Karin Horen is a TV Presenter, MC, Motivational Speaker, Founder of Paddle for Hope and an Author, but above all Karin is a survivor.  She grew up in Israel, survived two rounds of breast cancer, a failed marriage and the resulting emotional rollercoaster that continues to this day and yet somehow amongst the chaos, Karin found the strength to fight back, beat her cancer (twice) launch the charity ‘Paddle For Hope’ and publish a book called ‘I Am More Than Just My Tits - Surviving Breast Cancer’.

Karin was very encouraging and inspiring to talk to.  She has a grounded and pragmatic view on happiness, love and living life to the fullest.  We recorded this episode a little while ago and had no idea we would be releasing it under the current circumstances and now that we’re here, it seems more relevant than ever.  Stay safe and stay tuned.

Support the show

Musician Jim Hall started his career in Christchurch in the 1960s and so began an epic musical journey and personal adventure.  Over the years he’s worked with a long list of great artists including Cilla Black, Ray Columbus, Ian Morris, Eddie Rayner and many more.  In the 1980s Jim established a very successful business recording and producing music for TV commercials and these days he is dedicated to his latest ambition of doing as little as possible.  Recently Jim was asked to write a brief overview of his career.  He sat down, began writing and had soon completed thirty-three pages.  These pages are not currently available to the public, but we got to read them before this interview.  We’re hoping he willl finish and release a full autobiography, but in the meantime we sat down in Jim’s studio, talked about an array of subjects and had lots of laughs.  Great guy, great chat!

Support the show

Alan Brown is a top pianist, Hammond organist, teacher and all round music professional.  His projects have included Blue Train, Grand Central Band, Alan Brown Trio, Alargo and his two stunning solo albums ‘Silent Observer’ and ‘Composure’.  In addition he’s worked with a long list of fantastic musicians including both Nathan and Joel Haines.  Alan is a true musician, journeyman, a family man, a highly respected artist and a profound mind.  He’s deeply dedicated to his craft and to helping others discover and progress in music.  We hit the ground running on this episode and we covered a wide range of subjects.  Buckle up!

Support the show

You know Kurt from Stellar*, Delete Delete, Splitter and his solo album called Blood Line Heart (2012).  As well as having a busy career as a musician, Kurt become a concert promoter working with people like Greg Johnson, Midge Ure, Lloyd Cole and many more.  On this episode we discuss Kurt’s approach to managing shows and tours, he talks about joining up with Boh Runga, Andrew Maclaren and eventually Chris Van de Geer to form Stellar*, we discuss the making of his solo album and the happy accident that became Delete Delete.  Good guy, good chat!

Support the show

Wayne Bell’s career changed gear when he started playing drums for When The Cats Away and from there he went on to work with Dave Dobbyn, Jan Hellriegel, Andrew Fagan, Bic Runga, Greg Johnson, Ian Morris, Gin Wigmore, Greg Fleming and Tim Finn.  Not only has Wayne established himself as a world class drummer, he’s had great success as a producer, he’s world in television music production and now works for music publishing company Aeroplane.  Wayne is a fine example of a genuinely nice guy and a consummate professional.  We talk about his beginnings with music, how his career unfolded and some of his recent struggles.  This is a special episode with one of New Zealand’s best.  Do it!

Support the show

Episode #84 is now available! Our guest is our very own Bobby Kennedy!  Keeping with the tradition of the show, Danny and Bobby open the new year by chatting to each other about anything and everything.  In their fifth instalment our hosts discuss movies, politics, art, deep fake, the music industry, how to find hope in this crazy world and plenty more.  This is the show where honesty is welcomed, transparency is encouraged and fools aren’t suffered.  We bring in the new year and the new decade with lots of laughter and a real attempt to offer something genuine in a synthesised world.  Buckle up!  

Support the show

Jasper and his family sold everything, flew to Croatia to pick up their new boat and spent a couple of years sailing around the world. In part 1 Jasper talked about his motivation for the trip, their time in Croatia, venturing out into the Mediterranean, stopping in Tunisia and eventually crossing the Atlantic Ocean and the Panama Canal.  In part 2 his journey continues as he recounts their experiences crossing the Pacific Ocean and heading home via amazing and sometimes weird islands.  Our conversation is also riddled with plenty of distractions and tangents about music and life.  Be warned, you might get inspired… again!

Support the show

The Great Adventure Part 1 with Nick Granville and Jasper de Roos.  Do you ever get tired of the grind?  Do you ever feel like packing it all in and setting off on a life changing adventure?  Today we talk to two people who did just that.  Nick Granville and Jasper de Roos have both been on the show before and in the time since, have both thrown caution to the wind and set off into the great unknown.  Nick and his family flew to the UK, bought a little camper van and drove around Europe and Jasper and his family sold everything, flew to Croatia and spent two years sailing around the world.  Two amazing stories by two families who simply decided to go for it.  Be warned, you might get inspired!  

Support the show

Jackie Clarke is a well known and much loved singer and personality in New Zealand, having graced the stage and televisions screens over a long, diverse and impressive career.  In this candid and action packed conversation we discuss her approach to performance and technique, how she has forged a career in a male dominated industry, her reservations about the relevance of music qualifications, how being a judge on New Zealand Idol left a dark stain on her soul, how she WASN’T a member of When The Cats Away and plenty more.  Jackie is an intelligent, thoughtful professional who we can all learn from and even though she refuses to call herself a comedian, she’s as funny as they come.  Get it in you!

Support the show

Mark Rankin is a Grammy award winning mix engineer and music producer who's credits include critically acclaimed albums by CeeLo Green, Iggy Pop, Florence And The Machine, Foster The People, Queens Of The Stone Age and Adele.  Mark was in New Zealand for the NZ Music Producer Series and after a busy week in the studio, he sat down with Danny McCrum to reflect on his life and career.  They discussed Mark’s early years, how he found his ambition and worked hard to get his career off the ground.  They talked about how Mark balances his work and family life and the psychology and techniques he uses to approach both the music and the varying personalities of the artists.  Mark also talks about the recording sessions for Rolling In The Deep and how they developed the song.  The story about how Adele recorded the vocals is crazy!  This episode was recorded and filmed at Roundhead Studios so you can listen via the usual links or watch the video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/F-bu2ldK0O0

Support the show