The Grey Space with Brenden Newton

Orion Jennings. 25. Musician. Dragged through a decade of public housing. Brave, beaten, bastardised and bold. But making a song out of it. This is a special account of finding the rhythms in the chaos & hope in the heart.  Stay till the end, cos we fly.  You're inspirational, Orion. - Brendo

Welcome to a lap in Rexy's lane. A fun and fascinating chat with a 5 year old who has  few neat answers for us. Rex is a sensitive, deeply creative and funny boy, who is such a delight to hang with. His sister is wonderful with him too - you can hear from her at episode 53. Here's to a great life of processing feelings through writing them down, or drawing them and passing them under our...

A serendipitous moment with a whale at age twelve;  seven hospitalisations due to a bipolar condition through his teens; now getting a regular peace and pump-up from swimming with his camera and sharing his story. Jarod has dreams. Welcome to his Grey Space episode.

Max Blumer doesn’t talk radical exploits or overwhelming milestones. A relatively normal life of ups n downs, however turns out to be a story worth listening to, a story of tremendous depth. A precious experience of the ‘strangeness’ one would feel down the vortex of depression.  A fizzing dissonance, repelling a sense of peace during his late teens and early 20’s. A painful hop, and confusing ski...

Bodyboarding takes Argentinian duo, Nico and Marcos, around the world, finally landing 9000 kilometres from home to settle in the slab rich islands, the Canarias, 20 years down the track. They've made families there and we discuss fatherhood, caring for others, dwindling ocean time. We also run into the somewhat conspiratory idea of chemtrails. Interesting convo. Bless these wonderful adventu...

He's paddled the right. Launched the largest of stunts. Considered clown school. Classically trained. And he lives in the universe. Josh Garner.

A previous Grey Space guest, Stephanie Beck, has been wrangling with the big concepts and today catapults us into different thinking - some potential solutions. There's hunger, homelessness and hazard. Are we really living on a planet where natural disaster may become as common as owning a dog? What type of thinking will lead us out of this?

A fast paced, hugely informative, and fun talk through the ins and outs of OCD; also unpacking suicide, with role plays designed to equip us. Such a pleasure to catch up with Jack. BN

These guys walked the tight rope between hilarious and unreal. A special display of real story and real emotional, all jammed into a factory art show like no other. Why did Hardy wake up at 130am, drive 4 hours to The Right, paddle out, paddle into bombs all morning, then return for afternoon tea with his family? "It's been fucken hard, but it's been incredible" - RH Why did Ki...

A somewhat sansei at The Grey Space, Parul discusses world economics, equality, our relationship with nature and our origin: PEACE. A great change of pace and a fun chat. Enjoy. BN

Last week, I caught up for a lovely convo with Lindsay McDougall on ABC radio for a pretty nuanced chat through the upcoming Grey Space Exhibition. I'm publishing it here for context and insight around the Exhibition this Saturday. Buy exhibition tickets here.

Ep 1 guest, art host, bodyboarder, stunning photog and chronic pain guru - Chris Frape. Enjoy this lovely chat with my bud Chris, explaining how we could possibly live with unspeakable pain; plus some tips on how to graciously navigate the pressures of family life.

Sarue walks us through a childhood of abuse, trauma and the emergence of an adulthood full of spark.  How did the spark happen? And how does she deal with her anxiety?

Today we join Emma Bunting in The Grey Space, ep 23 star, diving down into her real feelings about what it's like raising 5 kids, leading YMCA as CEO, supporting her incredible husband through mental health impact.  How is life for her now, in Feb 2023?  What is marriage?  And are there 2 sides to this mental illness coin?  Do the nightmares lead to miracle? Listen to the end of this ep and i...

When have you ever seen Damian King, Mitch Rawlins & Ryan Hardy all in one room talking cutbacks, mind maps and set-backs. What does it look like to put on a bodyboard show in 2023? How do you scrounge together an unlikely gang in order to pull it off? Dobo has a crack at building the story and reflecting on his own journey. We welcome back to the mic, episode 14 guest, Jack Dobinson, to tell...

Ryan's a Jersey / American bodyboarder turned business owner. More importantly, a sweet and open dude who's walked through hell and keen to share his bipolar journey. Some fascinating and strangely comforting parts to this ep. Enjoy. BN

Why do we live worlds apart, in the same world? Why are there walls that seperate us? HIV, Ugandan ghettos, our fucked up system and... A SMILE. A FAMILAR EXPEERIENCE. Sameness and difference. Come play with Shyaka & I. - Brendo

Leaping water, as is the meaning of Talulah's name, isn't far from the truth. Clear, conscious and fiercely engaged, Lula walks us through why she's thinking leaders are more important than bosses, what it looks like in her imagination and what it felt like to get 10 barrels in Melbourne last year.  Lovely few chats on our front deck this week. Listen where ya listen. Cover pic by m...

Daniel is my big brother. My inspiration for bodyboarding & almost every other physical activity in my world. A seasoned entrepreneur, CEO, Founder and IronMan, Daniel has a beautiful n nuanced little family of three kids and his weapon of a wife, outta Noosa currently, where our pod was recorded. Hear about why he moves daily and what he reckons underpins successful business ventures. A beaut...

One of the world's most psycho wave riders, Shane talks us through what originally took him to the heavy lumps; on the fringes of self harm, dreading his next shift in the mines. Shane like to keep to himself, but here he shares a few insights on why he reckons he'd be sweet on an island, by himself, forever. Welcome to Shackerman's world.

Paul's a sweet, kind and engaged human. Maybe not always that way, but certainly life has taught him how to handle, how to grow. Navigating relationship breakdowns and ensuing desire to connect with his kids, a true test and a journey worth listening to. Enjoy. BN

Imagine spending all your formative years locked away with ya fam, no TV, limited schooling, just a record player spinning Bob Dylan, every day. James Bennett, then ran from domestic violence and sheltered at the beach. Flynny's Beach, Port Mac, where he found sanctuary riding Flynny's reef, and watching boog vids when he got a hold of a TV. True to these influences, JB now tours his Dyl...

Fierce flow and misunderstood, Winston gently walks us through the way he has experienced his life. 2 Riptide covers in 3 months, and 20 years on the road, entertaining millions of people. What’s it like? What does he really think? Beautiful moment with seemingly the most well positioned dude on the planet, however his encouragement is to enjoy your own soul, as a spec of dust spinning across this...

Ryan was my and many others' bodyboard icon. Beyond this identity Ryan is an inquisitive, brave, honest and sensitive man. In this ep we walk through managing the life of a performer, with no stage, his insights into fatherhood, domestic life and his weave and flow as a dolphin. Tremendous honour, and a special occasion at Hastings’ dusk-lit Point, comet exploding as a full stop, before the n...

Life in full swing. Biggest wave ever paddled into on a bodyboard. Lifeguard, tourist guide and partner to secret agent, all while navigating the strangling lows and restless highs of bipolar. Pedro is a beautiful dude, with a bloody cool woman - Vanya. Enjoy this episode as we unpack what it's like living and growing through this mental condition. I really enjoyed this one. Love ya Pedro