Inspired: Recent Episodes
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"You took the colour from me, but I look better in black"
In this episode of Inspired, singer-songwriter Thelma Plum talks us through her Hottest 100 hit 'Better in Blak'.
In this episode of Inspired, we find out how music and rhythm went hand in hand for beat maker Jerome Farah.
In this episode of Inspired, songwriter Sarah Aarons tells us how she went from her Melbourne bedroom to working with music's biggest names.
November is Ausmusic Month and we’re taking this opportunity to bring you The Makers. Each week we'll be chatting with an Australian working behind the scenes with some of the biggest names in music.
Today we find out the inspirations behind one of Australia's most prolific producer/rapper/composer, Trials!
We're meeting a Grammy-award winning Australian producer who over the last 15 years, has carved her own space in rock and alternative music!
"Longing to leave, but begging to feel, that something will make you stay"
In this episode of Inspired, singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko reflects on the heartbreak that helped create her 2009's hit 'We Won't Run'. She also reveals how Hamlet, the Sydney Opera House and recording in Stockholm changed her song writing process forever.
"I don't wanna hurt nobody, I just wanna move my body..."
On this episode of Inspired, Tuka, Jeswon & DJ Morgs from Thundamentals, talk about the loose night that inspired their Hottest 100 hit 'Sally'.
"Please tell me I am not undone..."
On this episode of Inspired, Joel and Dan from Aussie metalcore band The Amity Affliction, talk about the personal story behind their 2014 hit 'Pittsburgh'.
"Sound of the Groove Armada, we Superstylin..."
In this episode of Inspired, UK dance legends Andy Cato and Tom Findlay aka Groove Armada, take you through the inspirations behind their Grammy-nominated smash hit 'Superstylin'.
"Finding it hard is a feeling that all of you know..."
In this episode of Inspired, Dave, Tim and Jon take you through the ups and (mostly) downs of recording their breakout single 'Feeding Line'.
They also unpack why they would change the song if they were given the chance.
"This ship will carry our bodies safe to shore..."
In this episode of Inspired, Nanna and Raggi from Iceland's Of Monsters and Men, take you back to the share house that influenced their hit 'Little Talks'.
They also share their love/hate relationship with the song that introduced them to the world.
"Be my baby, one more time...."
In this episode of Inspired, Cut Copy's Dan Whitford takes you behind the scenes of their smash hit 'Lights & Music'
"You know, this don't feel right...."
In this episode of Inspired, Kenny & Sparky from Birds of Tokyo take us through the madness that helped form their cross-over hit; ‘Plans’.
"Ride my little pooh bear, wanna take a chance...."
In this episode of Inspired, Dave from Glass Animals calls in from his home studio to walk us through the random sounds and peanut butter vibes in their 2014 jam; ‘Gooey’.
"I just know I know I know I know that you're gonna be OK anyway". In this episode of Inspired, the HAIM sisters talk us through how Tom Petty, Marilyn Manson and over twenty demos led to creating their smash hit 'The Wire'.
In this episode of Inspired, Zach and Billy from Hockey Dad talk us through 'Join The Club' - a middle finger to societal expectations
"Wait, I don't ever want to be here..."
In this episode of Inspired, Alisa and Thom from The Naked and Famous talk us though their 2010 hit 'Punching In A Dream'
In this episode of Inspired, professional party boys Adam and Reuben, aka Peking Duk, talk about their breakthrough hit 'High' {Ft. Nicole Millar}
"My friend told me of a secret..." In this episode of Inspired, Stella Donnelly shares the personal inspirations behind her breakthrough hit 'Boys Will Be Boys' & how it went onto be a #MeToo anthem.
“Well Montaigne, let’s go!”
In this episode of Inspired, Suffa, Pressure and DJ Debris aka Hilltop Hoods, share the story behind their string filled love letter to small town's everywhere, '1955'.
“But please don't go I love you so my lovely..." Find out the story behind your #12 song of the decade.
"Released in 2011, San Cisco's 'Awkward' reached #7 in the Hottest 100 and #1 in Australia's AIR charts. It left a last marking on the band's career, but what do microwave dinners, Tyler, the Creator and chaos pads have to do with it becoming a hit?".
In this episode of Inspired find out how one of Australia’s most influential artists, Missy Higgins channelled her frustration into her award winning hit, ‘Scar’.
Unique, Futuristic and Breaking Beats. In this episode of Inspired find out how Flume created an incredible, futuristic pop moment with Swedish artist, Tove Lo in 'Say It' from his Aria and Grammy Award winning album Skin.
Racism, Rage and Rebellion. In this special episode of Inspired, the multi-talented US rapper Denzel Curry shares why he chose to cover Rage Against The Machine's ‘Bulls On Parade’ for triple j's Like A Version.
Humble, grunge and Australiana daze. In this episode of Inspired, find out how Aussie heroes Violent Soho stayed true to their humble roots in ‘Like Soda’.
Loneliness, ska and emotional speedballing. In this episode of Inspired, find out how Los Angeles skate-punk band FIDLAR turned a gnarly bender into a smash hit ‘By Myself’.
Vulnerability, simplicity and attitude. In this episode of Inspired, find out how Californian artist K. Flay transformed her heartbreak into a hit in the Grammy nominated ‘Blood In The Cut’.
Sirens, anxiety & lucid moments. On this episode of Inspired, award winning English artist James Blake shares the story behind the hit that defined his career, ‘Retrograde’.
On this episode of Inspired, French producer Alan Braxe shares the story behind making Stardust's ‘Music Sounds Better With You’ with singer Benjamin Diamond and Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter.
Strings, spy cams and a stink box in Oxford. On this episode of Inspired, Foals front-man Yannis Philippakis goes through ‘My Number’, a gift of a song that turned into a “nightmare”.
It’s a relatable story: the friend that we mistakenly thought could be more. In this episode of Inspired, hear how heartbreak, funk synth lines and the illusive 'anti-drop' helped create Hayden James' Hottest 100 hit 'Just Friends'.
What do didgeridoo, Busta Rhymes and the need to continue learning as you grow older have in common? They all informed Baker Boy's Hottest 100 banger 'Marryuna'.
Zombie folders, misheard lyrics and celebration. In this episode of Inspired, grab the company cheque book and your bird bongo, as we get pseudo-spiritual with Client Liaison on ‘World Of Our Love’.
Señorita, swagger and a troublemaker. In this episode of Inspired, pocket rocket Kira Puru explains the catharsis behind her party starter 'Molotov'.
Heartbreak, RnB and cold tea. In this episode of Inspired, Sydney singer-songwriter Odette takes us back to the pain that led to the power of 'Take It To The Heart'.
In this episode of Inspired, Sydney dance trio RÜFÜS DU SOL talk you through the “smoothest song” they’ve ever written. The nearly 10-minute synth epic that made audiences cry on first listen, ‘Innerbloom’.
In this episode of Inspired, go down the rabbit hole with PNAU's Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes, as they explain how they used ancient influences, call and response, and an old Casio keyboard to create ‘Changa’.
Lovelorn lyrics, a Grammy winning producer and The Smashing Pumpkins. In this episode of Inspired, Amy Shark invites you into the real moments that informed her 4 times platinum hit ‘Adore’.
Nostalgia, mix tapes and loneliness. In this episode of Inspired, Pip Brown aka Ladyhawke takes you through the whirlwind session that created her breakthrough hit ‘My Delirium’.
Rocky relationships, finding perfection in Vera Blue’s voice and hitting number one. In this episode of Inspired, Illy shares how being vulnerable and taking a risk on a new sound paid off.
Leaving a toxic situation, learning self-worth and trusting your gut. In this episode of Inspired, Alison Wonderland shares how writing her hit song 'Church' was a healing process.
Worldly visions, becoming a dad and finding gospel glory. In this episode of Inspired, multiple ARIA Award winner Matt Corby shares the intimate story behind how he grew to love his own hit song 'Miracle Love'.
Chance The Rapper, Radiohead, munchkin vocals and loneliness in London. On this episode of Inspired, Eves Karydas shares the story behind ‘Further Than The Planes Fly’.
Chillwave, pressure and heartbreak. In this episode of Inspired Australian producer Danny Harley, aka The Kite String Tangle, shares the story behind his (not so) difficult break-up hit ‘Arcadia’.
“Let’s make ‘Stacy’s Mom’, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ and ABBA all mixed together.” On this episode of Inspired, Australian singer-songwriter Jack River opens her diaries to share the inspiration behind her break-through hit ‘Fool’s Gold’.
It created their band, their sound and catapulted them onto the world stage. In this episode of Inspired, Hannah Joy and Tim Fitz from Middle Kids share the creation story behind their instant classic ‘Edge of Town’.
In this episode of Inspired, Vance Joy explains how family memories, pop culture references and a trip to the shops helped create his global hit ‘Riptide’.
When free studio time fell into their lap, David and Parissa of Vallis Alps wasted no time putting together their first demo; 'Young'.
The duo join Linda Marigliano on this weeks episode of Inspired, to share the story behind the song that kicked off their career.
Bayden, Mitch and Angus from Sydney band Ocean Alley share the late night jams that inspired their Hottest 100 hit ‘Confidence’.
Last-minute lyrics, relationship questions and James Brown. In this episode of Inspired, Felix Buxton from Basement Jaxx shares the soulful inspirations behind their Grammy nominated hit ‘Good Luck’.
Written while going stir-crazy on her honeymoon, Ali Barter takes you through the pop-punk inspirations that led to her 2017 track ‘Girlie Bits’.
From a writing day in a Californian rental, to going gold in front of thousands of screaming fans. In this episode of Inspired, teenage singer-songwriter Ruel takes us through his voice memos to share the story behind ‘Younger’.
In this episode of Inspired, Jack Glass and Chris Stracey aka Bag Raiders, share the inspiration behind their 2009 hit ‘Shooting Stars’.
Guitars that don’t sound like guitars, drums from hell and a dancer stepping up to the mic for the first time. In this episode of Inspired, Liam Howlett and Keith Flint from iconic UK act The Prodigy dissect the song that made them famous around the world.
Rising singer-songwriter Dean Lewis opens up on the labour of love that turned into your #6 song of 2018.
The Don on how he got by with a little help from his friends - both musical and culinary.
Prodigiously talented young songwriter Jessica Cerro - better known as Montaigne - first stepped into the spotlight as a 16-year-old Unearthed High finalist.
In this episode of Inspired, she dishes you the details on one of her biggest songs to date.
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Talented LA producer RL Grime opens up on the hit that saw him pen lyrics for the first time.
In this episode of Inspired, the EDM powerhouse explains how he took sonic cues from his own back catalogue - revisiting his remix of The Weeknd's 2015 hit 'The Hills' for inspiration.
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Armed with a guitar, Marcus Mumford deconstructs Mumford & Sons breakthrough Hottest 100 hit, 'Little Lion Man'..
NZ duo Broods tell you how they wrote breakthrough hit 'Free' as a secret message to the people around them - a middle finger to the man.
The Preatures burst out of the gate in 2013 with the tense, impeccably produced and irresistibly catchy "Is This How You Feel?" - a perfect synthesis of the band's playful style and classic rock sensibilities.
The Australian icon on how the line at the pub and '80s comedian Yahoo Serious both had a hand in the making of one of Aussie rock's evergreen classics.
They'd just wrapped recording on their then-untitled second album - and then inspiration struck in the middle of the night.
Despite the huge success of first album Alright, Still, Lily Allen still felt pressured by the music industry to conform. Hear how she went against the grain, in this episode of Inspired.
For their fifth album Snow, Angus & Julia Stone holed up in Angus' Byron Bay studio to write and record.
Blue Mountains duo Hermitude know their way around a banger, and they're meticulous in the way they craft their drops.
Enigmatic Swedish outfit Little Dragon scored a big crossover hit with the wonderfully complex Ritual Union - a reflection on the cyclical nature of relationships.
London quartet Wolf Alice's second album 'Visions Of A Life' was a critical and popular success, with stand-out track Beautifully Unconventional an off-the-wall tribute to one of singer Ellie Rowsell's school friends.
1997 saw the Melbourne trio release 'Prisoner Of Society': a short, sharp invitation to thrust your fist in the air and shout.
Jungle Giants frontman Sam Hales explains how Ernest Hemingway helped him overcome writer's block in Paris to make 'Feel The Way I Do'.
The duo lay out the song's year-plus-long conception: its origins in, fittingly, an airport, and the film soundtrack that spurred them to take a stylistic leap that paid off.
The Scottish band's Alex and Paul untangle the complex web of influences, inspirations and revisions that fed into 2004's Hottest 100 number one.
Frontman Dougie Mandagi reflects on the Melbourne band's stratospheric 2008 'Sweet Disposition'
Vera Blue's roots as a singer-songwriter lie in acoustic and folk, but a collaboration on her breakthrough single brought her over to the electronic side.
The talented multi-instrumentalist on the complicated genesis of her breakout hit 'Jungle'
The single that introduced us to New Zealand singer-songwriter Kimbra had its start as an after school project when she was 16.
As The Wombats relocated to LA for 2015's Glitterbug, lead single 'Greek Tragedy' captured an intense personal moment for singer Murph.
It took years for Tim Nelson of Cub Sport to figure out what he was trying to say with ‘Come on Mess Me Up’.
The Melbourne songstress describes the ingredients that inspired 'Roll Up Your Sleeves' & made it a fan favourite.
Ball Park Music frontman Sam Cromack shares the story of how their hit ‘It’s Nice to be Alive’ came together.
Music mastermind Kevin Parker shares the story behind Tame Impala’s ‘The Less I Know the Better’.