Take 5

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Miranda Tapsell’s chapter songs May 08, 2020

Show notes

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 share songs for the people they love May 01, 2020

Show notes

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’s songs of freedom Apr 24, 2020

Show notes

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

Dave McCormack's cornerstone songs Apr 17, 2020

Show notes

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’s easter egg songs Apr 03, 2020

Show notes

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’

Ngaiire's songs without boundaries Mar 27, 2020

Show notes

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’

New Order’s Bernard Sumner with the songs that made him Mar 20, 2020

Show notes

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]’

Hot Chip's jubilant songs Mar 13, 2020

Show notes

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)’

Girls to the Front Bonus Best Of Mar 08, 2020

Show notes

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}’

Hayley Mary's women of the decade Mar 06, 2020

Show notes

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)’

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