Shows
Humans of MusicAlexander 23Alexander 23’s path to this point has been anything but a straight line. He was studying mechanical engineering at university before he quit to pursue music full time with the band The Heydaze, which signed a deal with Island Records. When they split he decided to focus on songwriting and producing, but when he found that unfulfilling he returned to playing music and building his solo career. It’s all worked out well – not only is his solo career flying off the back of songs likes "IDK You Yet" and his debut album Aftershock, but he was...2022-10-0555 minHumans of MusicKen Casey (Dropkick Murphys)Dropkick Murphys' 11th studio album is called This Machine Still Kills Fascists. The record features a collection of Woody Guthrie’s unpublished lyrics set to music. The seeds of the project were sown some years ago when the band befriended Woody’s daughter, Nora. Her son was a fan of the Dropkick Murphys and saw in the band a group of kindred spirits who embodied Woody’s everyman working class ethic. We talk about that whole journey in this interview, as well as going deep into Ken’s life and career with the Dropkick...2022-09-2854 minHumans of MusicBartees StrangeThere aren't many artists touring the world right now who can say they were once part of the Obama administration. Bartees Strange can, thanks to his time as the Deputy Press Secretary for the Federal Communications Commission. He also worked in the labour and climate movements, but before that he was an active member of the music scene in and around Oklahoma, where he was raised. He admits he strayed from music for a few years after he moved to DC to pursue politics, but playing and performing kept calling him back. Little by little...2022-09-2149 minHumans of MusicDon WasMy guest for this 100th episode is bona fide musical legend Don Was. Don was a founding member of Was (Not Was), and he’s a GRAMMY-winning producer who’s worked with artists such as Bob Dylan, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss and John Mayer, to name a few. He’s currently playing bass with Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir in Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros, and he’s also the president of one of the world’s most famous record labels, Blue Note Records. We talk about it all in...2022-09-1458 minHumans of MusicMarlon WilliamsMarlon Williams' voice has been turning heads since he was a teen singing in the church choir – it was enough to convince Bradley Cooper to cast him in A Star Is Born, in which his character performed a beautiful version of Roy Orbison’s "Pretty Woman" alongside Brandi Carlile. He continues to act to this day, but it’s music for which Marlon is perhaps best known. He was raised in the small New Zealand town of Lyttelton, and cut his teeth in New Zealand before relocating to Australia, after which he toured the world on the back of...2022-09-0754 minHumans of MusicTotally Enormous Extinct DinosaursWhen Orlando Higginbottom – AKA Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – releases his new album When The Lights Go on September 9, it will be 10 years since his previous LP, Trouble. Orlando wasn’t completely quiet over that period, having toured the world and released a series of EPs and singles. But after the success of Trouble he went through something of a personal and creative crisis as he struggled to figure out how to operate in the music industry, which was one of the things that contributed to the 10-year gap between albums. We talk about that whole journe...2022-08-3149 minHumans of MusicMoonchild SanellyIn 2016, Moonchild Sanelly wrote down a list of goals she wanted to achieve in the next 10 years, and they included collaborating with Beyoncé, Diplo and Damon Albarn. She achieved those goals in half the time, singing on Gorillaz' 2020 album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, collaborating with Beyoncé on the song “My Power” from The Lion King: The Gift soundtrack, and singing with Diplo on DJ Raybel’s song “Whole Night”. Driven by an unshakable self belief, an image that turns heads, and a genre of music that she calls Future Ghetto Funk – which incorporates South African...2022-08-2449 minHumans of MusicAlex The AstronautAlex Lynn – AKA Sydney singer-songwriter Alex The Astronaut – is one of those people who can seemingly do whatever she puts her mind to. She might be one of Australia’s most popular singer-songwriters, but after she left school she won a soccer scholarship to Long Island University, where she graduated with a degree in maths and physics. While she was still studying her music had started to get airplay in Australia, and luckily for us she decided to dedicate herself to that career rather than sport or science. The past few years have been a period...2022-08-1747 minHumans of MusicJames BayBritish singer-songwriter James Bay recently released his third album, Leap. He finished recording it early in 2020, but – in an all too familiar scenario – the pandemic hit and put all of James’s release and touring plans on hold. The silver lining was that it gave him time to write more songs, and re-evaluate what he wanted to say with the record. We talk about that whole journey in this interview, as well as his upbringing in the UK, surviving the explosion of success that came with his debut album Chaos and the Calm, and loads more.2022-08-1050 minHumans of Musicmxmtoonmxmtoon is the definition of a modern pop star. She grew up in Oakland making music in her bedroom and posting covers of pop songs she'd perform on her ukulele to YouTube. Eventually she started uploading original songs to SoundCloud, and by the time she left school she had more than 10,000 followers on the platform. That trajectory hasn’t really slowed since, and part of the reason for that – besides the fact she makes incredibly captivating indie pop – is the deep bond she’s formed with her audience. As she says in this intervie...2022-08-0353 minHumans of MusicAlfie TemplemanAlfie Templeman is the very definition of a prolific artist. He may have just released his debut album, Mellow Moon, but over the past few years he’s put out four EPs and one mini-album; he also has a side project called Aerial Days, with which he’s released two full-length albums and one EP. All this by the age of 19. Music has been the driving force in Alfie’s life since he saw a Rush DVD at the age of seven. He started uploading his songs to the internet at 14 and quit school...2022-07-2755 minHumans of MusicCaleb Harper (Spacey Jane)Spacey Jane have had a breakout few years. The Perth outfit's 2020 debut album Sunlight hit Number 2 on the Australian charts, and their just-released follow up Here Comes Everybody landed at Number 1. Go back to 2016 when the band formed, though, and it’s unlikely singer-guitarist Caleb Harper was thinking about this kind of success – at that point, as he was crashing out of university and unsure of what to do with his life, being in a band was simply one of the few things that kept him going. We talk about Caleb’s journey from then to now in thi...2022-07-2047 minHumans of MusicBen LeeGiven that he’ll celebrate his 44th birthday in 2022, it’s crazy to think that Ben Lee has been part of the musical landscape for three decades. As a 14 year old his band Noise Addict were plucked from a Sydney garage and championed by acts like Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys, introducing Ben to a worldwide audience and setting the platform for him to launch his solo career at the age of 16 Since then Ben has forged a career that can best be described as eclectic. He’s released a children’s album called Ben Lee Sings So...2022-07-1348 minHumans of MusicConor MaynardConor Maynard was one of the earliest artists to embrace the power of YouTube. While he was in his teens he started uploading covers to the platform, and his version of Ne-Yo’s "Beautiful Monster" quickly racked up more than 1 million views. Before long managers, record labels and Ne-Yo himself came calling, all looking to work with Conor. By the time he was 19 he released his 2012 debut album Contrast, which hit Number One in the UK and yielded five Top 10 singles. The road since hasn’t been quite as trouble free, but 10 years on from Cont...2022-07-0650 minHumans of MusicSasha Alex SloanSongwriting has been a part of Sasha Alex Sloan's life for a long time. As a kid she struggled at school, but she would come home and dedicate hours to playing and writing music. Through a series of hilarious events she got a publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music and moved from Boston to LA at the age of 19. It took years but the songwriting credits started to mount up. At this point Sasha has written songs with artists like Camila Cabello, Charli XCX, Juice WRLD, LANY, Steve Aoki and many more, all...2022-06-2946 minHumans of MusicChris MessinaChris Messina is a GRAMMY-nominated producer, mixer, engineer and songwriter, and one of Bon Iver's main creative partners. They struck up a friendship when Chris was working on Bon Iver’s world tour in support of his 2011 self-titled album. After that run Mr Bon Iver himself, Justin Vernon, asked Chris to quit working on the touring circuit and move to Wisconsin to manage his studio, as well as collaborate on creating music. Chris did just that and played a key role in the making of Bon Iver's 22, A Million and i,i albums. Befo...2022-06-2252 minHumans of MusicChris Cheney (The Living End)The Living End frontman Chris Cheney releases his debut solo album, The Storm Before The Calm, on June 17. Worlds away from the bombast of The Living End, the record took years to make, during which Chris’s life veered dangerously out of control, as he talks about in this interview. He also talks about discovering music and learning to play guitar as a kid, breaking big with The Living End, and loads more.2022-06-1558 minHumans of MusicPete MurrayPete Murray has been a mainstay of the Australian music scene since he released his major label debut album, Feeler, in 2003. One of the interesting things about Pete’s story is that he didn’t even pick up a guitar until 22, and he was 30 when he released his first independent album, The Game. By today’s standards he is very much a late starter, having spent his youth focusing on sport, to the point where he almost represented Australia in rugby union 7s. Pete walks us through his story here, and the tragedies that se...2022-06-0848 minHumans of MusicJaguar JonzeThe debut album by Jaguar Jonze – AKA Brisbane artist Deena Lynch – is called Bunny Mode. The record’s title may sound upbeat and playful, but the story behind it is heartbreaking, as it describes the behaviour Deena used as a coping mechanism when she was abused as a child. She is a survivor in the very real sense of the word, having not only made it through her childhood, but as an adult she was sexually assaulted by two music producers. She responded by bravely speaking out, and in doing so became one of the leadin...2022-06-011h 01Humans of MusicStephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind)Stephan Jenkins was cast into the spotlight when Third Eye Blind's 1997 self-titled debut album exploded around the world. On the back of hits like "Semi-Charmed Life" and "Jumper", the frontman achieved success beyond his wildest dreams – all the while learning the hard way about the compromises the music industry often demands of its artists. Fast forward to 2022 and Third Eye Blind have not only weathered the storms of those early years, but as Stephan explains in this interview, being in control of the band's decisions and trajectory is much easier. The five-piece will tour the US...2022-05-2545 minHumans of MusicMatt Sorum (GN'R, The Cult, Velvet Revolver)Matt Sorum joined Guns N'Roses in time to play on their 1991 Use Your Illusion albums. At that point they were the biggest rock band in the world, and though Matt had experienced fame before with The Cult, stepping into Guns N’Roses was another level altogether. Combine the unresolved issues from his childhood with the sex, drugs and rock’n’roll that went hand in hand with being in the world’s most dangerous rock band, and you had a fiery cocktail that took Matt down a very extreme path of excess. He writes about it all i...2022-05-1153 minHumans of MusicKeli Holiday (Adam Hyde)Keli Holiday is a fictious character created by Peking Duk's Adam Hyde to channel a different side of his musical personality. While Peking Duk deal in high energy, partystarting electronic music that regularly goes platinum and tops the charts in Australia, Keli Holiday is informed more by emotional introspection and the music of Joy Division and New Order. The idea for the project came to Adam at the end of a two-month US tour with Peking Duk, and once he committed to it the music just poured out. That music is available on Keli Holiday’s...2022-05-0450 minHumans of MusicSkylar GreyThe name Skylar Grey might not be instantly recognisable, but you’ll definitely know the songs she’s co-written: "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem, "Clarity" by Zedd, "I Need A Doctor" by Dr. Dre and "Last One Standing" from the Venom: Let There Be Carnage soundtrack are just some of her hits. Skylar sung the chorus hook on "Glorious" by Macklemore and "Coming Home" by Diddy; she’s a long-time collaborator with Eminem, as a performer, songwriter and producer; and she is also a solo artist in her own right. In fact from the mo...2022-04-2756 minHumans of MusicTex PerkinsTex Perkins is one of the finest and fiercest frontmen ever to stalk a stage, and the very definition of an artist who follows his instincts wherever they take him. He first made his name in Sydney in the '80s when he formed the primal rock band The Beasts Of Bourbon, but he had his greatest commercial success with The Cruel Sea, who for a while in the early to mid-'90s were one of Australia’s biggest bands. Since then he’s released many great albums with multiple projects, the latest being The Fat...2022-04-201h 15Humans of MusicEric Pulido (Midlake)Midlake recently released their fifth studio album, For the Sake of Bethel Woods. It’s their first album since 2013’s Antiphon, and the second to feature guitarist Eric Pulido on vocals after founding frontman Tim Smith left the band in 2012. Having gone on hiatus at the end of the Antiphon touring cycle, the idea of making new music was first floated in 2019. The deal was sealed when keyboardist/flautist Jesse Chandler had a dream in which he was visited by his father, who’d recently passed away. In that dream his dad said it was time t...2022-04-1351 minHumans of MusicShamirShamir’s new album Heterosexuality is an intensely personal record. While in the past Shamir has sung about his identity as a queer, non-binary person, he says this is the first time he’s really tackled his relationship as a queer person with the binary, heterosexual world. (I should point out that I spoke with Shamir about which pronouns he’s comfortable with me using, and he replied that he/his/him is fine.) Heterosexuality is Shamir’s eighth full-length record, but the path to this point has been anything but linear. After signing to British i...2022-04-0650 minHumans of MusicNilüfer YanyaAs the daughter of two visual artists, art has always played a central role in Nilüfer Yanya’s life. Discovered at 20 after uploading demos to SoundCloud, she quickly released a series of EPs for which she was long-listed for the BBC Sound of 2018, followed by her 2019 debut album, Miss Universe. As well as playing music, Nilüfer co-founded an organisation called Artists In Transit, which delivers art workshops to communities in times of hardship. We talk about Artists In Transit in this interview as well as Nilüfer’s upbringing and path into mus...2022-03-3048 minHumans of MusicBENEENew Zealand indie-pop superstar BENEE recently released her latest EP, Lychee. It’s the follow-up to her 2020 debut album Hey u x, which exploded around the world on the back of the hit single 'Supalonely'. BENEE, though, had to watch all that unfold from Auckland due to COVID restrictions. That finally changed late in 2021 when she travelled to the US to work with songwriters and producers like Greg Kurstin and Rostam. Alongside collaborations with her longtime producer Josh Fountain, her work with Greg and Rostam features on her new EP, which we talk about in this interview. We...2022-03-2349 minHumans of MusicMidnight OilMidnight Oil recently released their 13th studio album, Resist. It’s the Oils’ first full-length since 2002’s Capricornia, after which they disbanded and singer Peter Garrett pursued a career in politics. They reunited for 2017’s Great Circle comeback tour, which saw the band play 77 shows around the globe – although sadly, Midnight Oil gigs are soon going to be a thing of the past, with the group announcing that the tour in support of Resist will be their last. In this interview Peter Garrett and multi-instrumentalist Jim Moginie discuss that decision, as well as the making...2022-03-161h 14Humans of MusicFoxesFoxes – AKA British singer-songwriter Louisa Rose Allen – recently released her third album, The Kick. It’s her first full-length in six years, and follows a period out of the spotlight during which she took stock of her career and found a new team and label. The period leading up to that hiatus had been a non-stop whirlwind of activity that kicked off when Foxes’ featured on Zedd’s gigantic 2012 hit, "Clarity". From there she released two well received albums and collaborated with artists like Fall Out Boy and Rudimental, all while touring the world with Pharrell a...2022-03-0949 minHumans of MusicMØDanish singer-songwriter MØ has just released her new album, Motordrome. The record’s title refers to the hamster wheel MØ felt she was on for years, saying yes to everything, never taking a break, all the while dealing with the success of her solo career and her giant 2015 smash with Major Lazer, "Lean On". By the end of the touring cycle for her second album, Forever Neverland, she felt like she’d lost herself. So for the first time, MØ took time away to get back in touch with who she was as a person and an...2022-03-0249 minHumans of MusicS-XBritish artist Sam Gumbley – AKA S-X – first made a name for himself as a producer in his teens. He was 17 when he created an instrumental track called "Woo Riddim", which became a fixture on the UK grime scene. From there he worked with artists like Lil Wayne and Childish Gambino, even earning a Grammy nomination for his contribution to Gambino’s Because The Internet album. Just as S-X’s career seemed to be flying the work dried up, and he had to take a day job in the warehouse of his hometown’s football club, the Wolver...2022-02-2349 minHumans of MusicTrentemøllerAnders Trentemøller started playing in bands in Copenhagen in the early '90s before moving into club music a few years later. But ever since he started releasing albums as Trentemøller in 2006 he has in some ways merged those two worlds, incorporating samplers and electronic beats with full instruments and a more cinematic, dreamy sound. We talk about that evolution in this interview, as well as Anders’ new album 'Memoria', his upbringing in Denmark, the massive impact bands like The Cure and Portishead had on him, his memories of working and touring with Depeche Mode, and...2022-02-1649 minHumans of MusicEric GalesIn the years since he released his debut album as a 16-year-old guitar prodigy in 1991, Eric Gales has been to Hell and back. Prior to getting sober five-and-a-half years ago Eric spent decades in the throes of drug addiction, ending up in jail and almost dying a number of times, all the while watching the success many had predicted for him as a teenager go down the drain. But now he’s back, he’s sober, and he’s just released the album of his career in Crown, which was co-produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith. It’s b...2022-02-0954 minHumans of MusicAdam Dutkiewicz (Killswitch Engage/Times Of Grace)Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz is one of the most colourful characters in modern heavy metal. While his band's music is brutal and their lyrics drawn from emotionally dark places, when you see them live you’re just as likely to laugh as you are headbang, as Adam pulls faces while peeling off riffs, and sometimes runs from the stage to order a shot at the bar. A noted producer in his own right (Parkway Drive, Underoath), Adam also performs in Times of Grace, his side project with Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach. We talk abou...2022-02-0248 minHumans of MusicIsabella SummersWhen Isabella "Machine" Summers met Florence Welch in the mid-2000s, they formed a deep connection that led very quickly to writing music together. One of the first songs they wrote was Florence + The Machine’s hit single “Dog Days Are Over”. At the time Isabella was busy building her skills as a producer, having grown up loving hip-hop and experimenting with turntables and samplers. She was also raised around art and film, which makes sense of her recent move into composing for films and TV shows like Little Fires Everywhere and Physical. In addition, Isabella has writte...2022-01-2649 minHumans of MusicTwin ShadowIn 2021 Twin Shadow – AKA George Lewis Jr – released his fifth full-length, called Twin Shadow. It brings together many of the influences he absorbed while growing up in Florida – from punk and indie to reggae and soul. But while George was raised in Florida, he was actually born in the Dominican Republic, and he returned there to start working on the record. We cover a lot of ground in this interview, from George’s upbringing to his path into music, from the birth of Twin Shadow to the good and bad times he’s experienced...2022-01-1949 minHumans of MusicJoe ChiccarelliThere’s not much Joe Chiccarelli hasn’t achieved in music – as a producer, mixer and engineer he’s won 10 Grammys and Latin Grammys, and over the course of his 40+ year career has worked with artists as varied and diverse as Elton John, Oxbow, Frank Zappa, Morrissey, The Shins, The Strokes, Tori Amos and U2, to name a few. We talk about a lot of those experiences in this interview, as well as the complexities of being a producer, how Joe got into the business, and a whole lot more. 2022-01-121h 03Humans of MusicLPAt one point in this interview, LP says they’ve had nine lives. They’re referring to the fact that since they released their debut album in 2001, they’ve had multiple major and indie label deals. After years lost in the major label system, however, in 2016 their song "Lost On You" became a big hit in Greece, and from there spread across the world to the point where it's now been streamed more than one billion times. After years of struggle and dashed hopes, and writing hits for other artists like Rihanna, Celine Dion and Christi...2021-12-2247 minHumans of MusicCurtis HardingCurtis Harding spent much of his childhood travelling with his family as his mother performed in churches and helped spread the word, immersing young Curtis in the world of gospel music. In his mid-teens they settled in Atlanta, and within a few years Curtis was an active member of the local hip-hop community. He got his break when CeeLo Green asked him to perform on his debut album The Perfect Imperfections of CeeLo Green, and in the years since he's released three solo albums, the latest being this year's If Words Were Flowers. Cu...2021-12-1546 minHumans of MusicLurine CatoIf you’re a fan of Adele, Kylie Minogue or Hozier, there’s a good chance you’ve heard Lurine Cato sing, even if you didn’t know it. She was one of the backing vocalists on Adele’s 2008 album 19, she performed on Hozier’s Nina Cried Power EP, and spent two years touring the world singing back-ups with Kylie. But Lurine is also an award-winning Gospel artist in her own right, often using her talents for charitable work and to raise awareness around issues such as sickle cell disease, as well as performing in prisons. In 2020 Lurine was r...2021-12-0849 minHumans of MusicDan Hawkins (The Darkness)When The Darkness released their debut album Permission To Land in 2003, the biggest hits were coming from singer-songwriters like Norah Jones and rappers like 50 Cent. The Darkness though were a throwback to the hard rock riffing of the '70s and the over the top theatrics of the '80s glam metal scene, topped off with a uniquely British sense of humour that led many to question whether they were just a joke band. Clearly they aren’t, and two decades on The Darkness are still going strong with the release of their seventh studio al...2021-12-011h 05Humans of MusicJim James (My Morning Jacket)My Morning Jacket recently released their self-titled, ninth studio album. But for a while there, frontman Jim James didn’t know if there would ever be another MMJ record. Years of relentless touring had taken their toll, and the band took an extended break after 2015’s 'The Waterfall'. But in 2019 they reunited for four shows, and rediscovered the joy of playing together. Just before the pandemic sent the world into lockdown the five-piece got together at 64 Sound studio in LA, and started jamming and working on ideas. Eventually those sessions became their new LP, and Jim talks about...2021-11-2450 minHumans of MusicJoan As Police WomanJoan As Police Woman – AKA Joan Wasser – has just released her latest studio album, The Solution Is Restless. Featuring guitarist, songwriter and producer Dave Okumu and drummer and afrobeat legend Tony Allen, it’s another chapter in Joan's incredibly colourful career. She played violin in the Boston University Symphony Orchestra before spending much of the ’90s on the road with indie rockers The Dambuilders. Joan then went on to perform with artists like Antony and The Johnsons and Rufus Wainwright and do session work with Lou Reed and Nick Cave, as well as developing her solo car...2021-11-1748 minHumans of MusicGina Schock (The Go-Go's)When the Go-Go's released their debut album Beauty and the Beat in 1981, they became the first all-female band that wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to reach Number 1 on the Billboard Charts. But that’s just one of dozens of incredible accomplishments across the course of their career. You can see a lot of those moments laid out in drummer Gina Schock’s new book, Made In Hollywood: All Access with the Go-Go’s. More than just the story of the Go-Go’s, the book also charts Gina's life, from her upbringing in Baltim...2021-11-1044 minHumans of MusicNick Allbrook (Pond)Pond came out of the incredibly fertile Fremantle scene of the mid-2000s. It’s the scene that gave birth to acts like Tame Impala – of which Nick Allbrook was also a member – and Mink Mussel Creek, as well as solo acts like Jay Watson’s Gum and Shiny Joe Ryan. Thanks to the fact that Fremantle and the nearby city of Perth are some of the most isolated cities in the world, the whole scene was able to develop out of the reach of the music industry. Nick knew a thing or two about seclusion...2021-11-0346 minHumans of MusicMNDRAmanda Warner – AKA MNDR – first came to mainstream attention in 2010 when she collaborated with Mark Ronson on the song "Bang Bang Bang". Her path to that point was long and winding, and began in rural North Dakota where she was raised. From there she moved through the punk and undergound DIY scenes in Portland and Minneapolis, and then the underground noise and techno scenes in Oakland and New York in the early-to-mid 2000s. None of which would suggest a future career as a pop writer, producer and performer, but that’s one of the worlds MNDR cu...2021-10-271h 11Humans of MusicBob MarletteBob Marlette has been making records quite literally for decades, performing, producing and writing with acts like Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Shinedown, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rob Zombie and more. You might look at a resume like Bob’s and assume he’s always been a rock guy, but some of his earliest credits as a session musician include artists such as Laura Branigan and Tracy Chapman. In this interview we talk about the long, winding path Bob’s career has taken over the years, packed with many of his killer stories and anecdotes.2021-10-201h 11Humans of MusicJames Vincent McMorrowJames Vincent McMorrow recently released Grapefruit Season, his fifth album. It features contributions from producers and writers like Kenny Beats and Adele collaborator Paul Epworth, and sees him embracing the synths and hip-hop production elements he first started utilising on his second record, 2014's Post Tropical. When he released that album it shocked quite a lot of people, who were expecting him to continue down the nu-folk path of his debut LP, Early In The Morning. But as with contemporaries like Bon Iver, James has evolved beyond his first album, and we talk about that...2021-10-1352 minHumans of MusicNatalie ImbrugliaOff the back of her hit single "Torn", Natalie Imbruglia’s 1997 debut album sold more than seven million copies and earned her three GRAMMY nominations. After that initial burst of success, things got a little rocky. While Natalie’s third album, Counting Down The Days, debuted at Number 1 in the UK, her fourth album, Come To Life, was only released in Australia and New Zealand. After that disappointment she took time away from music before launching a comeback in 2015 with a covers album called Male, but even that wasn’t the record she’d originally hoped to...2021-10-0648 minHumans of MusicAmy Taylor (Amyl and the Sniffers)When Amyl and the Sniffers came together in 2016, they didn’t so much form as they did fall together. They were sharing a house in Melbourne and had a jam one afternoon, and ended up writing and recording four songs in the space of a few hours. They uploaded them to Bandcamp the next day, called the EP Giddy Up, and just like that, Amyl and the Sniffers were born. Since then the band’s mix of raw punk and fiery rock’n’roll has earned rave reviews, they’ve played some of the world’s biggest festival sta...2021-09-2948 minHumans of MusicMatthew E. WhiteMatthew E. White's new album, K Bay, is a wildly diverse record that has no regard for current trends. But then that’s how Matthew has run his career from day one. Not only is he a musician, he is also the founder of the Spacebomb music company, which has released albums by artists like Natalie Prass, Bedouine and Nadia Reid, and become one of the most well regarded independent music companies around. We talk about that whole ride in this interview, as well as Matthew’s upbringing in the Philippines and Japan, his path into...2021-09-2258 minHumans of MusicIlan Rubin (Nine Inch Nails, Angels & Airwaves)Ilan Rubin has established himself as one of the top session musicians in the world, playing with artists such as Paramore, Beck and Angels & Airwaves, the project founded by former blink-182 guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge. In 2020 he became the youngest person ever inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame for his work with Nine Inch Nails. It’s testament to the drive and talent of a man who started playing drums as a young child, and by 11 had already played the Warped Tour and the 1999 Woodstock Festival with the band F.O.N. ...2021-09-1553 minHumans of MusicNick Murphy (Chet Faker)Nick Murphy recently released a new Chet Faker album called Hotel Surrender. It’s the first Chet Faker record since 2014’s Built On Glass, although Nick has released a couple of albums under his own name in between, most recently the instrumental album Music For Silence. As Nick explains in this interview, he surprised even himself by making another Chet Faker album – in his eyes he’d effectively killed that project several years earlier as he struggled to deal with the success of Built On Glass and his first EP, Thinking In Textures, which featured a cover of Blackst...2021-09-0848 minHumans of MusicKim Thayil (Soundgarden)2021 marks the 30th anniversary of Soundgarden’s landmark album, Badmotorfinger. When they released that record the band were on the verge of exploding, with Seattle quickly becoming the epicentre of the music universe, with Pearl Jam releasing Ten and Nirvana releasing Nevermind that same year. But as Kim explains in this interview, from the day in 1984 when he formed Soundgarden with bassist Hiro Yamamoto and vocalist Chris Cornell, who was also playing drums at that point, they were never willing to bend towards the mainstream – instead they’d make it come to them. And come it did. ...2021-09-0159 minHumans of MusicJoshua RadinHow many interviews have you listened to where an artist has said they picked up an instrument as a kid, and they knew from that moment that they wanted a career in music? Well, that is not Joshua Radin’s story. Joshua didn’t pick up a guitar until he was 30, having spent his 20s trying to make a living as a painter and scriptwriter. But from the moment he started strumming on a guitar, things started to happen very quickly. Within a few months he’d written his first song, “Winter”, and not long after it w...2021-08-2545 minHumans of MusicGary Kemp (Spandau Ballet) Gary Kemp was the driving force behind Spandau Ballet's rise in the '80s, penning their biggest hits such as 'True', 'Gold', 'To Cut A Long Story Short', 'Through The Barricades' and more. He's just released his first solo album in 26 years, INSOLO, which mixes the classic pop melodies you’d expect of Gary while flirting with elements of progressive rock. We talk about the creation of that record in this interview, as well as Gary's upbringing and path into music, the rise of Spandau Ballet and his experiences with fame and success, and much more...2021-08-1847 minHumans of MusicNick Littlemore (PNAU, Empire of the Sun)When Nick Littlemore was a teenager, his life changed when he discovered Sydney’s underground dance scene. Alongside school friend Peter Mayes he formed the electronic band PNAU, who’ve gone on to become one of Australia’s biggest acts. But he’s a man of many interests – in addition to founding his record label, Lab78, he’s also a prodigious collaborator, working with everyone from Beyoncé to Sir Elton John. In the mid-2000s he co-founded Empire Of The Sun with Luke Steele. But instead of going on the road with the band when they had a big...2021-08-111h 02Humans of MusicBilly Duffy (The Cult)Since forming The Cult with vocalist Ian Astbury in 1983, Billy Duffy has proven himself to be one of those guitarists who can shapeshift musically, yet still sound like Billy Duffy. So whether you’re listening to the more indie leaning sounds of 1985’s Love, the AC/DC-styled rock of 1987’s Electric or the arena rock bombast of 1989’s Sonic Temple, it all sounds like the work of one guitarist. When The Cult went on hiatus in 1995, Billy founded Coloursøund with Mike Peters from The Alarm. They released one self-titled album in 1999 before Billy returned to The Cult – bu...2021-08-0449 minHumans of MusicEmma SwiftIn 2020, Australian singer-songwriter Emma Swift released an album of Bob Dylan covers called Blonde On The Tracks. She never intended to release the covers when she started recording them a few years ago, and only started to entertain the idea when COVID hit and her touring income dried up. The fact that the album has garnered Emma worldwide acclaim is just another twist in a career full of them. In some ways that career began when she was a music-loving kid growing up in rural Australia, before she moved to Sydney and started played in p...2021-07-2848 minHumans of MusicRichard MarxThere was a time in the late '80s and early '90s when you couldn't turn on the radio without hearing Richard Marx. Songs like Satisfied, Endless Summer Nights, Right Here Waiting, Angelia and Hazard – to name only a few – were bonafide radio staples. But there had been years of struggle before those hits. When Richard moved to LA from Chicago at the age of 18, he spent years getting rejected by label after label, and told time and again he should give up. Then when fame hit, it was a whirlwind that left him questioning the succ...2021-07-211h 00Humans of MusicPaul Field (The Wiggles) The Wiggles are one of the most successful children’s entertainment groups in history. Guiding them for 24 years was Paul Field, brother of founder and blue Wiggle, Anthony Field. What you may not know about Paul and Anthony is that prior to The Wiggles they were pop stars in Australia with the band The Cockroaches, alongside their brother John as well as future purple Wiggle, Jeff Fatt. Last year Paul retired from managing The Wiggles and he’s just released his first ever solo album called Love Songs For Lonely People. Featuring guests such as Jimm...2021-07-1456 minHumans of MusicErin Kelly-Burkett (Fat Wreck Chords)Since starting in a one-bedroom house in San Francisco in 1990, Fat Wreck Chords has become one of the world’s pre-eminent punk rock record labels, releasing hundreds of albums by some of the genre’s biggest punk bands. While most people associate the label with NOFX frontman Fat Mike, Fat Wreck Chords would not be where it is today were it not for Erin Kelly-Burkett, Mike’s ex-wife who’s been there from the beginning, working tirelessly behind the scenes as the label has weathered the ups and downs of three decades in the music industry. Erin t...2021-07-0749 minHumans of MusicLuke Steele (Empire of the Sun) Luke Steele was born into music – growing up in Perth his childhood involved watching his guitarist dad play in pubs and clubs and, when he was old enough, joining him onstage at weekly blues jam nights. By 19 he’d formed indie band The Sleepy Jackson, with whom he toured the world and received widespread critical acclaim. His big break, though, came with Empire Of The Sun, the outfit he formed in the mid-2000s with Nick Littlemore from electronic outfit PNAU, and whose song "Walking On A Dream" became an international hit. Now he's launched his...2021-06-3048 minHumans of MusicDean Lewis Dean Lewis is one of those classic overnight success stories that was actually years in the making. At one point he was rejected by every single record company in Australia, until one day he finally got his lucky break when one of Savage Garden’s managers heard his demo tape and signed him. From there he started writing songs for other people, before releasing his debut single “Waves” in 2016. It was, however, 2018 single “Be Alright” that went crazy, achieving double platinum status in America and going 11 times platinum in Australia, sending Dean on a whirlwind schedule of touring an...2021-06-2352 minHumans of MusicEmily KingWhen at the age of 16 Emily King decided she wanted to dedicate herself to music, she was in some ways picking up the family business – her mother and father were working musicians, and Emily and her brother grew up watching them play. Success came early – at the age of 19 she was signed to J Records, which was founded by the legendary Clive Davis. She was nominated for a Grammy for her debut album, East Side Story, but found the major label experience soul destroying, and was dropped several years later. Bowed but not broken she set...2021-06-1648 minHumans of MusicEmilio Castillo (Tower Of Power) Emilio Castillo has led Oakland soul/funk legends Tower Of Power since founding the band in 1968. Since then he's established the group as one of the most influential funk and soul acts of all time, with artists as diverse as Prince, James Brown and the Red Hot Chili Peppers declaring themselves fans. As with any career that's lasted more than five decades there have been ups and downs, with changing musical trends, substance abuse and shifting line-ups taking their toll at various points. But throughout it all Emilio has been there, with fellow founding member Stephen "Doc"...2021-06-091h 15Humans of Musicgirl in redgirl in red is the pseudonym of 22-year-old Norwegian artist, producer and multi-instrumentalist Marie Ulven. Her recently released debut album, if I could make it go quiet, has won praise from fans and critics alike, with Taylor Swift taking to her social media to declare the album "spectacular". Marie is the definition of a self-contained artist, writing all the songs, playing all the instruments and producing, all of which we talk about in this interview. We also discuss her upbringing in Norway and her path into music, her willingness to address her sexuality and mental...2021-06-0245 minHumans of MusicCraig Finn (The Hold Steady)The Hold Steady recently released their eighth full-length record, Open Door Policy. It’s an album in every sense of the word, with ebbs and flows, dynamic musical shifts, and boisterous bar-room rock nestling alongside creeping musical passages. It’s all off-set by Craig Finn’s formidable lyrical storytelling, delivered in his trademark sung-spoken way. We talk about how he developed that style in this interview, and how he went from attending hardcore shows in Minneapolis as a kid to playing in acclaimed underground band Lifter Puller, before moving to New York to form The Hold S...2021-05-2648 minHumans of MusicAndrew Farriss (INXS)There’s a song on Andrew Farriss’s recent self-titled solo album called “Come Midnight”, which was actually written during the sessions for INXS’s 1987 album Kick. As with the rest of his solo record, though, it’s a far cry from the funk, rock and pop of INXS, with Andrew going down a more traditional country music route. We talk about Andrew’s latest career move in this interview, as well as his upbringing and path into music, the rise of INXS and his songwriting partnership with Michael Hutchence, what it was like carrying on with the band follo...2021-05-1948 minHumans of MusicDamon Johnson (Brother Cane, Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy) Damon Johnson boasts one of the most impressive resumes in rock’n’roll. He first came to international attention in the early '90s as the frontman for Alabama rockers Brother Cane, and when they split after three albums he went on to play guitar with artists such as John Waite, Alice Cooper, Thin Lizzy and the band they morphed into, Black Star Riders. He’s also co-written songs for Stevie Nicks and Carlos Santana, including Santana’s mega hit "Just Feel Better", featuring Steven Tyler. We talk about all those experiences in this interview – from his days in th...2021-05-0548 minHumans of MusicKevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) Kevin Cronin has written some of the biggest hits in music history, such as "Keep On Loving You" and "Can’t Fight This Feeling", while REO Speedwagon’s 1980 album High Infidelity was one of the highest selling records of that decade. Kevin survived the excesses of that period as well as the commercial downturn the band endured in the late '80s/early '90s, as founding member Gary Richrath departed and REO Speedwagon got cast aside in the grunge and punk rock booms. After a period of uncertainty he also led REO Speedwagon’s resurge...2021-04-2149 minHumans of MusicTaylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless) The Pretty Reckless's latest album, Death By Rock and Roll, is informed by the grief frontwoman Taylor Momsen felt following the passing of two musical giants – the band’s longtime producer and unofficial fifth member Kato Khandwala in 2018, and Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell, with whom The Pretty Reckless were on tour at the time of his death in 2017. Their deaths sent Taylor into a deep depression, which only really started to abate when she turned to music for solace. We talk about the creation of the album in this interview, as well as Taylor’s upbring...2021-04-0750 minHumans of MusicFat Mike (NOFX) NOFX have just released Single Album, their 14th studio record since forming in LA in 1983. At that point Fat Mike was known as Mike Burkett, and was still cutting his teeth in the LA punk rock scene. As he explains in this interview it was a violent scene where being stabbed at a gig was not uncommon. But in punk rock he saw a family of like-minded misfits – a family which he didn’t really have following his parents’ divorce when he was young. With his dad wanting little to do with his upbringing Mike lived...2021-03-2447 minHumans of MusicFantastic NegritoBorn Xavier Dphrepaulezz in rural Massachusetts, by the time he was 11 the boy who'd come to be known as Fantastic Negrito was living on the streets of Oakland, bouncing between foster families, and running with gun-toting gangs. An interest in music took him to LA in the early-'90s, where he ended up working with Prince's management team and signed to a $1 million recording contract. When he was injured in a terrible car crash and lost that deal, he made a living running an illegal nightclub in South Central LA. Believe it or not, they're...2021-03-1047 minHumans of MusicRobbie Chater (The Avalanches)Late last year The Avalanches released their third album, We Will Always Love You. It’s the follow-up to 2016’s Wildflower, an album that almost defined the very idea of a troubled second record – it arrived 16 years after the band’s classic debut, Since I Left You, a period characterised by false starts, illness, and the departure of band members including Darren Seltmann. It was also a period in which co-founder Robbie Chater relapsed into the alcoholism that almost killed him in his early 20s. Now The Avalanches have returned triumphant with We Will Always Love You...2021-02-2449 minHumans of MusicFrank Iero (My Chemical Romance) Frank Iero was born into a family of drummers. When it came time to launch his own career, though, he chose guitar over drums, and hardcore and punk rock over the blues and jazz favoured by his father and grandfather. He found fame as a member of My Chemical Romance, releasing a handful of albums that would catapult the New Jersey band from half empty punk rock clubs to the world’s biggest stages, before they split in 2012. MCR reunited in 2019, and while Frank remains a member of that band he is also fo...2021-02-1052 minHumans of MusicLaura Jane GraceMusician, author and activist Laura Jane Grace is a trailblazer. Since 1997 she’s guided Against Me! from the Gainesville punk scene to the world's biggest stages, releasing a slew of critically acclaimed albums and refusing to bow to the expectations of others. In 2012 Laura came out as transgender, and has been a tireless advocate for trans rights ever since. In late-2020 she released her first solo album, 'Stay Alive', which she recorded with Steve Albini at Chicago’s Electrical Audio studios. We talk about that record, Laura's incredible life and career and more in this...2021-01-2749 minHumans of MusicRobin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes)Since forming in Seattle in 2006, Fleet Foxes have carved a singular path through the modern music scene, amassing a global following with their celestial harmonies and gorgeous, autumnal indie-folk. They broke out with their 2008 self-titled debut album, a runaway success that frontman Robin Pecknold says he found “hugely shocking”. After their follow-up record Helplessness Blues, he retreated from the spotlight for a number of years before the band returned with 2017’s Crack-Up and now their fourth record, 2020's Shore. We talk about all that in this interview, as well as Robin’s upbringing in Seattle and his p...2021-01-1449 minHumans of MusicRichard James Burgess (President & CEO, A2IM)Richard James Burgess is often credited with creating the terms New Romantic and EDM. He also invented the world’s first electronic drum kit in the Simmons SDS-V; produced the first two albums by Spandau Ballet, amongst others; pioneered the use of synthesisers, sampling and computers in music; worked with artists such as Kate Bush; and forged his own successful career as a musician, perhaps most notably with the band Landscape, who had a Top 5 hit in the UK with 1981’s “Einstein A Go Go”, off their second album, From the Tea-rooms of Mars... to the Hell-holes of Uranus. An...2020-11-041h 07Humans of MusicConor Mason (Nothing But Thieves)Since forming in 2012, Nothing But Thieves have become one of England's biggest musical exports, touring the world, playing the late-night TV talk show circuit in America and hitting the Top 10 in the UK. But it’s not all been smooth sailing. As the band toured the US off the back of their 2015 debut album, frontman Conor Mason suffered a breakdown, unsettled by the divorce of his parents, the rigours of the road and a mind that he says would not slow down. As he explains in this interview he’s since learned to tame those impul...2020-10-2150 minHumans of MusicAmanda PalmerAmanda Palmer first gained widespread recognition in 2003 when her band The Dresden Dolls released their self-titled debut album. But it was in 2012 that she really captured the world’s attention when she raised $1.2 million through a Kickstarter campaign to record her album 'Theatre is Evil'. In many ways it kickstarted a love-hate relationship between Amanda and the internet. On the upside she’s been able to connect directly with her fanbase via platforms such as Patreon. At times, though, she's been viciously attacked, such as when she wrote a poem referencing Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarna...2020-10-0759 minHumans of MusicDavid Ryan HarrisDavid Ryan Harris has forged a career as a solo artist, songwriter, producer, session musician and touring guitarist. His list of credits is long and populated with hits, having written songs for Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy, played guitar on albums by Alicia Keys, James Bay and John Mayer, and produced records by India.Arie and Hanson, to name a few. He was also John Mayer’s long-time touring guitarist, all while forging his own career as a solo artist. In short, he’s one of those artists who is incredibly successful and well respected, and...2020-09-2357 minHumans of MusicFrank TurnerFrank Turner first found acclaim fronting British hardcore band Million Dead. When they split in 2005 he picked up his acoustic guitar and hit the road, embarking on a new career as a singer-songwriter. As he says in this interview, his friends all thought he was crazy. But Frank had a plan. That plan has worked out pretty well, given that his past four records have debuted in the TOP 5 in the UK, he can now sell out venues like London’s O2 Arena, and tour the world playing to packed rooms. But there have been sc...2020-09-091h 07Humans of MusicBriggsAdam Briggs is the ultimate multi-tasker. As a solo artist and with A.B. Original he’s become one of Australia’s most respected rappers, but he’s also an actor, scriptwriter, children's book author and activist. As a student growing up in the regional Victorian town of Shepparton, though, he was told he’d never amount to anything. So how has this man who was told he had no prospects, who’s had to fight and claw for every opportunity, got to where he is today? That’s what we’re here to find out.2020-08-261h 01Humans of MusicThao NguyenFor many years, Thao Nguyen lived what she calls a divided life. As a young performer she played down her ethnicity, to the detriment of her sense of identity. And though she identifies as queer and was openly out in her personal life, professionally she never really addressed her sexuality, for fear of it harming her family. For years the shame festered, finally bubbling to the surface on Temple, the latest album by Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. It’s an album of catharsis, in which she addresses her sexuality and her relationship with her family an...2020-08-1255 minHumans of MusicMichael FrantiOver the years the name Michael Franti has become synonymous with hope, positivity and social activism. It’s there in the music he makes with Spearhead, it’s there in his new album Work Hard & Be Nice, and it’s there in his lyrics, which offer a beacon of light for millions of fans around the world. Michael has, however, long dealt with the emotional trauma of being given up for adoption at birth, an act that left him searching for his identity and helped shape the course of his artistic career, as he discusses in this interv...2020-07-2947 minHumans of MusicBrett JamesBrett James was heading for a career in medicine before moving to Nashville in the early '90s to pursue music. But after seven unsuccessful years he returned to Oklahoma to resume his studies, his dream seemingly over. The universe, however, had different ideas – three days after starting university again, he received news that Faith Hill had recorded one of his songs for her album, Breathe. Over the next five months Brett had no less than 33 songs cut and ended up with five Top 10 singles, signalling the end once and for all of a career in medicine....2020-07-1553 minHumans of MusicM-PhazesIt may say Mark Landon on his birth certificate, but to the world at large he is M-Phazes, one of Australia’s most successful producers and songwriters. He’s worked with everyone from Amy Shark, Noah Cyrus and Daniel Johns to Kehlani, Ruel, Madonna, Demi Lovato and Eminem, with whom he won a Grammy in 2015 when The Marshall Mathers LP 2 won Best Rap Album. And when you see a list of credits like that, you probably think Phazes has it made and his struggles are behind him. But as you’ll hear in our conversation, Phazes is really...2020-07-0146 minHumans of MusicMelanie CMelanie Chisolm experienced the kind of fame you just couldn’t prepare for. Known around the world as Sporty Spice, for a period of time she was one of the most famous people in the world, in one of the most popular groups in history, the Spice Girls. For a working class girl from the north west of England, the success, the money and the pressure were a lot to take in. As she says in this interview it’s hard to quantify exactly how the experience of being so famous at such a young age changed her...2020-06-1752 minHumans of MusicSam FenderSince being discovered in a pub by Ben Howard's manager, Sam Fender’s career has exploded – he won the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2019 Brit Awards, while his debut album Hypersonic Missiles landed at Number 1 in the UK when it was released in late 2019. It might sound like a scenario plucked from a Hollywood movie – struggling musician gets spotted by a manager and goes on to become famous. But Sam’s upbringing was about as far from Hollywood as you could get. Raised in the working class Northern England town of North Shields, he grew up in a brok...2020-05-271h 01Humans of MusicButch WalkerOver the past three decades Butch Walker has lived the ups and downs of the music industry. In the early '90s his glam metal band Southgang were signed to a major label, only for changing musical trends and record label politics to put an end to their career; it all happened again a decade later with his band the Marvelous 3. Despite these setbacks Butch has built a career as an acclaimed solo artist and a songwriter and producer whose credits include P!nk, Taylor Swift, Green Day, Weezer and many, many more. We talk about all this, as w...2020-05-131h 04Humans of MusicBrian FallonFor a brief period before Brian recorded his latest album, Local Honey, he considered giving up music as a full-time profession. With 40 just around the corner, and a career that had far exceeded what he could have hoped for while working construction in New Jersey in his early 20s, he found himself wondering where he fit in, and what he had left to do. It wasn’t the first time he’d had something of a career crisis. As he explains in this interview, the success he experienced in The Gaslight Anthem was tainted by external pressures and...2020-04-291h 03Humans of MusicNina NesbittNina Nesbitt knows firsthand how fickle success can be. By the time she was 20 she’d played arena shows and released a debut album called Peroxide that went to Number One in Scotland. Despite this success she was dropped by her record label, and as she says in this interview was abandoned by everyone but her closest friends and family almost overnight. Through determination and hard work she managed to turn her career around, releasing her second album, 2019's The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change, to widespread acclaim. In this in...2020-04-1636 minHumans of MusicThe LumineersAddiction has touched the lives of The Lumineers' Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz. Jeremiah’s brother, with whom Wes was also close, was just 19 when he died of a heroin overdose. Wes meanwhile has been dealing with the addiction of an anonymous family member for years. And it’s these experiences that inform The Lumineers latest album, III. It’s a concept album split in three chapters and focused on three generations of the fictional Sparks family, who are torn apart by drug addiction, alcoholism and tragedy. Not surprisingly, writing it touched on a lot of raw emotio...2020-04-0151 minHumans of MusicAdam Lambert (Queen)What do you do when your life becomes tabloid fodder? When your sexuality becomes a subject of public interest? For Adam Lambert, coming second in the 2009 season of American Idol exposed him to that kind of scrutiny and he had to adapt quickly, while also navigating the ups and downs of a skyrocketing career in pop. Of course, when it comes to scrutiny it would be hard to think of a more pressure-filled position than singing for Queen, something Adam has been doing with great aplomb since 2012. We cover all that and more i...2020-03-1843 minHumans of MusicBethany Cosentino (Best Coast)What does it take to find happiness? For Best Coast frontwoman Bethany Cosentino, it had a lot to do with getting sober. She’d spent much of her 20s self-medicating as she dealt with mental health issues and the sudden success of the band’s first album, Crazy For You. It wasn’t working, though: as she sings in the song "Everything Has Changed" off the band’s latest album Always Tomorrow: "I used to drink nothing but water and whisky, now I think those were the reasons why I used to fall deep down in a hol...2020-03-0457 minHumans of MusicJohn ButlerAs John Butler's popularity grew, he spent a significant part of that ride just holding on for dear life, never stopping to take stock or deal with any of his niggling personal baggage. That all changed in 2015, when he and his partner Danielle Caruana took their two children and moved to the south west of Western Australia. And for the first time he slowed down long enough to feel the full weight of his demons. It was a period that informed much of John’s 2018 album Home, and in this interview he talks frankly and op...2020-02-191h 05Humans of MusicTove LoThe first time Tove Lo held her microphone out to the crowd and asked them to sing the words, she closed her eyes and hoped for the best. When the crowd sang the chorus back to her she turned to the side of the stage and saw her parents in tears. As she says in this interview it was a big moment – an indication to her parents that their daughter was going to be okay pursuing music. That was all the way back in 2014 when Tove was in New Zealand supporting Katy Perry, riding high on...2020-02-0540 minHumans of MusicBilly BraggWhen most people think of Billy Bragg they probably think of the political firebrand who championed the miners' strike in Wales in '84/'85, and who in the mid-'80s founded Red Wedge, a coalition of musicians who aimed to engage a younger generation in politics in the hope of ousting Margaret Thatcher. But there has always been much more to Billy than his politics, and we talk about some of the misconceptions about his reputation in this interview. We also discuss fatherhood, his work with artists like Wilco, what it was like being around for the...2020-01-2251 min