Songs define people, define eras, define nebulous stretches of time, and define the cultural zeitgeist.

This is a universal truth that ARIA Award-winner Josh Pyke and AWG-winning comedian Cameron James understand. It is a universal truth that they will be exploring as they launch and co-host their new podcast, Pump Up The Jams.

The podcast series, kicking off today, will blend music history, humour, live performance, and cultural commentary. Perfect for any music nerd, on this audio time capsule, Pyke and James will show viewers how songs become cultural artefacts.

Each episode of the podcast will focus on a single era-defining track from the ’80s, ’90s, or early 2000s — songs whose impact has far outlasted their time on the charts. Songs that still shine in our collective cultural memory today.

Season 1 of Pump Up The Jams will feature interviews with icons such as Wheatus, who will join Pyke and James in a deep dive of their major single Teenage Dirtbag, and Right Said Fred, who will be unpacking their raunchy, humorous hit I’m Too Sexy.

Some episodes of the podcast will be split into two parts, echoing the A Side/B Side format of a classic record: the A Side offers a close look at the track’s creation and cultural significance, while the B Side features an exclusive interview, and occasionally a live rendition, from the artist behind it.

To kick things off, lucky listeners will receive a double drop: both the A-side and B-side of the Wheatus episode will be released simultaneously. After that, A-side and B-side episodes will be released separately. 

2025 is already looking to be a packed year for Josh Pyke, who just recently collaborated with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and will soon be embarking on a twentieth-anniversary tour of his debut release, Feeding the Wolves.

Cameron James will also be touring across Australia in 2025, with the promise that he is “planning on smashing a brand new guitar on stage for every show.”

These two are looking to be a lively and informed duo, the perfect pair to pay tribute to the ephemeral magic of pop and unpack how these lasting cultural legacies came to be.

Listen to Pump Up The Jams now wherever you listen to podcasts.