STAUNCH.

Madeleine Madden has played many roles across her acting career, but a character she never falls out of is advocate. A tireless backer of First Nations charities, cheerleader for her peers, and keen listener to the wisdom of others, Madeleine's energy spreads through her work. You might have seen it in shows like Wheel of Time or Redfern Now.

In her conversation with Travis De Vries, she explores her different modes of storytelling — from stage to screen and from the front of the camera to behind it — and how her creative practice relies on the decisions of others. Trusting herself, the process, and the input of her collaborators is essential to the job. Madeleine also reflects on the legendary Bla(c)k artists she grew up with, and how culture and creative practice are intrinsically linked... regardless of medium.

Madeleine's success is shaped by how she listens, who she embodies, and what she can learn from those around her. In this conversation, it becomes clear those skills are essential even when she's not in character.

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

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STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/

Find out more: https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch

KIZ is a proud Palawa artist from Lutruwita/Trouwerner whose music is grounded in raw storytelling, vulnerability and the experiences that have shaped him.

In this episode of STAUNCH., KIZ joins Travis De Vries to talk about writing, where his words come from, and the process of turning lived experience into hip hop. From freestyling with mates as a teenager to developing his own voice as an artist, the conversation explores the work that sits behind honest writing, and the people, places and relationships that continue to push his practice forward.

That same belief that creativity is something shared extends beyond KIZ’s own music. Through Seventhree, the multimedia creative hub he founded in Lutruwita, he is building infrastructure around the community that helped build him: putting on shows, creating opportunities for other artists, running workshops and working towards an accessible studio where young people can make music with the support of mentors.

This conversation moves between individual ambition and collective growth, asking what becomes possible when success isn't only about finding your own way through, but creating somewhere for others to begin.

Dobby is a Filipino and Murrawarri rapper, drummer, composer and producer whose work moves between hip hop, classical composition, protest, storytelling and his unmistakable style of “drapping”. Following the ARIA-winning WARRANGU: River Story, Dobby returns to STAUNCH. to talk about his new album, MARSHMALLOW.

This time, the conversation turns inward. Dobby unpacks an album shaped by play, nostalgia, the parts of ourselves we carry forward from childhood, and what happens when an artist known for carrying significant cultural and political weight gives himself permission to explore another side of his practice.

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoyed this episode.

STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/

Find out more: https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch

Shal is a Bundjalung multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, photography, music, and tattooing. His distinctive visual language has seen him exhibit across Australia and internationally, with work that is deeply informed by Country, observation, and lived experience.

In this episode of STAUNCH., Shal joins Travis De Vries for a conversation about the relationship between art and Country, and how creative practice can become a way of paying closer attention to both. They explore the role of intuition in making work, the influence of punk and DIY culture, and the way tattooing, painting, and music have each shaped Shal's understanding of process.

Rather than searching for a signature style, Shal reflects on the value of remaining open — allowing materials, landscapes, and lived experience to guide the work as it unfolds. This is a conversation about observation, patience, and discovering that some of the most meaningful creative work comes not from having the answers, but from learning how to listen.

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoyed this episode.

STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/

Find out more: https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch

trials is one of the defining figures in Australian hip-hop. As a producer, rapper, multi-instrumentalist and one half of A.B. Original, his work has shaped the sound of the genre for more than two decades. With the release of hendle, his first solo album, he turns that attention inward for the first time.

Recorded following Travis De Vries' review of hendle and the album's Sydney launch, this conversation moves beyond the record itself to explore what it means to finally become the subject of your own work. Together, they discuss storytelling, vulnerability, fatherhood, sobriety, production, and why some stories can only be told after a lifetime of learning how to tell them.

Rather than revisiting a career already written into Australian music history, this episode asks a different question: why did this album need to exist now?

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoyed this episode.

STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/

Find out more: https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch

Rudi Bremer is a Gamilaraay broadcaster, journalist, and the host and producer of AWAYE! on ABC Radio National, where she has spent years championing First Nations arts, culture, literature, music, and language.

After beginning her career in community radio, Rudi developed a rare perspective on broadcasting — from producing interviews and documentaries to understanding the inner workings of Australia's national broadcaster.

This episode of Staunch explores the craft and responsibility of First Nations journalism. Rudi and Travis unpack what makes a story worth telling, the difference between reporting and storytelling, and the quiet editorial decisions that shape how audiences come to understand culture.

Moving well beyond the mechanics of journalism, this conversation reflects on curiosity, trust, language, criticism, and the role of public broadcasters in documenting First Nations creative life. It is a thoughtful discussion about who gets to tell stories, how they should be told, and why preserving complexity is more important than chasing certainty.

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoyed this episode.

STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/⁠ Find out more: ⁠https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch⁠

Tristan Field is a Sri Lankan and First Nations musician, producer, and creative leader whose life has been shaped by an enduring commitment to craft. A descendant of the Walbunga people of the South Coast of New South Wales and the Bidjigal/Dharrawal people of La Perouse, Tristan has spent years building a career that moves between performance, production, cultural leadership, and community.

In this episode Tristan sits down with Travis De Vries for a conversation about guitar, practice, and the lifelong pursuit of improvement. What begins as a discussion about tone and musicianship expands into something deeper — an exploration of discipline, recovery, and the quiet determination required to keep moving forward after trauma.

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoyed this episode.

STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/
Find out more: https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earl Weir is a Boon Wurrung / Wurundjeri singer-songwriter, community builder, and frontman of alternative indie-rock outfit Krystal Rivvers. In this episode, Earl reflects on the roads that have shaped him to finding his place within Sydney’s music scene.

Known for blending poetic grit with an ethereal approach to songwriting, Earl’s work moves through themes of culture, hardship, loss, connection, and the fleeting moments that stay with us long after they’ve passed. Through his music with Krystal Rivvers, he creates songs that feel less like performances and more like shared experiences.

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoyed this episode.

STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/
Find out more: https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mat Fink is a Gomeroi tattoo artist, cultural practitioner, and founder of Something Original, whose work has helped reshape conversations around identity, ceremony, and contemporary Indigenous design. In this episode Mat reflects on the culture of tattooing, the challenges of building spaces and the decision to take a break. 

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoyed this episode.

STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/
Find out more: https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Alethea Beetson is a Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi and Wiradjuri storyteller, writer, director and cultural force whose work has reshaped the possibilities of contemporary First Nations creativity.

In this episode of STAUNCH., Alethea reflects on building bold platforms for story, celebration, and community through projects such as Digi Youth Arts and Blak Social.

This conversation explores leadership, creative ambition, structural change, and what it means to move beyond the expectations others place on you. Alethea shares her perspective on challenging institutions, nurturing the next generation, and building work that leaves the ground changed after it passes through.

Hosted by Travis De Vries.

Please subscribe to our channel if you enjoyed this episode.

STAUNCH. is produced by Awesome Black — a creative studio committed to transforming contemporary culture through a First Nations perspective.

Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/awesomeblack.studio/
Find out more: https://awesomeblack.studio/staunch

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.