Snacks and Chats

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 of strong platonic relationships, the impact of religion and culture on their lives, and the epic story of how they finally formed an IRL friendship.

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 of being Māori – singing, or being musically inclined - is just a part of being Māori as well. It’s a given ay, it’s like a pre-requisite, if you’re Māori you have to know how to sing, do kapa haka and write songs and perform.”

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 The True School on Max TV influenced and informed his knowledge of rap. He also goes deep about his latest album Hood Country Club, why long time collaborators Fire & Ice were tougher on him this album, and why the album was more difficult to write than others.

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 relates to life and his love of dance, why he chose fighting over dancing, his recent fights, the prospect of fighting in the UFC, who will win in the Mayweather v McGregor fight and keeping a winners mentality even after tough losses.

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 insistence on repping her Irish ancestry and how her South Auckland identity may have overshadowed her Fiji/Indian identity earlier on in life. They also talk about the role race and gender plays in the kind of work that's available to her and why it can be necessary to create the roles you want to play for yourself.

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 how starting out in children’s TV taught her valuable lessons about writing and presenting the weather.

And, what may be a first in Snacks and Chats history - everyone actually eats snacks during their chats!!

“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 life.”

From Rwanda to Hamilton, Raiza Biza traces the steps of how his family came to New Zealand, talks about the years it took to adjust to life here, the lingering guilt of feeling like he’s not doing enough, and the importance of advocating for women’s rights and equality. He also talks to Lani and Ben about the creative community in Hamilton and how travel has aided in his observational style of music.

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 dumpling spots on Dominion Road, running away from strict family life, the beauty of being able to speak Cantonese and the difficulties of dealing with sexism in the entertainment industry.

Also, memes. So much talk about memes, pop-culture references, in-jokes, awkwardness and the Who Is Ben Lawson origin story.

“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 kid to be straightened out. He discusses getting beaten up at Samoa College, the culture shock of moving there, and the struggle of coming back and having to adjust to life in New Zealand, and how he went from being a forklift driver to being one of the most recognisable voices on commercial radio. It ends with a friendly parting shot at Jono and Ben for good measure. This time Ben Lawson is also on the mic, and Lani remembered to bring the snacks.

“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 driver.”

Blogger and model booker Katherine Lowe talks to Lani and Ben about growing up Chinese in New Zealand, why she used to wish she was white, casual racism from strangers and friends, travelling to China for the first time, why blogging and the fashion industry sometimes feels silly and learning to be happy.