Take 5

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Lucy Dacus' dream covers Mar 29, 2019

Show notes

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'

Butch Vig's songs that blew his mind Mar 22, 2019

Show notes

Every now and then I like to dip into the Take 5 archives and share some gold. In the thirteen years I’ve been doing this, I’ve had the chance to speak with some incredible people, many of whom have shaped modern music. One of them is Butch Vig. As a muso, he drums with Garbage. But as a producer, he’s crafted the sound of some of the biggest records of our time. Sonic Youth’s “Dirty”, Smashing Pumpkins’ “Gish” and “Siamese Dream”, and of course “Nevermind". Butch has been in the room at some amazing moments in music, and lucky for us, he remembers them all. This conversation takes you into the studios and garages of Butch Vig’s memory; you can see the faces of these legends as he regales tale after tale from a life less ordinary. From witnessing Roxy Music from an early age, to recording with Stevie Nicks and getting drunk with Bono… dive into the world of Butch Vig. It’s a mindblowing ride.

Roxy Music - 'Virginia Plain'

U2 - 'Even Better Than The Real Thing'

Foo Fighters - 'I Should Have Known'

Fleetwood Mac - 'Landslide'

Smashing Pumpkins - 'Disarm'

Jake Shears' boundary pushing songs Mar 16, 2019

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Jake Shears is a boundary breaker. As frontman for Scissor Sisters he and his band pushed queerness into the mainstream, way before it became the norm. Their flamboyant performance paired with killer pop songs, and with his falsetto voice Jake Shears became bigger than even he himself could imagine. The Scissors called it a day in 2012, and Jake went through plenty of other life changes. He split from his long term boyfriend, moved to New Orleans, and a second life began. One filled with Broadway, books, and a solo record. Off the back of all of that, he joined me to Take 5 and share the boundary pusher’s who had fuelled his musical identity. Casting each of them under their own subcategories - sexuality / image / taste / pop / production – Jake showed not only how these artists helped make him the musician he is today, but the man.

D’Angelo - ‘Ain’t That Easy’

Gorillaz - ‘Tranz’

Grimes - ‘We Appreciate Power’

Exile - ‘Kiss You All Over’

David Bowie - ‘Boys Keep Swinging’

Christine & The Queens takes 5 with Chris' Queens Mar 08, 2019

Show notes

In 2018 Christine and the Queens broke through. Already a big star in her native France, it was her second album Chris that made her a household name everywhere else; a big, late 80’s and early 90’s pop album full of lyrics about sex, gender identity, and every grey area in between. It was one of the best albums of the year. With it’s success, came finally an Australian tour, and while she was in town I invited Chris in to Take 5. The day was International Women’s Day, one where we push girls to the front across the radio; in the songs we play, the people we speak to, and the women who bring it. I couldn’t think of a better person to Take 5 with me on this day, than Chris. This conversation is as much about her connection to music, as it is a searching exploration of what it means to be an artist. How you can find your true self in the theatre of the stage, and that conversation you’re constantly having with the audience in front of you.

Laurie Anderson – 'O Superman'

Desireless – 'Voyage, Voyage'

070 Shake - 'Glitter'

Sophie – 'Immaterial'

Kate Bush – 'Wuthering Heights'

Mia Dyson's bucket list songs Mar 02, 2019

Show notes

Mia Dyson is one of those people I could talk with all day. It’s not just the timbre of her voice, it’s her stories; filled with pinch yourself moments and gratitude for the experiences she’s had. Her last album was recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals studios in Alabama, a place where Bob Dylan, The Stones, Aretha Franklin and many more have layed down songs. It’s a place where the sound, and soul of the surroundings fill every recording and for Mia, it was a bucket list moment. I wanted to know what else was on that list, which experiences had made her head spin and her heart soar. Across songs from Bonnie Raitt and Jimi Hendrix, Little Feat and Ralph Stanley, Mia took us into some beautiful moments from a life of music.

Jimi Hendrix - ‘The Wind Cries Mary’

Bonnie Raitt - ‘Love Letter’

Jackie Marshall - ‘Excuse Me Mister (That’s My Heart)’

Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys - ‘Gloryland’

Little Feat - ‘Willin’’

Gordi's new light songs Feb 22, 2019

Show notes

One of my favourite artist discoveries of the past few years, is Gordi. From the get go, her music has always been beautifully textured; she dances with layers and effects and takes you into this sonic quilt with every song. But strip it back, and at its heart is incredible writing, and a perspective that gives each song new light. That’s what we played with, when I asked Gordi to come in and Take 5. I wanted her to choose five songs that, for her, had showed a new perspective – maybe years after she’d first discovered them. From Carole King to Bon Iver, Sharon Van Etten to The Tallest Man on Earth, this is as much a new perspective on these amazing songs, as it is a reflection on a remarkable few years for Sophie Payten.

Carole King - ‘Tapestry’

Bon Iver - 715 - ‘CR∑∑KS’

Sharon Van Etten - ‘Afraid of Nothing’

Mitski - ‘Geyser’

The Tallest Man On Earth - ‘The Gardener’

Murray Cook takes us into "Murray's Mosh Pit" Feb 15, 2019

Show notes

Murray Cook is one of the most watched and loved musicians in the world. As a founding member of The Wiggles, he would don the red turtleneck and entertain millions, but his love of music and entertaining stretches way back. Murray played in bands before, and after his time as the Red Wiggle, and when he’s not on stage, he’s in the crowd; constantly out seeing bands and supporting live bands big and small. With that in mind, I wanted to take a trip to Murray’s mosh pit, and hear about some of the defining live shows he’s been lucky to witness. Murray Cook is one of those humans who is a drop of sunshine – you can hear in his voice how much he loves music and the chance to soak up as much as he can of it. From Patti Smith to AC/DC, Four Tops to The Flaming Lips, this is the music and the magic that forged Murray.

AC/DC - 'Live Wire'

Blondie - 'Rip Her To Shreds'

Patti Smith - 'Free Money'

Four Tops - 'Reach Out I’ll Be There'

The Flaming Lips - 'Do You Realize??'

Parquet Courts' songs to rally around Feb 08, 2019

Show notes

As soon as Parquet Courts dropped their new album in 2018, I was all ears. The New York band have always been prolific, and political, but this album more than any other was responding very directly to the times. When frontman Andrew Savage joined me for the Take 5, I knew what to do. Spouting strong messages throughout his own music, I gave him the theme “songs to rally around”. Music that, lyrically or sonically, conjured a sense of activism, agency, and creativity in him. From Crass to Tyvek, Funkadelic to Fela Kuti, you can hear the spirit of Parquet Courts in all of these brilliant choices.

Crass - 'Banned From the Roxy'

Funkadelic - 'Standing On The Verge of Getting It On'

Tyvek - 'Buildings Burning'

Melvin Van Peebles - 'Come On Feet'

Fela Kuti - 'Unnecessary Begging'

Joan Jett's Jukebox Feb 01, 2019

Show notes

I Love Rock N’ Roll, Crimson and Clover, Bad Reputation. These are the songs that soundtracked 80’s rock and roll and the woman behind them? Joan Jett. She started a band called The Runaways with Cherie Currie, and became an icon in music; particularly for young women who until then, hadn’t seen themselves up there on stage playing guitar. A solo career and the Blackhearts would follow, and for decades Joan Jett has continued to make records, perform, and be an uncompromising force in music. When she came in to Take 5, I wanted to find out the songs and artists who had made an impact on her, shaken up her world, or made her feel like home. From T-Rex to Fea, Fugazi to Bowie; hearing an artist like Joan Jett speak about the impact of hearing this music for the first time, is something else.

T. Rex - ‘Mambo Sun’

Fugazi - ‘Suggestion’

Fea - ‘Feminazi’

Ramones - ‘Beat On The Brat’

David Bowie - ‘Ziggy Stardust’

Neneh Cherry's songs of force Jan 25, 2019

Show notes

Neneh Cherry is an icon. In 1989, this young Swede based in London caught all of our attention with her debut album Raw Like Sushi, and through the 90’s she’d hold it, with 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 cities most creative punks; people she remains friends with to this day. We travelled through all of this when she came in to Take 5 with songs of force. Music that had made an impact on her as a fan, a voice, and an artist. From new voices to legendary poets, the way Neneh speaks about these songs and their influence on her is something to behold. This is one hell of a way to kick off a new year.

Tanya Winley - 'Vicious Rap'

Stevie Wonder - 'Living For The City'

Frank Ocean - 'Seigfried'

Dice Ailes - 'Otedola'

Nina Simone - 'Mississippi Goddam'