Next year, Danny and Ben will have known each other for forty years. Their friendship as has been quite the adventure, that’s included the Masters Of The Universe, G.I. Joe, skateboarding, fist fights, forming their first band together at the age of twelve, both dropping out of school, scratching out a living as professional musicians, supporting the likes of Bryan Ferry, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton and these days, both finding more perspective and calm in their lives. On this episode, Danny sits down with his oldest friend to chat about their hilarious and dramatic journey together.  

Twenty-six years ago, Danny bought Chris Bourke’s book Something So Strong, which tells the highly entertaining and informative story of Crowded House. So much about the book stayed with Danny and gave him some very important tips about how to navigate the music industry. All these years later, Danny got to talk to Chris Bourke about Crowded House, his books Something So Strong (1998), Blue Smoke (2010) and Good-bye Maoriland (2017) and his work at AudioCulture. Chris is like a living library of NZ music. Great chat!

Danny met Chris Melville twenty five years ago when they were both regularly performing at The Temple Bar in Auckland’s CBD. Chris didn’t realise he was playing an important role in Danny’s career, giving Danny lots of great advice about how to build a career in the arts. They went on to collaborate on several projects together and now, after having not seen each other for a few years, they have reconnected to record this episode of the podcast. This one goes deep. Enjoy!

Saxophonist Thabani Gapara grew up Zimbabwe and eventually moved to South Africa to further his studies. While he was studying, his parents had been living and working in the UK, but despite much effort, Thabani was unable to secure a visa to join them. So, the whole family moved to New Zealand so they could be together and our local music scene is now fortunate to have this dedicated, professional and joyful musician in our midst. Thabani is a thoughtful and kind-hearted guy who loves what he does and loves the people he works with. Enjoy!

Danny first met Jenni Smith when he was tutoring guitar at Auckland University. Jenni was a first-year student on the Popular Music course and years later, Jenni is now celebrating a recent chart placement and is working hard promoting her new, upbeat single ‘T-Shirt’. A proud ‘Swifty’, Jenni developed a fascination with pop and country music when she was young and has spent the years since learning to play a variety of instruments, while developing her songwriting skills.  

Mike Baker is a songwriter who was involved with the Flying Nun scene in the late 80s (primarily with the band Not Really Anything) before relocating to Sydney to manage bands and create a career as a chef, including cooking for White Stripes, Dandy Warhols, Henry Rollins, Boss Hogg, Lloyd Cole and many others, before returning to NZ. He’s now got a debut EP out under the name BAkeR.

Originally from Canada, Joanne currently holds the position of Director, Artistic Planning & Participation, at New Zealand Opera in Auckland, New Zealand where she has been a department head since 2014. On this episode the two musicians talk about craft, technique, the business of music and they discuss the differences and the similarities between their careers. Find out more about Joanne and New Zealand Opera at www.nzopera.com

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Graham Reid has been an important part of the fabric of the New Zealand music scene for several decades. He’s a journalist, an author, a writer and a music reviewer who has consistently delivered intelligent and well-considered perspectives, with class and integrity. He’s written for Metro Magazine, The Listener and the New Zealand Herald (back when it was good) as well as his legendary website Elsewhere.co.nz Graham knows his stuff and isn’t afraid to speak honestly. He also happens to be a cool guy!

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Danny sits down with bandmates Jasper de Roos and Dan Antunovich to discuss how The Beatles and Covid initiated the creation of their band Noise Play and how they produced their new album Junk. They discuss the success and failure of their 2021 theatre show, recording the drums for one song with only three mics, the guest performances by Mark Steven, Stephen Small and Eddie Rayner and they also talk musicianship, song writing, session work, live performance, and their unique approach to recording the album. 

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In a past life Jody Garrett managed record stores.  Now he’s the General Manager of DRM (Digital Rights Managers), New Zealand’s go to aggregator for digital music releases. We have an in-depth conversation about the streaming platforms and navigating a music career in the digital age.  

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Podcast cofounder and Opshop drummer Bobby Kennedy is back to talk about the rebranding of the podcast, grieving his music career, societal divisions and Indiana Jones.

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Scott Parker from The Boondocks travels in from the sticks to talk about moustaches, kids’ toys, vocal techniques, surviving with no money, living with Tourette’s, Tall Poppy syndrome and 1980s TV Shows.  

I recently sat down with Rodney Fisher and chatted about the beginnings of Goodshirt, getting bottled at his first Auckland gig, how Goodshirt recorded their albums themselves before everyone else was doing it, the making of their iconic music videos, his work with Breaks Co-Op and how and why he made his new solo album Art School Dropout.  

Rajneel Singh is a director who has worked on short films, music videos and TV commercials and as an editor for television dramas and documentaries. He helped create the oldest active torrent, the pre-YouTube-era, viral video sensation The Fanimatrix. He’s also the first guest on the show who went to school with Danny. The two haven’t spoken for almost 30 years, and this recording starts a minute or so into them first meeting again. They talk extensively about The Matrix films, The Terminator sequels, The Corridor Crew and our local film industry.  

Dixon Nacey is a highly respected guitarist, music director and tutor, who has worked with a long list of great people and has racked up a wealth of experience. We sit down for a wide-reaching conversation about guitar playing, gigging war stories, our music careers, our families and Fonzie from Happy Days. Great guy, lots of laughs, good times.  

Dave Thomson from Brother Sister joins us to talk about being in a band of siblings, how they created their fantastic music videos, his work as a videographer and his involvement in the Smokefree Rockquest.  

Monique Bradley is an incredibly inspiring person with an unstoppable attitude. Monique and her partner Pete Ward, provide training, coaching and consulting services through their company We Do Famous Ltd. Monique is also the CEO of Sky Channel 83 Face TV and they both produce several TV shows including the third season of lifestyle show Guide To Better Living and ecommerce infomercial show Guide To Better Shopping. On this episode we discuss making a living in the arts, bullying, the stories we tell ourselves (about ourselves), cancel culture, freedom of speech and much more.  

On our 150th episode, Fiona McDonald joins me to talk about the new Strawpeople album Knucklebones - their first release in nineteen years! We also discus writing lyrics, the innovative approach of both the Headless Chickens and Strawpeople, Bosom FM (?) and a whole lot more!

Lorenzo Hazelwood is a young singer who fronts the band Silcrow and is in the full swing of trying to establish his career. With a new single out and an upcoming move to London, Lorenzo dropped by to chat about the highs and lows of being a young rock band trying to find their feet in the current musical industry. This is a very pointed, hard hitting, fun chat.  

Jemilah and Koen from up-and-coming band Marmalade, stop by to talk about their thoughts and experiences as they work to get their band off the ground, progress their careers and navigate their way through the music industry. We also learn about bed socks.

Australian songwriter, musician and guitar tutor Mark Moldre, joins us to talk about his new album Nambucca Fables. We discuss song-writing, the story of the lost 1940s Tex Morton guitar, the trappings of genre and branding and much more. Check out his fantastic new album and enjoy the chat!

Drummer and fellow podcaster Andrew Rooney joins Danny for a wide ranging conversation about all things music. The conversation swings from Toto to Ringo, the Dunning–Kruger effect to making money, and Andrew gives Danny a pep talk. 

Tracey Collins is a professional accordionist with a wealth of experience. We discuss her work touring with Operatunity, meeting her husband in Venice, her early gigs on K’ Road as a young teenager, building a restaurant in a tree and her life as a fulltime musician and Mum. Fast paced and lots of laughs.  

Songwriter Damien Binder joins us to chat about his new album Bright Side. We talk about song writing, gigging, lyrics, production and much more. Great album, great guy, great chats!

In September 2022 renowned vocalist Caitlin Smith, returned to our podcast studio with more to say about her latest thoughts and musings. On this second instalment she talks about anxiety and addiction, musical identity, navigating the music business and Danny and Caitlin debate their slightly different views on lyric writing.

Pat Kuhtze has been a professional drummer since the 1980s and has remained a busy and in demand session musician ever since. He’s witnessed the music industry change in many ways and has continually evolved to stay afloat, raising four kids and racking up a long list of playing credits. As the pandemic arrived Pat decided to steer away from some of his work to focus on projects he’s more passionate about. He now has several projects on the go with Split Enz’ Eddie Rayner and a newfound excitement for music.  

Uk musician and composer Simon Wood Harris talks about his journey developing the Unidentified Flying Project, an album and collaboration that includes Dave Weckl, Dominic Miller, Jeremy Stacey, Robbie McIntosh, Pino Palladino, Omar Hakim and many more of the worlds finest musicians. On this special two-part episode, Simon talks openly about the highs and lows of his journey putting this project together. 

Uk musician and composer Simon Wood Harris talks about his journey developing the Unidentified Flying Project, an album and collaboration that includes Dave Weckl, Dominic Miller, Jeremy Stacey, Robbie McIntosh, Pino Palladino, Omar Hakim and many more of the worlds finest musicians. On this special two-part episode, Simon talks openly about the highs and lows of his journey putting this project together. 

Garageland rose to prominence in the mid 90s and released three albums before disbanding in 2002. Now they’re back together, touring in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their first album ‘Last Exit to Garageland’. Singer/Guitarist Jeremy Eade joins us for a philosophical chat about the 90s, life on the road and life after rock n roll. Put on your laughing shoes.

Dug Pinnick from US band King's X talks about the new Kings X album Three Sides of One, the producers who worked on Kings X's previous albums and his thoughts on the world and life. These guys created their own sound, paved their own road and influenced many artists including Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, The Smashing Pumpkins, Pantera and Dream Theater. King's X long awaited new album Three Sides of One has exceeded expectations, shot up the US charts and delighted fans all over the world.  

Riccardo Ball is the vocalist for Just One Fix, the director of Wrecking Ball Media, he’s the former Music Director at The Rock and has worked as a song plugger and artist mentor. He's broadly experienced, refreshingly honest and on this episode we have a funny and informative conversation about the business of music.   

Tom Scrase is a drummer, percussionist and lecturer from Wellington. He’s written music for dance and has maintained a performance career as a drummer for several groups including dDub, Corrella and NZ's premier percussion ensemble Strike! More recently Tom has released his own music under the moniker Aotūroa.

Wellington producer Lee Prebble owns and runs surgerystudios.co.nz and has worked with a long list of great artists including TrinityRoots, The Phoenix Foundation, The Black Seeds, Cornerstone Roots, Fly My Pretties and L.A.B. We talk life, music and production and have many a laugh on the way. Great dude, great chats.

Guitarist Neil Watson has played with a long list of great artists including Michael Brecker, Ali Campbell (UB40), Anika Moa, Tim Finn, Greg Johnson, Lucy Lawless, Jordan Luck, Nathan Haines, The Finn Bro’s, Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, Tami Neilson and many more. On this very special episode the two guitarists settle in for a great chat about their approaches to guitar playing, their careers and family. Plus Danny reveals his latest surprising news.

Ruth Power is the founder of online creative piano school Piano Picnic. To date, Piano Picnic has approximately 2500 subscription-based students and is going from strength to strength. Ruth’s career has included music publishing, a Christchurch rockstar start up and working in London as a sheet music editor, before moving back to New Zealand to start her online school based out of her home studio in Raglan. Ruth might just have life figured out. Great chats.

ARIA has spent many years working as a vocalist for numerous artists including Homebrew, Dr Colossus, Teek and Noah Slee. ARIA lived in the bustling music scene of Berlin for several years before returning to New Zealand where she got to work writing and recording her own music. Now ARIA is celebrating the release of her new EP ‘Love Songs Till Midnight'. We had a topical and hilarious chat, and this episode is definitely a goodie. Enjoy!

Anthonie Tonnon is a singer songwriter from Whanganui who is about to begin his ‘Leave Love Out Of This’ New Zealand tour. He’ll be playing in Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, Wellington and Whanganui from May 6th to May 21st. He’s released a number of new songs in the last year including his latest single ‘Lockheed Bomber’. You can check out his music and buy tickets at www.anthonietonnon.com We talked about technical things, touring in the US, lyrics, and loads more. Get it in you!

Wellington based producer Toby Lloyd has worked with a long list of great artists including Hollie Smith, Stan Walker, Ladi6, Louis Baker, Jermaine Clements and Shapeshifter. Before going out on his own, he worked at Peter Jacksons’ Park Road Studios and was part of the team that made The Hobbit Trilogy, Mortal Engines and Hunt For The Wilderpeople. These days Toby is all about his family and all about the music. We had a great chat that continued well after we stopped recording. Great talks. Enjoy!

In our first episode for 2022 we talk to Guy & Suzanne Pope-Mayell, two of the founding members of the Dyslexia Foundation. We discuss what it means to be dyslexic, how we could better support the dyslexics in our life and how dyslexia is not a disability, it’s simply a different way of thinking.

Bobby Kennedy and Danny McCrum discuss the lessons they have learnt while making the podcast over the last six years and talk about the future of the show.  

Self-proclaimed "pop star for dorks" Geoff Ong stopped by for a fascinating conversation about funk guitar, racial profiling, his journey establishing his music career and the making of his brilliant music videos. Check out his videos on YouTube and enjoy the conversation!

Caitlin Smith is one of New Zealand’s local music legends. Being a professional musician is challenging enough, but if you’re also a blind, female, jazz singer, with a big personality and an honest heart, it’s a rollercoaster. Caitlin talks candidly about her experiences in the business, her struggles with addiction and mental health and the psychology of singing and performance. This is a funny and thought-provoking episode. Enjoy.  

Organising and promoting gigs. One of the biggest challenges a musician has to face is how to manage and promote their own shows. We certainly don't claim to have all the answers, but recently Bobby Kennedy organised and promoted a show for Opshop and Gorilla Biscuit in Christchurch and back in March, I promoted our first Noise Play show. Bobby suggested we get together and compare notes, so that's what we did. We would love to hear your thoughts and experiences too, so feel free to email and comment!

Beatbox champion Steven Crooks only discovered beatboxing a few years ago and ever since his life has drastically changed. Finding purpose, identity and clarity through his craft, Steven quickly became the national champion and is now a co-organiser of the Beatbox Championships. On this episode we talk about Stevens life, the positive impact beatboxing had on him and his plans to continue growing the beatbox community here in New Zealand. This is an honest and inspiring chat. 

Ekko Park drummer Nick Douch drops in for a fun conversation about all things music. We talk bands, drummers, getting started in the business as well as Nicks journey from Te Awamutu to being a professional touring drummer and drum tutor. Nick’s a great example of how it should be done. Great guy, great chat.

Actor, writer and director Tim Balme has had a full and varied career. His work has included Braindead, Shortland Street, Mercy Peak, Outrageous Fortune, The Almighty Johnsons and his current project The Brokenwood Mysteries. We chatted about how Tim got his start in acting, working with Peter Jackson, how he approaches his craft and his experience stripping! Great chat!

Cassandra Tse is a director, playwright and performer, and the artistic director of the Wellington-based Red Scare Theatre Company. She recently directed Single Asian Female and her previous work includes Bloodlines (2014), Long Ago, Long Ago (2015), Ordinary Days (2016), Yellow Face (2017), M'Lady (2017), A New Brain (2017), The Bone Thief (2018), Gutenberg! The Musical! (2018), The Aliens (2019), Four Nights in the Green Barrow Pub (2019) and That’s All She Wrote (2020). We had a great chat about the ins and outs of putting on stage productions and building a career in the arts.    

Legendary New Zealand drummer Frank Gibson Jnr. has had an astonishing career and has deservedly earned the upmost respect from his peers. He’s worked with a long list of artists including Shona Lang, Diana Krall, Joe Henderson, Leo Sayer, John Scofield, Dusty Springfield, The Temptations and Glen Campbell. He’s dedicated, grounded and an all-round good guy. It was a thrill to talk to him. 

Mike Chunn needs no introduction. He played in Split Enz and Citizen Band, he was the director for APRA NZ, he founded and still runs Play It Strange, he's been a loud voice for many important subjects including mental health and the need for music to be given a higher priority in New Zealand culture. This was an exhilarating chat. There was laughter, there were tears and we even wrote a song. Get on it!

Drummer & Producer Greg Haver returns to the show to talk about his recent review of certain areas of the music industry and to discuss the new producers funding initiative called The New Music Development Scheme. We have a good laugh while tackling some hotly debated subjects. Dig in. 

Joe & Danny get drunk. Joe Walsh is constantly touring with Jordan Luck Band and his own band Ekko Park. Almost two years ago Joe was sitting on a completed Ekko Park album (Horizon) that hadn't yet been released. In the lead up Joe suggested we record an episode with a focus on the lyrics and back story to the album and in true Irish style, we met at the pub for a pre-recording drink. Five Guinness each later we Ubered back to the studio, opened a bottle of red and fell backwards into an honest, funny and meaningful conversation. We saved the episode for a future release and here we are. Join us for a drink!  Photo credit: David Dunham

Alex Leighton is one of the creators and directors of New Zealand's premiere 2D animation studio Mukpuddy. We spoke to Alex and his business partner Ryan Cooper a few years ago about their then new show Barefoot Bandits and now Alex returns to talk about their brand new show 'The Adventures Of Tumeke Space' which has just launched on TVNZ OnDemand. We have a very real and honest chat about the good, the bad and the Jelly. You’ll know what I mean when you get to it! 

Barnaby Weir leads two of New Zealand’s most popular bands (The Black Seeds and Fly My Pretties) and we had a great chat about life/work balance, his childhood, his creative process and the rise of The Black Seeds and the Wellington Reggae / Dub scene. Barnaby is a kind and thoughtful guy and this turned out to be a really interesting conversation. Enjoy!

In the 1990s Christchurch based drummer Jason Peters and his band Pumpkinhead became a popular touring act with a loyal following and more than their fair share of Rock n Roll stories. In more recent times Jason has been making music with Hunt The Witch and Kong Fooey and recently organised a series of tribute shows for the late, great Aaron Tokona. This was a fun chat. Enjoy!

In keeping with tradition we're opening 2021 with a chat between myself and our shows cofounder Bobby Kennedy. This episode also features a short interview by Emme Lentino, with myself and Dan Antunovich. Good times!

Our 2020 Christmas Special is out now with special guest Molly Devine. Molly is a singer, songwriter and music professional from Dunedin who impressed us with her interesting and very musical style of pop music and her pragmatic approach to her career. We had a great chat about her background and her relationship with music. Be sure to look her up! We also play some notable moments from some of this year’s guests including Wayne Bell, Alan Brown, Jim hall, Bonnie Hurunui, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Dug Pinnick, Rikki Morris, Debbie Harwood, Jimi Kara (Kara Gordon) and Hammond Gamble. Have a great Christmas and New years and we’ll be back with you in 2021!

Guitarist Kara Gordon who now goes by the stage name Jimi Kara, regularly performs around the country and never seems to slow down. He's opened for Slash, Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, George Clinton, toured New Zealand, Australia and the UK with Alabama 3, performed many times with Fly My Pretties and has recently been a part of the tribute shows for the late Aaron Tokona. He's a big character, an unforgettable presence and has even claimed to be Jimi Hendrix re-incarnate. This one's a wild ride and reveals a thoughtful and quieter side of this larger than life character. Enjoy!

Alex Ferrier is the guitarist and singer for alternative rock band Skinny Hobos. Alex Ferrier (aka Alex Elvis) and drummer Sam Holdom first met at high school and didn’t immediately click. Alex put’s it simply “He kind of thought I was a dick and I probably was.” Some years later they ended up working at the same instrument store and during a jam one night after the store closed, the two discovered their musical kinship. Skinny Hobos went on to become a popular band on the local touring scene and built a loyal audience with singles like The Merchant of Tirau. On this episode we talk about bands, gear, touring immediately after lockdown and Alex makes a surprise announcement about the future of Skinny Hobos.

Iconic New Zealand guitarist, singer and songwriter Hammond Gamble joined us for a fantastic conversation about all things music. We talked guitars, we dove into Hammonds background and the psychology behind playing and performing. Hammond came to prominence during the 1970s with Street Talk and went on to tour extensively with the Hammond Gamble Band and The Disappointments. Joe Cocker even covered one of his songs. To top off a fun and engaging episode, Hammond gave us a special solo performance which can also be viewed on YouTube. Come and join us for a chat and a laugh.   

Wellington musician, songwriter and bandleader Darren Watson isn't afraid to speak his mind and why should he be? Darren has worked relentlessly over the years; touring, recording, connecting with audiences and making a living. He's put his money where his mouth is and has well and truely earnt his stripes. On a recent trip to Auckland to promote his new album 'Getting Sober For The End Of The World' Darren swung by and we got right to it. What followed was an action-packed conversation that was both thoughtprovoking and a whole lot of fun. Enjoy!  

Marshall Smith is a composer, a songwriter, a producer, Musical Director of The Sound Room and Chairperson of the Screen Composers Guild of New Zealand. He started out in bands, pursuing a career as a recording artist and soon moved into producing and soundtrack work, establishing a studio and creating music and advertisements for a long list of New Zealand and international clients. We dive right into to an energetic conversation about his journey in music, building his company, social media and we even chat about mindfulness and meditation. This is an uplifting and fascinating chat. Enjoy!

Harry Lyon is the guitarist and founding member of iconic New Zealand band Hello Sailor. The band formed in 1975 and lasted five years before going separate ways. Each member remained busy forming other bands and releasing solo albums and soon Hello Sailor reunited and continued to record and tour up until the untimely passing of Dave McArtney in 2013 and Graham Brazier in 2015. For many years Harry was the Director of MAINZ (Music and Audio Institute of New Zealand) and in 2018 Harry released his first solo album To The Sea. This week Hello Sailor are re-releasing their 1994 record 'The Album' on vinyl and as a digital release with bonus tracks. To celebrate, Harry and I talk about the new release as well as some of the highs and lows of Hello Sailors adventures in L.A. and Australia. Harry Lyon! Great guy, great chat!

Andrew Thorne is a great guitar player who’s worked with a long list of fine artists including Jan Hellriegel, Greg Johnson, Dave Dobbyn, Tim Finn and he was the guitarist on Bic Runga’s first hit album Drive. His own bands have included Splitter and the Calico Brothers, he’s played support for international acts like Radiohead, Bryan Adams and Jeff Buckley and he’s currently performing with the touring show 80s X. We had a great time discussing all things guitar, moments from his career and the balance of life and art. Get jiggy wit it. 

Part 2 with Debbie Harwood is here! Debbie came back to share some of the wilder stories from her career. Some are heartbreaking, most are hilarious. She talks about touring with When The Cats Away right after having throat surgery, her eventful night trying to get home from Waiheke Island after being stranded, dancing evocatively on stage with Jimmy Barnes as Jimmy's wife stood in the wings, making dinner for Paul Hewson on the night he quit Dragon and the time a ghost tried to reclaim her car. Feel like a funny distraction from the world? Come a long for the ride.