Miss Chatelaine

Katie and her guest Michelle ‘Mama Mish’ Sheppard discuss Mish’s work promoting diversity and inclusion in the Victorian Public Service, how diversity and inclusion are tracking at JOY, and how we don’t just have one big ‘gay community’ but many communities within that. Mish asks for and receives an explanation of the name ‘Miss Chatelaine’, and there are songs, too, of course – including a stunning new 40th-anniversary recording of the classic Australian hit ‘Solid Rock’, two western-swing tracks, a couple of seasonally appropriate tunes, and a hilarious new song by Melbourne folk legend Bruce Watson. Here is the playlist:

Solid Rock, Sacred Ground – Goanna ft. Emma Donovan & William Barton

From What I Recall – Melissa Carper

Graceland Too (gender neutral version) – Miki Ratsula

I’M ON THE TRAIN! – Bruce Watson

Aphelion – Ruth Hazleton

Something Good – Felicity Urquhart & Josh Cunningham

Hanukkah Dance – Hiss Golden Messenger

Mary Poppins – Little Green

My Hometown – Finn Twist ft. Sydney Boys’ Choir

Above: Goanna’s ‘Solid Rock, Sacred Ground’ single cover art by Shane Howard with lettering by Steve Thomas

Diversity-and-inclusion consultant, trans advocate and all-round great person Michelle ‘Mama Mish’ Sheppard joins Katie for a vaguely Christmas-themed show that includes gorgeous new covers by Adam Lambert, Paul Kelly and Amy Shark; the beautiful title tracks from new albums by Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit and New Zealand singer-songwriter Jenny Mitchell; and more. Katie and Mish talk about Mish’s professional life and family relationships, and Katie reports on a fabulous Henry Wagons / Lachlan Bryan concert she went to this week. Here is the playlist:

Palomino – First Aid Kit

Ordinary World – Adam Lambert

Tug of War – Jenny Mitchell

Maybe This Christmas – Paul Kelly

The Beast – Jodi Phillis

Are You Awake Love (Anya’s Song) – Felix Riebl with Roscoe James Irwin

Jacarandas – The Northern Folk

Christmas Lights – Amy Shark

Above: Paul Kelly’s Christmas Train album cover design by Peter Salmon-Lomas

Katie plays fabulous new music from previous guests of the show Tanya-Lee Davies, Mick Thomas, Little Green and Jaime Jackett; the late, great Archie Roach; new/recent favourites Katie Thorne, SYML, Lisa Richards and Dan Warner; and a queer New York band who have recently re-established themselves after going viral online. Here is the playlist:

All Around Me – Tanya-Lee Davies

One Song – Archie Roach

Back in the Day – Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission

Team Sports – Katie Thorne

Better Part of Me – SYML ft. Sara Watkins

Iridescent Ghosts – Little Green

Who Got the Key – Lisa Richards

Every Moon Is Blue – Dan Warner & The Night Parrots

Higher Than High – Jaime Jackett

Sweet Friend – The Orion Experience

Above: Tanya-Lee Davies’ Wallflowers EP cover art by Tanya-Lee Davies

Alone in the studio because Betty is away on a gay cruise (!), Katie keeps herself and her listeners company with a great hour of new music by artists from Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Edinburgh, Nashville, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. Here is the playlist:

Deep Is the Way – Gena Rose Bruce ft. Bill Callahan

Checkers – Bonnie Kemplay

The Outskirts – Melody Moko

Numbers Game – Ben De La Cour ft. Becky Warren

Bluebird – Katankin

Life We’ve Built – Portair & Emily James

I’m gonna die with this frown on my face – Ruby Gill

Madeleine – The Dreggs

Earthly Desire – Anita Lester

Chemex – Gabriel Kahane

Above: Katankin’s ‘Bluebird’ single cover art by Helen Catanchin

It’s hard to pick one song that stands out in this hour full of great songs, but the new one by Jen Cloher is simply stunning, as is the accompanying video. Katie is delighted that five out of the nine tracks are by queer female-identifying or non-binary artists. Here is the playlist:

Blow Up the Pokies (Black Stump) – The Whitlams Black Stump Band

We Ran Anyway – Kaiyah Mercedes

Turquoise Love – Mardi Wilson

Samson (live at Sydney Opera House) – Georgia Maq

Mana Takatāpui – Jen Cloher

Holding All the Cards – Melissa Carper

Folk Festival – Laura Jean

Still Good – Andrea Kirwin

Moonglow – The Pearce Collective

Mr Breezy – Sahara Beck

Above: Mardi Wilson’s ‘Turquoise Love’ single cover photograph by Gus Wilson

Still on a high after the premiership win by her AFLW team, the mighty Demons, Katie presents an hour of music by outstanding artists from Australia, Ireland and Finland. Congratulations to them all, especially previous guests Georgia Fields, Monique Clare, Susan O’Neill and Joyce Prescher. Here is the playlist:

It’s a Grand Old Flag (Melbourne Football Club team song) – The Fable Singers

In My Blood – Georgia Fields

The Aeroplane – Tim Minchin

In the Quiet – Monique Clare

Until the Beat Is Gone – Felix Riebl ft. Graham Candy

Meet Me in the Silence – Susan O’Neill

Crackly Radio – Don Hillman

Slow Motion – Joan & The Giants

She (gender neutral version) – Miki Ratsula

Out of My Mind – Joyce Prescher

Above: Tim Minchin’s ‘The Aeroplane’ single cover art by Julia Parisi

Katie welcomes Alice Cotton, a queer indie-folk artist and music therapist from Darwin/Larrakia Country, to the studio for a chat and a couple of live performances. We learn the stories behind Alice’s songs, listen to songs by some of the artists she admires, and hear about the queer scene in Darwin. Here is the playlist:

Nobody Knows – First Aid Kit

All Clear – Clio Renner

We Need to Be Free – Jodi Phillis

You Drive a Hilux – Alice Cotton

Lentils (live in the studio) – Alice Cotton

Final Notice – Leah Flanagan

My Turn – Alice Cotton

Sleeping Dogs (live in the studio) – Alice Cotton

Brighter Than Blue – Carla Geneve

Visit Alice Cotton’s official website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Above: Photo of Alice Cotton and JOY’s life-size Dolly Parton figure by Steph Vitacca – please visit this Miss Chatelaine Facebook photo album for more pics!

Inspiration for the songs in today’s first hour (according to the artists) comes from the poetry of Emily Dickinson, grieving the loss of a deep connection, a classic Australian album, one of the most beautiful areas of a Nova Scotian province, bad timing, breaking the bonds of conformity, concern for the climate crisis, and more. Here is the playlist:

Boundary Road – All Our Exes Live in Texas

I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain – Andrew Bird ft. Phoebe Bridgers

Anything You Like – Winten

Been So Good, Been So Far – Tim Rogers & The Twin Set

South Shore – Moira & Claire

To the Edge – Nigel Wearne ft. Lauren Housley

Well Again – Full Power Happy Hour

Silverbird – Sea Swallow

Smoke and Mirrors – Beckah Amani

Solitary Dreaming – Isabel Rumble

House to House – Matt Andersen

Above: Winten’s ‘Anything You Like’ single cover photography by Ilsa Wynne-Hoelscher Kidd

Following excellent new songs by Sydney band Dog Trumpet, the UK’s Tribes of Europe, and rising young Australian pop artist Hetha, Katie welcomes back to Miss Chatelaine beloved Melbourne-via-NZ singer-songwriter, storyteller and ‘multidimensional unicorn’ Kerryn Fields. Kerryn and Katie chat about the importance of queer visibility, discuss Kerryn’s new music video, and have a bit of a New-Zealand-palooza with tracks by fierce Aotearoa artists Jenny Mitchell, Tami Neilson and Topp Twins. We are also treated to not one, but two live performances by Kerryn. Here is the playlist:

Nina Simone – Dog Trumpet

Fight Fire with Fire? – Tribes of Europe & Barbara Stretch

The Ride – Hetha

Where I’ve Been – Kerryn Fields

Lucy – Jenny Mitchell

Queenie (live in the studio) – Kerryn Fields

Mama’s Talkin’ – Tami Neilson

St Kilda Pier (live in the studio) – Kerryn Fields

Untouchable Girls – Topp Twins

Visit Kerryn Fields’ official website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Above: Photo of Kerryn Fields and Katie by Betty Sujecki – please visit this Miss Chatelaine Facebook photo album for more pics!

The morning after JOY’s fabulous Queer AF gig, Katie eases into herself and her listeners into Sunday morning with beautiful music by artists from Melbourne, Sydney, Japan, California and Nebraska. The songs are about loneliness, breaking up, contentment, heartbreak and more. Here is the playlist:

For the Lonely Ones – Kaiyah Mercedes

Big Sky – The Golden Rail

Stranger – Steph Wood

Burning Holes – Kingswood

Count on Me – Ashe

Running on Sweet Smile – The Milk Carton Kids

Wine Drunk – Katie Thorne

Glimpse of Us – Joji

Time + Space (Molto Bella) – Andrea von Kampen

Above: The Milk Carton Kids’ ‘Running on Sweet Smile’ single cover art