The Music's Summer Podcast Listening Guide
As the year comes to a close and we all head to the beach, there's just one thing left to do.... Catch up on all the Australian music podcasts you wanted to listen to this year, but just didn't get around to.
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It has been a big year for music podcasts and we’ve put together a roundup of the best to take a listen to this summer.
Vinyl Tap with Michael Parisi
Australian industry legend Michael Parisi has spent 2023 under the hood of the Australian music industry, talking to the people who make things happen behind the scenes and getting some of the most genuinely engaging yarns from a diverse stable of people. Whether it’s Mushroom CEO Matt Gudinski or Unified Music Group CEO Jaddan Comerford, journalist Jane Gazzo or Wham manager Simon Napier-Bell, the series is a masterclass in music industry success. Even if you’re not in the industry, the ‘insider’ view of the past, present and future of music is a fastinating listen.
Just Ace Podcast with Danny Yau
Yau returned for season two of this popular 2022 hit. This year there’s episodes on Tex Perkins, Juice Magazine and the Hottest 100. The season rolls out over summer with episodes each Saturday. It’s a treat for the earholes. Always well-researched and delivered with a nostalgic tone that has you wanting to revisit the 90s.
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100% Volume Pod with Josh Earle
We featured this one last year, but Earle has now dutifully completed the entire 100% Hits series this year, going song by song behind the hits on Australia’s favourite 90s compilation. If you disagree with that statement and think that Hit Machine was the far superior series, you’re in luck because Earle also has Pod Machine, a patreon only series that takes you through the Hit Machine CDs as well. His guests are usually comedians: some with a great music knowledge, others that are hearing the songs for the first time, but either way the show is always an hour well-spent.
Take 5 With Zan Rowe
It has been a red letter year for Double J’s Zan Rowe with the TV version of Take 5 nominated awards and slaying it in the ratings, but the podcast version is for real music fans who want to get the musical lowdown from smaller artists and other celebrities that share their musical journey. Rowe has the knack for staying in the background but drawing out the raw details, stories and emotions that connect people with music. With years of archives, this one could keep you going all summer on its own.
INXS: Access All Areas
This one is obvious: If you’re an INXS fan you’ll love it, if not, move on. The amazing thing about this podcast is that they’ve got 170 hour-long episodes doing nothing but dissecting the career of one of Australia’s best bands. That is a LOT of commentary and it’s doubtful that there’s much you could know about the band that hasn’t been covered here. From historical notes to interviewing other notable people about their individual INXS fandom, this is a glorious celebration of a glorious band.
Chartbeats: A Journey Through Aussie Pop
Another Australian 80s/90s historical podcast, A Journey Through Aussie Pop has had a couple of years of amazing deep-dive insights into Australia’s pop past. This season they’ve tackled artists like The Rockmelons (AND Deni Hines’ right of reply), Rick Price, Bardot, Kids in the Kitchen, Ricki-Lee, Bachelor Girl and more. It’s high on detail and full of exclusives and stories that have never before been told.
Time To Talk with Sean Sennett
Brisbane street press royalty Sean Sennett sits down with musicians for wide-ranging and long-form discussions, getting to the heart of their careers and the muse that guides them. With great interviews in his latest season with Tina Arena, Warren Ellis, Steve Vai and Tim Finn, Sennett’s chats are sometimes surprising, but always compelling.
Gavin Wood’s Countdown Podcast
The voiceover guy from Countdown is now in the host’s chair in this long-running podcast interviewing some of the biggest names in music. With all of the biggest names from the 70s and 80s music industry and beyond, this is a great listen for those who are a little nostalgic for switching on the ABC and hearing that excited ‘Count-dooooowwwwwwnnnn’ coming from the speakers.
The Magic of Songwriting with Francesca De Valence
Founder of IHeartSongwriting Club, Francesca’s podcast is a how-to guide for young musicians navigating the music industry and finding joy, both in the art and the commerce that surrounds it. From industry guests to other songwriters, the podcast answers all the questions you wanted to know about being in the music industry but were always afraid to ask.
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