Snacks and Chats

By Leilani Momoisea Dallas & Ben Lawson

What's Snacks and Chats about?

Snacks and Chats.

A serious podcast, with a silly name.

Lani and Ben begin each episode by asking creative New Zealanders how they tackle that loaded question, “Where are you from?” and the stories go from there.

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Snacks and Chats episodes:

06.15.2020
Episode 20: Israel Adesanya
The Snacks and Chats team reunite with the UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Adesanya talks about his “bizarre” fight with Yoel Romero, why he’s looking forward to the Paulo Costa fight, snobbery at the Halberg Awards and his speech that...
06.08.2020
Episode 19: Dan "Hangman" Hooker
“I drive myself insane with this sport. I think about it every minute, of every day. I obsess over it. To be this successful at something, you actually have to obsess over it.” Dan “Hangman” Hooker came into the fight game...
02.19.2020
Episode 18: Genah Fabian
“I won the fight, and I said to all my friends, ‘I’m never doing that again.’ It was terrifying. The anxiety before the fight, the uncertainty, the unknown, it was a totally different feeling to what I’ve experienced before. And...
02.04.2020
Episode 17: Kai Kara-France
“It definitely is a thinking man’s sport. Because if you’re tough - everyone is tough in this sport. If that’s all you have as your strength, you’re not gonna make it.” Flyweight mixed martial artist Kai Kara-France sits down with Lani...
01.28.2020
Episode 16: Eugene Bareman
“For every story like mine, and in New Zealand there’s not many, trust me there’s a thousand fighters that have been before me whose names aren’t in the record books.” In the first Snacks and Chats of 2020 Lani and Ben...
11.18.2018
Episode 15: Chelsea Jade
We’re back with a one-off episode to end the year, with our favourite musician of 2018 - Chelsea Jade. She talks to us about how she almost quit being an artist when she moved to LA, learning not to torture...
04.09.2018
Episode 14: Omar bin Musa
Australian-Malaysian poet, writer, rapper and screenwriter Omar bin Musa is our first international guest. He talks about the experience of growing up brown, Asian and Muslim in Australia and how learning about Muhammad Ali changed the entire course of his...
01.14.2018
Episode 13: Jahra 'Rager' Wasasala
We spoke with Jahra 'Rager' Wasasala shortly after she'd performed her solo 'a world, with your wound in it' and the group show ORCHIDS at the Tempo Dance Festival. She spoke about the come-down after performing such works following years...
12.05.2017
Episode 12: Rose Matafeo
Rose Matafeo talks about living in Ponsonby before and after it was gentrified, going to AGGs, being an afakasi Samoan, making a TV show, being a comedian, going off the pill, missing U Live, definitely winning an Oscar one day...
11.15.2017
Episode 11: JessB
"I went back for the first time in December to Kenya... I got there, and people stare at me even more than they do here, because I’m mixed. Probably that was the biggest learning. There’s probably never gonna be somewhere...
07.17.2017
Episode 10: Josie & T
Josie & T (Josie Oloioto'a & Te Awariki Lardelli) talk about using their vlog to confront casual racism, sexism and homophobia, and the sex-ed they wished they had in high school. They also talk about mental health and the importance...
06.29.2017
Episode 9: TEEKS
TEEKS aka Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi discusses his stunning EP, The Grapefruit Skies, and the impact Māori culture and growing up speaking te reo has had on his life, and his music. “Growing up with the language, but also the whole culture...
05.22.2017
Episode 8: David Dallas
David Dallas talks about his identity as a Samoan/Palagi afakasi growing up in South Auckland and how that shaped him and his music. He talks about being a rap and computer nerd, a music pirate, and how Sirvere and DLT's...
05.15.2017
Episode 7: Israel Adesanya aka "The Stylebender"
Israel Adesanya aka "The Stylebender" chats with Lani and Ben about moving from Nigeria to Rotorura, NZ, and going from a kid who was bullied in school to a professional fighter. They talk a lot about fighting and how that...
05.08.2017
Episode 6: Madeleine Sami
Actor, writer and director Madeleine Sami chats with Lani and Ben about growing up in Onehunga, the clash of cultures there, and how Onehunga High School has influenced her work, and the characters she's played. She discusses her Mum's staunch...
12.12.2016
Episode 5: Kanoa Lloyd
TV3 weather presenter Kanoa Lloyd talks to Lani & Ben about living a gypsy life as a child, the pressure that comes with publicly advocating for te reo Māori in mainstream media, dealing with criticism, being outspoken about abuse, and...
12.05.2016
Episode 4: Raiza Biza
“At this point, I can’t even really communicate with my cousins. My Swahili is so broken, my Kinyarwanda is basically non-existent…the catch 22 is that my parents thought speaking English with us would give us some sort of head-start in...
11.27.2016
Episode 3: Lucy Zee
Creative producer Lucy Zee talks to Lani and Ben about growing up Chinese in small-town New Zealand, needing an apology from the people who made fun of the food she ate as a kid but think they know the good...
11.20.2016
Episode 2: Nate Nauer
“They cut my hair with a machete and gave me a hiding. That was my first day.” Mai FM breakfast host Nate Nauer talks to Lani and Ben about getting kicked out of school and being sent to Samoa as a...
11.09.2016
Episode 1: Katherine Lowe
“Sometimes when I’m driving now, I think to myself, if I make a mistake, or if I drive too slow, or anything, people are going to look in the car and think, “That f******g Asian driver. Typical f*****g woman, Asian...

What's Snacks and Chats about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Snacks and Chats episodes:

Episode 20: Israel Adesanya

Episode 19: Dan "Hangman" Hooker

Episode 18: Genah Fabian

Episode 17: Kai Kara-France

Episode 16: Eugene Bareman

Episode 15: Chelsea Jade

Episode 14: Omar bin Musa

Episode 13: Jahra 'Rager' Wasasala

Episode 12: Rose Matafeo

Episode 11: JessB

Episode 10: Josie & T

Episode 9: TEEKS

Episode 8: David Dallas

Episode 7: Israel Adesanya aka "The Stylebender"

Episode 6: Madeleine Sami

Episode 5: Kanoa Lloyd

Episode 4: Raiza Biza

Episode 3: Lucy Zee

Episode 2: Nate Nauer

Episode 1: Katherine Lowe