155. Japanese Wallpaper on Tame Impala 'Currents' (2015)

Today polymath, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and all around Renaissance woman Georgia Mooney joins me for a deep dive into the making of her glorious debut solo album 'Full of Moon', a month after it's release. We talk about the concept of authenticity, the strange intricacies of recording an entire album with rich orchestrations remotely during the panini, the alternate history version of the album, choosing which parts of your personality to reveal and funnel into songwriting and public performance and much more.

4 Okt 202345min

Australian singer-songwriter Hayley Marsten joins me to talk about the seminal album that soundtracked her journey into adulthood, Taylor Swift's seminal 2012 album 'Red'.  Now that this album has finally been chosen for an episode, we make a real meal out of it, getting into how the album marked a fork in the road that forecasted the second half of Taylor's career to date, why taking the big swing is sometimes the less risky path, the musical eclecticism of the album, All Too Well (regular and 10 minute versions) and how Taylor has managed to flatten time and build her own multiverse of madness.

25 Aug 202343min

Today legendary sound engineer Pete Keppler joins me for another look behind the scenes at David Byrne's American Utopia (check out episode 376 of this podcast for our audio documentary on the show), from conception to the world tour to Broadway, dealing with the technical and creative challenges inherent in reinventing the whole idea of a rock'n'roll band. Plus Pete talks about his time on the road with David Bowie as the sound engineer for his last ever tour.

5 Juli 202333min

One of today’s most renowned and skilful Americana singer-songwriters, Jason Isbell, talks about the classic record that helped inspire the genre - The Rolling Stones 1971 LP ‘Sticky Fingers’. We talk about how growing up around Muscle Shoals Alabama got Jason into the record as a child, how the album shows the Stones maturing as a band as they entered the 70s, why the self-destructive lyrics of ‘Sway’ resonated with Jason as he endured his own struggles, what he misses about being in the Drive By Truckers, which song from ‘Southeastern’ was inspired by the Stones, how the Stones used their business acumen to assert creative control and whether authenticity matters. Plus Jason reveals special moment when he met Bruce Springsteen recently backstage at New Orleans Jazz Festival, and we argue over the merits of the ganjo and producer Dave Cobb’s wardrobe.

21 Juni 202335min

Billions creator Brian Koppelman is one of our most loved returning champions and he joins me once again today to bring things full circle by discussing the album that was the subject of his first ever appearance on the podcast - Jason Isbell's 'Southeastern' - to celebrate it's ten year anniversary. The album that turned Isbell from a cult hero to one of the most acclaimed songwriters of his generation, that set the path and the standard for all his future work and locked in multiple entries in the classic songbook of the 21st century. Brian and I revisit the album's immediate impact on first listen and set it in the context of Isbell's career to date and subsequent acclaimed albums, the discipline and rigour behind his songwriting, his gift for melody, the lack of vanity in his lyrics and much much more.

7 Juni 202349min

Today, author, music journalist and podcaster James Campion joins me to delve into one of the most iconic and enduring songs in the history of popular music as he gives a taste of his book Take A Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of Hey Jude. We talk about how McCartney took a song inspired by John Lennon's son Julian's feelings about his parents divorce and refined it into one of the most universal songs ever written, how John Lennon was the first of many people to think it was about himself, the difficulty of writing in second person, the songs unusual take on male friendship and how it acts as a sequel to She Loves You, how the recording saw the Beatles take another leap forward in the studio and the revolutionary elements of the track that now seem classic and inevitable.

16 Maj 202336min

A fun change of pace this week on the show. Earlier this year, I co-produced a tribute album to Americana icon Jim Lauderdale, featuring an eclectic group of incredible Australian artists reinterpreting Jim's incredible songbook. Today, Michael Carpenter, who co-produced the record and played the bulk of the music you hear on the album, as well as mixing and mastering the project, joins me to break it down track by track. We get into how each song and artist were chosen, the arrangement process and how each track evolved over the months of production. Blake O’Connor and Sinead Burgess - Hole in My Head Adam Harvey - Where the Sidewalk Ends Imogen Clark - Tough All Over Katie Brianna - You Don’t Seem To Miss Me Georgia Mooney - The Brighter Side of Lonely Ella Hooper and Davey Lane - Halfway Down Charlie Collins - You’ll Know When It’s Right Holiday Sidewinder - Planet of Love Clayton Doley and Jade MacRae - It’s A Trap Georgia State Line - Run Like You Shane Nicholson - El Dorado Melody Pool - When Carolina Comes Home Again Emma Swift - The King of Broken Hearts Kevin Bennett - Headed for the Hills

1 Maj 20231h 14min

Today ARIA-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer of this podcast Georgia Mooney joins me for a delightful delve into Martha Wainwright’s self-titled debut album. We dig into the Wainwright clan and how they explore their relationships through each other’s music, seeing Martha play outside a prison and falling in love with her, Martha and Georgia’s shared method of songwriting slowly, Martha’s spiky directness in her lyrics, her vocal influence on Georgia, the song Bloody Mother-Fucking Asshole and much more. Plus Georgia talks about her beautiful new single ‘War Romance’.

3 Mars 202353min