Take 5

Melbourne duo Remi have been making music for almost a decade. We first met then in 2014, when they uploaded a song called Sangria to triple j Unearthed. I still remember finding it online, it was instantly catchy and I instantly wanted to know everything about them. They put out two records, and made a name for themselves with their live shows. The pairing of MC Remi’s elastic rhymes with the killer production of Sensible J made their music a no brainer. And so as they ready to release their third album, one very much grounded in their friendship, I thought it was time to Take 5. There’s been a lot of change in their worlds. Gone are the party days of MC Remi, while J (12 years his senior) is about to become a dad for the first time. They reflected on this quite a bit, while also looking back and celebrating the soundtrack that had brought them to this moment. Whether you know REMI or not, this conversation will lift you.

Foreign Exchange - All That You Are

D’Angelo - Chicken Grease

Radiohead - Weird Fishes

Nina Simone - See-Line Woman (Masters At Work Remix)

Jay Z & Jay Electronica - We Made It

Jessie Ware got her start in the club. Back before she was making her own music, Jessie’s voice jumped on songs by SBTRKT, and her love of dance music has stayed with her throughout her career, where every album is always partnered with some killer remixes. Her debut album “Devotion” came out in 2012, and in the years since she’s released soaring records of ballads and bangers. In between crafting four albums, she also started a podcast with her mum. Table Manners sees Jessie and Lenny invite someone famous over to theirs for a meal and a wine, and has drawn more than 11 million listeners since 2017; with everyone from Dua Lipa to Kiefer Sutherland popping by for a chat. If you know anything about Jessie Ware, you know she’s a riot. And if not, you’re about to be charmed… by a woman who cut her teeth in raves, and whose club heart beats strong in all she does. From drum and bass classics, to early morning come down, this is an invitation to astral travel into the club with one helluva party pal.

Adam F – Circles

Khruangbin – Time (You & I)

Masters at Work - Work

702 – You Don’t Know (Reservoir Dogs garage mix)

Donae'o – Party Hard

Tori Amos is an icon. From her arrival onto the scene in 1992 with her debut album Little Earthquakes, to redefining how we felt about classical piano, and opening the door for so many to do it their own way. Her voice, her style, and her presence has blown us away for almost three decades. Tori has released fifteen studio albums, consistently toured all over the world, and penned two books; the latest of which is titled Resistance. That was the catalyst for me asking Tori Amos to Take 5. But to be honest, this is one of those bucket list conversations I’ve long wanted to have. Teenage Zan wouldn’t believe this would happen. When I first heard her, Tori’s music and poetry cut straight to my core at my most vulnerable moments. It gave me strength, it showed me that individuality is powerful, it took me to another world. I know I’m not alone. The theme I gave her was sonic hunters; a phrase she uses in her book, for songwriters. I wanted to find out which artists filled her life with magic, gave her the power and the possibility that I had felt. What she shared was so much more. This is a deep cut, an amazing insight into a genius brain, and a celebration of music’s power to save us all.

Queen – Killer Queen

Nina Simone – Mississippi Goddamn

Joni Michell – Carey

Led Zeppelin – Going to California

Beatles – A Day in the Life

I’ve been chasing Miranda Tapsell to Take 5 for years. The proud Larrakia Tiwi woman has proven hard to pin down because she’s been so busy making movies, starring in TV shows, and writing.

Many of us first saw Taps in 2012, in her breakthrough role as Cynthia in The Sapphires. But she’s also been a star of stage and small screen, performing in plays, on telly as Martha in Love Child, and a regular guest on Get Krackin’, and most recently as the lead star and co-writer of Top End Wedding. In amongst it all, Miranda Tapsell penned her memoir Top End Girl capturing a particularly hectic time where she not only wrote a film about getting married, but got hitched herself.

Across five tunes, Miranda takes you from her childhood in Darwin and Jabiru, to what called her to acting, and the power of seeing yourself and people like you, on screen.

Roxette – 'It Must Have Been Love'

Spice Girls – 'Wannabe'

Christine Anu – 'Island Home'

TLC – 'Unpretty'

Bruno Mars – 'Marry You'

The Rapture are one of my favourite bands. They were the sound of the noughties; with their punk-funk party out of New York City, they’d define a scene and fill every dancefloor on Indie night at the local pub.

Every now and then, I like to dip into the Take 5 archives and share a conversation from the past because, while this podcast has been around for almost three years, the Take 5 has been going for more than fourteen.

I’ll be honest, some of these early conversations are a bit rough. You’ll hear a bit of room sound in this Take 5, you’ll notice some nerves in my voice too (like I said, I’m a fan) but one of the strangest things about this Take 5 is that Luke, Vito and Gabe from The Rapture picked the songs but only Luke and Vito turned up to the chat. Don’t worry, we call Gabe at the beach, halfway through.

From heartfelt moments to all out parties, this is a wild ride with some lovely lads.

The Beatles - ‘Julia’MGMT - ‘Weekend Wars’Roxy Music - ‘Remake Remodel’Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard — ‘The One I Love Is Gone’Aaliyah - ‘4 Page Letter’

Anna Calvi is a powerhouse. A virtuoso guitarist from a young age, it took her a while to gather confidence to get behind the mic; but when she did, the world took notice. In the last decade, Anna has released three acclaimed albums, she’s toured Australia, and she’s consistently pushed the boundaries, sonically and lyrically.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Anna a couple of times before, and it’s always a trip to hear her diminutive speaking voice when you know the power she has on stage and on record. It’s like something transforms, when she’s inside a song. Our most recent meeting happened with the help of technology; Anna joining me on Skype at her apartment in London, and me in Australia, while we all stay close to home. I gave her this theme not just because we’re all in lockdown, but for that very switch I see flicked in her; when music has the power to bust us out, lift us up, and take us somewhere.

From the heavenly sounds of Elizabeth Fraser, to the explosion of love from Perfume Genius, and the abandon of the Bad Seeds, this is a brilliant exploration of a wild heart.

Grace Jones – Walking in the Rain

Cocteau Twins – Heaven or Las Vegas

Courtney Barnett – Pedestrian At Best

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Get Ready for Love

Perfume Genius – Slip Away

For many of us who came of age in the 90’s, Dave McCormack was a familiar voice. As lead singer of Custard, his husky voice atop some truly whimsical indie rock drew us out of the angsty guitar scene of the time; they made songs that were playful and were a beacon beaming out of the Brisbane scene.

The band called it a day right after their most successful album Loverama. Dave would go on to play in other bands, he began composing soundtracks for film and television, and his voice would become familiar to an entirely new generation.

Playing Bandit, the blue heeler dad in the mega hit kid’s show Bluey, that raspy tone all of a sudden filled the homes of Gen X’ers (and their kids) once again. This Take 5 is like hanging out with an old friend, one who has really eclectic and fun music taste. What a joy.

ABBA – 'SOS'

The Pet Shop Boys - 'Always On My Mind'

Britney Spears - 'Toxic'

DEVO – 'Peekaboo'

Bob Dylan - 'Tangled Up In Blue'

Georgia Barnes grew up in raves. As the daughter of Neil Barnes from Leftfield, she seemed destined to make music herself, and her formative years where her childhood bedroom was also their studio certainly helped her along the way.

These days, we know her simply as Georgia. Her second album Seeking Thrills came out in early 2020, and we were well acquainted with her talents. She’s got an incredible knack for making earworms; her songs wriggle in and get stuck in your head as soon as you’ve heard them.

Hearing Georgia’s talents as a songwriter and producer, I was keen to Take 5. I’d also heard she was a massive music nerd, so I gave her the theme “Easter egg songs”. I wanted to find out about the earworms she’d obsessed over in her formative years, and unravel the family tree of music that had fed Georgia’s creative life.

I knew she’d be the right person for the job, but this Take 5 is like a masterclass. What I love about it the most is that you don’t need to be a muso, or to understand the tech or terminology; Georgia has an intoxicating way of bringing us all into her music nerd paradise. From Glen Campbell to Gary Numan to Kanye, this is the kind of conversation you want to go on forever.

Glen Campbell - ‘Witchita Lineman’

Commodores - ‘Nightshift’

Gary Numan - ‘Metal’

Donna Summer - ‘I Feel Love’

Kanye West - ‘Flashing Lights’

Sydney singer Ngaiire is a powerhouse. I remember the first time I heard her voice, I was a goner. The way her voice curled around every lyric was one thing, but her songwriting craft showed a promise that would pay off in the EP’s and albums that would follow.

Music has always been a big part of Ngaiire’s life. As a child of the 90’s, she grew up listening to pop songs in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, then Australia. She would find a connection particularly to Janet Jackson and Talib Kweli; a brown woman in song in an overwhelmingly white Australia.

This is a conversation about how we find our place, and connection, no matter where we are.

Janet Jackson - ‘Together Again’

Sisqó - ‘Thong Song’

Talib Kweli - ‘Black Girl Pain’

Frank Ocean - ‘Pink + White’

Spice Girls - ‘2 Become 1’

There’s a family tree of modern music and one of its biggest branches is New Order.

The Manchester band, formed in the wake of Joy Division’s untimely end, have fed into the sound of almost every band and artist you’ve loved for, for forty years. Even if you’re not a fan, you can trace their blueprint across all you hear. Their transformation from post punk to electronic music, swept up kids who would go on to become techno DJ’s, rock bands, pop acts, and everything in between.

In the 80’s, they were the backbone of The Hacienda, bringing big club culture to Manchester. And over four decades there have been stops and starts, barneys and breakups.

It’s a lucky year when I have the chance to Take 5 with two different members of New Order. You might remember back in winter 2019 Peter Hook joined me to share his Unknown Pleasures. If you missed that, scroll back in your feed to hear Hooky’s tales.

In 2020, it was Bernard Sumner’s turn. The surprise frontman of New Order, who made it his own. The theme I gave Bernard, was just that. The songs that made him. And from Iggy Pop to Arcade Fire, he traced the blueprint of his own life, with plenty of incredible stories between.

Iggy Pop - ‘Shades’

Electronic - ‘Twisted Tenderness’

Joe Smooth - ‘Promised Land’

Arcade Fire - ‘Ready To Start’

David Morales - ‘Hideaway [Ft. Blondewearingblack] [Classic Mix]’