Sweetman Podcast

An in-depth chat with Ebony Lamb, singer/songwriter, frontperson of Eb & Sparrow. The band is just about to release its brand new album and will be heading on a nationwide tour. We talk touring and music-making but before all of that we talk about a Hawke's Bay upbringing, her father's record collection, photography, parenting and life experiences. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman....

An in-depth chat with Wellington-based writer Megan Dunn. She's the author of "Tinderbox", part-memoir/part-novel it tells the story of her time working in the Borders book-store chain, and her attempt to re-write Ray Bradbury's Farenheit 451 novel from a different point of view. We talk about all of this as well as her background in visual art, performance and art criticism. And we talk about her...

An in-depth chat with journalist and poet Richard Langston. We talk through his varied career from being a newspaperman and TV reporter through to filling in on radio for Kim Hill, writing poetry, working on Maori TV and Country Calendar and his love of music - from interviewing Billy Bragg, Morrissey and The Go-Betweens in the UK to starting a Flying Nun fanzine in Dunedin. We talk about writing...

An in-depth chat with Christchurch-based artist Marie Le Lievre. Marie is Katy's cousin so I first met her over a decade ago. We've watched her work, we're fortunate to have some of it on our walls; we've talked about Marie's art and approach over the years but this was a chance to sit down and talk through the work and some of the baggage that informs in. Marie talks through her reasons for paint...

An in-depth chat with Wellington jazz drummer Ant Donaldson. A veritable encyclopedia, Donaldson relays the story of his many bands and music projects from the Primitive Art Group and Six Volts to his work - finally - as a rock drummer in a rock band (TEETH) via improvisation and deep study of the rudiments. From playing with Mike Nock in Sydney to performing with stalwarts of the Wellington impro...

We made it to 100! I say we and I guess I mean me. But I also mean you - dear listener. Thank you. If you've tuned in even once...well, welcome back for a start! And so here I talk about the behind-the-scenes, the before and after interviewing, the aims - and we walk back through some key moments from conversations with Booga Beazley and Dave Dobbyn, with Sylvie Simmons and Jeff Boyle, Anika Moa a...

An in-depth chat with Adam Page, Australian saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, musical force - and massive Van Halen fan! We chew the fat about Stevie Ray Vaughan and Charlie Hunter and Coltrane and other musical influences. We talk about Adam's time growing up in Australia, the huge impact he had on the Wellington music scene in the early 2010s and his focus now as a new dad, label own...

An in-depth chat with Yvonne Lorkin, wine taster, critic, judge, enthusiast. She's also behind "WineFriend", a subscription model where her expert tasting notes and palate will provide individual wine choices, pay the fee and have the wine delivered to your door. We talked about wine and wine-tasting and wine-writing and how Yvonne turned her passion into a brand. Get full access to Sounds Good! a...

A second in-depth chat with Wellington-based writer and musician and curator/collector Jules Desmond. We catch up on the bits we missed in the first talk (ep.90) and discuss the Wellington music scene in the mid-90s as well as talking about music journalism and touching on many other tangents... Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth conversation with Andrew Johnstone of the now defunct Rip It Up Radio. He interviews me about my life and influences and writing interests. I play a few clips of favourite songs and discuss some of my favourite tracks and my approach to writing, reviewing and listening. This interview was originally party of Rip It Up Radio's podcast series and was recorded around two to three years ag...

An in-depth chat with Wellington-based actor Gavin Rutherford. We talk about the various forms of work he has done - TV, film, voiceovers, adverts, theatre. We talk too about his recurring Pantomime roles and his work as one of the new stalwarts of Circa Theatre. In early 2018 he'll be directing a play on the main stage (Circa One). Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/sub...

An in-depth chat with Adam McGrath, lead singer and a songwriter for The Eastern, also a solo artist; prolific busker. We talk about his early years stealing cars and obsessing over music. We talk punk and the influence of The Clash and Henry Rollins and the move to making American music in America and then back in New Zealand. We talk about the rise of The Eastern, the setback of the Christchurch...

An in-depth chat with Wellington-based singer/songwriter, busker, multi-instrumentalist Vorn Colgan, leader of the band VORN, part of the group Gold Medal Famous, solo artist, musician for hire...we talk about the albums he's made and the work he's done, his influences, travel, jobs, and the aims and ambitions of his music, including a brand new project which is an 'album' you can only access via...

An in-depth chat with "The Godfather of New Zealand Comedy" Scott Blanks. We talk about the 20th Anniversary of his comedy club, The Classic, his various roles as manager, promoter, talent spotter and his background in performance and promotion. We talk about the development and evolution of the New Zealand comedy scene from the wasteland of the early 90s to the robust TV-career-driven roster that...

A return visit from Shelagh Magadza, this time to preview and discuss the 2018 New Zealand Festival (still known by many as The Arts Festival). We talk through the shows and highlight several key acts and events. (In our earlier talk, episode 65, we talked all things Jazz Festival). Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

An in-depth chat with Jules Desmond - bass player, music reviewer, archivist, noise-maker...Jules and I know each other best through Facebook but we've known each other for a while. I was first aware of him as a music reviewer/writer but also as a member of Letterbox Lambs. He's gone on to play in several bands, release albums, run a label, make noise/improv music and meet Henry Rollins. We talk a...

An in-depth chat with Wellington writer and publicist Kirsten McDougall. She is the author of two books - The Invisible Rider (2012) and Tess (2017) and works as a publicist for VUP. We talk about her role as literary manager for Eleanor Catton during the height of interest around The Luminaries and Kirsten's role working in publishing. We talk about her aims and ambitions as a writer and her proc...

An in-depth chat with Anika Moa - singer/songwriter, mother, TV show host, creator of music for kids (the successful "Songs For Bubbas" albums and shows) and one of New Zealand's best-known, most loved performers. Apparently this is her first ever podcast. She says the 'C'-word HEAPS and there's a bit more street-noise and background sounds than usual A really fun chat about reviews and reviewing,...

An in-depth chat with Luke Buda, singer, songwriter, film composer, member of The Phoenix Foundation and TEETH, solo artist also. We talk through his various roles - across solo and band works including film soundtrack composing and the 20-year journey of The Phoenix Foundation from a classroom in a Wellington High School to stages at Glastonbury and on Jools Holland via various other highs and lo...

An in-depth chat with Claire Mabey and Andrew Laking (Pirate & Queen), co-creators of Litcrawl. We detail the 2017 programme and discuss the history of the event. Claire and Andrew are also the creators of a mid-winter festival called Lōemis so we talk too about that and various other events (musical and literary) but the main focus is to plug the upcoming Litcrawl Get full access to Sounds Good!...

An in-depth chat with Stu McKinlay - one of the creators of the Yeastie Boys craft-beer brand. We talk about his life and interest in food/drink and hospitality. We talk about the shaping of the brand and about his life across the last decade - moving from New Zealand to England to take his beer to the world. We talk too about music (one of the big influences in his life, and on his beer) and a bi...

An in-depth chat with Kiwi blues legend Midge Marsden. We talk about his childhood in New Plymouth and early bands and then the escape to Wellington to join The Breakaways, to work across several bands and then to radio shows, to interviewing B.B. King for TV and the establishment of a solo career. To collaborations with Rodger Fox and a special friendship with Stevie Ray Vaughan and to many album...

An in-depth chat with Wellington-based filmmaker and playwright Stuart McKenzie. We talk a lot about the adaptation of the Margaret Mahy novel The Changeover, the brand new feature film he co-directed with his partner Miranda Harcourt (a previous podcast guest)but we talk too about his writing across his life, his early plays and experimental theatre, his fascination with religion, his time abroad...

An in-depth conversation with one of NZ's great session drummers. Wayne Bell is also a producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist...so we talk about his work in the studio and on the road, a veteran of so many tours and records, of work with When The Cat's Away, Greg Johnson, The Bads, Tim Finn, Bic Runga, Bike, These Wilding Ways, Finn/Runga/Dobbyn and so many more. We talk about "the hang", and t...

An in-depth conversation with Taimi Allan, CEO, Changing Minds. We talk about mental health and follow Taimi's own journey from multiple diagnoses and medications and pursuit of creative arts to working in the industry, to sharing and using her lived experience to help facilitated conversations. We talk symptoms and cycles and experiences. We talk about how to support friends and family members an...