Take 5

Vika and Linda Bull are national treasures.

From their early days singing backing vocals with Joe Camilleri and The Black Sorrows to breaking out on their own with acclaimed records, they're part of the very fabric of Australian music, and they do it all in harmony. Their voices have soundtracked decades of Australian life, but it's the story behind those voices that makes them extraordinary.

Growing up in the Melbourne suburb of Doncaster, they lived between two worlds: ordinary suburban school life during the week, and the rich, Tongan culture of their mother's homeland every Sunday at church. It was there, surrounded by four-hour services of soaring Tongan choral singing, that they learned harmony, not through formal lessons, but by feeling the floor vibrate beneath them. Their mother, a Tongan nurse who married an Australian man, taught them their parts at age five: Vika the high, Linda the low. A split that would define their sound for the next four decades.

Their career path was never straightforward. They started in their own band before taking a deliberate side step to join The Black Sorrows as backing vocalists; a six-year apprenticeship under Joe Camilleri that taught them everything from studio technique to stagecraft. It was Vika's voice on "Chained to the Wheel" that transformed the song, and the band's fortunes. But eventually, the pull to tell their own stories became too strong. A difficult conversation with Joe, encouragement from Paul Kelly to try writing, and a year of Thursday afternoon songwriting sessions set them on a new path.

This year, they released an incredibly personal new album reflecting on identity, culture, and mid-life (Where Do You Come From?). They were also inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, an honour that still bewilders two women who started as "a couple of backing singers."

This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe at Bakehouse Studios in Melbourne, a rehearsal room the Bull sisters know intimately. They were warm, funny, and deeply emotional in exploring their extraordinary life across five songs.

Vika and Linda Bull's song choices: 

• The Maopa Choir and Band - 'Halleluia Chorus (from The Messiah)'
• The Rolling Stones - 'Gimme Shelter'
• Bob Marley and The Wailers - 'Could You Be Loved'
• The Finn Brothers - 'Edible Flowers'
• The Staple Singers - 'Respect Yourself'

00:00 Introduction: Vika and Linda Bull, National Treasures

01:55 Childhood in Doncaster: Singing at Church at Five Years Old

04:15 First Song: The Maopa Choir and Band, 'Halleluia Chorus (from The Messiah)' 

07:11 Two Worlds: Suburban Doncaster and Tongan Culture

14:15 Visiting Tonga: "One of the Best Times of My Life"

15:51 Second Song: The Rolling Stones, 'Gimme Shelter'

20:58 Chained to the Wheel: Stepping Up in The Black Sorrows

23:21 Leaving The Black Sorrows: "We Gotta Give It a Crack"

27:44 Third Song: Bob Marley and The Wailers, 'Could You Be Loved'

30:48 Paul Kelly: "You Should Try Writing Songs"

35:21 The New Album: "Not Scared Anymore"

37:18 The Memoir: Finding the Confidence to Tell Their Story

38:46 The Punk and the Prefect: "Sisters First, Singer Second"

41:15 Fourth Song: The Finn Brothers, 'Edible Flowers'

45:06 Tim and Neil Finn: Sibling Harmony and Songwriting Lessons

47:23 Final Song: The Staple Singers, 'Respect Yourself'

51:38 ARIA Hall of Fame: "We Never Thought That Would Happen"

54:29 Zan's Wrap-Up: Season 5 Finale

This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now.

Watch this episode of Take 5 on ABC iview 

Genesis Owusu is one of Australia's most thrilling new artists.

Born Kofi Owusu-Ansah, he immigrated to Canberra with his family when he was just two years old. Almost immediately he felt like an odd one out. And he used that feeling to get weird.

20 odd years later, his music, visuals, and storytelling has resonated with millions. He's won the ARIA for Album of the Year twice (first for Smiling with No Teeth in 2021, and then with Struggler in 2023), and leads the nominations again this year for his third album, Redstar Wu & the Worldwide Scourge. All across the world people sing his praises. Barack Obama has a Genesis song on his summer playlist ('Gold Chains'). And he's done it all, his way.

Genesis Owusu's song choices: 

• Cibo Matto - 'Birthday Cake'
• N.E.R.D. - 'Rock Star'
• Lupe Fiasco - 'American Terrorist [Ft. Matthew Santos]'
• Prince - 'All the Critics Love U in New York'
• Tyler, The Creator - 'I Think'

00:00 Introduction: From Ghana to ARIA Award-Winning Musician

02:06 Early Life: Family, Music, and Immigrating to Canberra

04:50 First song: Cibo Matto, 'Birthday Cake' & Jet Set Radio Future

06:35 "Ugly Was Also to Be Appreciated": Why Every Album Opens Abrasive

07:23 The Biggest Creative Influence: Jet Set Radio Future & Video Game Soundtracks

09:29 First Ever Favorite Song: Wu Tang Clan, 'Gravel Pit' (via the Original Xbox)

11:35 Second song: N.E.R.D, 'Rock Star' & Finding His Identity

20:08 The Tree Dream: A One-Man Band Playing to All the School Kids

21:34 First Rap: The Ansah Brothers & Parents' Reaction

25:35 Third song: Lupe Fiasco, 'American Terrorist' & Political Awakening

35:33 Fourth song: Prince, 'All the Critics Love U in New York' & Making Smiling With No Teeth

41:47 Winning the ARIA for Album of the Year

46:14 Side Quests: Learning New Skills Beyond Music

49:41 Fifth song: Tyler, The Creator, 'I Think' & The Power of the Album

51:32 Solange's Unsung Influence on Music Videos

54:59 Fear of Stagnation & Staying True to the 10-Year-Old's Mission

57:55 Wrap-Up & Next Episode Preview of Vika & Linda Bull

This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now.

Watch this episode of Take 5 on ABC iview 

Take 5: live in record stores

This November, we're heading into record stores with some very special guests - and we want you to come along.

Zan Rowe will visit four record stores in New South Wales and Victoria to record rare, intimate live episodes of the Take 5 podcast, which celebrates 20 years in 2026.

She's pulled out the Rolodex for this one, convincing Aussie legends The Presets, Dan Sultan, Kate Miller-Heidke, and her old mate John Butler to come along for the ride.

Find out all the details here.

Lainey Wilson is a force of nature.

Raised in the tiny farming town of Baskin, Louisiana (population 170) she grew up between corn fields and country radio, where music wasn't a genre but a way of life. From writing her first song at nine years old to hauling a camper trailer to Nashville at 19, her path to becoming one of country music's biggest stars was anything but overnight. It took a decade of hustle, a Hannah Montana wig, and an unshakable belief that if she could just get one opportunity, she could do the rest.

Now she's selling out arenas across the world, winning back-to-back CMA Entertainer of the Year awards, starring in Yellowstone, and counting Dolly Parton as a friend who called her "sister." Through it all, her southern charm and small-town values remain her compass; ride horses, sit on the front porch with your dogs, and never forget who you are.

This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe. Lainey was warm, funny, and generous in sharing her extraordinary journey across five songs. The theme that emerged was clear: staying grounded is a choice you make every day, and being yourself is the bravest thing you can do.

Lainey Wilson's song choices: 

• Mel McDaniel - 'Louisiana Saturday Night'
• Lee Ann Womack - 'I Hope You Dance'
• CCR - 'Lookin' Out My Back Door'
• Brothers Osborne - 'I'm Not For Everyone'
• Tim McGraw - 'Humble and Kind'

00:00 If Dolly Parton Believes in Me, Then I'm Fine

00:24 From Yellowstone to CMA Entertainer of the Year: "Cowgirl of the Night"

00:52 Daddy's Wisdom: "If You Tell All Your Business, You Ain't Got None"

02:44 First song: Mel McDaniel, 'Louisiana Saturday Night'

09:24 Nine Years Old in Nashville: "This Feels Like Home"

12:43 The Hannah Montana Impersonator: Five Years of Birthday Parties

14:39 Second song: Lee Ann Womack, 'I Hope You Dance'

19:00 Nashville Is a 10-Year Town and It Was Spot On

20:13 19 Years Old, 2011: A Camper Trailer Hauled to Nashville

23:19 Heart Like a Truck: The Breakthrough Single

25:59 Third song: CCR, 'Looking Out My Back Door'

30:13 Yellowstone, Grammys, and CMA Entertainer of the Year: "Since Taylor Swift"

30:49 "My Mind Is Always Racing": ADHD and the Song 'Can't Sit Still'

33:00 Fourth song: Brothers Osborne, 'I'm Not For Everyone'

37:52 TJ Coming Out as Gay: "Is Country Becoming More Welcoming?"

42:01 Fifth song: Tim McGraw, 'Humble and Kind'

45:09 Writing a Letter to Tim McGraw at 18: "All I Need Is an Opportunity"

47:07 Mama Meeting Dolly: "You're Like My Sister"

49:13 New Album: "Showing a Different Side and Pushing the Boundaries"

50:51 Zan's Wrap-Up: "I Could Listen to Her Speak All Day Long"

51:11 Watch Take 5 With Shania Twain on ABC iview

51:22 Next Time: Genesis Owusu

51:58 From Ghana to Canberra: "We Don't Have Time for the Honey and the Dress-Ups"

52:21 Season 5 of Take 5 With Zan Rowe. Stream on ABC iview

This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now.

Watch this episode of Take 5 on ABC iview 

Jacinda Ardern is a history-maker.

As Prime Minister of New Zealand at 37, she became only the second woman in the world to give birth while in office. But it was her leadership style that defined her time at the top, leading with empathy and kindness in the face of back-to-back tragedies, and showing the strength of coming together.

From growing up in small-town New Zealand singing country and western duets with her sister at the local community hall, to raging to Smashing Pumpkins in her first car with a discman plugged into the cassette deck, Ardern's musical taste has always been eclectic and deeply personal. She's the teenager who loved alternative music and heavy metal while being a dedicated student rep raised in the Mormon faith, and the world leader who chose a drum and bass track as her walk-on song.

Her career path was never straightforward. She ran from the possibility of becoming a politician, buying a one-way ticket to New York to escape the suggestion she should run for office. But a sense of responsibility (what she calls her "oversized sense of duty"), kept pulling her back. In 2017, everything changed in a single year: a by-election, deputy leadership, then the top job itself, all while secretly pregnant. She led her country through the Christchurch mosque shootings, the Whakaari White Island eruption, and a global pandemic, all while insisting that being human is not a weakness.

This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe at the Australian Chamber Orchestra's studios on Sydney Harbour. Jacinda caught the ferry to the location, rolling up without any entourage, proving just how down-to-earth she is. She was candid, emotional, and generous in exploring her extraordinary life across five songs. The theme that emerged was clear: optimism as a courageous act, and the enduring power of being useful.

Jacinda Ardern's song choices: 

• Smashing Pumpkins - 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings'
• Fat Freddy's Drop - 'Wandering Eye'
• Cat Stevens - 'Peace Train'
• The Mountain Goats - 'This Year'
• Shapeshifter - 'Stars'

00:00 Introduction: Jacinda Ardern Made History

00:54 "They Are Us": Leading with Empathy and Kindness

05:11 Song One: Smashing Pumpkins, 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings'

08:01 Teenage Angst: Rage Against the Machine, Metallica, Pantera, Nine Inch Nails

15:04 Song Two: Fat Freddy's Drop, 'Wandering Eye'

15:46 Sworn In as PM: Fat Freddy's Drop Playing on Parliament Steps

21:25 Cognitive Dissonance: Progressive Politics and the Church

22:02 Leaving the Church: "Something Had to Give"

25:39 Secretly Pregnant During Coalition Negotiations

27:49 Song Three: Cat Stevens, 'Peace Train'

28:55 Yusuf Islam Coming to New Zealand After the March 15 Terror Attack

33:13 The Christchurch Mosque Shootings: Finding Out in Bits

34:47 "Simply a Human Response": Why Emotion Isn't Weakness

37:25 "A Sadness I'll Carry for the Rest of My Life"

38:21 Song Four: The Mountain Goats, 'This Year'

41:19 Christchurch, Whakaari, COVID: "It Was Relentless"

45:43 "Nothing Left in the Tank"

46:54 "I Am Human. Politicians Are Human."

49:10 Song Five: Shapeshifter, 'Stars'

52:06 The Coffee Date with Clarke: Surprising Each Other

56:10 "15-Year-Old Jacinda Would Be Very Surprised. But I Think She'd Be Proud."

58:29 Zan's Wrap-Up: The Only World Leader with Drum and Bass as a Walk-On Song

58:44 Filmed at the ACO Studios on Sydney Harbour

59:10 Next Time: Lainey Wilson

59:55 Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe. Stream on ABC iview

This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now.

Watch this episode of Take 5 on ABC iview

David Byrne is a music icon.

With Talking Heads, or his many wild collaborations, and as an acclaimed solo artist, he's continually pushed the boundaries of sound, crafting some of the most iconic live performances of our time.

Over five decades, he's never stopped asking why. His curiosity has driven an extraordinary creative life that stretches way beyond music: on canvas, in writing, filmmaking, composing musicals. He's even designed bike racks.

From hearing Bob Dylan's mysterious words on a tiny radio and discovering James Brown's interlocking grooves, to forming Talking Heads at the Rhode Island School of Design and moving to New York's CBGB scene, Byrne has always followed his curiosity wherever it leads. He wrote his very first song, "Psycho Killer," as a test to see if he could write one at all, and it became an instant classic.

His collaborations read like a who's who of music history: Brian Eno, Arthur Russell, Parliament-Funkadelic, and even Celia Cruz. His 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense with Jonathan Demme remains one of the most celebrated live performances ever captured. And decades later, he's still rearranging his classic songs, finding new meaning in them, sometimes discovering, as with "Life During Wartime," that they feel more real and more close than ever.

This episode was filmed for Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe in a recording studio in Sydney while David Byrne was in Australia touring over the 2025/26 summer. He was jubilant, fascinating, and so generous in exploring his huge life across five songs. As a lifelong DB fan, the theme was clear: curiosity. And as David himself says, the answers don't come in the songs. They come in the live shows, in how we perform and how we are with one another.

David Byrne's song choices:

• James Brown - 'Get On the Good Foot'
• Joubert Singers - 'Stand On The Word' (Larry Levan mix)
• Celia Cruz - 'Cucala'
• James Blake - 'The Wilhelm Scream'
• Caetano Veloso - 'Tropicalia'

00:00 Introduction: A Lifetime of Asking Questions

02:01 Meet David Byrne: Icon, Collaborator, Polymath

02:33 Extended Cut. Watch on ABC iview

02:55 The Theme: Curiosity and the Songs That Spark It

03:25 A Tiny Radio, The Byrds, and the Mysterious Words of Bob Dylan

04:45 James Brown: 'Get On the Good Foot'

05:09 Interlocking Puzzles: "I Treat Every Instrument as a Percussion Instrument"

05:34 The Social Metaphor of Funk. A Penny Drop Moment Decades Later

07:12 First Time Seeing James Brown Live: The Dancing Women Who Weren't Singing

08:37 Art School and Music as a Hobby: "Don't Get Your Hopes Up"

09:23 Rhode Island School of Design: Meeting Chris Frantz

09:52 Putting a Band Together and Writing the First Songs

10:39 Why Write Songs at All? "Just to See If You Could"

11:04 Writing "Psycho Killer" as a Test. And People Liked It

11:31 "Check That Box. I Can Write a Song."

12:12 Influences: James Brown, Disco, Bowie, and the Velvet Underground

12:54 Moving to New York: CBGB, Television, and Patti Smith

13:47 MTV and "Once in a Lifetime": Going Back to Art School for Music Videos

14:26 Joubert Singers: 'Stand On The Word' (Larry Levan mix)

14:53 Gospel in a Disco Club: The Shared Transcendence of Dance and Church

16:31 Hearing Talking Heads in the Clubs: "We've Been Validated"

17:11 My Life in the Bush of Ghosts: When the DJ Picked It

18:00 Losing Yourself: The Body Perceives Music Before the Mind

19:25 Trust and Surrender on the Dance Floor

20:01 Celia Cruz: 'Cucala'

20:41 The Latin Club Down the Street from CBGB

21:06 Dance Music Played Live: Salsa, Hips, and Sensuous Rhythms

21:56 Celia Cruz's Voice: "It Cuts Through Everything"

22:36 A Pinch-Yourself Moment: Recording a Song with Celia Cruz

23:12 Different Worlds: Spangly Outfits, Huge Hairdos, and Skinny Jeans

23:50 Collaborators Expanding: Arthur Russell's Cello Arrangement of "Psycho Killer"

24:44 Adding Parliament-Funkadelic Members: The Universe Keeps Growing

25:23 James Blake: 'The Wilhelm Scream'

26:03 Minimalism: "You Don't Have to Keep Piling Everything On"

26:51 Brian Eno vs. James Blake: Learning to Strip Things Down from a Song

27:18 Seeing James Blake Live and Discovering He's "a Great Singer"

27:43 James Blake the Producer: Pulling Things Apart and Stitching Them Back Together

27:58 Stop Making Sense: Showing the Audience How the Sausage Is Made

28:20 "You're Playing to Tracks, Aren't You?" Proving It's All Live

28:45 Breaking a Song Apart Onstage: One Instrument at a Time

29:09 Wireless Instruments and Witchcraft

29:21 Caetano Veloso: 'Tropicalia'

30:27 Caetano Celebrating Everything: "We Can Say Yes to All These Things"

30:50 A Mentor Who Keeps Evolving: "I Want to Be Able to Do That"

31:59 Political Messages in Flower Language: Getting Ideas Past the Censors

32:35 Learning from Caetano and Celia Cruz: Protest Songs Don't Have to Shout

32:58 "Years Ago, I Was an Angry Man"

33:31 Rearranging the Old Songs: They're Recognisable, But the Meaning Changes

33:57 Playing "Life During Wartime" Today: "It Seems Too Real, Too Close"

34:46 Licensing News Footage: "It Takes Your Breath Away"

35:17 Songs That Evolve Personally and Globally. Communion in Concert

36:32 What an Absolute Joy: David Byrne Across Five Songs

36:56 Next Time: Jacinda Ardern

37:31 Season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe. Stream on ABC iview

This episode was filmed for season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now.

Watch this episode of Take 5 on ABC iview: 

When you look back at the Australian artists who've made their mark internationally, Savage Garden are right up there. 

Two guys from Brisbane who went Number 1 around the world, cracked the notoriously tough U.S. market and sold nearly 30 million albums with hits like 'I Want You', 'To The Moon And Back', and 'Truly Madly Deeply'.

 They may have only been together for two albums, but the legacy of their pop breakthrough continues, as does frontman Darren Hayes' incredible story.

While he was sailing the highs of global fame, behind the scenes, Darren was dealing with a fractured band relationship, battling depression, and in the closet, unable to be truly himself. 

As a now proudly out gay man, he continues to sing his stories as a solo artist, but the road hasn't always been smooth sailing. 

Growing up in Logan, Queensland, the youngest of three in a home shadowed by severe domestic violence, who could have predicted that this sensitive kid who loved to sing would one day stand on the world's biggest stages?

Darren's story is extraordinary: 250 rejection letters before anyone would sign Savage Garden, a manager who mortgaged his home to make it happen, and a partnership with Daniel Jones that produced some of the most iconic pop of the '90s before it all came crashing down. There have been plenty of lows too; being told by his own record company to hide who he was, the sudden loss of his mother, and a terrifying accident that shattered his jaw and nearly ended his singing career for good. But Darren Hayes is back, and he's got stories.

This episode was captured at Chaplin Studios in Los Angeles, which was the building originally built by Charlie Chaplin, later home to A&M Records, and the exact room where "We Are the World" was recorded (Quincy Jones directing Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Cyndi Lauper, and a room full of legends). It's a space steeped in music history, and if you believe the people who work there, a few ghosts as well. It was the perfect place to sit down with Darren and travel through a life defined by music, survival, and healing.

Darren Hayes' song choices: 

• The Dream Academy - 'Life in a Northern Town'
• HAIM - 'Hallelujah'
• Young The Giant - 'The Walk Home'
• Coldplay - 'O'
• Maisie Peters – 'Two Weeks Ago'

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene at Chaplin Studios

02:31 The History of Chaplin Studios: From Charlie Chaplin to A&M Records

04:00 Karen Carpenter's Ghost and the Sacred Walls

05:13 The Theme: Songs of Healing and Music Saving a Life

05:41 Growing Up with Domestic Violence in Logan, Queensland

06:05 Music as Escape: AM Radio, The Carpenters, and Auntie Jenny's Records

06:56 Learning to Sing from Diana Ross and His Mother's Voice

08:01 The Dream Academy - 'Life in a Northern Town'

08:50 Catharsis Through Melancholy and the Sentimentality of Childhood

10:52 Transitions: Missing His Siblings and "The Morning Lasted All Day"

12:12 The End of High School and Not Wanting to Grow Up

14:23 Growing Up in Logan: Feeling Like a Prince Despite Poverty

15:12 A Hyper-Masculine World and Making Star Wars Toys Kiss

15:44 Deciding He Was Famous at Age Ten: Protective Armor Against Bullying

16:38 Being Called the F Word by His Father Before He Knew What It Meant

18:05 Either Be Famous and Magical, or Die

18:27 His Job Was to Keep His Mother Alive

19:21 Hockey Sticks and Midnight Escapes: Surviving His Father's Violence

20:15 Haim - 'Hallelujah'

21:02 The Sound of Grace: Guardian Angels and Being Protected

21:58 Being Uninvited from a Party and His Mother's Comfort

23:30 "You've Got a Hallelujah": Surviving Childhood

24:46 When Did Music Become the Path? High School Choir and Musical Theatre

25:50 Feeling the Molecules Change When He Sang

27:57 The First Band: A Death Metal Audition and Joining Red Edge with Daniel Jones

29:26 Throwing Up on the Way to Toowoomba: Playing Aussie Classics He Didn't Know

30:14 Leaving Red Edge and the Beginning of Savage Garden

31:05 The First Song They Wrote Together: A Thousand Words

31:25 The Australian Music Landscape: Grunge vs. Pop and 250 Rejection Letters

33:26 John Woodruff Mortgaged His Home and No One Was Laughing Anymore

33:46 Global Fame, Fans as Mirrors, and the Exhausting Rollercoaster

35:58 Secrets: Being Gay, Depression, and the Record Company Hiding Who He Was

36:45 Young The Giant - 'The Walk Home'

37:24 Why Savage Garden Ended: Daniel's Unhappiness with Fame

37:49 The Sum of the Parts and Beatlesque Chemistry in the Studio

38:32 Touring the World Knowing It Was Over

39:51 His Relationship with Daniel Now: "We Don't Talk Much Anymore"

41:21 Solo Records, Coming Out, and the Album Called Homosexual

42:01 Queer Fans and the First Dapple of Sunlight

42:49 What His Mother Thought of Fame: She Couldn't Have Given a Shit

43:47 Paying Cash for a House So His Mother Could Finally Leave

44:48 Coldplay - 'O'

45:08 Grief, Letting Go, and the Sudden Loss of His Mother

46:43 Choosing This Song for Her Funeral

47:22 The Flock of Birds Metaphor and Cutting the Tether

48:15 "I Had to Let Her Go Like a Beautiful Balloon"

50:18 The Accident: A Vasovagal Syncope Episode That Shattered His Jaw

50:44 Seventeen Teeth Broken, Mouth Wired Shut for Three Months, and Learning to Sing Again

51:02 The Troubadour Comeback: "If I Don't Get Back on Stage, I May Never"

51:51 What It Felt Like: Love

52:18 Carrying His Mother's DNA in His Heart and Vocal Cords

52:49 Maisie Peters - 'Two Weeks Ago'

53:14 In Love: How His Dog Huxley Found Eddie

54:38 Four Blocks Apart for a Decade and Zoom Dates with a New Partner

55:41 Never Spending a Night Apart in Three Years

56:23 2027: The 30th Anniversary of Savage Garden and a New Record

56:48 Writing Melodies with His Mouth Wired Shut

57:39 "I'm Back, Baby"

58:53 Next Time: David Byrne

59:53 Take 5 with Zan Rowe – Stream the Series on ABC iview

This episode was filmed for season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now.

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

There are parts of this conversation that explore Darren’s experiences with family violence. It’s a big part of his story, so please be warned. And if you need support, here are some resources who provide it:

• 1800 Respect National Helpline on 1800 737 732
• Lifeline on 131 114
• Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491
• Mensline on 1300 789 978
• Full Stop Australia on 1800 385 578
• Emergency services on triple-0 if you need immediate care

Shania Twain holds the record for the biggest selling country album of all time: Come On Over. 

Growing up poor in a Canadian mining town, who could have foreseen that the woman born Eileen Regina Twain would go on to sell over 100 million records, cross country music into pop, and become one of the most recognisable voices on the planet?

Her life has been extraordinary, dotted with hit albums and huge shows, songs known by their opening line worldwide, and fans ranging from country music loyalists to Harry Styles. There've been plenty of lows too, including almost losing her voice completely to Lyme disease. Shania Twain may be a little more raspy, but she's got stories.

This episode was captured at the legendary Power Station in Midtown Manhattan (the recording studio where Bruce Springsteen made his biggest albums, where David Bowie recorded Let's Dance, and Madonna crafted Like a Virgin). It was the perfect place to sit down and travel back in time with Shania, as she reflected on the little Miss Twain that became the star. Stick around after the chat for a very funny story about what happened that day at the studio. Let's just say Take 5 alumni Lin-Manuel Miranda may have been involved (and Amanda Seyfried... and Hamilton star Phillipa Soo).

Shania Twain's song choices: 

• Dolly Parton - 'Coat of Many Colors'
• Tanya Tucker - 'Texas (When I Die)'
• Olivia Newton-John - 'Hopelessly Devoted to You'
• Tina Turner - 'What's Love Got to Do with It'
• Aretha Franklin - 'Respect'

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene at the Power Station

01:50 The Legendary Power Station Studio

02:35 Dolly Parton - 'Coat of Many Colors'

03:15 Growing Up Poor and Dolly Parton's Influence

06:45 Reflecting on Childhood and the New Album 'Little Miss Twain'

07:30 Singing in Bars as a Child and Tammy Wynette

09:01 Tanya Tucker - 'Texas (When I Die)'

09:30 Tanya Tucker: A Voice Beyond Her Years

11:00 First on Stage at Eight Years Old

12:45 Singing in the Bars of Timmins, Ontario

15:30 Mother's Dream: The Next Tanya Tucker

16:00 Dreaming of Horses Instead of Fame

17:05 Olivia Newton-John - 'Hopelessly Devoted to You'

17:45 Olivia Newton-John: Crossing Genres and Breaking Boundaries

20:30 Nashville, Crossing Over to Pop, and Doing It Her Way

24:00 The First Video, a Target Budget, and the Belly Button Scandal

27:10 Tina Turner - 'What's Love Got to Do with It'

28:00 The Queen of Comebacks

29:45 A 15-Year Break and Losing Her Voice

30:30 Lyme Disease, Vocal Cord Surgery, and Finding a New Voice

34:20 Aretha Franklin - 'Respect'

35:00 Aretha's Brilliance and Owning the Song

37:30 Respect, Recognition, and Not Feeling Like a Star

38:30 Finding Peace in the Bush

40:00 Full Circle: A Message to Little Miss Twain

41:00 A Surprise Visit from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Amanda Seyfried & Phillipa Soo

42:30 Next Time: Darren Hayes

43:30 Double J

This episode was filmed for season 5 of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now.

Watch this episode of Take 5 on ABC iview:

Peter Garrett has been an unstoppable force of Australian music for decades.

As the iconic frontman of Midnight Oil, a grassroots activist, and a former Federal Parliamentarian, he's spent a lifetime driving change: from the pubs of Sydney to the remote outback communities that reshaped the band's sound, from the floor of Parliament to the world's biggest stages. He's never stopped pushing.

But beneath the towering public persona lies something unexpected. When Zan Rowe gave him the theme "Songs of Change," Peter Garrett revealed a softer, surprisingly open side: a man moved to tears by music, still searching for love and meaning, and still driven by hope in a world that often feels hopeless.

He traces it all back to a suburban childhood where his parents spun protest records on a gramophone, through the tragic, sudden loss of both parents as a young man, to the formation of Midnight Oil with Rob Hirst and Jim Moginie, a partnership that would define Australian rock for half a century. He recalls the 1986 Blackfella Whitefella tour through remote Indigenous communities with Warumpi Band as the experience that moved him more deeply than playing to 50,000 people in Rio or New York. "Nothing affected me like actually being in that environment," he says. "We were visitors, and we were treated with great generosity."

He speaks with raw emotion about the loss of Rob Hirst, his drummer, his sparring partner, his family, and the alchemy that made Midnight Oil undeniable. "If you're gonna die on a hill, die on a hill that's got meaning." On the future of the band without Rob, he's candid but open: "The doors are open. But it may not happen at all."

He reflects on his years in federal parliament, the criticism he faced for wearing a suit, and the idea of service that drove him to enter politics in the first place. He connects Bruce Springsteen's live performance of "War" in the Trump era to Australia's own opportunity to be "a different kind of modern nation." And he closes with Sarah Blasko's "Without," landing on a truth that ties everything together: "You can only be a hopeful person if you actually understand what love is."

This episode was filmed for the new season of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. Filmed at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney, Peter Garrett came ready to share, and what unfolded was a conversation about music, loss, service, and love that goes far beyond the public persona. As Peter himself says, the two constants in his life have been music and change. This is the envelope within which he writes all his letters.

Peter Garrett's song choices:

• Peter, Paul & Mary - 'Go Tell It On The Mountain'
• Warumpi Band - 'From The Bush'
• DOBBY - 'Dirrpi Yuin Patjulinya'
• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - 'War' (live)
• Sarah Blasko - 'Without'

00:00 Introduction: A Life Punctuated by Music and Change

01:46 A New Season of Take 5 with Zan Rowe

02:15 The Theme: Songs of Change, and a Softer Side of Peter Garrett

02:55 "The Two Constants in My Life": Music and Change

03:21 Peter, Paul & Mary - 'Go Tell It On The Mountain'

03:30 Growing Up in a Musical Household: Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and a Gramophone

06:40 Hearing Protest Records as a Nine-Year-Old: "I Had No Idea It Was a Protest Song"

09:32 Peter Garrett's First Band: Devil's Breakfast, and How Farm Became Midnight Oil

10:14 Warumpi Band - 'From The Bush'

10:45 "A Very Punk Song": Why This Song Leaves Everything Else in the Dust

12:55 Music That's Self-Absorbed vs. Music That Speaks Directly

15:35 Midnight Oil's 1986 Tour to Remote Indigenous Communities with Warumpi Band

16:30 "Nothing Affected Me Like Being in That Environment": A Sliding Door Moment

18:49 How the Outback Tour Influenced 'Beds Are Burning' and Diesel and Dust

20:45 Returning to Kintore in 2017: "What Took You So Long to Come Back?"

22:33 DOBBY - 'Dirrpi Yuin Patjulinya'

23:10 A Butcherbird Call as the Melodic Heart: "He's Done What I've Been Trying For Years"

25:20 "The Most Important and Precious Commodity We Have": Music, Nature, and the Murray-Darling

26:35 Rob Hirst Tribute at the APRA Awards: Six Drummers, The Presets, and a Surprise Reveal

29:51 The Alchemy of Rob Hirst: "I Just Looked at Them and Went, Wow"

31:10 "If You're Gonna Die on a Hill, Die on a Hill That's Got Meaning"

32:20 Losing Rob Hirst: "Physically Not Here, But Essentially? No Way. Still Here."

34:39 The Future of Midnight Oil: "The Doors Are Open. But It May Not Happen at All."

36:18 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - 'War' (Live)

36:50 Springsteen in the Trump Era: "He's Really Risen to the Moment"

39:00 Music and Politics: "You Need Them Both for Change"

41:29 Inside Federal Parliament: Service, Suits, and Being Called Naive

43:23 Hope as the Antidote to Apathy: "It Is People Acting That Makes the Difference"

45:27 Sarah Blasko - 'Without'

46:00 "You Can Only Be a Hopeful Person If You Understand What Love Is"

49:33 Doris: 40 Years of Marriage, Three Daughters, and the Eye of the Cyclone

52:37 Looking Forward, Not Back: "My Most Precious Resource Is Time"

54:24 Zan's Final Reflections: A Stunning and Poetic End

54:55 Next Time: Shania Twain, From Poverty in Timmins to 40 Million Albums

This episode was filmed for a new season of Take 5 with Zan Rowe on ABC TV and ABC iview. You can stream the whole season on ABC iview now.

Watch Take 5 on ABC iview: 

Take 5 with Zan Rowe is back on your screens from Thursday August 20, and Season 5 is the biggest yet!

What song makes Peter Garrett cry? 

What was the tune that woke David Byrne up to the full body physicality of music, at Studio 54? 

And who do you think a teenage Jacinda Ardern was blasting, as she hooned around her hometown in New Zealand? 

You’re about to find out, as Take 5 returns for a 5th season on ABC TV and ABC iview. For the last 6 months Zan Rowe has been zipping around Australia, to New York City and Los Angeles to capture 8 extraordinary conversations with absolute legends. 

Like Shania Twain, who revealed a poverty stricken childhood that made her a star. Or Darren Hayes, who laid it all out in a heartbreaking conversation about loss and healing. 

You’re going fall in love with Lainey Wilson, the singer who’s selling out arenas with her bell-bottom country and southern charm. And you’ll learn more about Genesis Owusu, a visionary doing completely his own thing and winning all the awards, all at just 28 years old. 

If you’ve ever wondered if it’s possible to adore Vika & Linda Bull even more, their Take 5 will confirm. Fall into the worlds of these 8 incredible guests as they Take 5.

You’ll catch all the episodes from Thursday August 20 on ABC TV and ABC iview.

PLUS: every week, we’ll drop extended cuts of these chats right here on the podcast. All the bits we had to leave out of the TV episodes, the stories that didn’t make the edit, the moments that stayed with us.

So hit follow and get ready for a season of Take 5 that’ll shift your perspective, make you laugh, and maybe even make you cry.

And while you wait for Season 5, there’s plenty to explore. From Paul McCartney to Trent Dalton, Sophie Ellis-Bextor to Lorde – Take 5 has been a radio and podcast favourite for two decades. Dig in!

Watch the first 4 seasons of Take 5 on ABC iview: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/take-5-with-zan-rowe

This is one of the best bits from Take 5.

One of the greatest songwriters of all time sat down with Zan Rowe to open his songbook and dive deep into the making of five of his greatest. 

Paul McCartney has provided the soundtrack to billions of lives. His legacy in song is unparalleled; starting with The Beatles, who changed the game forever, he rolled on with his own solo career while building a new band in Wings, and collaborating with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Johnny Cash and Dave Grohl.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/take-5/paul-mccartney-take-5/9230996

SONG

• The Beatles - 'Blackbird'