Don't Give Up

Danny met Chris Melville twenty five years ago when they were both regularly performing at The Temple Bar in Auckland’s CBD.  Chris didn’t realise he was playing an important role in Danny’s career, giving Danny lots of great advice about how to build a career in the arts.  They went on to collaborate on several projects together and now, after having not seen each other for a few years, they have reconnected to record this episode of the podcast.  This one goes deep.  Enjoy!

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Danny first met Jenni Smith when he was tutoring guitar at Auckland University.  Jenni was a first-year student on the Popular Music course and years later, Jenni is now celebrating a recent chart placement and is working hard promoting her new, upbeat single ‘T-Shirt’.  A proud ‘Swifty’, Jenni developed a fascination with pop and country music when she was young and has spent the years since learning to play a variety of instruments, while developing her songwriting skills.  

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Mike Baker is a songwriter who was involved with the Flying Nun scene in the late 80s (primarily with the band Not Really Anything) before relocating to Sydney to manage bands and create a career as a chef, including cooking for White Stripes, Dandy Warhols, Henry Rollins, Boss Hogg, Lloyd Cole and many others, before returning to NZ. He’s now got a debut EP out under the name BAkeR.

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Originally from Canada, Joanne currently holds the position of Director, Artistic Planning & Participation, at New Zealand Opera in Auckland, New Zealand where she has been a department head since 2014.  On this episode the two musicians talk about craft, technique, the business of music and they discuss the differences and the similarities between their careers.  Find out more about Joanne and New Zealand Opera at www.nzopera.com

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cIK_3xtfHBY

 www.dontgiveup.co.nz

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Graham Reid has been an important part of the fabric of the New Zealand music scene for several decades.  He’s a journalist, an author, a writer and a music reviewer who has consistently delivered intelligent and well-considered perspectives, with class and integrity.  He’s written for Metro Magazine, The Listener and the New Zealand Herald (back when it was good) as well as his legendary website Elsewhere.co.nz  Graham knows his stuff and isn’t afraid to speak honestly.  He also happens to be a cool guy!

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UFXVDSIffn4

www.dontgiveup.co.nz

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Danny sits down with bandmates Jasper de Roos and Dan Antunovich to discuss how The Beatles and Covid initiated the creation of their band Noise Play and how they produced their new album Junk.  They discuss the success and failure of their 2021 theatre show, recording the drums for one song with only three mics, the guest performances by Mark Steven, Stephen Small and Eddie Rayner and they also talk musicianship, song writing, session work, live performance, and their unique approach to recording the album. 

Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ehtXV8otIDg

www.dontgiveup.co.nz

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In a past life Jody Garrett managed record stores.  Now he’s the General Manager of DRM (Digital Rights Managers), New Zealand’s go to aggregator for digital music releases.  We have an in-depth conversation about the streaming platforms and navigating a music career in the digital age.  

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Podcast cofounder and Opshop drummer Bobby Kennedy is back to talk about the rebranding of the podcast, grieving his music career, societal divisions and Indiana Jones.

 Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ueh8rYaE9cQ

 www.dontgiveup.co.nz

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Scott Parker from The Boondocks travels in from the sticks to talk about moustaches, kids’ toys, vocal techniques, surviving with no money, living with Tourette’s, Tall Poppy syndrome and 1980s TV Shows.  

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I recently sat down with Rodney Fisher and chatted about the beginnings of Goodshirt, getting bottled at his first Auckland gig, how Goodshirt recorded their albums themselves before everyone else was doing it, the making of their iconic music videos, his work with Breaks Co-Op and how and why he made his new solo album Art School Dropout.  

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