Australian Music Podcasts, Films & TV To Binge This Summer
From The Kid LAROI to 90's nostalgia, here’s all the entertainment to indulge in during your time off.
Missy Higgins (Credit: ABC), Hi-Fi Way (Credit: You Am I), The Kid LAROI (Credit: Adam Kargenian), Zan Rowe (Credit: Supplied), (Great Australian Concerts With Diesel (Credit: Supplied), Just Ace Podcast (Credit: Danny Yau), How To Make Gravy (Credit: ABC), Trusty Chords (Credit: Tyler Jenke), Cold Chisel (Credit: LiSTNR)
2024 was another big year for music entertainment, giving us highlights like Celine Dion’s triumphant Olympic performance, the frenzy of a brat summer, and, of course, Wicked - which we’re still holding space for, by the way.
But, with the year winding up, the entertainment is slowing down, and the Carols in the Domain can’t tide us over till 2025. So, without further ado, here’s our favourite music-related podcasts, films, and TV shows for you to binge this summer break.
Film/TV
Great Australian Concerts with Diesel
A twelve part series hosted by the one and only Mark Lizotte, aka Aussie icon Diesel, Great Australian Concerts with Diesel is a must-see for any music fan. Available via SBS On Demand, the show unpacks some of our nation’s most beloved concerts with the bands themselves, and uncovers some of the stories behind them. Standout episodes of the series are the ones on Cold Chisel’s shocking final show post-split and The Living End’s explosive 2006 concert at the Festival Hall - but the whole series deserves a standing ovation.
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Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About A Kid Named Laroi
2024 has been a stellar year for The Kid LAROI - a massive tour, headlining the NRL Grand Final, a cameo in horror film Y2K, and, of course, his feature-length documentary: Kids Are Growing Up: A Story About A Kid Named Laroi. The doco, found on Amazon Prime, is an intimate look into The Kid LAROI’s life as he rises to global stardom, including never-before-seen footage of the rapper’s early days, his relationship with the late Juice WRLD, and insights into his personal life and mental health struggles. It also features exclusive interviews with LAROI himself, as well as fellow music bigwigs like Justin Bieber and Post Malone.
How To Make Gravy
One of Australia’s most beloved Christmas songs, Paul Kelly’s How To Make Gravy, has taken on a life of its own this year, becoming a full-length movie by the same name. The film premiered on BINGE earlier this month, much to the delight of all true blue Aussies. Following the now-iconic story of the song, How To Make Gravy centres around Joe, a prisoner who writes a letter to his brother about missing his family at Christmas. And, according to Kelly himself, the film is “great” and has become a “beautiful ensemble piece” - with a stellar soundtrack, no less.
Australian Story: Missy Higgins
Recounting the lives and careers of some of Australia’s most prominent figures, this half-hour episode of Australian Story delves into Australia’s favourite Missy Higgins. Taking us through the familiar nostalgia of Higgins winning Triple J Unearthed in high school and subsequent debut album The Sound of White releasing to wide acclaim, to the lesser known stories of Higgin’s long-time battle with depression and split from playwright Dan Lee. Narrated by Leigh Sales, the special preceded Higgin’s induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame, and humbly wrapped up with the 2024 Archibald painting of the muso, created by sister Nicola Higgins. A one to watch on ABC iView if you want to love Higgins even more.
Take 5 With Zan Rowe, Season 3
The face of nearly three decades of music radio and television, presenter Zan Rowe invites us in for a third season of her beloved music show Take 5. Filmed in Melbourne’s Music Room venue, Rowe talks with music personalities about five songs that are most meaningful to them. From Bernard Fanning reflecting on his first concert via David Bowie’s Sound and Vision, to Danii Minogue getting teary-eyed reflecting on sister Kylie’s breast cancer recovery via the Robbie Williams collab Kids, this season reminds us of the way music soundtracks our lives. This series is available to stream for free now on ABC iView.
Podcasts
Cold Chisel
Fans of Cold Chisel have been gifted the ultimate podcast by LiSTNR this Christmas. Cold Chisel is a no-holds-barred five part docuseries on the origins of the band, the drama in-between, and their ultimate demise. Hosted by Sarah McLeod of The Superjesus, the series features in-depth interviews with all of the band members - and uncovers some juicy stories that you shouldn’t miss. From the mysterious clean version of Khe Sanh to the “final straw” that broke up the group, you’ll have your mouth agape from start to finish.
Cold Chisel: LiSTNR PodcastingCold Chisel had spent a decade performing when suddenly, the band announced they were splitting up. What do you do next when the stage is all you’ve known? Search Cold Chisel on the LiSTNR app to hear the real Cold Chisel story, as told by the band themselves. All episodes are out now.
Posted by Cold Chisel on Monday, December 16, 2024
Hi Fi Way: The Making Of You Am I
You Am I’s second album, Hi Fi Way, is turning 30 next year - and to celebrate, music journalist extraordinaire Richard Kingsmill has dropped a new podcast: Hi Fi Way: The Making Of You Am I. Offering “rare insight” into the machinations of the band and album, Kingsmill delves into the challenges the band faced, including the personal struggles of frontman Tim Rogers. Featuring a multitude of interviews, the three part series can be found on a range of podcasting services, including Spotify and Apple Music. Part One is out now, with Part Two and Three set to release on January 17 and February 17, respectively.
INXS: Access All Areas
What You Need to start tuning into for 2025 is the Apple Podcast series INXS: Access All Areas - see what we did there? Created by hosts Bee & Haydn, this podcast - coined in 2020, but well and truly still kicking is a deep-dive into the Australian band and the lives of its famous members. If you need something to keep you busy over the silly season, this series boasts a whopping 214 episodes!
Just Ace Podcast, Season 2
Like fashion, music is experiencing a 90’s revival - so why not indulge further into 90’s nostalgia this holiday season? Just Ace Podcast is your answer to all things Aussie Alternative throughout the 90’s, from persevering legends TISM and Custard, to the hay days of street press and the CD era. Written and produced by music industry expert Danny Yau, season two features 12 episodes to transport you back to the culture of this fantastic decade. Check it out now on Apple Music.
Trusty Chords
Trusty Chords is the brainchild of former Rolling Stone Editor and current The Music Victoria State Writer Tyler Jenke. As Jenke puts it, a Trusty Chords episode involves music virtuosos listing “one artist that changed their life, three albums that impacted them greatly, and five songs they can always turn to”. Created in early 2024, the podcast has spanned over 37 episodes so far with some of the greatest artists from Australia and beyond. Included on the pod are stars such as Dan Haggis and Tord Knudsen (The Wombats), Andy Bull, CJ Ramone (The Ramones), and many more of the familiar names from the nooks of your playlist. The entire Trusty Chords archive is available to binge on Spotify.
This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body
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