Don't Look Back Podcast

Ed Kuepper's long and storied career has been about constantly seeking a moment of elusive perfection. His influences largely hark back to his very early childhood which was informed by his parents' record collection and the playlists of Top 40 commercial radio stations. The music that pricked his ears and continues to influence him over the years might have been quite mainstream but always with elements that were distinctively off-kilter and intriguing.

As a writer, broadcaster and artist, Marieke Hardy is bold, intelligent and hilarious. Away from her public life music plays a vital role. From her parent's musical theatre staples to mixtapes made by boyfriends, her relationship with music is equally passionate and ingrained and informs her creative drives in the deepest ways.

The Dead Kennedys' 'Holiday In Cambodia' changed everything for Lou Barlow. With its frenetic and aggressive sound, it showed him what explosive energy and the power of carefully articulated words could achieve.

Spiritual faith and human desires are two strong guiding pillars in Sufjan Steven's life and work. His beliefs are orthodox but he has beautifully unorthodox ways of combining them. Two key songs by two very different artists showed him that the lines between religious praise and human sensuality could be blurred and also naturally exist together.

Lauryn Hill's 'Mystery of Iniquity' changed it all for comedian Felicity Ward. At 27, she went through a series of major life shifts that prompted a spiritual journey. It led her to find Lauryn Hill's music, and one song which reminds her that fearlessness can pave the way for magical experiences.

The Beatles changed The Flaming Lips' frontman's life.

'Cortez the Killer' by Neil Young and 'Rank Strangers' by The Stanley Brothers are the songs that changed it all for Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. The pair have developed a deeply intuitive connection since meeting at college in the early '90s. They even finish each others' sentences. Their music is driven by spontaneous inspiration, the power of the things they leave out, and these two key songs that helped their artistic development.

'Raw Power' by Iggy and The Stooges is the song that changed it all for Gareth Liddiard. After teenage obsessions with Led Zeppelin, The Doors and Dire Straits, The Drones' frontman Gareth Liddiard discovered jazz. One song in particular opened Liddiard's mind to what was truly possible in music.

Don't Look Back tells the stories behind the songs that changed it all. Each week, Caz Tran talks to musicians and people who share the moment a pivotal song showed the way forward for them.