Where do you begin with Tim Rogers? For more than 30 years he has been the soundtrack to our lives. As frontman for You Am I, an acclaimed solo artist and keen collaborator, an actor, author and once even a Double J broadcaster.

He's made a living in more ways than one, and his approach to living has shifted over the years. A long time coming, I invited Tim to Take 5 and explore this idea of a living; what makes a good life, and what it means to be alive. 

And he didn't disappoint.

Tim Rogers' song choices:

• Magic Dirt – Ice
• Jake Thackray – The Bull
• Joni Mitchell – Just Like This Train
• NRBQ – I Want You Bad 
• Martha Wainwright & Linda Thompson – Or Nothing At All

00:39 Tim Rogers introduction 

01:30 Memories of watching Magic Dirt on Rage 

04:21 Magic Dirt — 'Ice'

07:45 Making a living as an artist & mowing lawns

10:31 Jake Thackray explainer

15:00 Jake Thackray— 'The Bull’

21:41 Tim’s later in life love of Joni Mitchell

26:07 Joni Mitchell — 'Just Like This Train'

32:08 Rewriting and revisiting your own songs

33:55 NRBQ explainer & Tim’s obsession

36:27 NRBQ — 'I Want You Bad'

39:05 You Am I ‘Hourly Daily’ anniversary and going pop

46:30 Linda Thompson explainer & inspiring songwriting

53:41 Martha Wainwright & Linda Thompson  — 'Or Nothing At All'

55:20 Conclusion + next week's guest!

Show Notes

To see Tim perform live, check out his tour dates here: https://tim-rogers.com.au/

Comedian Lizzy Hoo has been everywhere the past few years. When she’s not doing stand up, she’s popping up on Have You Been Paying Attention?, and hosting her own podcast The Lizzy Hoo Show.

Lizzy has made travel shows, and is even the voice of an airline. She's one of those people who says YES to life. 

She also has also got a razor sharp wit, and more than a few adventurous tales which is why I invited her to Take 5. 

I didn't realise it'd become a beautiful lesson in how to live.

Lizzy Hoo's song choices:

• Arctic Monkeys — 'Dancing Shoes'
• Journey — 'Don’t Stop Believin’
• The Lemons — 'Monad'
• Snoop Dogg — 'Who Am I (What’s My Name)?'
• Camille — 'Ta Douleur'

00:34 Lizzy Hoo introduction and Take 5 prep

02:40 Music's role in Lizzy's life 

04:53 North America adventures in a $500 car

09:23 Arctic Monkeys — 'Dancing Shoes'

10:45 The Hoo's as a family

13:30 Karaoke in Japan ski towns

16:40 Journey — 'Don’t Stop Believin’

18:13 Music and comedy in Lizzys world

19:50 Moving to Mongolia  

26:30 The Lemons — 'Monad'

29:13 Lizzy's many careers & falling into comedy

37:48 Snoop Dogg — 'Who Am I (What’s My Name)?'

39:50 Lizzy's life update and having broad shoulders

43:06 Turning travel into career 

48:10 Camille — 'Ta Douleur'

49:50 Conclusion + next week's guest!

Show Notes

To see Lizzy perform live on her national tour, check out her dates here: https://www.lizzyhoo.com/

Sophie Ellis-Bextor knows how to fill a dancefloor. Across 8 albums, and a double indemnity hit in "Murder on the Dancefloor", she's made a name for herself as a pop-disco queen. When she’s not on stage or in a recording studio, Sophie is throwing a kitchen disco, hosting her Spinning Plates podcast, and publishing books.

Sophie’s latest album Perimenopop takes stock of where she is today. The lessons learned, the way love evolves, and the place she finds herself. It's through-line is liberation, so I asked her to choose her favourite songs of freedom.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor's song choices:

• Sylvester — 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)'
• Madonna — 'Express Yourself'
• George Michael — 'Freedom 90'
• Sigrid — 'Mine Right Now'
• Prince & the Revolution — 'Let's Go Crazy'

00:34 Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Musical Journey

02:15 Making new music 25 years after debut

04:55 Disco escapism and the queer community support

09:23 Sylvester – 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)'

06:23 Indie rock beginnings and Groovejet 

15:40 Obsession with Madonna and pleasure

13:39 Madonna – 'Express Yourself'

19:08 Is it better for women in pop music now?

22:37 Loving completely and opening for George Michael 

26:32 George Michael – 'Freedom! '90'

27:18 Writing new album and mid life

29:09 Sigrid – 'Mine Right Now'

29:50 Going through Murder on the Dancefloor resurgence 

34:06 The drama of Prince 

35:25 Prince & the Revolution – 'Let's Go Crazy'

38:11 Conclusion, Susan Rogers Prince story + next week's guest!

Show Notes

Check out the Take 5 episode with Prince's sound engineer Susan Rogers!

From bucket list guests to Australian rock royalty and a disco queen, find out who Zan will be Taking 5 with in 2026.

Zan lets you know what's in store for 2026...

It's been a stratospheric rise for comedian, Aaron Chen.

Getting his start in stand-up, he won a heap of fans starring in Fisk, and his charming stint on Taskmaster.

But at the top of his game, he left Australia to start again in New York City.

For his Take 5, Aaron shared one song from a pivotal time in his comedy career.

• Arcade Fire – 'Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)'

This is one of the Best Bits from Take 5. 

You can hear the full episode here:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/take-5/aaron-chen-take-5/105781008

Watch Take 5 on ABC iview: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

If you grew up in Australia in the 1980s then you probably grew up with Young Talent Time.

It was a springboard for so much talent, and one of its biggest stars was Dannii Minogue.

For her Take 5, Dannii shared the one song she loves the most from her sister Kylie Minogue's epic catalogue.

• Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – ‘Kids’

This is one of the Best Bits from Take 5. 

You can hear the full episode here:

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/take-5/dannii-minogue-take-5-catalyst-songs/104419298

Watch Take 5 on ABC iview: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

What do Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Kendrick Lamar have in common? 

Jack Antonoff.

The decorated producer has made a name for himself shaping some of the biggest albums in the world. 

For his Take 5, Jack Antonoff shared how he brings an artist's vision to life.

• Waterboys – The Whole Of The Moon

This is one of the Best Bits from Take 5. 

You can hear the full episode here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/take-5/jack-antonoff-take-5-turning-points/103591368

Irish artist CMAT has got it all: the voice, the songwriting talent, the charm.

Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, (aka CMAT), has been shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize and counts Elton John as a fan. 

Her Euro-Country songs capture heartbreak with a healthy dose of humour, which is why she gravitated towards country music in the first place. 

• Gary Stewart – 'She’s Actin' Single (I’m Drinkin' Doubles)'

This is one of the Best Bits from Take 5. 

You can hear the full episode here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/take-5/cmat-take-5-suckerpunch-songs/104404882

Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes has lived quite the life.

Hitting Number 1 around the world in 1997 with their debut album, he recently shared what was going on behind the scenes at that time, in his beautiful and devastating memoir, Unlovable.

When he joined Zan Rowe to Take 5 back in 2024, he shared a whole new side of one of Australia's biggest stars.

• Peter Gabriel - 'Love To Be Loved'

This is one of the Best Bits from Take 5. 

You can hear the full episode here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/take-5/darren-hayes-take-5-love-songs/104604586