Sweetman Podcast

An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based poet Bill Manhire. We talk through his life from the bottom of the South Island to the UK and then to a temporary stop in Wellington that's been ongoing for over 40 years at this point. Manhire was the figurehead - the father - of the IIML, Victoria University of Wellington's Creative Writing undergrad and post-grad masterclasses. We talk about some o...

An in-depth chat with Suzanne Vega. We talk through her music career over a cappuccino at Wellington's Hotel Intercontinental just moments before she was to board a flight to Japan for more shows. I saw Vega in Sydney on her tour and then again in Wellington. As a lifelong fan it was the ultimate thrill to not only meet her but to have her sit down and answer questions, have a conversation...and h...

An in-depth chat with Chris Familton - a Kiwi based in Sydney, Australia for 20 years now. He's a music writer, behind the successful blogs Post to Wire and Doubtful Sounds, he's a DJ, a musician - now in the band Charlie Horse, back in New Zealand and back in the early/mid-90s he was a member of Thorazine Shuffle. He's also a stay-at-home dad. We talk about all of this and general passion for mus...

An in-depth chat with Wellington-based guitarist, guitar luthier, conservationist, former City Councillor and newly instated board chair for Wellington Orchestra. We talk art and culture, oh and that time Ray Ahipene-Mercer saw The Beatles in Wellington as a teenager. Oh, also that time he was asked to be a guitar tech for Led Zeppelin. Ray Mercer has a kind heart, a deep soul and a huge bag of st...

An in-depth chat with Wellington writer Helen Heath. We talk about her poetry volumes 'Shaft' and the brand new 'Are Friend Electric'. We talk about her Masters in Creative Writing and PhD completed at Victoria University's IIML, her life in Wellington and life online; we talk about the "horrors" of the internet, the impacts of being connected to and through devices. And we talk good old concept a...

An in-depth chat with Wellington-based, English-born guitarist, singer and poet Russell Self. Russell has lived in New Zealand for a quarter of a century before that his home was in various places in England and France - he's been a busker, had many jobs, has released an album of poems and music, has performed around the world and continues to think up and recite poems as well as learn the songs o...

An in-depth chat with writer and musician Bill Direen. We talk about his upbringing, his early interest in music and his movement between writing for the page and the stage; travel, scholarship, commitment and craft. We talk about motivations and aims - and then the actual work. So much of it. There's no end-point, there's no chance he'll stop creating until he has to. Get full access to Sounds Go...

An in-depth chat with Christchurch based singer/actor/producer Ali Harper. We talk about her current show, "Songs For Nobodies" which is set to debut its month-long circa season right at the time of this recording. She's touring it around the country and then taking it to America. Ali has a quarter-century's experience acting and singing, including working as a vocalist on Dancing With The Stars,...

An in-depth chat with Wellington writer Pip Adam, winner of the Acorn Foundation Prize at the 2018 Ockham Book Awards. Writer of two novels (The New Animals, I'm Working On A Building) and a collection of short stories (Everything We Hoped For). Pip is also a podcaster (Better off Read) and creative writing teacher. We talk books, obviously. But also her upbringing and experiences, we talk shared...

An in-depth chat with Barry Saunders, songwriter, lead singer of The Warratahs and solo artist too. Barry's a poet, and musician - he's written songs about the New Zealand landscape and mindset that are now seemingly a part of both. We talk through some of his solo records, The stop-start nature of The Warratahs, his early experiences as a rock'n'roller and adventurer and his latest project, a col...

An in-depth chat with Sam Cutler, author of the book "You Can't Always Get What You Want", former Tour Manager for The Rolling Stones (1969) and The Grateful Dead (early 1970s). We talk about Altamont and Europe '72, the aftermath of dealing with The Stones, life on the road, so many colourful stories...Sam lives in Australia now and has several books on the go, both fiction and non-fiction... htt...

An in-depth chat with Sarah Bradley, broadcaster, journalist, singer, actor, student, diplomat...Sarah and I worked together on the "Good Morning" TV show for many years and we also worked for the same magazine for a time. We talk through those moments and many other journalism and broadcasting highlights for Sarah; from New Zealand to New York and back - and then back to America again - Sarah has...

An in-depth chat with Wellington poet Chris Tse. We talk about his childhood and early influences, the experiences captured in his two books to date, 'How To Be Dead In A Year of Snakes' and 'He's So MASC'. We talk too about music fandom, flying overseas to see shows, and the huge influence of music on his writing. We talk identity and his coming out to his parents, his coming out to the world thr...

An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based singer/songwriter Emily Fairlight. We talk about her recently recorded and released second album, "Mother of Gloom" - and also her earlier, self-titled debut. We talk about songwriting and poetry and the creative process; we talk touring and recording overseas, the joys (and troubles) of self-management and self-promotion. We talk head injuries and ot...

An in-depth chat with Mark Cubey, former producer of Kim Hill's popular Saturday morning radio show, recent director of The NZ Festival's Writers & Readers, magazine editor and creator, broadcaster, arts enthusiast, entrepreneur and encouraging presence. Mark and I sat down to talk about radio and film and books and magazines and their place in his life, we talked about changes in technology and a...

An in-depth chat with artist and musician Fane Flaws. We go back to his days in Blerta and from there through Spats, The Crocodiles and The Bend to these days with No Engine, as well as his work making ads and music videos, creating the opening credits for Radio With Pictures and his own art. We talk, too, about songwriting. And music. So much music. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetma...

An in-depth chat with musician and venue-owner Roy Brown. Roy is a piano player, singer/songwriter and band-frontman. He grew up performing in venues around Hawke's Bay including the mighty Cabana. Now, after time in Auckland and Melbourne, he has returned to Hawke's Bay and is the owner of that legendary venue. We talk about Roy's life and careers - across performance, hospitality and retail - an...

An in-depth chat with Lisa Harrow. She is New Zealand acting royalty - born in Auckland, Harrow moved to England to take up a position with RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) and on to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her contemporaries in the company include Dame Judi Dench and Sir Patrick Stewart. Harrow now divides her time between New Zealand and America, she divides her acting time...

An in-depth chat with Darren Watson - the guest on the very first Sweetman Podcast returns. Nearly three years on from when Darren and I first sat down to speak and he has a fantastic new album to plug, his finest, 'Too Many Millionaires'. The album is out May 1, 2018 with a New Zealand tour starting May 3 (Dates in the notes attached). We talk about the process behind the album and you'll hear so...

An in-depth chat with Gil Eva Craig, a Wellington-based musician, photographer and sound-tech. Gil was a musician first and foremost - she was a member of one of my favourite bands for a time, Sugarbug. She still plays, including an enduring collaboration with Charlotte Yates but her main gig is as a sound engineer, including sound design for theatre. She's been on the monitors and front of house...

A brief chat with Jeremy Taylor of Slow Boat Records. We talk Record Store Day, the history of the event and this year's activities at Slow Boat - in-store appearances and performances by Mermaidens and Tiny Ruins. And of course there'll be some of the special releases on offer. (See the notes for a full chat with Jeremy from last year and a recent conversation with Slow Boat's owner, Dennis O'Bri...

An in-depth chat with American singer/songwriter, soundtrack composer and theatre performer Elvis Perkins. He was in Wellington in February/March for the show "HOME", as part of the NZ Festival. So we talked about that show, but also his solo career beginning with Ash Wednesday and his band Elvis Perkins in Dearland, the horror films his brother (Oz Perkins) has directed that he has scored, the mo...

A chat with James Buttery - vinyl collector, record-nerd, he's the co-host of a new podcast called The Good, The Bad & The LP. He's the host of a YouTube channel where he effectively reviews his own record collection. We talk about his late start in life, music-wise, his travels between England, Australia and New Zealand and the aims and ambitions of his new podcast. We also talk collecting. And a...

An in-depth chat with Dennis O'Brien, owner of Slow Boat Records in Wellington. As captain of the good ship Slow Boat Dennis is an institution. His store is perhaps the greatest record store in New Zealand. Actually, no question, it is. Dennis was also a singer/songwriter with a professional music career long before he started selling records. We talk about his years playing in bars in Wellington...

An in-depth chat with singer/songwriter, frontman of the Mockers and Fagan & The People, broadcaster, sailor and poet Andrew Fagan. We talk about all of these things - the Mockers reunion, new music with his other band, upcoming poetry readings as the opening act for John Cooper Clarke and his love of the sea, of sailing in his boat Swirly World. We also revisit his time as PD and breakfast host f...