Take 5

We’re winding out 2024 with a beautiful Take 5.  Jamie xx is one of my favourite producers, so it’s really special to cap off what’s been a big year, with the man himself. Looking back the last couple of years, the final Take 5 has been really reflective. Caroline Polachek was poetic at the end of a huge 2023, and he year before Jon Hopkins gifted us a transcendent set of songs. All three artists...

Katie Crutchfield has been making music as Waxahatchee for almost 15 years. In the early days she self-released on cassette, lo-fi indie music that would blossom into Americana around a decade later. That foray, with her acclaimed album Saint Cloud, brought her a whole new audience. But she has always been a brilliant songwriter.  Katie doesn’t waste a word, which is why I love chatting with her a...

10 years ago, a fellow called Nick Murphy put out his debut album. The Melbournian traded on the name Chet Faker, buzz was building, but when Built on Glass was released, no one knew how big it would become.

There aren’t many Australian bands who have sold 23 million copies of their albums.  Cast your mind back to the late 90’s, and a duo from Brisbane called Savage Garden.  Darren Hayes was the angel-voiced frontman, and after putting out two hugely successful albums he went solo. Now many years later he’s published a memoir titled Unlovable, and the story of his life as a little kid growing up in th...

It’s hard to believe that 20 years ago Casey Donovan won Australian Idol. Just 16 years old, she was thrust into the spotlight and every high and low was captured for all to see. She took away the main prize, but in the years following would be working as a medical receptionist and a rideshare driver to pay the bills. Casey threw her hat back in the reality show ring with I’m a Celebrity...Get Me...

Bernard Fanning is no stranger to the limelight. With Powderfinger he sold millions of albums and rocked out to stadiums of adoring fans. Then he stripped it back as a solo artist and went Number 1 again. Bernard holds the record for the most amount of Hottest 100 number 1’s, he is adored by generations of Australians, and is one of the most enjoyable people to chat music with. Bernard’s new proje...

Neil Finn is one of our greatest living songwriters. In Split Enz and Crowded House, solo and in his collaborations, his tunes have become the soundtrack to our lives.  I’ve been chasing Neil to Take 5 for the TV series since the beginning, and finally he said yes. Even better, he invited us to film at his own studios. Roundhead, a pale green building on an Auckland street that has seen some incre...

Many of us have grown up with Claudia Karvan. She's been on our screens since she was 10 years old, starring in films like The Big Steal and The Heartbreak Kid. And we’ve fallen in love with her on the small screen, in her long running roles on The Secret Life of Us and Love My Way. These days, Claudia is not only an actor but a hugely successful producer behind TV shows like Doctor Doctor and Bum...

Bill Bailey is one of the most loved comedians in the world. From his breakout role as Manny in the cult TV show Black Books, to his exceptional talent for playing multiple instruments, he always leaves his audiences feeling brighter. Bill is fascinated with natural history and humanity, his curiosity knows no bounds and music has been a constant companion.  I asked him to Take 5 with songs that r...

We’re diving into a new season of Take 5 on ABC TV and ABC iview, with all of season three now up to stream! And while Take 5 comes back to your screens, you’re gonna hear special extended cuts right here on the podcast.  Season 3 is a ripper. Comedian Bill Bailey, beloved actor Claudia Karvan, rock legends Neil Finn and Bernard Fanning, performer extraordinaire Casey Donovan… and to kick it all o...

Irish singer CMAT has been taking the world by storm. Shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize and counting Elton John as a fan, her country-twinged songs capture heartbreak with a healthy dose of humour. A couple of albums in, and an Australian visit on the way, I thought it was high time we got to know the woman from Ireland, born Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson. After listening to this, you'll want to...

Michelle Brasier is a comedian, actor, writer and singer. You might have seen her on Aunty Donna, Mad As Hell and Thank God You're Here, or caught one of her award winning stand-up shows. Michelle has also just published her first book; it’s a memoir titled My Brother's Ashes are in a Sandwich Bag, and it’s beautiful, it’s funny, and it's filled with hope. It reminds us of the little moments in li...

Dan Kelly is one of our best songwriters. He's whimsical, charming, and with indie-pop hooks for days. Almost 10 years since his last album, he’s now back with GOLDFEELS, and a decidedly more serious outlook. But Dan still knows how to draw you into a yarn and make you smile. He also looks to some heroes for inspiration, grounding, and to follow their arrow. So dig into his 'story time' Take 5 wit...

Noel Gallagher is just like you. Putting aside the fame and fortune, the hit records and the very public family issues, at his heart he's a big music nerd. As a kid he idolised the songs on the record player and worshipped the legends who wrote them. His Take 5 theme was 'escape', and growing up in a council estate in The North, music was Noel’s escape. He’d be transported by older kids' records a...

A special little treat for you in the feed this week; a conversation with Nick Cave. After years away, he's returned to doing interviews, and Zan Rowe was lucky to get the only Australian radio interview with him. They spoke about Wild God, the legacy of the Bad Seeds, people lost, and things found. About frogs. Settle in for a beautiful conversation with one of the greatest artists and poets of o...

Emily Wurramara is one of my favourite Australian musicians.  The Warnindhilyagwa woman writes from the heart, sings with the smokiest voice around, and has a laugh that is truly infectious. This is a glorious Take 5. Settle in for some beautiful energy, lots of laughs, and real insight into the songs that tell her story of new beginnings. It’s been six years since Emily’s debut album, a lot has c...

In 2004, a rock doco came out that was pure chaos. Dig! captured 7 years in the life of The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre as they tried to break it big. Made by a young first-time filmmaker called Ondi Timoner and her brother David, it's a wild story about growing up, art vs commerce, friendship and bust ups.  20 years later it's been re-cut as Dig! XX, with over 40 minutes of never-b...

Ever since I first heard them, Middle Kids have been a favourite.  Exceptional songwriting, brilliant playing, and Hannah Joy’s beautiful voice.  They’ve now got three albums under their belt, the latest of which is called Faith Crisis Pt 1. I’ve wanted to invite Middle Kids in to Take 5 for a while, and when Hannah said yes, and sent her songs back, I knew we’d be in for a treat. Strap in for a b...

You know that feeling when you’re watching a movie or TV show and the perfect song hits at the perfect moment?  Think Lost in Translation when ‘Alone in Kyoto’ by Air comes in, or the visceral scenes from The Bear soundtracked by Refused’s ‘New Noise’. You don’t just see films, you hear them. Such is the power and responsibility of the music supervisor who carefully selects the right song for the...

Dylan Alcott is a deadset legend.  A former Australian of the Year, multi-gold medallist, and disability advocate, but before all of that, he sat down to Take 5.

Sarah Blasko has a voice that never lets you go. Her debut album The Overture & the Underscore was released 20 years ago, and she’s been a constant presence ever since. Always pushing the boundaries of her art and anchoring everything she does with that transcendent voice. Two decades on from her debut, and 6 years since her last album, Sarah Blasko is back with new music. It's the perfect exc...

There's no other artist quite like DOBBY.  The proud Filipino and Murrawarri artist (real name Rhyan Clapham) is a composer, rapper, producer and drummer. He's been performing and releasing music for years, but only just released his debut album. It’s called WARRANGU; River Story, and it’s about the plight of the Murray-Darling river system. The artistry on this album is magnificent. DOBBY expertl...

Who knew cooking competitions would take over Australian television? Back in 2010, the finale for the second season of MasterChef became the most watched non-sporting event of that year. And the winner? Adam Liaw. He'd been working in Japan when he decided to enter the TV cooking comp, and he quickly became a firm favourite. After his win, everything changed. He published cookbooks, became the hos...

If you don’t know Susan Rogers by name, you’ll know her work. A female producer and sound engineer in an industry dominated by men, her drive and commitment landed her side by side with Prince as his star soared. She was his audio technician right before he started recording Purple Rain, and was his sound engineer through his commercial peak – capturing Parade, Around the World in a Day, The Black...

Vika and Linda are national treasures. We first met the Bull sisters alongside the Black Sorrows, doing backing vocals for Paul Kelly, and then bursting out on their own with their debut album. That record turns 30 this year, and to celebrate, I’m taking you to a glorious Take 5 from the archives with Vika and Linda. The year was 2019, and their theme was “sibling songs”. They picked it too, and y...