Sweetman Podcast

An in-depth chat with Suzanne Vega. We talk through her music career over a cappuccino at Wellington's Hotel Intercontinental just moments before she was to board a flight to Japan for more shows. I saw Vega in Sydney on her tour and then again in Wellington. As a lifelong fan it was the ultimate thrill to not only meet her but to have her sit down and answer questions, have a conversation...and here it is.

An in-depth chat with Chris Familton - a Kiwi based in Sydney, Australia for 20 years now. He's a music writer, behind the successful blogs Post to Wire and Doubtful Sounds, he's a DJ, a musician - now in the band Charlie Horse, back in New Zealand and back in the early/mid-90s he was a member of Thorazine Shuffle. He's also a stay-at-home dad. We talk about all of this and general passion for music.

An in-depth chat with Wellington-based guitarist, guitar luthier, conservationist, former City Councillor and newly instated board chair for Wellington Orchestra. We talk art and culture, oh and that time Ray Ahipene-Mercer saw The Beatles in Wellington as a teenager. Oh, also that time he was asked to be a guitar tech for Led Zeppelin. Ray Mercer has a kind heart, a deep soul and a huge bag of stories. We unpacked a lot of that during this wonderful conversation.

An in-depth chat with Wellington writer Helen Heath. We talk about her poetry volumes 'Shaft' and the brand new 'Are Friend Electric'. We talk about her Masters in Creative Writing and PhD completed at Victoria University's IIML, her life in Wellington and life online; we talk about the "horrors" of the internet, the impacts of being connected to and through devices. And we talk good old concept albums of course...

An in-depth chat with Wellington-based, English-born guitarist, singer and poet Russell Self. Russell has lived in New Zealand for a quarter of a century before that his home was in various places in England and France - he's been a busker, had many jobs, has released an album of poems and music, has performed around the world and continues to think up and recite poems as well as learn the songs of others. We talked about all of this and some favourite writers and musicians too.

An in-depth chat with writer and musician Bill Direen. We talk about his upbringing, his early interest in music and his movement between writing for the page and the stage; travel, scholarship, commitment and craft. We talk about motivations and aims - and then the actual work. So much of it. There's no end-point, there's no chance he'll stop creating until he has to.

An in-depth chat with Christchurch based singer/actor/producer Ali Harper. We talk about her current show, "Songs For Nobodies" which is set to debut its month-long circa season right at the time of this recording. She's touring it around the country and then taking it to America. Ali has a quarter-century's experience acting and singing, including working as a vocalist on Dancing With The Stars, appearing in lead and chorus roles in touring musicals and running her own production company. We talk about her life dedicated to theatre and singing and she previews the current show.

An in-depth chat with Wellington writer Pip Adam, winner of the Acorn Foundation Prize at the 2018 Ockham Book Awards. Writer of two novels (The New Animals, I'm Working On A Building) and a collection of short stories (Everything We Hoped For). Pip is also a podcaster (Better off Read) and creative writing teacher. We talk books, obviously. But also her upbringing and experiences, we talk shared love of movies, TV, music. podcasts - and Pip reflects on the recent prize win and on the criticism her writing has faced.

An in-depth chat with Barry Saunders, songwriter, lead singer of The Warratahs and solo artist too. Barry's a poet, and musician - he's written songs about the New Zealand landscape and mindset that are now seemingly a part of both. We talk through some of his solo records, The stop-start nature of The Warratahs, his early experiences as a rock'n'roller and adventurer and his latest project, a collaboration with Delaney Davidson.

An in-depth chat with Sam Cutler, author of the book "You Can't Always Get What You Want", former Tour Manager for The Rolling Stones (1969) and The Grateful Dead (early 1970s). We talk about Altamont and Europe '72, the aftermath of dealing with The Stones, life on the road, so many colourful stories...Sam lives in Australia now and has several books on the go, both fiction and non-fiction...https://samcutlersbooks.com/

An in-depth chat with Sarah Bradley, broadcaster, journalist, singer, actor, student, diplomat...Sarah and I worked together on the "Good Morning" TV show for many years and we also worked for the same magazine for a time. We talk through those moments and many other journalism and broadcasting highlights for Sarah; from New Zealand to New York and back - and then back to America again - Sarah has worked as a local and international TV host, radio personality and magazine editor. She has a love of musicals and the stage, and is also a mother, an eternal student and has held down diplomatic postings.

An in-depth chat with Wellington poet Chris Tse. We talk about his childhood and early influences, the experiences captured in his two books to date, 'How To Be Dead In A Year of Snakes' and 'He's So MASC'. We talk too about music fandom, flying overseas to see shows, and the huge influence of music on his writing. We talk identity and his coming out to his parents, his coming out to the world through his writing; we talk a lot about a lot of really cool stuff. A huge conversation between two people meeting - properly - for the first time.

An in-depth conversation with Wellington-based singer/songwriter Emily Fairlight. We talk about her recently recorded and released second album, "Mother of Gloom" - and also her earlier, self-titled debut. We talk about songwriting and poetry and the creative process; we talk touring and recording overseas, the joys (and troubles) of self-management and self-promotion. We talk head injuries and other obstacles and overcoming those things in order to live and create...

An in-depth chat with Mark Cubey, former producer of Kim Hill's popular Saturday morning radio show, recent director of The NZ Festival's Writers & Readers, magazine editor and creator, broadcaster, arts enthusiast, entrepreneur and encouraging presence. Mark and I sat down to talk about radio and film and books and magazines and their place in his life, we talked about changes in technology and approaches throughout the years, the record label and magazine and website LOOP, his time spent subbing the NBR and The Listener and many other things...

An in-depth chat with artist and musician Fane Flaws. We go back to his days in Blerta and from there through Spats, The Crocodiles and The Bend to these days with No Engine, as well as his work making ads and music videos, creating the opening credits for Radio With Pictures and his own art. We talk, too, about songwriting. And music. So much music.

An in-depth chat with musician and venue-owner Roy Brown. Roy is a piano player, singer/songwriter and band-frontman. He grew up performing in venues around Hawke's Bay including the mighty Cabana. Now, after time in Auckland and Melbourne, he has returned to Hawke's Bay and is the owner of that legendary venue. We talk about Roy's life and careers - across performance, hospitality and retail - and we talk mental health, advocacy, and that time he met his hero: David Bowie.

An in-depth chat with Lisa Harrow. She is New Zealand acting royalty - born in Auckland, Harrow moved to England to take up a position with RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts) and on to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her contemporaries in the company include Dame Judi Dench and Sir Patrick Stewart. Harrow now divides her time between New Zealand and America, she divides her acting time between stage and screen - theatre, film and TV - and her husband Roger Payne is a world-renowned whale expert - a biologist and environmentalist (so we had to talk about that a wee bit too!). Lisa Harrow is a legend. And it was a thrill to meet her and speak with her.

An in-depth chat with Darren Watson - the guest on the very first Sweetman Podcast returns. Nearly three years on from when Darren and I first sat down to speak and he has a fantastic new album to plug, his finest, 'Too Many Millionaires'. The album is out May 1, 2018 with a New Zealand tour starting May 3 (Dates in the notes attached). We talk about the process behind the album and you'll hear some exclusive song-snippets. We talk music-making and the aims and ambitions behind this new, acoustic-based record. We talk vinyl and touring and the struggle to make it as an independent artist in New Zealand.

An in-depth chat with Gil Eva Craig, a Wellington-based musician, photographer and sound-tech. Gil was a musician first and foremost - she was a member of one of my favourite bands for a time, Sugarbug. She still plays, including an enduring collaboration with Charlotte Yates but her main gig is as a sound engineer, including sound design for theatre. She's been on the monitors and front of house sound for live bands and in the studio tracking, mixing and mastering. She's part of Western Audio with husband Andy Craig and outside of that she continues to compose and design and collaborate with theatre and has a sideline in photograph printing and design. It was my first time meeting Gil though I estimate we've previously been in the same room up at least 1,000 times.

A brief chat with Jeremy Taylor of Slow Boat Records. We talk Record Store Day, the history of the event and this year's activities at Slow Boat - in-store appearances and performances by Mermaidens and Tiny Ruins. And of course there'll be some of the special releases on offer. (See the notes for a full chat with Jeremy from last year and a recent conversation with Slow Boat's owner, Dennis O'Brien).