some of my favourites on this big anniversary.

You’ll travel to Queens with Mike D, hear Neneh Cherry shout out a pioneer in the game, and witness a young Sampa the Great talk about her hero. Ice Cube will tell you about when rap said something more, and Common will find it’s beautiful rallying power. Long live hip-hop. 50 years young, it changed everything, it gave so many a voice, and it continues to morph, empower, and bounce us into the future.

• Ice Cube: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Message
• Neneh Cherry : Tanya Winley - Vicious Rap 
• Common: Mos Def - Umi Says 
• Mike D (Beastie Boys) –  Nas - N.Y. State of Mind 
• Sampa the Great:  Lauryn Hill - Lose Myself

This year, 2023, marks the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. On August 11, 1973, a party went down in New York City. DJ Kool Herc was there, and he’d been playing around with a technique where he’d play the break from one record, then another, looping them and creating something new. On this night in the Bronx, b-boys and girls danced, then Herc and his friend Coke La Rock started speaking, rhyming over the music. Hip-hop was born.

The foundations of a sound and scene that would change the world are being celebrated throughout this year, including right here on the Take 5. Across many years I’ve had the great pleasure in chatting with lots of hip-hop legends and hear them chat about their fandom too.

It was back in 2016 when I first met Sampa the Great, and asked her to Take 5. And given this auspicious anniversary, I thought it’d be fun to dig into the archives, and house it here on the podcast for the first time.

A lot can happen in 7 years. When I met Sampa, she’d just released her first mixtape. She’d gotten a heap of attention when handpicked by Kendrick Lamar to support his arena shows in Australia. And her future as a multi award winning artist who would not mince words, who would enliven Zamrock for a new generation, and become one of the most talked about artists of our time… it was all yet to come.

• Thandiswa Mazwai - Ndiyahamba (I’m Leaving)
• Lauryn Hill – To Zion
• Nina Simone – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood 
• 2pac – Changes 
• Chance The Rapper – Wonderful Everyday

Sydney band Body Type draw us in with their pop hooks, before chewing us up and spitting us out with their visceral take downs.

They’ve got a knack for that sweet and sour, writing songs that are trojan horses and pack a punch. With two albums under their belt, they’re proving themselves as one of Australia’s best new bands, and I love their work. So I asked them to Take 5.

From Fiona Apple to Princess Nokia, this is an eclectic mix of subversive sounds.

• Fiona Apple - I Want You To Love Me
• Lucinda Williams - Can't Let Go
• Princess Nokia - Tomboy
• Big Star - Thirteen
• Gina Birch - I Play My Bass Loud

Stella Mozgawa is one of those artists who orbits many worlds. She’s the drummer with Warpaint, but on stage she’ll often join Kurt Vile and Cate Le Bon on tour, and while in the studio she’s working with The xx and co-producing Courtney Barnett albums.

Her skills and curiosity brought her here, but so did her passion for all forms of music. And after hearing this Take 5 you’ll understand why. Stella is one of those people you want to bail up at a house party, finding out what they’ve been listening to or just hearing why that song or that artist cuts so deep.

And it’s why I asked her to Take 5, and share her labyrinth across five songs. The musical map of Stella Mozgawa is beautiful to hear, and hearing her speak about each choice opened up a whole labyrinth of sound for me. From Bjork to Kraftwerk to Aaliyah, this is the DNA of one of music’s most interesting minds.

• Bjork - I Miss You
• Chaka Khan - I Feel For You
• Arthur Russell - Habit Of You
• Kraftwerk – The Man Machine
• Aaliyah - Try Again

What do The Late Show, Utopia, The Castle, and Have You Been Paying Attention? all have in common? Tom Gleisner. As a part of Working Dog, he’s been behind some of the most successful and funny stories on Australian screens for 3 decades.

Tom has always been a collaborator but for the first time ever he’s stepping out on his own. With a musical. You guessed it, I had to ask him to Take 5. From Tom Waits to Bette Midler, this is a beautiful glimpse into one of Australia’s funniest creator’s mind.

• Tom Waits - The Piano Has Been Drinking 
• Beth Nielsen Chapman - Seven Shades of Blue 
• George - Special Ones 
• Eleri Ward - Another Hundred People 
• Bette Midler - Hello In There 

Anyone who has ever seen Danielle Walker, becomes a fan. If you’re yet to witness this award winning comedian, you’re about to become one too… Danielle has a way of telling stories that are both hilarious and full of heart.

Her stand up show Nostalgia won big awards, she was the winner of the first season of Taskmaster, and is starring in her first acting role in Gold Diggers, a new comedy on ABC.

A big part of Danielle’s comedy is her family, and her childhood growing up in Far North Queensland with a bunch of other great storytellers. So it’s no surprise that she tells some cracking yarns. Which is why I asked her to Take 5.

Danielle picked the most eclectic bunch of songs I’ve seen in a while… I was pumped for this Take 5. From Alex Cameron to Mariah Carey to Chris deBurgh, fall into Danielle Walker’s world. You’ll be happier for it.

• Bobby Goldsboro - I’m a Drifter 
• Niki & the Dove - The Fox 
• Alex Cameron - Miami Memory 
• Chris deBurgh - Don’t Pay the Ferryman
• Mariah Carey - Heartbreaker (feat Jay Z) 

When Electric Fields first burst onto the scene, they grabbed everyone’s attention. This South Australian duo of Zaachariaha and Michael brought beauty, beats, and a soaring sensibility to all they did. Since 2015 they’ve crafted bangers, heartfelt ballads, lullabies for little kids, and anthems for Eurovision and World Pride.

I’ve been chasing Electric Fields to Take 5 for ages, so I’m so stoked they were finally able to do it. Hearing the DNA of their musical passions is a joy, and from Nina Simone to Daft Punk to Beyonce, this Take 5 will make your heart soar.

• Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares for Me
• Daft Punk – Around the World
• Sam Cooke – Bring It On Home To Me
• Corona – Rhythm of the Night
• Beyonce – Break My Soul

If you’re like me and you were a child of the 80’s, then Jason Donovan was your world. He burst onto our screens as the star of Neighbours, Scott and Charlene, Jason and Kylie… at the peak of the soap opera’s powers. Jason became famous in Australia and around the world, particularly the UK where he’d launch his pop career and a wild adventurous life.

That life was filled with ups and downs, drug addiction, controversy, but also new beginnings. For the past 20 years, Jason has been a star of musical theatre, wowing audiences with turns in Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat, Chicago, and the Rocky Horror show.

It’s that production that’s brought him back home, starring in the 50th anniversary tour as Frank n’ Furter. And I just had to have him Take 5. Jason is a bloody legend, he has a brilliant outlook on life and a gratitude and lightness in how he approaches it. So I gave him the theme of LIFE – why not hey? He’s had a heck of one, so far.

From Bowie to INXS to Rick Astley, this Take 5 will give you life.

• David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
• Talk Talk – It’s My Life
• Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up
• INXS – To Look At You
• Boy Meets Girl – Waiting for a Star to Fall

The Waifs are one of those bands many of us have a connection with. It felt like they came up as we came of age, the soundtracks to our own first adventures and a band with a loyal live following. Three albums into their career this steadfastly independent band broke through with ‘Up All Night’. It was helped by the juggernaut single “London Still”, which managed to capture a quintessentially Australian experience perfectly.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of that moment, the band are back in the tour van and doing what they do best; trekking to all corners of Australia to sing their stories.

And oh boy, are they good at telling stories. It’s why I asked them to Take 5. Josh and Vikki are about to transport you back to the first seeds of their band, to dingy motels in the States, and to the very heart of why we love them so much.

• Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
• First Aid Kit – Emmylou
• Creedence Clearwater Revival – Lodi
• Aretha Franklin – Say a Little Prayer 
• Paul Kelly – To Her Door

Tim Ross is one of those fella’s you want to bail up in the kitchen at a house party. Better known to many as simply Rosso, he’s a triple j legend who we first met as co-host of Drive alongside Merrick Watts. He’d go on to launch a new commercial radio station, publish books, and fall deeper into his love of Australian architecture.

What I love about Tim is that he makes me feel like design is for all of us. And the way he tells stories connects to the very stories these buildings tell. Of who we were, who we are, and who we want to be.

He’s just made a new series for ABC called Designing a Legacy, and it’s bloody brilliant. From Bruny Island to far up north in the Torres Strait, it’s an eye opening show about what structures can do for a community.

With that idea of legacy in mind, I asked Tim to pick songs that shared his legacy. From The Fauves to Kelis to Joni Mitchell, it’s a heartfelt and hilarious trek through a colourful and curious life.

• The Fauves – Everyone’s Getting a 3 Piece Together 
• Chemical Brothers - Leave Home
• Kelis - Milkshake
• The Go-Betweens - Streets of Your Town
• Joni Mitchell - Coyote (live from The Last Waltz)

This week’s Take 5 is a dream come true. Ever since I first met Thundercat, I wanted him on this podcast. Stephen Bruner is one of those magical humans whose musical DNA you want to explore. Born into a family of legendary players, Thundercat grew up with a famous  drummer dad, who played with Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, and the Temptations. His older brother Ronald was a jazz drummer too, and a member of hardcore band Suicidal Tendencies. And his mum played as well, so it’s no surprise that Stephen Lee Bruner would come into this world strumming.

His path has been a kaleidoscopic one. In the early days he gigged with Erykah Badu, who helped him find his performative style as an artist. He became friends with Flying Lotus, and found a home on his Brainfeeder record label. And Thundercat’s profile was given a huge leg up when he helped craft the backbone of one of 2015’s biggest albums, Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly”.

With four albums of his own, and a recent collab with Tame Impala, I jumped at the chance to meet with him again, and go “all over the shop” with a Take 5. And from Stanley Clarke to Drake, this is a gorgeous conversation about music, and how the songs that we connect to land in the right place at just the right time.

• Steve Kuhn - The Meaning of Love 
• Stanley Clarke - Journey to Love ft George Duke
• Flying Lotus - Zodiac Shit
• Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams
• Drake – Successful ft. Trey Songs and Lil Wayne

Are you ready for some incredible stories? Take 5 always gifts us with some cracking yarns, but this week’s episode takes the cake. In fact, I’ve had more responses to Ed Le Brocq’s Take 5 than any other, in ages.

Boy & Bear have been making beautiful music for more than a decade now. The Sydney band are ARIA award winners, have  won the Australian Music Prize, and gathered a huge fanbase. Known for their warm folk guitar sounds centred around the gorgeous voice of Dave Hosking, Boy & Bear have made us swoon over four albums.

But they’re taking a little side step with their fifth. This new chapter sees Boy & Bear bring a whole lot more synths into their sound, it has a breezy quality to it, and as a result it shimmers. On the day they released their new record, I invited Dave and Jon from the band, to Take 5 – and to share the songs that shimmer for them. From Lana Del Ray to Radiohead to Future Islands, get a peek inside the musical minds of on of Australia’s most loved bands.

• Lana Del Rey - 'Norman Fucking Rockwell'
• Laura Mvula - 'Remedy'
• Radiohead - 'Codex'
• Phoenix - '1901'
• Future Islands - 'Born in a War'

I'm excited to bring you this week's Take 5. Cos Gabrielle Zevin wrote one of my favourite books of the last year. The bestselling American author is behind 10 books, but her most recent has won huge acclaim. It's sat at the New York Times bestseller list for yonks, is being turned into a film, and has captured the imaginations of everyone who reads it.

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" is the story of Sadie and Sam, two lifelong friends who bonded early over a love of video games. This book becomes an epic tale of love, creativity, competition, and tragedy. And it charts a history of gaming along the way.

Muses play a big part of this book, so I asked Gabrielle to share hers. And from Nirvana to Penguin Cafe Orchestra, this is a brilliant conversation by one of the best writers in the world today.

•    Penguin Café Orchestra — Perpetuum Mobile

•    Rilo Kiley — Let Me Back In

•    Nirvana — Lithium

•    Bright Eyes — Road to Joy

•    The Mountain Goats — This Year

Over the last two decades, Goldfrapp have delivered some of the coolest, smartest, and most exciting electro around. Out front, Alison Goldfrapp’s voice has tread the tightrope. A multi-octave phenomenon which lends itself to dark bassy tones as well as it does to floaty ethereal sounds.

But can you believe, she’s never made a solo record? Until now. On the day Alison released her debut album under her own name, she joined me to Take 5.

The record captures a club high, it reaches for love and bliss and so I gave her the theme “songs of euphoria”. I wanted to hear the music she’d been vibing off, or the songs that simple sent her into the clouds. From Italo-Disco to New York club classics, this is a blissful conversation about music’s power to elevate.

• Alexander Robotnick – Problemes’ D’Amour
• Tom Tom Club – Genius of Love
• Patrice Rushen – Haven’t You Heard
• Kaytranada – Be Careful (ft Thundercat)
• Lindstrom – Closing Shot

Colin Hay is the kind of guy you want to have a yarn with. He’s a master songwriter from his days in Men at Work, and the long solo career that has followed. Colin captures the world in a beautiful way. He’s also a recent recipient of the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian music, and came back to Australia to accept it.

While he was in the county, I asked him to Take 5. Because I knew he’d tell a good story or two, but I also wanted to know what were the songs of service to him? As someone who has honed their craft over more than 40 years, I wanted to hear him speak about music. From Booker T and the MG’s to Joni Mitchell to Leonard Cohen, this is a stunning conversation about song craft, life, and gratitude.

• Booker T & the MG’s – Green Onions 
• Bob Dylan – Gotta Serve Somebody 
• Joni Mitchell – Court & Spark 
• Glen Campbell – Wichita Lineman 
• Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah 

It’s been a minute between albums for Cash Savage and the Last Drinks. But the Melbourne songwriter has returned with her band after five years, and with an album of intense feeling.

So This Is Love is a story of heartbreak, but also a celebration of love in all it’s forms, and how it changes, and can still be with you when people are gone.

This is a beautiful conversation with Cash. She shared so much, and also reminded me that, even when it hurts, love is always worth it. That feeling, the joy, the connection, and even the pain.

From Luther Vandross to Harmony to The Beach Boys, this is a deeply honest conversation with one of Australia’s best songwriters.

• Harmony - Love is a Chemical High 
• Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
• Courtney Marie Andrews - Near You 
• Big Smoke - Best Of You
• Beach Boys - God Only Knows

This is an extraordinary Take 5. There’s something a bit different about capturing an artist at a particular moment in their creative life. Not talking with me to promote an album or to spruik a tour… but in the midst of creating something new. And following a curiosity that will take them to this unknown end. This is where I found Jake Webb – better known as Methyl Ethel. The Fremantle based muso has made textured, leftfield pop for years now. And across four albums has shapeshifted what he does and how he thinks about sound.

For his Take 5, I gave Jake the theme of metamorphosis. And asked him to choose five songs that have marked chapters and change in his life. From The Supremes to Bjork to Deerhunter, this is deep conversation about art, and finding new ways every day to make something new.

• The Supremes - Keep Me Hangin’ On 
• The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl
• Antony and the Johnsons - Swanlights
• Bjork - Hunter
• Deerhunter - Helicopter

You know you’re going to have a good time when Frenzal Rhomb join you for a chat. The Sydney punks have been making short, fast, and very funny songs for more than 30 years. And they just released their 10th album The Cup of Pestilence.

It once again captures the world around them; the micro to the macro. So when Jay and Lindsay joined me to Take 5 I asked them to pick songs from others that also captured the times. Big or small, who are the artists and the songs that mirror a moment for them? From The Meanies to Mo’Ju to Warren G, this Take 5 will have you cry laughing and getting more than you bargained for (in the best of ways).

• Discount – Clap And Cough
• The Meanies - Jekyll and Hyde
• Mo’Ju - Native Tongue
• Hard Ons - Hold Tight
• Warren G - Regulate

In 2017, a music book came out that had everyone talking. Meet Me in the Bathroom was an oral history capturing a definitive era in New York City indie music. At almost 600 pages long, everyone from Karen O to Julian Casablancas, James Murphy to Regina Spektor were part of it, and it instantly became a bestseller.

In the last year, the book has been adapted for screen; captured in a documentary that brings to life the early days of some of our most loved bands, and how it all began.

Lizzy Goodman is the author of this epic book, and Executive Producer of the film, and joined me to Take 5 with songs from the scene. From definitive early days with The Strokes, to the power of Karen O fronting Yeah Yeah Yeahs, this will catapult you into the noughties in the most beautiful of ways.

• Pixies – Debaser
• James – Laid 
• The Strokes – Barely Legal 
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Our Time 
• Interpol – PDA

Unknown Mortal Orchestra are one of my favourite bands. Ever since when I first heard Ffunny Friends, I was hooked. And also intrigued… their music is often a beautiful mystery, layered with hidden meanings and textures you unpick with every listen.

I remember listening to Multi-Love, then reading about the poly relationship that had inspired it, and the songs just cracked open. It’s a bit the same with their latest record. Cos while “V” sounds like a sprawling, nostalgic, and at times laidback album the story of it’s making is much denser.

Through a pandemic, lockdowns, burnout, and family illness, Ruban Nielson found his way back home. In more ways than one. And in asking him to Take 5 with the songs that shaped this new record, he helped us unpick his stories once more. From gorgeous Hawaiian slack-key guitar to Christopher Cross hits, this is a heartfelt insight into a songwriter’s heart.

• Kalama’s Quartet - ‘Iniki Mālie
• Bruddah Waltah - Hawaiian Lands
• George Helm - Waikiki 
• Christopher Cross - Ride Like the Wind
• Toto - Georgy Porgy

Mo’Ju is a shapeshifting artist. Over more than a decade, they’ve explored different sounds, stories and scenes… forever disrupting our expectations. Their new album is Oro, Plata, Mata. It’s a concept record based in cycles, and very much rooted in Mo’Ju’s sense of self and where they’re headed.

A week out from it’s release, Mo’Ju joined me to Take 5 and explore this new era.  Take 5 sings when my guest embraces the theme. And Mo’Ju did that, lacing in some extraordinary pieces of music with the fabric of where their head has been at, in making something new. From Tyler the Creator to Ngaiire to Nessun Dorma, this is an invitation into Mo’ju’s musical heart.

• Tyler The Creator - Igor’s Theme 
• Milan Ring - Keep Me Safe
• Giacomo Puccini (Pavarotti recording) - Nessun Dorma
• Ngaiire – Him
• Gabriel Garzón-Montano - The Game

If you know the music of Angel Olsen, you know she feels and communicates emotion deeply. Across six albums, we’ve heard her lay it all on the line. Or at least, we thought we had. Big Time is Angel’s most raw and personal record to date. And with good reason. It was recorded in a time of great love, grief, and change for Angel. At 34, she met a new partner and came out as queer to her parents. Days later, her father died. A few weeks later, her mother also passed. Three weeks after that funeral, Angel Olsen went in to record Big Time.

Five years ago, Angel joined me to Take 5 with songs that kept her grounded. This time, we met with a world of change between us. And with that gamut of emotion, and the very stripped back sounds of her new record, I wanted to hear songs that for her captured the full spectrum. From Chris Bell to Laurie Anderson to John Cale, this is a gorgeous meditation on what it means to be human.

• Beverly Glenn-Copeland - La Vita
• Chris Bell - I Am The Cosmos 
• Brian Eno - The Big Ship
• Laurie Anderson - Coolsville 
• John Cale - Andalucia

It was less than a year ago that Wet Leg released their debut album. A little more than that, when we first met them with Chaise Longue. In that time they’ve blown up; hit #1 on the album charts, won 2 Grammy’s, 2 Brits, and fans all over the world… including Harry Styles.

Back in Australia supporting Harry in his stadium shows, I invited Rhian and Hester to Take 5. I wanted to hear, from the sources themselves, about their wild year. From the headspin of the Grammy Awards, to discovering an Aussie favourite in a London recording studio, this is one very unique diary from one of the best surprises of the last year.

• CMAT - I Don’t Really Care For You 
• The Lazy Eyes - Fuzz Jam 
• Piri & Tommy - Soft Spot
• Katy J Pearson - Fix Me Up 
• Faux Real – Kindred Spirit 

It’s a big World Pride celebration for Take 5, as the party comes to Australia for the first time and on the same weekend at Mardi Gras. Music (and dance music in particular) came from queer culture, and queer clubs are some of the most welcoming and magical spaces in the world.

So it’s fitting to have a woman who has found herself in the clubs, Take 5. HAAi was born and raised in Australia, but has made her name in music in London, where over the past decade she’s been dj-ing and refining her sound. Last year she released her debut, it was a soaring, dense, otherworldly, and beautiful record that was one of 2022’s best.

HAAi is back in Australia to play the Mardi Gras afterparty, and so I invited her to Take 5 with pride. Her embrace of this scene, and her invitation for us to travel inside these clubs will have you gripped till the end… I loved this conversation, it felt like I was hanging out with a mate. And from Skatt Bros to Sylvester, this chat will have you strut dancing too.

• Skatt Bros - 'Walk The Night (Cratebug edit)'
• Felix Da Housecat vs. Pop Tarts - 'Money, Success, Fame, Glamour'
• Bizarre Inc - 'Playing With Knives (Quadrant mix)'
• N-Joi – 'Anthem'
• Sylvester - 'You Make Me Feel'

For more than twenty years, Urthboy has been part of the Australian hip-hop scene. From his early days with The Herd, to setting up the Elefant Traks record label, he’s made a name as a solo artist, with now seven albums under his belt.

His latest is called Savour, it’s Urthy’s exploration of masculinity, of vulnerability, and of capturing and enjoying life while you can. And ahead of it’s release, he joined me to Take 5. This is a heartfelt convo where his love of the scene is on full display, and his reflections on his own story are front of mind.

• Youngn Lipz - Broken Home 
• Stormzy - Bad Blood (ft Nao)
• Elsy Wameyo - River Nile 
• Dallas Woods feat. Miiesha - Heaven of My Own 
• Khi'leb - Tempt Me 

This Take 5 is something of a reunion. It’s been six years since Julia Jacklin first joined me and picked the music. Since then, she’s released two more brilliant albums, made a name for herself across the world, and shared her stories in every way. Julia has always had a knack for knocking us out with her incredibly personal songs. And in giving so much of her own experiences in her art, we’ve been witness to the many changes she’s experienced as she’s grown up.

Change is a constant in all of our lives; it’s the one thing we can be absolutely certain of. So for her Take 5 I asked Julia to pick five songs of change. And man, she embraced the theme, and then some. From Fiona Apple to Leonard Cohen to Love, this is a beautiful, honest, and enlightening conversation. You won’t hear her music in the same way, again.

• Miriam Makeba – Willow Song 
• Fiona Apple – Not About Love 
• Edith Piaf – Milord 
• Leonard Cohen – Memories
• Love – Alone Again Or 

Irish band Fontaine’s D.C. formed over a shared love of poetry. In the early days, the band would meet at the pub, write verse, and recite it to one another. And that’s carried through to the music they make; across three albums they’ve created a compelling mood punctuated by some brilliant lyrics.

It’s why I gave them the theme of verse, and from Sinead O’Connor to A$AP Ferg, to The Pogues, this is, itself, a poetic conversation about the power of verse.

• Velvet Underground - Stephanie Says 
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Stranger than Kindness 
• Sinead O Connor – Troy 
• A$AP Ferg - Psycho 
• The Pogues - Sea Shanty 

Every year, while our sister station counts down the Hottest 100, on Double J we relive the countdown from 20 years ago.

It’s a wild trip down memory lane, and a reminder of the music that has stood the test of time, and the songs you’d completely forgotten about (sometimes, for good reason).

As we readied to live in the 2002 countdown once again, I thought it’d be fun to invite some of triple j’s most beloved presenters from that time. And people who – just like us listeners – were getting their start at their first jobs. Wil Anderson, Myf Warhurst, Charlie Pickering, Rosie Beaton, and Adam Spencer.

From wild nights out turning into mornings on air, to scratch n’ sniff triple j tees, dive into some iconic memories from these absolute legends, and the singular workplace many of them got their start.

• Adam Spencer: Salmon Hater - 6.66
• Myf Warhurst: Missy Elliott – Work It
• Charlie Pickering: The Streets – Don’t Mug Yourself 
• Rosie Beaton: Silverchair – The Greatest View
• Wil Anderson: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Whatever Happened to My Rock N Roll?

It’s the finale of Take 5 for 2022 and honestly, I couldn’t think of a more perfect guest to see us into the summer break.

Jon Hopkins has been one of my favourite artists for many years. His music has soundtracked the highs and lows of my life, it’s kept me grounded when I needed it most and it’s helped my transcend when life has boxed me in.

Whether crafting beats, or composing music for psychedelic therapy, Jon makes everything feel lighter, everything connected – which is why he’s seeing us out of 2022.

I asked him to share the five songs that transcend for him, and he brought in some beautiful pieces of music… songs that were a revelation to me and, I hope, are for you as well.

• Nana Adjoa – Throw Stones [Mattheis Remix]
• Fort Romeau – Heaven & Earth
• Elkka – Harmonic Frequencies
• Nosaj Thing – Blue Hour [Ft. Julianna Barwick]
• Vagabon – Home Soon

Melbourne band Press Club have only played together for a handful of years, but in that time they’ve made a name for themselves; their live gigs are the stuff of legend, with frontwoman Natalie Foster throwing herself around the stage while belting out pitch perfect indie rock.

Press Club have always recorded their albums with the same kinetic energy - short, sharp bursts in the studio that capture the essence of who they are. Their latest album was done a little differently… the pandemic killed plans to record overseas, and with plenty of quarantine time on their hands, they stretched out. Remarkably, they still managed to capture that lightning in a bottle, and so when Nat joined me to Take 5, I asked her to share the songs that captured that energy in the same way.

• Tracy Chapman - Behind The Wall
• Blink 182 - I Miss You
• Vasco Era - Kingswood
• Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
• Bad//Dreems - Cuffed & Collared

It’s a treat from the archives this ep, with Deftones back in Australia for the Good Things festival I thought it’d be a good chance to revisit a beautiful and eye opening chat with the legendary Chino Moreno. Back in 2016 he joined me to Take 5. Deftones have always balanced the brutal with the beautiful, and I wanted to discover the different parts of his musical heart. So I asked him to share five sides of Chino, across five songs.

What he showed up with, was a heartfelt connection to Australia. It’s testament to their ties to us, that he went this way… and hearing why he chose them is an enlightening ride. From Cat Power, to Olivia Newton John, to HTRK, this is the legendary Chino Moreno, Taking 5.

• Vowws – The Great Sun
• Cat Power – Peking Saint
• Olivia Newton John – Magic
• HTRK – Chinatown Style
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Henry Lee (ft PJ Harvey)

It’s fair to say that most of us have a connection to Groove Armada. Whether you’re a turbo fan, or you’ve been at a festival going off to one of their bangers, their connection to Australia is huge.

Andy Cato and Tom Findlay are celebrating 25 years together, and with it a new box set of greatest hits, and their final live shows all over the world. In Australia to perform for the last time with all the bells and whistles, I asked them to Take 5 with their quarter century. Cos when you think back to Groove Armada’s legacy, it travels across scenes and sounds that have changed markedly. From chillout classics, to sound system megahits, and heartfelt songwriting, Andy and Tom have always done things their way.

They’re also legendary humans, who know how to spin a yarn and have some wild stories in their memory box. From early raves to Cotswold cottages, and the basements they met some of their biggest collaborators, this is a capture of a quarter century not just for GA, but for the scene itself. 

• Ray Mang – Number One
• Xpansions – Move Your Body
• Chris Rea – Josephine (French Edit)
• Prince – I Wanna Be Your Lover
• Drew Hill – Talk To You (Groove Armada Remix)

If you talk about country in Australia today, one name comes immediately to mind. Troy Cassar-Daley. The proud Gumbaynggirr and Bundjalung man is one of our most celebrated artists; he holds the record for Golden Guitar Awards and has been making music and telling stories for more than 30 years.

Many of those stories are of Australian life, from people in towns big and small, and so I asked him to Take 5 “on country”, and share the songs of place that meant something to him. From Gadigal Land to Katherine, to places very close to home, this is beautiful capture of a music loving songman with a lifetime of stories.

• Midnight Oil Ft. Dan Sultan, Joel Davison, Kaleena Briggs & Bunna Lawrie - Gadigal Land
• Sara Storer - Katherine
• Archie Roach - Down City Streets
• Missy Higgins - The Special Two
• Slim Dusty - Walk A Country Mile

One of the most exciting bands of the last five years, is IDLES. The Bristol group grabbed our attention early, and have held it; prolific in their output, profound in their outlook.

Joe Talbot is their lead singer, and it’s his life experiences that fuel their songs. Loss, mistakes, gratitude, redemption and joy fill their four records, and their latest is all about forks in the road. In Australia to tour it, Joe Talbot joined me to Take 5 with songs that had marked crossroads for him. What he shared, was a wildly varying collection of songs; and that reminder that music imprints itself on us. It’s our memory bank, and it never fades. From The Pharcyde, to classic Garage, to The Walkmen, these are the stories and beautiful consequences of Joe Talbot’s choices.

• Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
• The Pharcyde - Runnin'
• STICKY feat. Ms. Dynamite - Booo! [Original Dirty Mix]
• Van Morrison - Sweet Thing
• The Walkmen - The Rat

She's one of Australia's best songwriters

He’s the guy that famously brought Nirvana to Australia on their one and only visit, he toured bands like Beastie Boys and Sonic Youth, and put on the Summersault Festival in 1995.

Join Zan as she travels to Los Angeles, Nashville, and Melbourne, and sits down with extraordinary people to hear about the songs that made them who they are today.

Guy Pearce, Keith Urban, Missy Higgins, Tony Armstrong and Tori Amos join Zan as Take 5 premieres on ABC TV and can be heard exclusively on the ABC Listen App.

I still remember the first time I heard Santigold. It was like a bolt from the blue, an upload to Myspace that sounded like nothing else around.

The trilling high vocal, that deep bassy ownership of song. She came onto the scene demanding to be noticed, and I stood to attention with my ears wide open.

Her debut album would be a big hit, and I’d soon learn her backstory; in punk bands, working at labels, understanding the wild 360 of the music industry and spitting it back and making it her own. Santigold has always done it differently, and always been one of my favourite people to chat music with, which is why I asked her to Take 5.

From Jimi Hendrix to John Coltrane, hear the songs that elevate Santi White, and the pure poetry of her telling you why.

• Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Child (Slight Return) 
• Too $hort – Gettin’ It (ft Parliament Funkadelic) 
• Nina Simone - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free 
• John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (Pt 1)
• Otis Redding – A Change Is Gonna Come

One of the most beautiful voices performing today, is that of Marlon Williams.

The New Zealand singer has been a rising star over the past few years, not only with his music but increasingly on screen with roles in A Star is Born, The Beautiful Lie, and True History of the Kelly Gang. It’s been around four years since his last solo record, but he’s just returned with My Boy.

And it’s quite the flip from his last, full of jaunty rhythms, 80’s synths, and a lighter quality all round. On the day he released it, Marlon joined me to Take 5. From Maori children’s songs to Duran Duran, this is a beautiful and grounded conversation about renewal and finding you way back to your foundations.

• Martin Gore – Complusion
• St Joseph's Maori Girls College ft. Maisey Rika – Hine
• Hirini Melbourne – Ruru
• Lee Hazelwood – Easy and Me
• Duran Duran – A View To Kill

If you’ve ever worked in hospitality, you’ve seen things. The long hours, the patrons, those blurry lines between work and play, and, if you’re Jess Ho, the complex world of what is good and bad taste.

Jess has game in hospo. They may have started off as a waiter, but would become one of the most iconic gatekeepers at Melbourne’s coolest restaurant, would go on to be a venue owner themselves, a food writer, a podcaster, and now, a debut novelist.

They capture it all in their memoir Raised By Wolves. It’s a brilliant page turner that not only takes down the bullshit of the foodie scene, but gives a heartbreaking insight into Jess’ personal life – the story of a fractured childhood and a found family with it’s own tragedies. I loved Jess’ book, so I invited them in to Take 5. From Bjork to Chris to LCD Soundsystem, this is the soundtrack to a curious and story filled life.

• Bjork - Where is the Line
• IDLES - Television
• Elbow - Scattered Black and Whites
• Christine and the Queens - Doesn't Matter
• LCD Soundsystem- Losing My Edge

Alexisonfire have been releasing brilliant albums for more than twenty years, but it’s been a good thirteen since their last.

That changed recently when they returned with Otherness, a brilliant capture of a band renewed, and still holding the raw power and soaring beauty they always did.

Dallas Green is one of three lead singers in the band, and one of the friendliest fella’s you’ll meet. He also has a hugely broad musical palette, which we learned when I asked him to Take 5.

From Kimbra to Spiritual Cramp to Tropical Fuck Storm, this is a passionate embrace of those who do it differently.

• Kimbra - Settle Down 
• Spiritual Cramp - Spiritual Cramp
• Dead Tired - Vast Lethality
• Zaki Ibrahim - Something in the Water
• Tropical Fuck Storm – You Let My Tyres Down

Have a look at the Take 5 TV trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfEGnGSNlRM 

Hilltop Hoods are legends.

For more than twenty years they’ve dominated the local scene, with multiple Hottest 100 entries, ARIA’s and the record for the most #1 albums in Australian music. When they play a show, it’s an arena, and they’ve brought that energy to every one of their performances; on stage and on record.

Those are the accolades you hear about… but when I invited them to Take 5 I wanted to hear about their highlights in an epic career in show business.

From Def Wish Cast to Amy Winehouse, this is a fun and heartfelt ride through Pressure and Suffa’s peaks, and the music moments that have taken them to the top of the mountain.

• Def Wish Cast - Rappin’ in my Sleep
• Public Enemy - Welcome to the Terrordome
• Maverick Sabre - I Need
• Beastie Boys - Jimmy James
• Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

It’s not overstating it to say that Spiderbait are one of Australia’s most loved bands.

For more than 30 years, this power trio have ripped it up on stages and albums alike, and held a tight bond of friendship the whole way through.

Their latest venture is a compilation album celebrating their bassist and singer Janet English. It’s called Sounds in the Key Of J, and off the back of it’s release I asked the main character and her bandmate Kram to Take 5.

This is one of the wildest collections of songs I’ve ever seen in a Take 5, and I’m here for it. It’s also a beautiful reflection of friendship, curiosity, the genre bending they’ve done, and the foundations of where Spiderbait have come from.

From The Go-Go’s to the War of the Worlds album, jump in and take a trip through the foundations of Spiderbait with Janet and Kram.

• The Go Go's - We Got The Beat 
• Marie Greene & Betty Wand - Dites-Moi (South Pacific Soundtrack)
• Jeff Wayne, Justin Hayward & Richard Burton - The Eve Of The War
• Talking Heads - Crosseyed And Painless
• The Primitives - Spacehead

Casey Donovan, is one of Australia’s greatest voices.

We first met her as a 16 year old on Australian Idol. Her audition grabbed us immediately, and she would go on to win the second series. Since then, she’s been a star on musical theatre stages, written a memoir, made podcasts, and become our official Queen of New Years – belting out the biggest songs on ABC TV’s big broadcast.

But what are the songs that have been guiding lights for her? That have led Casey through an extraordinary life, and filled her heart (and lungs) with inspiration? From Kasey Chambers to Human Nature to Mama Cass, this is a beautiful conversation about finding strength in music, and finding your own voice.

• Marie Osmond – Paper Roses
• Human Nature – Wishes
• Kasey Chambers – Million Tears
• Tiffany Taylor & Company – Here’s Where I Stand
• The Mamas & The Papas – Dream a Little Dream of Me

Where do you start with Phil Jamieson?

If you grew up in Australia, he’s been part of the musical fabric for decades. His band Grinspoon were the first band to ever be Unearthed by triple j, they dominated festival line-ups and made more than a few appearances in the Hottest 100.

His music with Grinners has soundtracked our lives, and whether on stage or having a chat, Phil has often been the most entertaining fella in the room. So I was stoked to finally have him Take 5. The catalyst was Phil Jamieson’s debut; on the day he released his solo album, I asked him to Take 5 with his fave solo songs. Other artists who had taken that great leap of faith, stepped away from their band and gone it alone. From Beyonce to Macca, Tim Rogers to Tina Turner, this is a joyous ride from a big music fan.

Beyonce - Crazy In Love [fat. Jay-Z]

Dave Dobbyn - Slice of Heaven [feat. Herbs]

Paul McCartney and Wings - Let Me Roll It

Bamboos - I Got Burned [feat. Tim Rogers]

Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero

The South London singer joins Zan Rowe to Take 5.

It’s so good to be back with a new Take 5 in the feed!

ICYMI, over the last few weeks I’ve been off making Take 5 into a TV show. We’ve captured some incredible conversations with big names, everywhere from Melbourne to Los Angeles, to Nashville Tennesee. Take 5 will be coming to ABC TV later in 2022, and in the meantime, I’m stoked to be back where it all began; here in your ears on the Take 5 podcast. And what a return we have, with Joy Crookes.

The South London singer grabbed us as soon as we heard her first single, and she held us with her debut album Skin; a rich capture of the place, people, and sounds that have made her.

With so much genre hopping in her own record, I was curious to find out the songs that reflect her self, from others. And she delivered. This is beautiful conversation about community, connection, heart, and how history informs Joy Crookes future. From Solange, to Mariem Hassan, to D’Angelo, this is the musical DNA of Joy Crookes.

Mad (ft. Lil Wayne) - Solange

Haiyu - Mariem Hassan

Really Love - D’angelo and the Vanguard

Tezeta - Mahmoud Ahmed

Rich Spirit - Kendrick Lamar

Lykke Li has one of those voices that stops you in your tracks.

It’s husky, it’s sweet, it can sound like love itself, then heartbreak in the next moment. From the first moment I heard it, I was a fan. And in her five albums since, Lykke Li has evolved as an artist whose depth as a songwriter and maker has mirrored her life experiences.

Her latest album is EYEYE; it follows the end of a big relationship and you can hear it in every second. Lykke recorded it in a totally different way; stripping back her production, abandoning click tracks and headphones, just feeling and being in that feeling.

It’s accompanied by a handful of short films, which bring this devastating heartbreak to life even further. It’s a truly sensory experience, and so I asked Lykke to share her sensory songs. From Funkadelic, to Brian Eno, to wildly beautiful Bulgarian choirs, this is therapy not only for the ears but for the soul.

Funkadelic - 'Maggot Brain'

Brian Eno - 'The Big Ship'

Lorenzo Senni 'Canone Infinito'

Melanie De Biasio - 'I'm Gonna Leave You (Cinematic Orchestra Remix)'

Bulgarian State Television Female Choir - 'Kalimankou Denkou (The Evening Gathering)'

Joan Wasser is prolific. As a musician, collaborator, and instrumentalist, she’s one of those people who needs to create to feel alive. Her career began in bands like The Dambuilders, before she lobbed in on records from Antony & the Johnsons and found her own voice as Joan as Policewoman.

And what a voice it is; its warm snarl captures everyone who hears it, and it’s the same when she talks. There’s something very magnetic about Joan. Which is why I will always be excited to talk music with her, and heroes. From Nina Simone to James Blake to Rufus Wainwright, this is a beautiful conversation about the love of art, from a great artist herself.

Tony Allen - ‘Go Back [Ft. Damon Albarn]’

Nina Simone - ‘I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free’

Krystle Warren & The Faculty - ‘If It Wasn’t For The Lake’

James Blake - ‘Retrograde’

Rufus Wainwright - ‘The Art Teacher'

Yorta Yorta man Briggs is a real renaissance man. We may have met him first as an MC, but in the years since he’s shown his creativity knows no bounds. He’s an actor, a writer, a label head, an author, and one of the funniest people I know.

Briggs grew up in Shepparton in regional Victoria, it’s a big part of his identity. So when the opportunity came up for triple j and Double J to head to Shepp for a weeklong Takeover, Briggs immediately sprung to mind for a Take 5.

Shepp is on the lands of the Yorta Yorta Nation, and home to the largest Indigenous population in regional Victoria. The Briggs family looms large in Shepp, and the opportunity to come back to Adam Briggs’ hometown to hear about his foundations, was too good to miss. From Ice Cube to Ryuichi Sakamato, to The Simpsons, this is a beautiful capture of a true talent.

Ice Cube - 'It Was a Good Day'

The Simpsons - 'Monorail'

Danzig - 'Twist of Cain'

Ryuichi Sakamoto - 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence'

Sam Cooke - 'A Change is Gonna Come'

Do you remember, around 15 years ago, when Bat For Lashes first broke onto the scene? This Pakistani-British singer created haunting, dramatic music. She descended from a squash playing dynasty, and her music inhabited an otherworldly quality in the indie music scene.

In 2012 she had a huge hit with “Laura”, and a few months later when she was in Australia to tour, I invited her to Take 5. It was one of those conversations that has always stayed with me; we bonded over these five songs and it left me flying afterward. Which is why I wanted to bring it to the podcast. From James Taylor to a young Laura Mvula, soak up the sounds of song dedications care of Natasha Khan.

James Taylor - 'Fire & Rain'

Bjork - 'One Day'

Tame Impala - 'Music To Walk Home By'

The Cure – 'Mint Car'

Laura Mvula – 'She'

We all know songs hold a lot of power. When they pair with iconic scenes from film and television, they become etched in our memory; and sometimes elevate a piece of music to the stuff of legend. Think Green Day’s 'Good Riddance' in the final moments of Seinfeld, Underworld’s 'Born Slippy' in Trainspotting, 'Don’t Stop Believin’' by Journey, in The Sopranos…

And the person that places these songs in just the right moments, is a music supervisor.

Back in 2012 I asked Gary Calamar to Take 5. He’s a music supervisor for shows like Six Feet Under, True Blood, Dexter, House, and Entourage. He’s the one who has made scenes sing, and brought some truly beautiful sounds to TV and film. It was a conversation I loved then, but has never made it’s way onto the podcast, until now. From Peter Gabriel to Sia, this is a powerful reminder of the magical marriage of sound and vision.

‘Season Of The Witch [Ft. Donovan]’ - Karen Elson

‘Me And The Devil’ - Gil Scott-Heron

‘Cold Wind’ - Arcade Fire

‘My Body Is A Cage’ - Peter Gabriel

‘Breathe Me’ - Sia

Kae Tempest is one of the most powerful voices speaking today. A poet, playwright, author, and musician, they capture their world of South East London and bring it to us. And within that, explore the big themes of the world, and how we deal with it.

They’ve has just released their fourth album; it comes after a period of great change for Kae, who recently came out as trans non-binary and is speaking publicly for the first time about what they’ve really been feeling for most of their life.

Communication and connection is at the heart of this record, so I gave Kae the theme “songs that speak their language”. They embraced it and then some. From wild sounds courtesy of Buffy Saint-Marie to life changing debuts from Jay Electronica, this is a poetic conversation about the power of words.

'God Is Alive Magic Is Afoot' – Buffy Sainte-Marie

'Gatekeeper' – ESKA

'Solstice' – Confucius MC

'Gabriel' – Roy Davis Jr feat. Peven Everett

'Eternal Sunshine' – Jay Electronica

Aldous Harding is one of the most compelling voices of our time. Across three albums she has shapeshifted in every song, her voice bends and changes almost like stepping into a different character, with each story.

Aldous is a spellbinding human in person too; on stage and in other interviews I’ve read and seen. But I learned more about her from this Take 5 than I ever have before. These songs reveal a lot about Aldous, as a performer, as a songwriter, and as an artist. This is one of those conversations where I could frame just about everything she said. From El Perro Del Mar to Nina Simone, this is the voice.

God Knows (You Gotta Give To Get) - El perro del mar

Stars (Live At Casino Montreux, 3rd July 1976)- Nina Simone

Diana - Alexander ‘Skip’ Spence

Houses - Elyse Weinberg

Janitor - Suburban Lawns

Steven Oliver has been lighting up stage and screen for years now. A proud descendent of the Kuku-Yalanji, Waanyi, Gangalidda, Woppaburra, Bundjalung and Biripi peoples, he’s popped up on ABC TV’s Black Comedy. Hosted Faboriginal on SBS. And taken the stage as a poet and a playwright.

His own story has been told in song, in Bigger and Blacker; a cabaret telling of his life. After traveling across the country with the show over the past three years, Steven brings it next to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and I invited him to Take 5.

His show is full of songs he sings, of his own experiences, but I was curious to hear the tunes by others that soundtracked his life. From Mariah to Janet to Yothu Yindi, this is a beautiful conversation about comedy as a messenger and the uplifting power of shakin’ your cheeks.

Always Be My Baby - Mariah Carey

It’s Not Right, But It’s OK (Thunderpuss Remix) - Whitney Houston

Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson

Treaty (Filthy Lucre Remix) - Yothu Yindi 

Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson

As this episode of the Take 5 happened, everyone is talking about Byron Baes. The first show commissioned for Netflix Australia is a glorious hate watch, full of influencer culture, questions about belonging, and some singular characters.

The woman who commissioned it, is Que Minh Luu, she’s the Head of Content at Netflix Australia and her job is to find stories that are uniquely ours. Que has loved stories her whole life, and told them in shows like The Heights, Frayed, Diary of An Uber Driver, and Harrow.

But Que’s story is just as compelling. A child of Vietnamese refugees who grew up in Sydney’s southwest and went on to nab one of the biggest jobs in TV.

Finding community and connection is central to everything she does, and the core of her Take 5 songs. From Smashing Pumpkins to Missy Elliot, to Dave Dobbin, this is a revealing and beautiful conversation.

Tonight, Tonight - Smashing Pumpkins

Gossip Folks - Missy Elliot

Tusk - Fleetwood Mac

From Little Things Big Things Grow - Paul Kelly

Slice of Heaven - Dave Dobbin

Remember that time between the mid to late 00’s, when indie and dance clashed, when we scoured Myspace for the most exciting new tunes and remixes, and when the internet met the dancefloor to create one big party community?

Some call it indie dance or electroclash, and some refer to the era as bloghouse; a magical time that gave rise to big names like Diplo, Steve Aoki, Simian Mobile Disco, and Justice. It was post Napster, but before Spotify, and it was the wild west of music.

15 years on, blogger Lina Abascal has captured that scene in her first ever book. Never Be Alone Again tracks the rise and fall of bloghouse. It’s a brilliant read that is as much a fun trip down memory lane, as a document of how this scene reflected a very unique time in music, and gave rise to something massive.

From Crookers remixes, to Justice Vs Simian, and Does it Offend You, Yeah, this will catapult you back to every dance floor and worn out USB of your youth.

My Moon My Man - Feist (Boys Noize Remix)

We Are Rockstars - Does It Offend You, Yeah?

To Protect and Entertain - Busy P ft. Murs (Crookers Remix)

Pro Nails- Kid Sister ft. Kanye West

We Are Your Friends - Justice Vs. Simian

Baltimore duo Beach House have been making epic, beautiful and dreamy music for eight albums. For the latest, they upped the pretty by adding a string section. And Once Twice Melody lands in the world just when we need it most.

I’ve long been a fan of Beach House, and I’ve chatted with them a few times. Every time I do, their insight into the music they make, has me glued to the conversation. And when they talk about the music they love, I’m all in.

Which is why I asked them to Take 5 with their reveries, and share the songs that take them away to another place, a dreamlike space, and give a sense of connection in that realm. From The Durutti Column to Aphex Twin, this is a poetic conversation about how sound can transport you.

The Durutti Column - Sketch For Summer

Suicide - Dream Baby Dream

Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes

Aphex Twin - Xtal

Joe Hisaishi - The Path of the Wind (Instrumental)

Nancy Bates is a proud Barkindji song woman, a mentor, and a curator. She recognises the power of song in sharing stories; particularly the songlines that tell the stories of First Nations peoples in Australia.

During the Adelaide Fringe in 2022, Nancy is also behind the soundtrack for a huge and beautiful performance piece called Sky Song. It’s all about light, so I thought I’d marry the two ideas in her theme, and ask her to share songs that bring stories to light. What she shared, will stay with me forever. It’s a reminder of the power of sharing, but also of hearing, of really listening.

From Archie Roach to Electric Fields, and many discoveries in between, let Nancy Bates bring stories to light.

Archie Roach - There’s A Little Child

Allara - Rekindled Systems

Corey Theatre - Ngathuk Ngalina

Aimee Volkofsky - Buried

Electric Fields - Nina

Claudia Karvan has been a fixture on our screens for the last three decades. We watched her light up the screen on The Big Steal and The Heartbreak Kid, share-housed with her on The Secret Life of Us, and came of age as she did, on Love My Way.

When Claudia wasn’t acting in some of film and television’s biggest moments, she was working behind the scenes as a writer and director, and increasingly has been producing big shows like Bump on Stan.

Through all of this, I had a sneaking suspicion Claudia was a big music fan. And that was confirmed when I asked her to Take 5. From Sinead O’Connor to Pj Harvey to Warpaint, this is a brilliant capture of an artist and the songs that drive her.

Sinead O'Connor - Mandinka

PJ Harvey- 50ft Queenie

Liz Phair- Mesmerizing

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s- Down Boy

Warpaint- Undertow

When you think of electronic music, do you think of the wild? Even as a synthetic creation, is it music that anchors itself in nature, in the sounds of icicles breaking or the feel of flow? Kelly Lee Owens is a producer who take you to all of those places. The Welsh artist may have begun her career as a nurse, and working in a record store, but these days she makes music that transports you; that is as at home in the club as a transcendental meditation.

Her second album Inner Song was big favourite of mine, and her collaborations with Jon Hopkins and remixes of Bjork reminded me of music’s power to get us into a flow state. So when she joined me to Take 5, I wanted to know the songs that did that for her. From Four Tet to Radiohead, Bjork to Nils Frahm, this is a very beautiful exploration of sound, of meaning, and how music can lift us into another realm.

Four Tet – Morning Side

The Knife – Heartbeats (live version)

Radiohead – Nude

Bjork – Sun in My Mouth

Nils Frahm – Says

Bodyjar are a band many of us grew up with; seeing them at all ages shows and festivals, hearing their music on Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and voting them into many a Hottest 100. Eight years on from their last album, they’re back with New Rituals, and on the day of it’s release lead singer Cam Baines joined me to share his rituals across five songs. From their heroes Descendents, to the inspiration of Adalita, this is a coming of age story – not just of Cam, but all of us.

Descendents – 'Coolidge'

Ramones – 'Too Tough To Die'

Face to Face – 'Disconnected' 

Magic Dirt – 'Ice' 

Brand New – 'Not The sun'

We’re wrapping up the Take 5 for another year and even though 2021 still kept a lot of us apart, these conversations helped me find a community again. Maybe they did for you, too. We connected a lot over Zoom, we bonded over the music that made us who we are today, and we learned a whole lot more; not just about the guests who joined us to Take 5, but also about the songs and artists they picked.

Every year around this time I like to share my favourites. It’s always hard to whittle it down, but in this episode you’ll hear from the conversations that floored me when I had them, and still resonate with me now. From across the world, and many different personal stories, here are some of my favourite moments of the Take 5 this year.

Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit (chosen by Shirley Manson)

The Beatles - I Am the Walrus (chosen by Danny Elfman)

The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby (chosen by Ruby Wax)

Hot Chip - I Feel Better (chosen by Tony Armstrong)

Björk - Hyperballad (chosen by Julia Stone)

Go-Betweens- Your Turn My Turn (chosen by Lindy Morrison)

The Supremes - Stoned Love (chosen by Billy Bragg)

Beverly Glen-Copeland - Ever New (chosen by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine)

When Fran Kelly announced she was leaving RN Breakfast after 17 years, everyone I know had a little cry. Maybe it was the same for you too, because this legendary journalist has been waking up with us for a long time. Fran has held those in power to account and told stories we may never have heard otherwise.

But it’s not often you hear Fran’s stories. That’s why I was so stoked and honoured to have her Take 5 with me, the day after she wrapped her final show on RN Breakfast. The theme was simple; life, so far. And from singing around the kitchen table, to hitting the road to get to her great love, this is a beautiful capture of an extraordinary human.

The Tokens – The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The Easybeats – Friday On My Mind

Lucinda Williams – I Just Want To See You So Bad

Yothu Yindi – Treaty

Gurrumul - Wiyathul

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 beautiful and charming insight into her musical heart.

Valentine's Day Is Over - Billy Bragg

Hiraeth - Morriston Orpheus Choir

Lance Jr - Courtney Barnett

Spells - Jenny Hval

Seabird - Alessi Brothers

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 are not many people that can mention legends like Lou Reed and Bobby Womack as friends, but it’s the reverence he holds these makers in, that makes this truly special.

Ghost Town – The Specials

Trench Town - Bob Marley

Lou Reed – Dirty Blvd.

Bobby Womack – Across 110th Street

The Clash – Rock the Casbah

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 AC/DC and beyond, this is Amy Taylor’s Australia.

AC/DC – If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)

Maureen Elkner  - Rak off, Normie!

Barkaa & Mackridge - 22Clan  

Slim Dusty - Looking Forward Looking Back

Yothu Yindi - Treaty (Radio Mix)

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 soul. From The Supremes to Laura Nyro to Curtis Mayfield, this is a grounding and beautiful convo about the power of music to keep us afloat

Willin' - Little Feat

Stoned Love - The Supremes

Move On Up - Curtis Mayfield

Save the Country - Laura Nyro

Musical Communion - The Skatalites

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 that acerbic wit. And it was on show in this brilliant conversation, as Ruby took us through her survival songs from childhood to today.

Ride of the Valkries - Wagner

Creep - Radiohead

Eleanor Rigby - Beatles

Fire and Rain - James Taylor

Heal - Lady Gaga

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 realm, and get inside the brain of a registered music therapist. Chanelle Henderson is just that. She works with a really broad array of people too, from elderly clients to little kids and preterm babies and their parents. And across five songs, she invites you into this world and tells you the stories of some incredible breakthroughs. From three chord simplicity, to bonding with babies, and the music that takes us back instantly as a sensory memory, this is a beautiful conversation about the scientific and emotional power of song.

You Are My Sunshine - Johnny Cash

Stop - Spice Girls

Raining on the Rock - Warren H Williams

Song for Sammy - Missy Higgins

Sitting On The Dock of the Bay – Otis Redding

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 he’s never done a Take 5, until now.

On the day he released his fifth album, he joined me to play over people’s tunes. Specifically, his favourite heartbreak anthems. From Stevie Wonder to Pink Pantheress to Al Green, this is a capture of an incredible music mind and heart.

Stevie Wonder - Never Dreamed You’d Leave In Summer

Jeff Buckley - I Know It’s Over

Dijon - Many Times

Pink Pantheress - Break It Off

Al Green - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

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. Sufjan and Angelo holed up in a cabin in upstate New York to write it. They would watch old movies at night; classics like Point Break, She’s Gotta Have It, Silence of the Lambs, even Bring It On Again. Then they’d use these stories to write their own. But they also threw in the I Ching, and a Zen Buddhist principle of Shoshin, or A Beginner’s Mind.

What’s come out of it is a beautiful collection of songs, and the inspiration behind my Take 5 theme of Absolute Beginners. From an epic recording of Nina Simone, to the short and surreal world of Ivor Cutler, and the incredible world of Prince, this is a beautiful journey with two absolute angels.

Judy Garland - 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'

Prince - 'The Ballad of Dorothy Parker'

Nina Simone - 'My Sweet Lord / Today Is A Killer'

Ivor Cutler - 'Sharks'

Beverly Glenn-Copeland - 'Ever New'

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 Nirvana and co-founded Sub-Pop; the label at the centre of the scene. Billy Corgan will pop up, whose Smashing Pumpkins were another huge player in the scene. And we’ll revisit my chat with Michael Azzerad, who penned a bestselling biography of Nirvana and also an iconic capture of the late '80s and early '90s indie scene in America, with Our Band Could Be Your Life. Nirvana’s connection to Australia is significant too, and photographer Sophie Howarth will bring it close to home with her memories of hanging with the band and seeing them play on their only Australian tour.

It’s a wild ride, and I feel so privileged to have shared this space and these stories. So don the flanny, pull on the cords, let your dirty hair down, and revisit one of music’s most loved era’s.

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

Smashing Pumpkins – Disarm

Neil Young – Ambulance Blues

Fugazi – Waiting Room

Feedtime – Shovel

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 to in the kitchen at a house party, which I why I asked him to Take 5.

From ESG to Frankie Valli to Marvin Gaye, crawl inside the full spectrum of Matthew E White’s mind.

ESG - You're No Good

Augustus Pablo - King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown

Miles Davis - Rated X

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)

Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)

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 told, by Australian director Gracie Otto. Under the Volcano is a capture of time, when big money was being spent making albums and some of the biggest personalities were making them. But it’s also the story of an island and it’s people, and how they impacted the lives and sounds of these musicians forever. From Arrow to Dire Straits to Elton, Gracie Otto shares her island songs and the stories behind sharing this magical tale.

Hot Hot Hot - Arrow

Grace Jones - Slave to The Rhythm

Ride Across The River - Dire Straits

Stevie Wonder - I just Called To Say I love You

Elton John - I’m Still standing

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 legend is so captivating to listen to, as she Takes 5 with the greater good. From Miiesha to Sam Cooke, this is a heartfelt and hilarious conversation about creating change.

Lane 8 – Stir Me Up

Miiesha - Drowning

Future island - Seasons

Kelis & Andre 3000 - Millionaire

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

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 musical partnership with PJ Harvey. You’ll hear the story of how they met, and why their collaboration has been so fruitful, as well as tales from the studios of Aldous Harding, and Mark Linkous, in this beautiful insight into capturing the intangible magic of song.

Dry Cleaning – Scratchcard Lanyard

Sparklehorse – Piano Fire

Aldous Harding - Blend

John Murry – I Refuse To Believe (You Could Love Me)

John Parish & PJ Harvey - April

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, Courtney Barnett, and is a beautiful and vulnerable account of a tough and transitory time for the songwriter. That was the catalyst for asking Danny Cohen to Take 5. But to be honest, I had questions about all of his work. From crazy experiences in Cuba, to an instant bond over a bagful of smokes, and hiring an army tank for an indie band, this is an amazing conversation about realising some truly fantastical visions.

Courtney & Kurt – Continental Breakfast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHCtH15dpmU&ab_channel=CourtneyBarnettandKurtVile

Mac DeMarco – The Stars Keep Calling My Name https://dannycohen.com/Mac-DeMarco-Bath-time-with-Mac

Kirin J. Callinan – Big Enough (ft Alex Cameron, Jimmy Barnes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvrZJ5C_Nwg

Loose Tooth – Keep On https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFamqrm0nHo&ab_channel=LooseTooth

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard – Catching Smoke https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L3-HOdMeuM&ab_channel=KingGizzardAndTheLizardWizard

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 also love the driver behind this record; it’s all about unity, and hope. Something we all need right now. And whether you’re a super fan or new to their sound, I can guarantee this convo will spark joy and give you a big belly laugh too.

A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario

Westside Gunn & Joey Bada$$ - 327 (ft. Tyler, The Creator & Billie Esscco)

Kano - Class of Deja (Feat D Double E & Ghetts)

Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y

Jay-Z & Kanye West - The Joy (ft. Curtis Mayfield)

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. Everyone wants to know Tony, and Tony’s story, and what better way to tell it than through song? From Donna Summer to Hot Chip, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s to LCD Soundsystem, this is an extaordinary conversation about passion, learning from failure, and remaining true to yourself.

Donna Summers – I Feel Love

Hot Chip – I Feel Better

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Runaway

Miike Snow – Black and Blue

LCD Soundsystem – Home

Stephen Page is a force of nature. As artistic director for Bangarra Dance Theatre, he’s told the stories of Indigenous Australia through movement, for more than thirty years. Bangarra began in the late 80’s, but it was Stephen’s appointment as the first Aboriginal artistic director that shaped what it has become today. And the story of Bangarra is not only one of dance, but of brothers.

Stephen comes from a big family in Meanjin. A descendent of the Nunukul people and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh Nation. Two of his brothers came with him to Sydney, to Gadigal Land, and would shape what he did from that moment forth. His younger brother Russell was renowned for his incredible talent, and a body that could express story like no other. Older brother David, was the songman. He composed beautiful scores to every Bangarra production, laced with language and culture, until his death in 2016.

Stephen has a big story, so I was hugely grateful when he joined me to Take 5 and share it. His theme, was unbroken songs. The music that had marked big moments in his life, and continued the stories of him and his culture. From Elvis to Rihanna to his brother’s beautiful compositions, this is a heartfelt conversation about family, storytelling, and passion.

Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock

Warumpi Band – Fitzroy Crossing

David Page – Gift (from Bangarra’s 2003 work “Bush”)

Whitney Houston – Why Does it Hurt So Bad

Rihanna – Love on the Brain

Rise Against have been at the forefront of socially conscious punk for the last 20 years. On the release of their 9th album, I thought it was a perfect time to get lead singer Tim McIlrath back on the radio, to Take 5. He’s one of the most articulate musicians I know, and our conversations in the past have always been rich ones.

Rise Against’s new album is about the failure of the American dream, the notion that every generation will be better than the last, is a thing of the past. Across punk, protest, and anthem, hear Tim McIlrath’s “America”, and the artists who have been singing this song for decades.

Black Flag - “American Waste”

Operation Ivy - “Freeze Up”

John Lennon - “Working Class Hero

Descendents - “Suburban Home”

Bruce Springsteen - “Born In The USA”

Sleater-Kinney have always been shapeshifters. Within that guitar forward, angular, and soaring indie rock sound they have always experimented and tried something new. When I listen to Sleater-Kinney’s songs, I feel on edge, and I like that feeling.

As with their other nine records, their newest album shifts again, and so does the band. SK have returned to their foundations of Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, and it’s the two of them who joined me to Take 5. I gave them the theme off kilter songs; music that was out of step, in the best of ways, with the culture it came into.

I’ll be honest,  I wasn’t expecting these song choices. But hearing Carrie and Corin detail why they chose them, speaks to their passions as fans, and their own choices as musicians. From Talk Talk to Frank Ocean to Chrome, this is a mind expanding conversation about the ever revealing qualities of great music.

Talk Talk – 'Eden' (Carrie)

Frank Ocean – 'Ivy' (Corin)

Joan Armatrading – 'Drop the Pilot' (Carrie)

Chrome – 'Static Gravity' (Carrie)

Prince – 'How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore' (Corin)

What do Tim Burton’s films, the Men in Black franchise, and The Simpsons theme all have in common? They’ve all been scored by Danny Elfman.

Danny is a Hollywood legend, and his compositions have likely soundtracked your life. That score for Good Will Hunting? That was him too, not to mention the Fifty Shades films, and Sam Raimi’s Spiderman. For me, Danny Elfman is the sound of my formative years. I swooned to the beautiful Ice Dance from Edward Scissorhands and his incredible work on Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas remains an all time fave. So having the chance to speak with Danny, is a dream come true.

The story of Danny’s life is pretty remarkable, and I was curious to get inside his history and find out the epiphanies he’d experienced in song. The music and the makers that had created this compositional genius. From the Beatles to Bowie to Kurt Weill, this conversation traces a lineage of music and creativity that has helped craft some of cinema’s most magical moments.

The Beatles - “I am the Walrus”

Duke Ellington - “Black and Tan Fantasy”

Kurt Weill - “Pirate Jenny”

Madness - “One Step Beyond” 

David Bowie - “It’s No Game (Part 1)"

Do you remember the first time you heard Garbage? I do. It was 1995. Their debut single Vow. That opening guitar line, the stereo panning, and then Shirley Manson’s voice coming in. They exploded, in full flight, onto the scene. Grunge was well on the way out, and in it’s wake Garbage offered a high res view of the future, sounding like nothing we’d heard before.

This combination of three producers contributed to the mess of sounds, but they would be nothing without their frontwoman. For 26 years, Shirley Manson has been an icon. Releasing 7 albums with Garbage, touring non stop, and along the way stepping into Hollywood as well.

Her outspokenness has made her a feminist icon, and when she’s not fighting the equality fight, she’s giving her time to other issues of social justice, her voice to those who need it most.

It’s interesting that Garbage have never been an overtly political band, but that’s changed on their newest album. The gloves are off, there’s no hiding of their intentions on Gods and Masters, and out front is Shirley, roaring about it all. They say that this is the album they had to make, and on the day they unleashed, Shirley Manson joined me to Take 5. Across genres and time, hear about the songs of purpose for this living legend.

'At Seventeen' - Janis Ian

'Strange Fruit' - Billie Holiday

'I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier, Mama' - John Lennon

'Black Boys on Mopeds' - Sinéad O'Connor

'Who we Be' - DMX

This is a story that’s not often been told. Lindy Morrison is well known as the drummer for The Go-Betweens. Over a decade, her drumming shaped the sound of one of most acclaimed acts, and her unconventional style made beautifully written poems into earworms. But before she was in a rock band, Lindy was an activist, she performed theatre, and she travelled the world. After her time with The Go-Betweens, she went on to become an advocate for Australian musicians, and every time I’ve come across Lindy she’s been the firecracker in the centre of the room. Fiercely passionate, incredibly fun, and a woman who speaks her mind.

Lindy’s story has recently been told by her lifelong friend Tracey Thorn. The British singer met Lindy backstage back in 1983, and a bond formed. Her memoir is not only a beautiful story of friendship but of the erasure of women in rock n’ roll folklore. It’s time to fill in the gaps of our musical history. Just wait till you hear the life of Lindy.

Plastic Ono Band - 'Give Peace a Chance'

Lou Reed - 'Walk on the Wild Side'

X-Ray Spex - 'Oh Bondage Up Yours!'

The Go-Betweens - 'Your Turn my Turn'

Alex The Astronaut - 'I Think You’re Great'

Gruff Rhys is a legend of the Welsh music scene. As frontman for the Super Furry Animals, he took his band to global success. Gruff was at the centre of the Cool Cymru scene at the dawn of the new millennium, and he’s collaborated widely with everyone from Gorillaz to Boom Bip to Sparklehorse. He’s also had a prolific solo career, and on the day he released his 7th album, Gruff joined me from Wales to Take 5.

 I’m not gonna lie, I love Welsh accents. And Gruff has such a beautiful spirit, this is one of those conversations you can just sit and let flow over you.

Gruff Rhys is no stranger to biographical albums, but Seeking New Gods could be the first one he’s made about a mountain. Or at least, set out to. This is a conversation as much about the wild making of his latest work, as it is the foundations of Gruff; from a bright eyed Velvet Underground fan to someone who work collaborate with John Cale, and find his own unique place in the world.

Y Nhw  - 'Siwsi'

Kelly Lee Owens / John Cale - 'Corner Of My Sky'

A Tribe Called Quest - 'The Luck of Lucien'

The Beach Boys - 'Til I Die'

Yoko Ono - 'What a Bastard The World Is'

Annie Clark is one of the most exciting musicians working today. As a songwriter she’s jumped from indie balladry, to layered, ambitious sounds, and into spiky, angular territory. She shreds as a guitarist, and when Annie is not working on her own St Vincent songs, she’s producing for others.

It’s been about four years since her last record, and in that time Annie has been through some personal stuff as well. Her father, who was incarcerated a decade ago just as her star was rising, got out of prison. And that release fed into the album she would make. Annie gravitated towards the records she had grown up listening to – her dad’s collection – and what emerged was a far looser, more slinky, more sleazy album.

It’s called Daddy’s Home. It sounds like the records that came out of early '70s New York City, and on the day it was released, St Vincent joined me to Take 5. From Steely Dan to Erykah Badu, this is an insight not just into Annie’s latest incarnation, but her incredible creative mind.

Nina Simone – 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood'

Steely Dan – 'Any Major Dude Will Tell You'

Kate NV – 'Plans'

PJ Harvey – 'A Perfect Day Elise'

Erykah Badu – 'On & On'

Julia Stone is one of Australia’s most successful musicians. With her brother Angus, they gigged hard for years before cracking it internationally. The songs she’s written have topped Hottest 100’s, and packed out massive shows across the world.

Alongside her sibling outfit, she’s also released two solo albums. But it’s been about nine years since her last, so a new Julia Stone solo record? Everyone was keen.

When I heard the first single “Break”, it was immediately clear she was on a new path. Gone were the folky, wispy styling of her past. This was spiky music, it made you move, and I was curious to hear more.  When Julia released Sixty Summers, it was clear she’d turned a new corner. The album is a pop triumph, it’s full of brilliant new sounds and also a new sense of self belief, and conviction in her stories. For all of these reasons, I asked her to Take 5 with her songs of freedom. I wanted to get inside her musical brain, and hear about some of the artists who had lit a fire, and lit the path, for her.

From Bjork to Bowie to Robyn, this is an exploration not just of Julia the fan, but an artist turning a corner in her own creative life.

Bjork – 'Hyperballad'

James Blake – 'Barefoot in the Park' (ft Rosalia)

Fiona Apple – 'Fetch the Bolt Cutters'

David Bowie – 'Let’s Dance'

Robyn – 'Honey'

When I say the name Ed Kuepper, what comes to mind? The Saints? Laughing Clowns? The Aints? Maybe his prolific solo career, or his work crafting beautiful soundtracks for the big and small screen.

Born in Germany, and raised in Brissie, Ed Kuepper is a living legend of the Australian underground, and his impact on the artists that have followed stretches decades. In 2021 he marks 45 years as a recording artist, so I thought it was high time he joined me to Take 5. While his work has travelled from punk to avant garde jazz and beautifully languid guitar, I was curious about the songs that fuelled him, over five decades of making music.

Some of these songs make total sense, others are total brilliant curveballs. Grounding it all is the rumbling voice of one of our greatest guitarists, songwriters, and storytellers.

John Kongos - 'He's Gonna Step On You Again'

Andy Scott – ‘Kruggerands’

Notorious B.I.G – ‘Hypnotize’

Smoke Fairies – ‘Hotel Room’

PJ Harvey – ‘The Ministry of Defence’

I first heard Kate Crawford’s work in the late 90’s; she and Nicole Skelty’s made music as B(if)tek, and it was playful electro that was always future focused. So it’s not that wild to know that Kate went on to explore this world of machine learning and artificial intelligence. What’s remarkable, is that today she’s one of the world’s leading voices on the subject. When you read Kate’s work, or see her art pieces at the Museum of Modern Art in New York or the V&A in London, you’re less likely to learn what is AI, and more what is AI doing to us.

Kate is interested in the supply chain that gets us there, the dirt, the minerals, the people, and the very human data that builds that illusive cloud, and how a few companies are controlling the power and politics of billions. Sound interesting? That’s why I asked her to Take 5.

Kate Crawford recently published an Atlas of AI, tracing back where it comes from and what it’s doing. So riffing off that, I asked her to share her Atlas of Sound, and walk us through the sonic cartographers that had shaped her life. From Kraftwerk to Laurie Anderson, to sounds I’ve never heard before, this is a fascinating conversation about creativity, curiosity, and power.

Kraftwerk - 'Computer Love'

Laurie Anderson - 'Language Is a Virus'

Alice Coltrane - 'Journey in Satchidananda'

The Caretaker - 'All You're Going to Want To Do Is Get Back There'

Serpent with Feet - 'Bless Your Heart'

When Ariel Rechtshaid fronted a ska pop band called The Hippos, I doubt he had any clue where his musical path would take him. They had a big hit in 2000 with “Wasting My Life”, which scored a spot in the Hottest 100. But playing on stage wasn’t to be his destiny. After some time in the band Foreign Born, he stepped back and started crafting other people’s songs. As a writer and producer, his CV has ballooned from indie artists like Cass McCombs, Blood Orange and Sky Ferreira, to huge names like Usher, Kylie Minogue, U2, and Adele. His collaborations with Vampire Weekend extend back to their last two, for HAIM it’s their entire catalogue. When you think back over the past decade in music, Ariel Rechtshaid is responsible for so many of the songs you love.

Which is why I asked him to Take 5, and take us into his studio to peel back the layers of five of his biggest songs. Even if you’re not a gear head, this is an amazing conversation, and it reflects the grounded nature of Ariel, who works alongside his best mates one day, and some of the world’s biggest artists the next. Through it all, his drive to find that sweet spot, to solve that problem, answer that question, guides him always.

Cass McCombs - 'County Line'

Usher - 'Climax'

Adele - 'When We Were Young'

Vampire Weekend - 'Ya Hey'

HAIM - 'The Wire'

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to live with a comedian? You’re about to find out. Anne Edmonds and Lloyd Langford both make people laugh for a living. You would have seen Eddo on stage and screen over the past ten years, she reached a whole new audience as her alter ego Helen Bidou, and is part of the hugely popular podcast The Grub. Lloyd Langford hails from Wales, and has popped up on QI, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, and countless over TV shows as he’s plied his trade in stand up. Recently, he moved to Melbourne. To be with Anne. Cos they’re a couple. As the Melbourne International Comedy kicked off, I asked the two of them to join me to Take 5. See, they’re doing a show together, so why not continue the theme? Two songs each, one together, and a barrel of laughs.

Kasey Chambers – Captain

Lee “Scratch” Perry – Clint Eastwood Rides Again

Chuck Berry – Let It Rock

Emmy Lou Harris – The Boxer

Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash – Jackson

If I say Afrobeat, what’s the first name that comes to mind? Fela Kuti. The polyrhythmic prince who coined the term, and pioneered a movement that would stretch it’s tentacles far beyond Nigeria and into the decades, and genres, that would follow. Afrobeat was a swarm of sounds. Western African highlife, American jazz and funk, and a big dose of Black power. It came to life with Fela but continues through his sons, and grandsons, and through the rhythms of bands all over the globe.

Fela’s eldest son, is Femi Kuti. As a child he would watch, then play with his father. As an adult, he has carved his own path… continuing and expanding Afrobeat through eleven albums. His latest, he paired with his eldest son, as he released his debut. And so, Made and Femi continue the legacy Fela set out all those years ago.

Having Femi Take 5 is a huge honour. Afrobeat has directly and indirectly influenced so much of the music I love. Across this Take 5 you’ll hear the foundations from where it was born, and the incredible stories, the sweat, and the passion that brought this movement to life. It’s an education, a celebration, and a tribute all in one.

E.T. Mensah – 'Nkebo Baya'

Haruna Ishola – 'Oroki Social Club'

Duke Ellington – 'Take the "A" Train'

Miles Davis – 'Milestones'

James Brown – 'Say it Loud - I’m Black and I’m Proud'

Eskimo Joe are a band that need little introduction. If you grew up in the late 90’s or noughties they were all over the radio, a trio from Fremantle making catchy indie guitar rock that stepped up to stadium sounds as their career progressed.

They were voted into Hottest 100 countdowns, they toured consistently around Australia and became one of the best known bands from the West Coast scene. Then around seven years ago, they took a break. In 2021, they returned with two new songs, and a catalyst for me to ask Kav to Take 5. What were the songs that united a band who had worn so many hats? From Supergrass to PJ Harvey, to Haim, this is a cracking convo about what it takes to have a long term relationship with your musical mates, and the soundtrack to some incredible moments.

Supergrass - 'Moving'

Wilco - 'A Shot In The Arm'

PJ Harvey - 'Big Exit'

DJ Shadow - 'Six Days'

Haim - 'Summer Girl'

Ione Skye has been on our screens for decades. As a teen she starred in the legendary high school movie “Say Anything”.  She’d pop up on “Fever Pitch” and “Arrested Development”, and behind the scenes directed her own short films and music videos. From the beginning, music has been a big part of Ione’s life. Her father is Donovan, and while he wasn’t around when she was a kid, her brother would become a songwriter and Ione would immerse herself in the scene in the 80’s and 90’s.

As she admits herself in this Take 5, she’s dated a few muso’s too. Her first marriage was to a Beastie Boy, and a longer union has been forged with Australian songwriter Ben Lee. For all of these reasons and more, I asked Ione Skye to Take 5. I wanted to explore some of the “firsts” in her adventurous creative life. And draw back to how those moments have shaped the person she is today. From The Go-Go’s to U2 to Stevie Wonder, this is a rainbow patchwork life filled with incredible stories.

The Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed

Stevie Wonder - Maybe Your Baby

Beastie Boys - Get It Together

U2 - The Unforgettable Fire

Harry Nilsson - Me And My Arrow

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 me for many years.

For all of these reasons, asking Max to Take 5 was a bucket list. I wanted to get a window into his mind, and hear the songs that compelled him. As someone whose music can make me cry, swoon, and think differently about the world around me, what are the tunes that do that for Max Richter? From Kraftwerk to Joni Mitchell, to Bach, this is as much a conversation about songs as it is the creative lifeblood of one of the world’s greatest living composers.

Kraftwerk – 'Computer World'

Joni Mitchell – 'Chelsea Morning'

Johann Sebastian Bach – 'Concerto in D Minor for two violins'

Soft Machine – 'Why Are We Sleeping?'

Nina Simone – 'I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free'

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 out season at Sydney Theatre Company kicked off, I asked her to Take 5.

Away from her CV, Kate has lived an extraordinary life; filled with challenges and heartaches, but also hope and opportunity. For all of these reasons, I was so excited to sit down with her. If you love a good yarn, you’re in the right place. I asked Kate to share her backstory across five songs, and from The Muppets to Bowie to Ben Salter, this is a beautiful conversation about the transformative power of story.

'Can You Picture That?' - Dr. Teeth & The Electric Mayhem (from The Muppet Movie soundtrack)

'Science Fiction' - The Divinyls

'Randwick Bells' - Jimmy Little

'Space Oddity' - David Bowie

'The Stars My Destination' - Ben Salter

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.

She’s just published her story, a memoir titled LOUD, which captures not just the wild tales from the road but also the spirit of the crew who make magic happen every night on stage. It’s a brilliant read, and I was so excited to meet Tana when she joined me to Take 5. She didn’t disappoint. This is as much about a trailblazer as it is a testament to the many roadies who bring our favourite music to life on stage.

Foo Fighters - Darling Nikki

Urge Overkill - Girl You'll Be a Woman Soon

The Who - Who Are You

INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

Social Distortion - Story of My Life

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 Propoghandi, this is a rare peek into the music that fuels one of music’s risk takers.

The Dickies - 'Paranoid'

Meat Loaf - 'Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul'

Operation Ivy - 'Yellin' In My Ear'

Propagandhi - 'Anti-Manifesto'

The Spits - 'Tired & Lonely'

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 you in as an audience member and fires off the inspirations in his daily life, no matter where in the world he finds himself. From growing up in Cronulla, to living in New York and London, this is a conversation about the moments that were turning points for him, from Pearl Jam to Drake to Bob Seger.

Pearl Jam – 'Animal'

Sharon Van Etten – 'Give Out'

Drake – 'God’s Plan'

Justin Townes Earle – 'Lone Pine Hill'

Bob Seger – 'Night Moves'

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 heart.

2021 marks 20 years since Magic Dirt scored their highest placing in a Hottest 100 for their pop tinged song “Dirty Jeans”. It’s also a year that Adalita plans to release her third solo album. In the years dotted around this, Adalita has gone through many evolutions in life and sound, and we explore the songs that took her there.

'Here Comes Your Man' - The Pixies

'Hieronymus' - The Clouds

'That Ain't Bad' – Ratcat

'50ft Queenie' - PJ Harvey

'Toys and Flavours' - The Hellacopters

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.

A silver lining to 2020 was reaching out beyond the guests I could share a studio with. We spoke to people from all over the world, all walks of life. And got heroes who had been on my bucket list for years, to finally say yes. This year we were also awarded Best Radio Podcast at the Australian Podcast Awards; which I’m hugely proud of. I love the Take 5 and love sharing these conversations with you every week.

If this is your first time listening, it’s a bloody good place to start. Over the next little while, we’ll visit some of the best moments...  that mirrored the beauty, the tumult, and the grounding force of music in all our lives.

J Walter Negro And The Loose Joints – ‘Shoot The Pump’ (chosen by Fatboy Slim)

Prince – 'Let’s Go Crazy' (chosen by Susan Rogers)

Christine Anu – 'Island Home' (chosen by Miranda Tapsell)

Micko Donovan - 'Promised Land' (chosen by Emma Donovan)

Elvis Costello - 'Shipbuilding' (chosen by Peter Garrett)

Midnight Oil – 'Beds are Burning' (chosen by Daniel Levitin)

Gloria Gaynor – 'I Will Survive' (chosen by Kylie Minogue)

Joe Smooth - ‘Promised Land’ (chosen by Bernard Sumner)

The Stooges - ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ (chosen by Roisin Murphy)

Nina Simone – 'Mississippi Goddamn' (chosen by Tori Amos)

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. The soundtrack that lifted him, and empowered him to make a change. From Fela Kuti to Mos Def to John Coltrane, this is a powerful and beautiful conversation about music’s ability to lift us all.

Brand Nubian - Wake Up (Reprise In The Sunshine)

Fela Kuti - Water No Get Enemy 

Mos Def - Umi Says 

Sounds of Blackness - Optimistic 

John Coltrane – A Love Supreme, Pt.3: Pursuance

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, Tara’s novel is about finding lost connection in contemporary Australia, and it blew me away.

I’m not alone. The Yield has won a heap of prizes in the past year, including the highest literary accolade in Australia; the Miles Franklin Award. For all of these reasons, I asked Tara to Take 5. With the songs that share her story. Across five classics, this is a profound conversation about identity, empowerment, and what it truly means to find home.

Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl

Nirvana - The Man Who Sold the World (MTV Unplugged)

Paul Kelly - How to Make Gravy

Aretha Franklin - Think

Mo'ju - Native Tongue

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 local, and celebrate the incredible talent in our own backyard. From supermarket crossover hits, to deep club bangers, this is a glorious celebration of one very bright year in Australian music.

Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP - 'We No Speak Americano'

Flight Facilities — 'Crave You'

Tame Impala — 'Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind (Erol Alkan rework)'

Light Year — '5 Girls'

Temper Trap — 'Sweet Disposition'

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 making music since 2015, but her new album is what’s really put her on the map. It’s been nominated for seven Golden Guitar Awards, leading the pack. She’s up for an ARIA for Best Country Album, and she’s gained a whole lot more fans with this heartfelt and acclaimed new record. Fanny joined me from her property in Tooma to share her story, some beautiful songs, and a big dose of hope.

Josh Pyke - 'Middle of the Hill'

Allison Krauss - 'Baby Now That I Found You'

Fleet Foxes - 'Tiger Peasant Mountain Song'

Melanie Horsnell & Steve Appel - 'Someone Like You'

Debussy - ‘La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin’

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 sides of his creative life... from appetizer all the way through to cheese. He thoroughly embraced it.

Gorillaz -  "19–2000 (Soulchild Remix)"

Thelma Plum - "Woke Blokes"

Run the Jewels - "Walking in the Snow"

Janelle Monae - "We Were Rock and Roll"

Electric Fields - "2000 And Whatever"

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 older and opened up my world view, so did she; broadening her sound to indie music, taking on country pop, and collaborating with everyone from Nick Cave to Robbie Williams to The Wiggles.  But disco has always been in her back pocket, and in 2020 she returned to the Studio 54 dancefloor with an glittering new album of classic dance. On the day “DISCO” was released, Kylie joined me to Take 5 with her disco ball. The tunes she picked were classics, but wait till you hear the stories behind them. This is a bucket list Take 5 with a living legend.

Donna Summer – "Love To Love You Baby"

Earth, Wind & Fire – "September"

Gloria Gaynor – "I Will Survive"

Bee Gees – "Night Fever"

Daft Punk – "Around The World"

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 moments in a mosh pit, to the organ shaking surround sound of a club, go deep with this legend and her incredible record collection.

The Stooges – "I Wanna Be Your Dog"

Minnie Riperton – "Inside My Love"

Talk Talk & Tim Frisee-Greene – "Life What You make It (Extended Mix; 2003 Remaster)"

The Family Stand – "Ghetto Heaven (Soul II Soul Remix)"

Cabaret Voltaire – "Yashar"

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 transported us to dance festivals, and family holidays, to rolling waves and Australian classics. Like eating an ice-cream, there’s no way you can be sad listening to these songs.

Amen Dunes - 'Miki Dora'

The Shapeshifters - 'Lola's Theme'

Sunflower Bean - 'Twentytwo'

Gilberto Gil - 'Palco'

The Triffids - 'Hell of A Summer'

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 The Drum she holds it down by night, but greets every day diving into the ocean, curiously exploring the expansive world under the tides.

Julia is also an author, and her most recent book is Phosphorescence. It’s a book on awe, wonder and things that sustain you when the world goes dark. And even though it was entirely unintentional, it couldn’t be a more perfect book for 2020.

That’s one of the reasons I asked Julia Baird to Take 5. I also had an inkling she has remarkable music taste… and I wasn’t disappointed. From the big sky sound of The Triffids, to the direct sexuality of PJ Harvey, and a luminous moment on the dancefloor, these songs are stories will light you up from within.

The Triffids - 'Wide Open Road'

Fatboy Slim - 'Praise You'

P.J. Harvey - 'This Is Love'

JAY-Z ft. Alicia Keys - 'Empire State of Mind'

Elbow - 'One Day Like This'

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. So the opportunity to Take 5 with Pete is a real bucket list moment. I asked him to share his five songs of reckoning. It felt like the perfect theme, and he didn’t disappoint. Peter has spoken out about his own music, he’s been on the floor of Parliament in Canberra, and at plenty of rally’s and stages across his lifetime. But this is a rare opportunity to hear from his as a fan. And what an articulate, passionate, and heartfelt fan he is. From Edwin Starr to PJ Harvey, and one of the most powerful protest songs of all time, this is an extraordinary conversation with one of our greatest artists.

Edwin Starr - "War"

Yothu Yindi - "Treaty"

Elvis Costello - "Shipbuilding"

PJ Harvey - "The Wheel"

Rage Against the Machine - "Killing in the Name"

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 my conversation with Tame Impala the year they released their first album. Kev Parker and Jay Watson joined me to share their “songs that would surprise”, and it’s such a joy to hear them at this moment, quite unaware of how big they would become. They’ve stayed true to that down to earth spirit, to this day. But I bet they never imagined they’d be headlining Coachella.

One of the other things I love about this Take 5 is that it sounds like a blueprint. A debut album can be such a forecast for an incredible career to follow; it’s a statement to the world on who you are, and where you’re headed. This collection of songs does the same; we didn’t know it yet, but Kev has a huge love of pop music… he would stray more and more towards that in the Tame albums that followed. And, perhaps most beautifully, he picks a song from a producer and musician who would go on to become on of his greatest collaborators and friends.

Justin Timberlake - "Rock Your Body"

The Presidents of The United States of America - "Peaches"S.O.A.P. - "This Is How We Party"Boris - "Heavy Friends"Mark Ronson and the Business Intl. - "Bang Bang Bang" (feat. Q-Tip and MNDR)

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 for some armchair travel with a guy who knows how to tell a yarn.

Felix picked these songs for this Take 5:

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats - S.O.B.Mikis Theodorakis - I HartaetiSigrid - Mine Right Now Lil' Band O' Gold - Blue MondaySpinifex Gum - Spinifex Gum

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 costumes for Childish Gambino, Maggie Rogers, and Alabama Shakes. She’s collaborated with fashion brands and held major exhibitions.

For her Take 5 I gave her the theme “visionary songs”, and we trekked back to her childhood in Iowa, formative years in street fashion in New York City, and to the many stages where her creativity has made a gig, an iconic event.

Edith Massey - Punks, Get Off the Grass

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With the Night

The Big Bopper - Chantilly Lace

Rammellzee and K-Rob - Beat Bop

David Bowie - Be My Wife

Have you ever wondered why you get goosebumps when you listen to certain songs? Or what makes a hit, a hit? Maybe you’ve argued that the music you listened to when you were younger, is the best music that was ever made. All of that, relates to neuroscience.

The way the brain processes music is a huge field of study; it’s why music therapy exists, why people with Alzheimer’s can remember a tune from the childhood, or why songs can be a way for non verbal people to communicate. It’s something I’m endlessly fascinated by, and I know I’m not alone. That’s why I asked Dr Daniel Levitin to Take 5.In 2007, Daniel published a book called This Is Your Brain on Music. It laid out, in layman’s terms, all of the neural pathways that spark when we hear songs. It sold millions of copies, and he backed it up with an anthropological book called The World in Six Songs. But Daniel’s life didn’t start in the sciences. First and foremost, he’s a musician himself. He was a producer and engineer for about 15 years too; working alongside Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and The Grateful Dead.

He knows his stuff. I asked Daniel to Take 5 with the neuroscience of music, and share songs not only from his own life but explain what’s happening to the brain, when he hear them. I loved this chat. I could speak for days about this stuff, and it just adds to a rich understanding and love of music, from all  over the genre map. From Beds are Burning to Beethoven, to one of the most beautiful tunes ever written, Daniel articulates the spark of a song.

Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning

Iggy Azalea - Fancy [Ft. Charli XCX]

The Afflicted - Here Come The Cops

Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker - Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67; I. Allegro con brio

Judy Garland - Over The Rainbow

Quan Yeomans is a guy who likes to play. Whether fronting Regurgitator for the past quarter century and bringing his songwriting clout to their punk, pop, and electronic missives, stepping out with the hyper sounds of Happyland, or collaborating on any number of other projects, there’s a sense of childlike wonder, of curiosity and risk, to  all he does.

That’s why I asked him to Take 5 with his inner child songs. I wanted to hear that music that, for him, captured that sense of freedom, of newness, of the silliness of childhood. What I didn’t realise when I came up with the theme though, was that his late father was a psychiatrist. And the concept and exploration of the inner child, is something he had been exploring his whole life. From James Chance to The Velvet Underground to Peggy Lee, this is a perfectly wonderful trip through Quan’s brain and musical heart.

Contort Yourself  - James Chance

Shave 'Em Dry - Lucille Bogan

Dumb Head - Ginny Arnell

After Hours (Closet Mix) - Velvet Underground

Is That All There Is? - Peggy Lee/Robert Norberg

Darren Hanlon is one of Australia’s great troubadours. His music has charmed us for near on twenty years now, and he’s known as a songwriter’s songwriter; his skill at getting straight to the heart of the matter has built him a loyal following of fans and fellow muso’s alike. Daz is also one of those people who you want to pull up a pew and have a cuppa with. There’s a sense of calm that falls whenever I chat with him, and for all of these reasons I asked him to Take 5. From new friends, to unheard gems, to the songs that pull at the strings of homesick heart, this conversation is a beautiful exploration of how music saves us all.

Chastity Belt - Different Now

Emahoy Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou – Homesickness

The Honeys - Against the Elements

Magnetic Fields - 100,000 Fireflies

Warumpi Band - My Island Home

When I say the name Virginia Trioli, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For me, I think boss. I think killer journalist who, when she does interviews, it’s like watching sport. I think sharp wit, and big passion. If you listen to the Take 5 outside of Australia, you may not think anything… so let me catch you up.

Virginia Trioli is a Walkley Award winning journo. Her career began in print media in Melbourne, before she pivoted to radio and then TV; holding it down as host of ABC News Breakfast for more than a decade. Along the way she’s been at the helm of everything from current affairs to arts shows, and through it all her curiosity and commitment to holding those in power to account, shines through.

She’s also a massive music fan, and that part of her extraordinary life, just doesn’t get as much time. So that’s why I asked her to Take 5. I wanted to find out how music had played a role, as she cooked into the person she would become today. From Kate Bush to Faith No More, Prince to Ruby Fields, what a joy to peel back the curtain on Trioli’s life. This is not only a brilliant Take 5, it’s also the best counselling session you’ll get for free; about finding your way and yourself in the potholes of life.

Kate Bush - This Woman's Work

Prince – Sign O’ the Times

FNM - From Out of Nowhere

The Sunday’s – Goodbye

Ruby Fields - Dinosaurs {Live at Splendour in the Grass 2019}

One of the biggest and best voices in Australia, is Emma Donovan’s. As a little kid, Emma got a heap of practice in with her family band. The Donovans were a legendary country group, and whether her uncles were pushing her to the front of the stage to sing, or her mum was plopping her in front of crowds at Tamworth talent quests, her soulful voice was honed over years of  family support and self belief.

Emma would go on to form the Stiff Gins, she’d release solo records, join The Black Arm Band, then collaborate with Melbourne soul outfit The Putbacks.  Through it all, her love of music and family has guided her. From Mavis Staples, to Christine Anu, and the Koori King of Country – Roger Knox – this is a beautiful conversation about the bonds of music, family, and place.

Mavis Staples - Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Micko Donovan - Promised Land

Roger Knox - Bridge Over Troubled Water

Troy Cassar Daley - Back Home Again

Christine Anu - Island Home

Courtney Barnett is a national treasure. Ever since I started hearing her songs, around 2013,  she’s been one of my favourite storytellers. A dry wit, with a knack for writing very catchy indie rock songs and reflecting back on the world around her; big and small.

That talent has taken her around the world, and for a good part of the last five years, Courtney has been on the road; consistently touring around Australia, the US, and Europe. When coronavirus hit, that all stopped. And CB found herself back in her adopted hometown for the longest spell in quite a while. When I ask her to Take 5, Melbourne is in the midst of a coronavirus spike, the city is back in lockdown and feeling somewhat cut off and left behind from the rest of Australia. That’s one of the reasons I asked Courtney to Take 5 with HER Melbourne… the city, the songs, and the stories that have filled her heart since she first moved here.

Kee’ahn - Better Things

Nat Vazer -Higher Places

June Jones - Look at You Go

Alice Skye - Grand Ideas

Sampa The Great - Freedom

Rufus Wainwright is one of the greatest voices of our time. Hailing from a dynasty of incredible songwriters in Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, his life has stories and then some. From the get go, Rufus’ 1998 debut album announced an artist who stood on his own two feet. He would make a handful more, before stepping out of the pop realm and into the classics; performing opera and Shakespearean sonnets on stage for a decade.

In 2020, he returned to his old stomping ground, and on the day he released his new album of pop songs, he joined me to Take 5. Rufus was at home in LA, so you’ll hear his new puppy yapping in the background, and the bubble of his fountain in the background. To be honest, the silver lining of this strange year has been that we’ve connected with so many amazing humans that we wouldn’t have otherwise. Going into their homes, as they open their record collections, and hearts. From Blondie in the backseat, to the genius of Joni, and a song that rings painfully true more than fifty years after it was written, this Take 5 is a life story of one magical maker.

Blondie – Heart of Glass

Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares for Me

Joni Mitchell – Blue

Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill

Bob Dylan – A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall

Susan Rogers, by her own admission, is a rare bird. A female producer and sound engineer in an industry dominated by men, her drive and commitment would land her side by side with Prince as his star soared. She came to work with him in Paisley Park as an audio technician right before he would begin Purple Rain, and she’d stay working with him and becoming his sound engineer through his commercial peak; recording Parade, Around the World in a Day, The Black Album, and Sign O the Times.

But Prince isn’t the only part of Susan Rogers’ story. In 1988 she left Minneapolis, and would go on to produce some of the biggest hits of the 90’s before taking the money from that to go back to school, and become a Professor at one of the world’s most prestigious music schools. Her name is synonymous with Prince, but the story of how Susan got there, and what she did after this legendary collaboration, is just as fascinating.

From finding her musical tribe as a kid in Orange County, to recording some of the most loved songs of all time, and diving into the neuroscience of why we connect with song, this is a brilliant conversation with a curious mind, and living legend.

• James Brown - 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag'
• Prince - 'Let's Go Crazy'
• Geggy Tah - 'Whoever You Are'
• Barenaked Ladies - 'One Week'
• Wilson Pickett - 'In the Midnight Hour'

Ricky Powell is a collector of stories. Whether on the street shooting the daily comings and goings of his beloved New York, or on tour with Beastie Boys and RUN DMC capturing 80’s rappers in front of the Eiffel Tower, or Andy Warhol uptown, standing side by side with Basquiat in a singular moment of modern art. See you may not know Ricky Powell’s name, but you’ve seen his pictures. As a street photographer for the past thirty years, he’s one of those people who has always been at the right place at the right time. His first photo was of geese in a children’s zoo, and since that very first click Ricky’s work has always been rooted in the environment he finds his subjects in. A new documentary on Ricky’s life, called The Individualist, was why I asked Ricky to Take 5. It gave me a peek into a life I’d never heard about before, but felt so quintessentially New York. And as we connected on Zoom, it was clear he’s a quintessential New Yorker… a “lazy hustler” who took me on a wild ride through 30 years of stories. From George Benson to RUN DMC to The Animals, this is a time capsule of a singular life.

George Benson - Footin' It

Run-D.M.C - Peter Piper

Jimmy McGriff - The Bird

Vicki Anderson - Super Good (Pts 1 & 2)

The Animals - The Story of Bo Diddley

There’s only one person on the planet who has played Coachella, the New York Metropolitan Opera, and hit the stage at Eurovision; and that person is Kate Miller-Heidke. With her soaring voice, Kate’s talent has taken her to stages all across the world. And her talent has made her creative life a rich tapestry; writing musical theatre, performing in many different guises, and penning her own albums over the past fifteen years. With that in mind, I asked her to choose songs for the stages. Music that, through her life, had soundtracked or lifted her into another zone. From Joni Mitchell to Gurrumul to Annie Lennox, this conversation paints a beautiful picture of a polymath’s heart.

Joni Michell - All I Want

Divinyls - Science Fiction

The Ballad of Sweeney Todd: Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd

Gurrumul - Waak (Crow)

Annie Lennox - No More I Love You's

I was 21 when I first heard Pnau. Their debut album Sambanova would become the soundtrack to pre drinks and after parties, it signalled a duo who knew how to bring it, with an exceptional debut of house music. Nick Littlemore was the producer behind it, and alongside Pete Mayes they’d craft many more records, reaching new levels of explosive, ecstatic pop music.  It wasn’t the only project Nick would excel at through. With Luke Steele, he formed Empire of the Sun, and topped the charts in Australia and the States. He’d dabble with Ladyhawke in a band called Teenager, and his latest collaboration is with Al Wright, as the duo Vlossom. Working with others is key to what propels him forward, and since he was a kid he’s sought out like minded creatives to bring his wild ideas to life. Nick Littlemore is one of those larger than life characters, and over the years I would hear him in interviews exclaiming loudly, distorting the mics with his reactions, and generally taking life by the horns. But recently, his mood has shifted. You’ll find out why pretty soon, as Nick shares his songs of enlightenment. From his adopted home of Los Angeles, in his home studio crammed with synths, amps, cords, and just gear, Nick shows a side of himself you’ve never heard before. From Frankie Knuckles to vedic chanting, this is a magical conversation about the power of song.

Frankie Knuckles - Your Love

Alice Coltrane - Om Shanti

Vangala Kasinatha Sarma & Nishtala Suryaprakash Rao - Saraswathi Suktham

The Electric Prunes - Holy Are You

The Terry Riley - A Rainbow In Curved Air

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 early part of Ben’s life set the tone for who he would become though, as I discovered when he joined me to Take 5. Music, just like food, is a sensory experience. It can take you back to a particular moment when you hear that first note, or taste that first bite. Which is why I asked Ben to share his songs for the senses. From heading up north to find unique Indigenous ingredients, to having his favourite band dine in, we trekked through a culinary life that has always been filled with music.

New Order - Blue Monday

George Rrurrambu and Birdwave - Gating

Phranc - Take off your Swastika 

Yo La Tengo - Green Arrow

Fugazi - Epic Problem

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 third album, one very much grounded in their friendship, I thought it was time to Take 5. There’s been a lot of change in their worlds. Gone are the party days of MC Remi, while J (12 years his senior) is about to become a dad for the first time. They reflected on this quite a bit, while also looking back and celebrating the soundtrack that had brought them to this moment. Whether you know REMI or not, this conversation will lift you.

Foreign Exchange - All That You Are

D’Angelo - Chicken Grease

Radiohead - Weird Fishes

Nina Simone - See-Line Woman (Masters At Work Remix)

Jay Z & Jay Electronica - We Made It

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 someone famous over to theirs for a meal and a wine, and has drawn more than 11 million listeners since 2017; with everyone from Dua Lipa to Kiefer Sutherland popping by for a chat. If you know anything about Jessie Ware, you know she’s a riot. And if not, you’re about to be charmed… by a woman who cut her teeth in raves, and whose club heart beats strong in all she does. From drum and bass classics, to early morning come down, this is an invitation to astral travel into the club with one helluva party pal.

Adam F – Circles

Khruangbin – Time (You & I)

Masters at Work - Work

702 – You Don’t Know (Reservoir Dogs garage mix)

Donae'o – Party Hard

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 be honest, this is one of those bucket list conversations I’ve long wanted to have. Teenage Zan wouldn’t believe this would happen. When I first heard her, Tori’s music and poetry cut straight to my core at my most vulnerable moments. It gave me strength, it showed me that individuality is powerful, it took me to another world. I know I’m not alone. The theme I gave her was sonic hunters; a phrase she uses in her book, for songwriters. I wanted to find out which artists filled her life with magic, gave her the power and the possibility that I had felt. What she shared was so much more. This is a deep cut, an amazing insight into a genius brain, and a celebration of music’s power to save us all.

Queen – Killer Queen

Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddamn

Joni Michell – Carey

Led Zeppelin – Going to California

Beatles – A Day in the Life

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 amongst it all, Miranda Tapsell penned her memoir Top End Girl capturing a particularly hectic time where she not only wrote a film about getting married, but got hitched herself.

Across five tunes, Miranda takes you from her childhood in Darwin and Jabiru, to what called her to acting, and the power of seeing yourself and people like you, on screen.

Roxette – 'It Must Have Been Love'

Spice Girls – 'Wannabe'

Christine Anu – 'Island Home'

TLC – 'Unpretty'

Bruno Mars – 'Marry You'

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 hear a bit of room sound in this Take 5, you’ll notice some nerves in my voice too (like I said, I’m a fan) but one of the strangest things about this Take 5 is that Luke, Vito and Gabe from The Rapture picked the songs but only Luke and Vito turned up to the chat. Don’t worry, we call Gabe at the beach, halfway through.

From heartfelt moments to all out parties, this is a wild ride with some lovely lads.

The Beatles - ‘Julia’MGMT - ‘Weekend Wars’Roxy Music - ‘Remake Remodel’Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard — ‘The One I Love Is Gone’Aaliyah - ‘4 Page Letter’

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 on record. It’s like something transforms, when she’s inside a song. Our most recent meeting happened with the help of technology; Anna joining me on Skype at her apartment in London, and me in Australia, while we all stay close to home. I gave her this theme not just because we’re all in lockdown, but for that very switch I see flicked in her; when music has the power to bust us out, lift us up, and take us somewhere.

From the heavenly sounds of Elizabeth Fraser, to the explosion of love from Perfume Genius, and the abandon of the Bad Seeds, this is a brilliant exploration of a wild heart.

Grace Jones – Walking in the Rain

Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas

Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Get Ready for Love

Perfume Genius – Slip Away

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 familiar to an entirely new generation.

Playing Bandit, the blue heeler dad in the mega hit kid’s show Bluey, that raspy tone all of a sudden filled the homes of Gen X’ers (and their kids) once again. This Take 5 is like hanging out with an old friend, one who has really eclectic and fun music taste. What a joy.

ABBA – 'SOS'

The Pet Shop Boys - 'Always On My Mind'

Britney Spears - 'Toxic'

DEVO – 'Peekaboo'

Bob Dylan - 'Tangled Up In Blue'

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 heard them.

Hearing Georgia’s talents as a songwriter and producer, I was keen to Take 5. I’d also heard she was a massive music nerd, so I gave her the theme “Easter egg songs”. I wanted to find out about the earworms she’d obsessed over in her formative years, and unravel the family tree of music that had fed Georgia’s creative life.

I knew she’d be the right person for the job, but this Take 5 is like a masterclass. What I love about it the most is that you don’t need to be a muso, or to understand the tech or terminology; Georgia has an intoxicating way of bringing us all into her music nerd paradise. From Glen Campbell to Gary Numan to Kanye, this is the kind of conversation you want to go on forever.

Glen Campbell - ‘Witchita Lineman’

Commodores - ‘Nightshift’

Gary Numan - ‘Metal’

Donna Summer - ‘I Feel Love’

Kanye West - ‘Flashing Lights’

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; a brown woman in song in an overwhelmingly white Australia.

This is a conversation about how we find our place, and connection, no matter where we are.

Janet Jackson - ‘Together Again’

Sisqó - ‘Thong Song’

Talib Kweli - ‘Black Girl Pain’

Frank Ocean - ‘Pink + White’

Spice Girls - ‘2 Become 1’

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 were the backbone of The Hacienda, bringing big club culture to Manchester. And over four decades there have been stops and starts, barneys and breakups.

It’s a lucky year when I have the chance to Take 5 with two different members of New Order. You might remember back in winter 2019 Peter Hook joined me to share his Unknown Pleasures. If you missed that, scroll back in your feed to hear Hooky’s tales.

In 2020, it was Bernard Sumner’s turn. The surprise frontman of New Order, who made it his own. The theme I gave Bernard, was just that. The songs that made him. And from Iggy Pop to Arcade Fire, he traced the blueprint of his own life, with plenty of incredible stories between.

Iggy Pop - ‘Shades’

Electronic - ‘Twisted Tenderness’

Joe Smooth - ‘Promised Land’

Arcade Fire - ‘Ready To Start’

David Morales - ‘Hideaway [Ft. Blondewearingblack] [Classic Mix]’

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 became geniuses of songwriting and turned every performance into a euphoric experience.

Twenty years after they first formed, I invited Joe and Al from Hot Chip to Take 5. From slow jams to bangers, this is a celebration not just of jubilant music, but two jubilant fellas.

Prince – ‘Starfish and Coffee’

Fever Ray – ‘To The Moon and Back’

Teyana Taylor – ‘Hurry {Feat. Kanye West}’

Double Exposure – ‘Everyman (Has to Carry His Own Weight)’

Hot Chocolate – ‘I Just Love What You’re Doing (Kon Edit)’

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 Beyoncé - ‘Don't Hurt Yourself {Ft. Jack White}’

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 and true way to take a snapshot on how far we’ve come, and from Lana Del Rey’s debut to the shot of coffee that is Amyl and the Sniffers, Hayley’s women of the decade captures not just an amazing ten years of music, but the growth of an extraordinary artist.

Lana Del Rey – ‘Video Games’

Solange – ‘Losing You’

Julia Jacklin – ‘Pressure To Party’

Amyl & The Sniffers – ‘The Cup Of Destiny’

Confidence Man – ‘Boyfriend (Repeat)’

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 wanted Weyes Blood to Take 5.

A conversation with Natalie is like speaking to a hippie with a PhD. Her connection to myth is articulated just as well as her political feelings on climate change, and her music brain is something else.

From Buffalo Springfield to Suzanne Vega to Joni Mitchell, this is a soaring conversation about what happens when we leap, and fall.

Buffalo Springfield – ‘Expecting to Fly’

Janis Ian – ‘Fly Too High’

Black Tape For a Blue Girl – ‘We Watch Our Sad-Eyed Angel Fall’

Suzanne Vega – ‘When Heroes Go Down’

Joni Mitchell – ‘Amelia’

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 twist on a classic; the focus is much more on the victim, played by Elisabeth Moss, than the villain… and it fits into that emerging genre of social horror where often real life is far more frightening than fantasy.

We met Leigh way before all of this. Every Saturday morning, many of us would wake up early and watch Recovery; a TV show of ramshackle proportions, with live music, an even livelier host, and a 19 year old Leigh Whannell reviewing the latest blockbusters. That’s the Leigh we met again, when he joined me to Take 5. After years on both sides of the camera, I asked this local boy made good to tell me about five “songs you can see”. Music has a way of completely changing a film’s feel, and vice versa. In so many of the films we love, it’s the sounds that cement those images in our brains. From Blade Runner to The Breakfast Club, this is a heartfelt and joyful ride through a film buff’s brain.

Vangelis – ‘Main Title’ (from Blade Runner)

Simple Minds – ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ (from The Breakfast Club)

Jóhann Jóhannsson – ‘Prisoners’ (from the soundtrack to Prisoners)

Survive – ‘Hourglass’ (from The Guest)

Air Supply – ‘All Out of Love’ (from Animal Kingdom)

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 Girl, and opened up a childhood story she’d never shared before.

That turbulent beginning is why I gave her the theme hurricane songs; music that upended her, turned Clare’s world from black and white to technicolour, and ultimately, gave her a sense of renewal.

From Donny Hathaway to Bjork to Stella Donnelly, we heard how music had been a commanding force and steady hand throughout her formative years. And how songs had given her the strength she needed when the walls were closing in.

This is a beautiful conversation; as much about the healing power of music as it is the kindness we can, and should show ourselves.

Nena - ‘99 Luftballons’

Donny Hathaway - ‘Little Ghetto Boy’

Björk - ‘Hyperballad’

Archie Roach - ‘Down City Streets’

Stella Donnelly - ‘Tricks’

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, has informed his whole life.

From Devo to Bad Brains to NWA, this is as much a trip through his musical education as it is a story of how music saved him.

Devo – ‘Freedom of Choice’

The Jim Carroll Band – ‘People Who Died’

Bad Brains – ‘Pay to Cum’

Minor Threat – ‘Screaming at a Wall ‘

N.W.A. – ‘F*ck Tha Police’

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 80’s he was playing bass with The Housemartins, he had a hit with Beats International, and in 1996 was born again as Fatboy Slim. But at base level, he’s a fan. So I asked him to Take 5 with his “dancefloor evergreens”; the songs that never left his crate, that he always returned to. What I didn’t realise, is that Norman Cook was about to show us the musical blueprint of who he was today.

From the turning point of how he became a DJ, to late nights with British Big Beat legends, and where his musical head is at today, this is an incredibly rich convo with a helluva soundtrack.

Arthur Conley – ‘Sweet Soul Music’

The Clash – ‘Magnificent Seven’

Donna Summer – ‘I Feel Love (Patrick Cowley remix)’

J Walter Negro And The Loose Joints – ‘Shoot The Pump’

Underworld - ‘Rez’

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 feast on. A taster plate that may spur you to scroll back into your feed and dig into some of these other wonderful conversations.

Neneh Cherry: Stevie Wonder - ‘Living for the City’

Kurt Vile: Neil Young 'Ambulance Blues'

Mark Ronson: Kasey Musgraves - Slow Burn 

Kasey Musgraves: Tame Impala - ‘Eventually

Jimmy Barnes: Led Zeppelin - ‘Immigrant Song’

Vika & Linda Bull - The Staple Singers - ‘I'll Take You There’

Peter Hook: The Velvet Underground - ‘Venus in Furs’

Christine & The Queens: Kate Bush - ‘Wuthering Heights’

Jessica Mauboy - Baker Boy - 'Marryuna (ft Yirrmal)'

Warren Ellis: Beethoven -  ‘Symphony 7 slow movement number 2 Allegretto’

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 - ‘California Dreamin’

The Beach Boys - ‘California Girls’

N.W.A. - ‘Straight Outta Compton'

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 - ‘Cannonball’

Leadbelly - ‘Black Betty’

Dialectrix - 'Buy Me A Pony {Like a Version}'

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 frontman.

Then in 2012 they reformed and that was that year I invited Dennis in to Take 5 with some of the most memorable moments from Refused’s history.

AC/DC - ‘Back in Black’

Slayer - ‘Raining Blood’

Off! -’I Don’t Belong’

The Stooges - ‘TV Eye’

Feist - ‘The Bad in Each Other’

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 Goes Down Under.

So from the Magnetic Fields to Paul Kelly and the appropriately-titled Love, here’s Amanda Palmer with her love song dedications.

Jason Webley - ‘Eleven Saints {Ft. Jay Thompson}’

The Magnetic Fields - ‘The Book of Love’

Ben Folds Five - ‘Song for the Dumped’

Paul Kelly With Uncle Bill - ‘Taught By Experts’

Love - ‘Everybody’s Gotta Live’

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 Enemy - ‘Fight the Power’

Blondie - ‘Rapture’

The Mamas and the Papas - ‘Monday, Monday’

Primal Scream - ‘Come Together’

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 - ‘Young Forever {Ft. Mr. Hudson}’

Willie Nelson - ‘On the Road Again’

The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize??

The Beatles - ‘Two Of Us’

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 Sydney’s Domain called Beat the Drum.

Right before the gig, I asked Bernard to come in and Take 5. He and Powderfinger have so many memories with triple j, not just as a band but as listeners too. So get ready for a trip down triple j memory lane.

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - ‘Television, The Drug of the Nation’

Ben Harper - ‘Ground on Down’

Elliott Smith - ‘Waltz #2 (XO)’

Mia Dyson - ‘The Outskirts of Town’

Big Scary - ‘Luck Now’

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 - ‘Artangels’

Dobie Gray - ‘Drift Away’

Radiohead - ‘Idioteque’

For so many of us, My Chemical Romance soundtracked our angsty youth.

Their theatrical music was mirrored by the wild shows, and Gerard Way was at the centre of it all. He wasn’t just a musician - he was an illustrator, a comic book author, and most of all a fan.

In 2015 he was in Australia performing at the Soundwave festival off the back of his debut solo album Hesitant Alien and supporting the Smashing Pumpkins so I grabbed the chance to Take 5.

Supergrass - ‘Caught By The Fuzz’

David Bowie - ‘Five Years’

Iggy & the Stooges  - ‘Search and Destroy’

Sleater-Kinney - ‘I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone’

Pulp - ‘This Is Hardcore’

The Finns are a musical bunch. Neil has fronted the legendary Crowded House, sons Liam and Elroy play, and brother Tim led Split Enz and has made a heap of solo records.

Back in 2011, Neil’s wife Sharon joined him on a record too. They called themselves The Pajama Club and together with Alana Skyring from The Grates on drums, they made an album.

It was around then I asked them to Take 5. I remember wanting to move in with Neil and Sharon after this chat; they’re both so warm and laidback, and late nights at their place sound like a dream. From Talking Heads to Ladyhawke, settle in for some wonderful tales from this musical family.

Talking Heads - ‘Heaven’

Augie March - ‘Dog’s Day’

Connan Mockasin - ‘Faking Jazz Together’

Ladyhawke - ‘Message To My Girl {triple j Like A Version 2009}’

The Smiths - ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’

Tony Visconti is a living legend. For more than 50 years he’s been behind some of the most iconic albums of our time.

His career began with T Rex, and later on he’d record with everyone from The Dandy Warhols, to Iggy Pop, The Damned to Angelique Kidjo. But his most enduring relationship was with David Bowie. They met in the late 60’s, both of them finding their way through music and the sounds, and people, they wanted to be. Visconti would produce Bowie’s most loved work of the 70’s; Young Americans, The Berlin Trilogy, and then Scary Monsters before the two took a break. He’d come back into the fold to help craft Bowie’s last four records, including his final act Blackstar.

I had the chance to spend time with Tony in Hamburg, so of course I asked him to Take 5. From the moment we met, he was an open book. You’ll hear it in our chat too, there’s a humility and groundedness to all Tony says, and he brings you into a world that, even if you’re not musically literate, you feel you belong. From Bolan to Bowie and a lifetime in between, dive into the extraordinary mind of Tony Visconti.

T. Rex - ‘Ride A White Swan ‘

Esperanza Spalding - ‘Judas’

Angelique Kidjo, Carlos Santana & Josh Groban - ‘Pearls’

Kristeen Young & David Bowie - ‘Saviour’

David Bowie - ‘Heroes’

It’s been a big time for Tool fans. They just released their first album in 13 years; it’s fair to say that anticipation was at an all time high when Fear Inoculum dropped. For the faithful, it’s been worth the wait, celebrating the precision and epic sound the American band have be known for. But even though it took a while for them to get around to new recordings, they continued to tour between this and 10,000 Days. It was back in 2013 that I roped them in to Take 5. They were doing big shows in Australia and Danny and Justin made some time to come in and co-host. Here for the first time on the podcast, Tool Take 5 with “unexpected finds in their music library”. It’s Tool time.

Deftones - ‘Digital Bath’

Trans Am - ‘Space Dock’

Sophia - ‘If A Change Is Gonna Come’

Meshuggah - ‘The Demon's Name Is Surveillance’

TV On The Radio - ‘Halfway Home'

Kasey Chambers is a living legend. Five number one albums, fourteen ARIA Awards, she recently became the youngest woman to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Kasey grew up with music. As a kid she’d travel across the Nullarbor with her dad, at the end of each day the family would always gather around the campfire to sing songs. She’d end up playing with the family band, but it was her 1999 debut album The Captain that was her breakthrough to a solo career that has been rich and rewarding. That debut turns 20 this year, so I thought it’d be fun to reflect back on the other musical breakthroughs through Kasey’s life. The moments that have nudged her in a new direction, or won her as a fan.

Hearing Kasey talk about music is a joy; as with her own music, she wears her heart on her sleeve. From Emmylou Harris to Beyonce to Steve Earle, this is a beautiful journey through a life filled with gratitude.

Emmylou Harris - ‘Boulder to Birmingham’

Ben Harper - ‘Fight For Your Mind’

J.S. Ondara - ‘Torch Song’

Beyoncé - ‘Don't Hurt Yourself {Ft. Jack White}’

Steve Earle - ‘Copperhead Road’

Have you ever met a professor of punk? I didn’t even know such a thing existed, before I met Vivien Goldman. She lectures at New York University but way before she was an educator, Vivien was in the thick of it. She was writing about the scene back when it began; in fact she was one of the first people to explore the parallels between punk and reggae. And she lived in that realm too; Vivien was Bob Marley’s first UK publicist and formed a strong bond with him. She made friends with The Slits, and sang back-up vocals alongside Neneh Cherry. Vivien Goldman has also authored six books, the latest of which is Revenge of the She-Punks: A feminist music history from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot. After reading this, I wanted her to Take 5; she’s lived such a wild and varied life, I knew she would have stories. But this goes beyond. It’s a passionate education and exploration of the music histories we haven’t heard about. There’s a sense of rebellion and fire in all she does, and Vivien articulates brilliantly the very spirit of punk and just why it’s been such an outlet for those who haven’t always been let into the club.  Here are her hidden histories.

Bob Marley & the Wailers – 'Do It Twice'

The Slits — 'Newtown'

Astrud Gilberto - 'The Girl From Ipanema'

Kassav – 'Soleil'

The Velvet Underground — 'Sunday Morning'

If I told you to 'put a bird on it', you’d know immediately what I meant. This iconic sketch from Portlandia is the work of Fred Armisen. He’s a comedian who has filled our screens for almost 20 years; as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, alongside his best friend Carrie Brownstein co-creating Portlandia, and more recently on the mockumentary series Documentary Now. Music has been central to Fred’s comedy the whole way through, and that makes sense when you know that he started his creative life as a drummer. In fact it was during a visit to SXSW back in 1998, playing in a couple of bands, that he made his first mockumentary. It got people’s attention, and four years later, he was on SNL. Fred Armisen lives a punk life, creating and recreating his identity across every character he plays, and finding the connection in brilliant songs. Here are just five.

Bad Brains - ‘Big Take Over’

Meat Puppets - ‘Up On The Sun’

Jessica Pratt - ‘This Time Around’

The Damned - ‘Under The Floor Again’

Sleater-Kinney - ‘Start Together’

Waleed Aly is the smartest guy in the room. Whether hosting The Project, writing editorials for major newspapers, or completing his PhD, it feels there’s nothing he’s not good at, and the Australian public agrees; he won the Gold Logie in 2016. We’re used to seeing Waleed dissect and make sense of the news every day, but sometimes you get a glimpse into his musical heart and you can see that it beats so strong. When I finally got Waleed to Take 5 I gave him the theme “Songs We Should Talk About", a play on the title of his wonderful segment from The Project. Unsurprisingly, Waleed put a lot of thought into his songs… He sent me three separate lists of five songs (not to be changed in any way, but all telling a different story). The one we went with gifted such a rich conversation. Waleed is someone who can completely dissect a song cerebrally but also show how his connection to it changes given the emotion, and the time he’s hearing it. This conversation is something else. From Lily Allen to Public Enemy to Pink Floyd, this will make you believe in the broad and beautiful power of song.

Lily Allen - ‘Smile’ 

Public Enemy - ‘911 Is a Joke’

Queen - ‘The March of the Black Queen’

Billy Joel - ‘Allentown’

Pink Floyd - ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’

Back in 2004, Andrew Stafford published a book called Pig City. It captured the Brisbane music scene, the politics that fuelled this artistic reaction and so much more. From the Saints to Savage Garden, it became a bible in music history. Fifteen years passed, and Staffo finally returned with his follow up. This time a personal memoir, taking us through the life of a quiet fan who always felt on the outside, until he found music. Something to Believe In is it’s title, and when I heard it was being published, I knew I wanted Staffo to Take 5. His theme was simple. Songs to believe in; the music that had been a saviour in his life. From Ramones to Do Ré Mi, Jen Cloher to Television, this is a heartfelt walk through a true fan’s life.

Ramones - 'Something To Believe In'

Do Ré Mi - 'Man Overboard'

Jen Cloher - 'Hold My Hand'

Motörhead - '(We Are) The Road Crew'

Television - 'Marquee Moon'

Jessica Mauboy is a ray of light. We met her on a singing show more than a decade ago and since then she’s been flat out being a renaissance woman with a helluva big voice. I’ve wanted to do a Take 5 with Jess for years; she’s one of those people you just want to spend time with. Her beautiful energy sucks you in and charms the heck out of you. She’s also always struck me as incredibly grounded; through all of the twists and turns in her life as a pop star, Jess has kept her feet on the ground. That ground is often her home town of Darwin where, away from the cameras and stages, she can unwind with her sisters and parents. Just be Jess. Darwin is also the home of the National Indigenous Music Awards: an annual celebration of the best in First Nations music. Jess was due to headline the event, and the day before she joined me to Take 5 with her songlines. She came up with the theme; Jess wanted to talk about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artists who had inspired her, and led a path for her own creative life. Across legends and new voices alike, the connection Jess has and the places she takes you on this Take 5 is something else. Head to the Top End with a legend.

Yothu Yindi - 'Djapana'

Christine Anu - 'Party'

Baker Boy - 'Marryuna (ft Yirrmal)'

Thelma Plum – 'Better in Blak'

Gurrumul – 'Bapa'

Peter Hook is an architect of modern music. As bass player and founding member of Joy Division and New Order, his melodic high playing style changed the game. Hooky’s bands influenced countless other artists from all across the musical map. From the branches of post punk and electronic music, these two groups changed the game for all of us. Plenty of bands lifted from that blueprint too: Radiohead, Interpol, Arcade Fire, the list goes on. But what are the songs that are unknown pleasures for Peter Hook? The sparks of inspiration that led him in new direction, the music he swooned to as a fan? From The Sex Pistols to Sigue Sigue Sputnik, The Temptations to The Velvets, Hooky wound back through an extraordinary life. And shared a hell of a lot of stories. Wind back to the root of a huge family tree, with this wonderful conversation about discovering your place. 

Sex Pistols - 'Anarchy In The UK'

Lykke Li – 'I Follow Rivers'

The Temptations - 'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)'

Sigue Sigue Sputnik - 'Love Missile F1-11'

The Velvet Underground - 'Venus In Furs'

Adrianne Lenker feels things deeply. You hear it in every one of her songs; whether solo, or with her band Big Thief. Lucky for us, she shares it all. Over the past few years she's become one of the most promising and prolific songwriters around. Adrianne got her start early though, and it feels as though music has always helped her better understand the world. When she speaks about music everything slows down. She has a way of articulating what is often intangible, and she draws you into a beautiful meditative state with her voice and ideas. Whether you’re a superfan, or if Adrianne Lenker is a new name, this is a conversation that will speak to you. It’s about connection, about how melancholy can filter through joy, and how you can find space in the most intensely crowded sounds. It’s five songs that get under her skin, from an artist that will get under yours.

Sibylle Baier – 'Driving'

Bill Callahan – 'What Comes After Certainty'

Ithaca – 'Impulse Crush'

Sheer Mag – 'Point Breeze'

Life Without Buildings – 'Sorrow'

In the early 00’s The Streets burst onto the scene. Original Pirate Material was like nothing else around. Combining garage beats with everyday stories from a geezer we could all relate to. Mike Skinner wanted to literally push things forward, taking the garage genre in a new direction and using his lyrics to talk about what was really going on inside the hearts and minds of people in the clubs. It struck a chord, and The Streets got a lot of attention. Over five albums Mike Skinner would tour Australia a whole lot, always playing festivals and always drawing a huge crowd. Then in 2011 he called it a day, releasing his final album and doing his final shows as The Streets. Music stayed in his life though. He threw himself into producing, directing, and most notably DJ-ing, behind the decks instead of out front on stage. Across his five songs choices we get a snapshot of a kid writing raps in his notebook in a hostel in Sydney. As well as the man today who is older, wiser, more grounded but with plenty of stories to tell. From Johnny Cash to Grim Sickers to Daft Punk, this is The Streets, Taking 5 with Zan Rowe and playing us his songs from then and now.

Johnny Cash – 'A Boy Named Sue'

Snoop Dogg – 'Serial Killa (ft. The D.O.C., Tha Dogg Pound and RBX)'

Grim Sickers – 'Open the Till (ft. Ghetts and Mike Skinner)'

Daniel Bedingfield – 'Gotta Get Through This'

Daft Punk – 'Human After All / Together / One More Time / Music Sounds Better With You' (from Alive 2007)

Where do you begin with Mark Ronson? 7 Grammys, an Oscar, and so many hit records over 15 years of writing and producing music. He may not sing, but he’s topped the charts in every other way; crafting 'Uptown Funk', co-writing 'Shallow' with Lady Gaga, and collaborating with musicians from right across the genre map. Ever since that debut album back in 2003, I’ve been a fan. The way he scooped up hip-hop, soul, and funk into perfect pop packages grabbed my attention and kept it. Over the years Mark and I have crossed paths a few times but he’s never done a Take 5. And the opportunity to get inside the musical mind of Mark Ronson is something I’ve been hankering to do for a long time. From OutKast to The Smiths, King Princess to Kacey Musgraves to Prince, hear one of the world's great producers explore how their songs define pop perfection for him.

King Princess - ‘1950’

The Smiths - ‘Stop Me if You Think You’ve Heard This One Before’

Outkast - ‘Ms. Jackson’

Kacey Musgraves - ‘Slow Burn

Prince - ‘Pop Life’ 

Jen Cloher is a beacon in Australian music. She’s one of our best songwriters, and a great champion of her peers. Whether it's running management workshops, or co-founding Milk Records, her sage advice and keen ears propel others. But what about the artists who light a path for her? From Patti Smith to Gareth Liddiard, Camp Cope to PJ Harvey, this is a conversation about so much more than music.

Adalita - ‘Free Money {Live}’

The Drones - ‘Taman Shud’

Camp Cope ‘The Opener’

PJ Harvey - ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’

Evelyn Ida Morris - ‘The Body Appears’

Warren Ellis’ music has been the soundtrack to my adult life. I remember when I first heard Dirty Three, they were like nothing else around; an instrumental band with a violinist who played like Hendrix, and epic songs that tore at the very fibre of your being. I listened to their albums and like many others put my own meaning into those wordless songs. In the mid 90’s we started seeing him more in the Bad Seeds. He found a friend and collaborator in Nick Cave, they would form Grinderman together and compose beautiful soundtracks for film and television. Warren Ellis doesn’t sit still. He also rarely looks back.. for him, creative life is about propelling forward, solving the mystery of song that awaits in his next project. When Dirty Three announced they’d be performing their debut album in full, I knew I wanted Waz to Take 5. He’s always been the most entertaining part of Nick Cave doco’s, and his fiery spirit on stage is magnetic; I wanted to get close to that, see what made him tick. What I witnessed, was an entirely different Warren Ellis. In a pin drop quiet room, he took us from his childhood in Ballarat, to the streets of Europe, finding his voice in Melbourne and then leaving it all behind to become the man he is today. Songs in the key of Waz. From the maestro himself.

John Ellis - ‘Mis’ry is my Middle Name’

Johnny Cash - ‘Orange Blossom Special’

Beethoven -  ‘Symphony 7 slow movement number 2 Allegretto’

Arleta - ‘Mia Fora Thymamai (I Remember a Time)’

Alice Coltrane / John Coltrane – ‘The Sun’

There are times when I like to take the Take 5 on the road; heading to places where creative people gather, and the conversations around art and music are part and parcel of daily life. Dark Mofo in Hobart is one of those places. A festival set in the middle of winter, in the southernmost city in Australia. When the wind blows, it’s coming from Antarctica. The streets light up with red crosses each night to signal some sort of curiosity you should explore within, there are open fires and pagan feasts, and there is music; curated in such a beautiful way it feels like a movement, like a moment. This is the place I met Kelsey Lu. Lu grew up in North Carolina, and was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness. Early on, she found the cello, and connected deeply with the strings. She followed her heart, left home, and broke bonds with her family as she headed to New York City to follow her musical dreams. Through her 20’s Kelsey Lu found her voice, she collaborated with Solange, and Sampha, she experienced heartache and pain, and she headed west to heal, and begin again. Across five beautiful choices, Lu shared her songs of hope. All women, all powerful, and all tied to the human and artist she has become. Settle in for a beautiful conversation, with Kelsey Lu.

Alice Coltrane – 'Journey in Satchidananda'

Billie Holiday – 'Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do'

Des’ree – 'You Gotta Be'

Lafawndah – 'Substancia'

Chaka Khan – 'I’m Every Woman'

It’s fair to say, Kirsha Kaechele has lived a life less ordinary. The American artist and curator lives in Hobart, but Australia is just the latest home for a woman who has sought out experiences her whole life. As a teenager, she left home and travelled to 50 countries in 7 years – a self-education in the furthest corners of the world. She lived with the Sannyasin cult, she dropped ayahuasca in the Amazon, and set up shop in a derelict part of New Orleans, bringing art projects to some of the poorest neighbourhoods in town. Kirsha’s latest work is a book called Eat the Problem. It’s a work of art and cookbook all at once, with contributions from famous chefs and thinkers; looking at the question of invasive species and how we can make a flaw a feature in the most sustainable way. When you read Kirsha’s bio, you want to spend a day talking to her. I got an hour. From The Kinks to The Stranglers, Chamorro celebration music, to Tasmanian troubadours, she shared her illuminating songs and incredible stories with me. A wild conversation with a wonderfully curious soul.

Johnny Sablan - ‘Tippi Tippi Tan’

The Kinks - ‘Waterloo Sunset’

The Stranglers - ‘Golden Brown’

Ben Salter - ‘Isolationism’

Christopher Coleman & The Great Escape - ‘Jesse’

Megan Washington is one of my favourite people to talk to. Ever since we first met her ten years ago, she’s been an open book, who has an incredible perspective on creativity. On and off air, a conversation with Meg is never small talk, and you always feel richer for it. Washington’s music career began as a jazz singer, she morphed into a pop artist, and explored avant garde experiments in the years that followed. Her latest work is textured, synth filled pop music, with the lyrical weight of a decade fully lived. But will this shapeshifter rest here? Across five songs, Megan Washington wears her creative chameleon heart on her sleeve; you can hear the thread of each of her choices, sewn into what she has crafted herself. From Split Enz to Talk Talk, Kendrick to Mitski, and an unforgettable story about Rufus Wainwright, these are the songs that fill Meg’s chameleon heart.

Rufus Wainwright - 'Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk'

Split Enz - 'I See Red'

Talk Talk - 'It's My Life'

Kendrick Lamar - 'King Kunta'

Mitski - 'Nobody'

It’s not overstating it when I say Jimmy Barnes is a national treasure. Everyone can sing along to a Cold Chisel song, you’ve undoubtedly seen him or them live at some stage of your life, and the harrowing story of his childhood has connected him to people who may have never even engaged with his music before. He also electric; the energy that comes off him is insane. Throughout this Take 5 I just held on for dear life and went along for the ride. Even when the songs played, he was air drumming and singing along at the top of his lungs, to every word. The Take 5 is all about stories, and Jimmy Barnes has ‘em in spades. Even before he started singing, music was in his blood; a saviour growing up, and a way out of the northern suburb of Elizabeth, in Adelaide. From Ray Charles to Oasis, Tina Turner to Led Zepplin and Dylan, these are the songs that made Jimmy Barnes.

Ray Charles - ‘Hit The Road Jack’

Oasis - ‘A Bell Will Ring’

Ike and Tina Turner - ‘River Deep Mountain High ‘

Led Zeppelin - ‘Immigrant Song’

Bob Dylan - ‘Like a Rolling Stone’

Kacey Musgraves is the woman of the golden hour. At the Grammy’s she won every category she was nominated in, including Album of the Year. Her live shows, and candour, have made headlines. And her journey from Nashville country singer to crossover pop artist with that acclaimed album, has won her a whole lot of new fans. Whether speaking plainly about small town life, being open about doing drugs, or singing out for those who love who they wanna love, Kacey Musgraves is a straight shooter, a woman of conviction. In person and in song, the bridge she creates with her fans is something else, and it’s making her one of the most loved artists around. For Kacey’s Take 5 I wanted to find out about the music that brought her to today, and to borrow a title from her own debut album, helped Kacey “follow her arrow”. From Neil Young, to Sade, Bee Gees to Tame Impala, and of course Dolly Parton, Kacey tells the story of her life through the artists that shaped her.

Neil Young - 'Harvest Moon'

Sade - 'By Your Side'

Bee Gees - 'Stayin' Alive'

Tame Impala - 'Eventually'

Dolly Parton - 'Here You Come Again'

For around a decade now, New Zealand artist Tiny Ruins has been singing stories to us. Across three albums, Hollie Fullbrook has sketched beautiful pictures of the world around her, and taken those tunes on the road. Hollie is the songwriter behind these tales, and these days she spends a lot of time trekking around. Whether it’s the US, UK, Europe, or across the pond in Australia, she’s built a dedicated live following. But travel has been a big part of her life forever, and has given her plenty of great yarns. With some truly wonderful sounds, this Take 5 takes you from England to Amsterdam, America to New Zealand, and through blustery Wales. Let Tiny Ruins fire up the engine and press play on the car stereo.

Paul McCartney & Wings – Heart of the Country

Laura Jean – Touchstone

Love – The Red Telephone

Cate La Bon – Duke

Bedouine – You Kill Me

Vika and Linda Bull are legends of Australian song. Whether they’re backing Paul Kelly, or singing out front on their own, the sisters have brought warmth, and devastating harmonies to us for decades. It’s high time they did a Take 5. So I asked them, and before I had a chance to give them a theme, they picked their own. Sibling songs. Tunes that brothers and sisters harmonised together with… and from The Andrews Sisters to the Bee Gees, it was the perfect backgrounder to the singers Vika and Linda would become. The Take 5 is always about peeking behind the curtain of an artist’s life, and finding out about the people who fill their musical hearts. This is one of the most joyful Take 5’s you’ll hear, with bonus Iggy Pop stories, a sisterly warmth, and the legacy of an incredible career so far.

The Andrews Sisters - Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

The Pointer Sisters - I'm So Excited

The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There

Bee Gees - Islands In The Stream (Live At The MGM Grand 1997)

Crowded House - It's Only Natural

One of my favourite artists is Kurt Vile. His music has been a friend to me for years; a familiar voice and drifting guitar that always makes you feel like you’re home. He’s been a frequent visitor to Australia too, and on his fifth visit I asked him to join me to Take 5. Kurt wears his heart on his sleeve, you’ve always been able to hear certain influences in his songs (both in the way he plays and sings) and he’s unafraid of paying homage to his heroes. So the chance to share their songs, was too good to pass up. Get ready to hear Kurt Vile as fan boy; the kind of convo you can imagine having late at night, with a friend, about your favourite songs.  

John Prine – Way Back ThenTownes Van Zandt – Flyin’ Shoes

Joni Mitchell – Last Time I Saw Richard

Terry Allen – Cortez Sail

Neil Young – Ambulance Blues

Simon Amstell is a funny guy. That's literally his job; as comedian, TV host, and recent feature film maker. He got his start as the scathing host of UK TV show Popworld, and made a name further afield when he hosted Never Mind the Buzzcocks in the late noughties. But he's been a stage performer his whole life, and in between whippity quick barbs on set, he’s invited audiences into longer and deeper conversations via his stand up. He's known for his sometimes existential, sometimes neurotic, and always highly analytical comedy. It's fair to say, Simon Amstell doesn't take things at face value.That questioning has led him through a life of therapy (in rooms and in public) and when he came to write and direct his first feature film, it spilled over to the big screen. With all of that in mind, I asked Simon Amstell to pick five songs that tell his story. Music that has soundtracked moments of personal narrative, or songs that have helped him understand the world. From anthems to ballads, to charming soundtrack throwbacks, this is a peek into Simon’s coming of age.

Patrick Wolf - ‘This City’

Adele - ‘Someone Like You’

Cardigans - ‘Lovefool’

Whitney Houston - ‘I Will Always Love You

James Righton - ‘I Still Don’t Know'

Who knew cooking competitions would take over Australian television? Back in 2010 the finale for the second season of Masterchef became the most watched non-sporting event of that year. And the winner? Adam Liaw. This Malaysian-Australian lawyer had been working in Japan when he decided to enter the Masterchef competition. He became a firm favourite, and after that victory… everything changed. Adam published a handful of cookbooks, became the host of a brilliant cooking show on SBS called Destination Flavour, started a family, and kept everyone entertained on his always active Twitter account. He’s has been in to Take 5 before, back in 2013. And he was so good, I asked him to return. Across five songs, Adam shared the moments in his life where things changed. Whether it was playing tennis air guitar in a childhood bedroom, or bonding with his wife over a new fave, this co-host will make you fall in love with this legend even more.

Starship – ‘We Built This City’

Smashing Pumpkins – ‘Bullet With Butterfly Wings’

Beastie Boys – ‘Check It Out’

Montaigne – ‘Fantastic Wreck’

Wiley, Stefflon Don & Sean Paul – ‘Boasty (ft. Idris Elba)’

Lucy Dacus is one hell of a songwriter. Her second album Historian, brought a whole heap of new ears to her songs, it was considered by many as one of 2018's best. Life has been pretty busy for Lucy Dacus. As well as her own music, she collaborated with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers on the boygenius project, and has been recording a new EP of cover songs based around significant holidays. That was the catalyst for her Take 5 theme; I wanted to know what her dream covers would be. From Yo La Tengo to Louis Armstrong to The Cure, Lucy’s choices told the story not only of her musical background, but the artists who had helped her understand the world. 

Yo La Tengo - ‘Tom Courtenay’

Jesse Pearson - ‘One Last Kiss’

Louis Armstrong - ‘When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)’

The Cure - ‘Close To Me’

Sixpence None The Richer - ‘Kiss Me'