Take 5

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Courtney Barnett's Melbourne songs Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

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's 5 acts Jul 10, 2020

Show notes

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’ catalyst songs Jul 03, 2020

Show notes

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's access all area songs Jun 26, 2020

Show notes

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

Kate Miller-Heidke's stage songs Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

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

Nick Littlemore’s songs of enlightenment Jun 12, 2020

Show notes

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

Ben Shewry’s songs for the senses Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

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

REMI's songs of friendship May 29, 2020

Show notes

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’s late night songs May 22, 2020

Show notes

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' sonic hunters May 15, 2020

Show notes

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

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