Podcast Archives - Page 15 of 31 - The Andy Social Podcast

170 – Aaron Worboys (Adversary Studios, Bane of Isildur)

March 7, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Aaron Worboys is a Sound Designer, Audio Engineer, Studio Owner and Musician based in Sydney. For many of us we’ve known Aaron as the front man for ‘Triumphant War Metal’ band Bane of Isildur and working front of house for countless bands across Sydney’s live music scene.

In more recent years Aaron took the plunge and launched his own recording and rehearsal space, Adversary Studios in Sydney’s Inner West suburb of St Peters. Using the network he’s built over the years, Aaron grew a successful business which has expanded to a second site in Marrickville/Sydenham and continues to grow.

What makes Adversary Studios exciting and lends to it’s success to date is Aaron’s efforts to make booking and usage of the facilities as friction-less as possible. It all starts an easy online booking process where you can choose your location, duration as well as any add on extras. You’re then locked in and sent an SMS security code to access the site on the day, saving Aaron or anyone else employed to be there to manage the booking.

Accessing the studio gives you a standard back line of gear (includes drums!) however if you happen to forget a guitar lead, picks, drum sticks etc – Bam! Aaron has a vending machine set up. There are also storage facilities available for anyone who wishes to securely keep their gear on site between rehearsals or tours.

Aaron and I get into some of the detail about Adversary Studios and how he’s gradually built it up to be an in-demand space for both rehearsal and recording, with more plans to continue to expand. We also speak about Aaron’s work in audio engineering, working as one of the house sound guys at Sydney’s Crowbar and heaps more.

If you’re based in Sydney and looking for a space to rehearse or records (or hell, you’re in town to play a show and want to limber up before hand), be sure to reach out to Aaron and lock in a session at Adversary.

Show notes

Podcast

169 – Janne Ryan (Ideas Curator, Arrow Collective, TED/TEDx…

February 28, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Janne Ryan is an ideas curator, writer, producer, broadcaster, angel investor and the list goes on. Whilst Janne’s list of projects and roles are extensive and impressive, these days Arrow Collective is her main focus as a founder of the organisation.

For those not familiar with Arrow Collective, it’s an organisation set up by Janne which provides opportunities for the people to directly contribute financially to the making of cultural artistic projects. The group has been able to secure impressive partnerships with the likes of the Sydney Opera House, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Bangarra & Sydney Youth Orchestras.

Janne’s expertise from over the years working 20+ years with the ABC, co-founding the By Design program on ABC Radio and also as the Founding Executive Producer of TEDx Sydney (to name a few) has helped build a diverse and important network of people, which has opened up a never-ending amount of opportunities. This has enabled Janne to continue to have a large impact on the community through her passion of ideas and contribution.

I caught up with Janne at Work Club in Sydney to chat about the past several years of her career including the beginnings of TEDx Sydney, what makes a great idea, how Arrow Collective was founded and where Janne places her focus and importance with her work these days.

Podcast

168 – Andrew Lilley (Daemon Pyre)

February 21, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Andrew Lilley is the guitarist and founding member of Sydney Melodic Death Metal band Daemon Pyre. Currently in the midst of wrapping up an album in Thailand, Andrew has been on a mission to close an important chapter of the band.

If you aren’t familiar with Daemon Pyre, you may very well be acquainted with one of the many bands Andrew has been a part of over the years either as a full time member or session player. The list is long but includes bands such as Infernal Method, Daysend, Psi-Kore, Mortality, Atomizer, Mortal Sin, Killrazer and many more. Andrew is viewed by many (myself included) to be one of the top guitarists in Australian metal.

After years of lending his talent to a plethora of bands, Andrew is ready to further cement his legacy with the upcoming Daemon Pyre album before embarking on his next big venture, relocating to the United States. Indefinitely.

I caught up with Andrew at his place in the inner west of Sydney to talk about the ups and downs of the band over the past couple of years, the focus and intention placed on the new album and why it’s been important to get it finished. We chat about his one way ticket to US (another Andy Social guest fleeing the country – See episode 125 with Steven Ryan who is living it up in Peru. Check out his Instagram) and what this next period of his life may look like.

I’ve known Andrew for years and always enjoyed his company, however this was the first time that we got to sit down and really dig deep into a lot of topics and have a great conversation. A common theme with many musician friends and kind of bitter sweet with Andrew now moving overseas, but i’m stoked to be able to use the podcast as a great excuse to catch up with a great person. Enjoy!

Show notes

Photo by MickG Photography

Podcast

167 – Brett Garsed (Guitarist – John Farnham, Nelson,…

February 14, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Brett Garsed is one of Australia’s most cherished guitar players. Known to most for his long time work in John Farnham‘s band, playing on the 24 times platinum (and biggest Australian release of all time) release, Whispering Jack as well as a long list of other classic Farnham albums. Not familiar? Maybe songs such as You’re the Voice, Two Strong Hearts, Reasons, Pressure Down and Age of Reason to name a few that might jog your memory!

That could be enough to ride the wave of glory until the end of time, however after the Farnham album ‘Age of Reason’, Brett decided to take a shot at the US market, relocating to Los Angeles and joining the band Nelson which subsequently lead to the release of the US double platinum album, ‘After the Rain’. Not familiar? I Can’t Live Without Your (Love and Affection), More Than Ever, Only Time Will Tell and of course the title track can’t be forgotten!

Hit after hit, after hit. By the early 90s, Brett had already worked with some of the world’s very best. After Nelson fizzled out by the mid-90s, Brett went on to stay in Los Angeles for a total of 14 years contributing to various projects with some of rock’s elite such as Derek Sherinian (ex-Dream Theater) playing on several Planet X releases, and embarking on a long run with guitar freakshow (I say that with endearment!), TJ Helmerich.

In the early 2000’s, Brett made the decision to come back to Australia and return to regional Victoria where he grew up as a child. Returning to John Farnham’s band, releasing solo albums and popping up as a guest on various projects, events and tours, Brett is still in the thick of it and held in high regard as one of Australia’s greatest guitarists.

When Brett said yes to be on the podcast, I didn’t hesitate in travelling to Brett’s place to chew his ear off about his career and thoughts on specific songs he’s been a part of over the years (I had to ask him about Let Me Out – what a solo!). I also picking his brain about some of the big decisions he has made over the years, comparisons of working with different artists and some of those ‘pinch yourself’ moments that many of us musicians and music fans in general would only dream of experiencing.

As always, I ask a bunch of stupid questions and I also had Mark Furtner (from our band LORD) contribute a small Q&A section toward the end of the chat. That’s worth listening to alone! Thank you mork.

If you want to learn more about Brett and his incredible career and mountain of work, be sure to check out his website, follow him on the socials and reach out to say hi. Lot’s of classic videos in the show notes as well to enjoy. Check out the Let Me Out video!

Show notes

Follow Brett via Main Website | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify |

Podcast

166 – Sahil Makhija (Headbangers Kitchen, Demonstealer, Demonic Resurrection)

February 7, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Sahil Makhija is India’s metal god. Front man for one of the countries most successful metal bands, Demonic Resurrection, he has gradually built a reputation as a key influence in bridging the gap between India and the rest of the world when it comes to metal music. In addition to DR, Sahil also has his solo project Demonstealer and has been involved in other groups such as Reptilian Death and Workshop.

Metal isn’t Sahil’s sole passion and several years ago he decided to blend his love of food and cooking with metal. A YouTube series called Headbangers Kitchen was launched in 2011 and now has become a full time job creating Ketogenic recipes to an audience of 320 thousand subscribers. He’s had his hand in books, merchandise lines and his ever growing YouTube channel. Given his work ethic over the years in music, it’s not surprising that those skills have come in handy and lent to the success of Headbangers Kitchen.

For any of us outside of India who found a fascination with the music scene there, Sahil was one of those people who popped on our radar and through him many of us discovered some of the countries best in the genre. Sahil’s networking and thirst to conqueror new ground has resulted in Demonic Resurrection receiving a Metal Hammer Golden Gods Award in 2010, playing prestigious European and UK festivals such as Inferno Metal, Brutal Assault and Bloodstock.

I’ve known Sahil for over a decade and I have him personally to thank for all of the friendships I have built with those in music who live in India. He’s also been one of those in metal who sets a standard of creating his own destiny, taking the initiative and not waiting for opportunity to come knocking on his door.

If you want a dose of inspiration, keen to hear some awesome metal or maybe looking for the next awesome keto recipe, be sure to follow Sahil via the links below.

Show notes:

Podcast

165 – Ladybeard (Pro Wrestler, Entertainer)

January 31, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Sing.Dance.DESTROY!!!

Ladybeard is a cross-dressing professional wrestler, stunt man, actor and musician who is based in Tokyo, Japan. Formerly part of the Kawaii metal group Ladybaby these days Ladybeard fronts the Kawaiicore band Deadlift Lolita with fellow pro-wrestler Reika Saiki and also features Isao Fujita on guitar of Babymetal fame.

If you think that isn’t enough, his popularity continues to skyrocket as a high profile DJ in China, putting on large scale shows with pyrotechnics, where his fame has reached next level/epic proportions.

After leaving Australia in 2006, Ladybeard has been wowing audiences abroad in wrestling, film and music. He started off in Hong Kong where he did stunt and acting work in several films before relocating to Japan in 2013. These days, his fame is firmly carved out in both Japan and China with many more countries, not just in Asia but many in the Western world, discovering an awareness and love for what he is doing.

Ladybeard is one of a growing number of foreigners who are creating successful careers in other countries in unusual ways. In fact, Ladybeard was featured in the Australian documentary Big In Japan released in 2017 which uncovers a world where people have left their home country in search for a different life from the norm and, in this case, finding fame in Japan.

In our chat, Ladybeard and I talk about the cultural differences experienced as an Aussie performer in both Japan and China. We talk about the wonders of Japan (my favourite country to visit personally), how a Dale Carnegie has been his secret weapon to date, his love of metal, the unusual world of idolism in Japan and how he is continuing to build his career in not only wrestling but music and entertainment in general.

It’s great to see someone unashamedly pursing their dreams in what might be seen by the average joe as an unorthodox approach. Ladybeard is proof that you can get out there and make it happen, whatever your goals might be. His personality and passion for life is intoxicating. I couldn’t help but wonder whether I should be doing a little bit more to work toward my own goals in life.

He might be a bit out there for some but Ladybeard is one inspiring guy and what he’s doing looks like a hell of a lot of fun. Be sure to follow him on the socials and crank some Deadlift Lolita while you’re at it.

Show notes

(I have no idea what’s happening in this last video – but I love it)

Podcast

164 – Liam Wong (Art Director, Photographer)

January 24, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Liam Wong is an award winning Art Director and Photographer from Edinburgh, Scotland. With an impressive career to date in game development and graphic design, Liam found himself relocating to Canada to become the youngest Director to ever work at Ubisoft (one of the largest gaming companies in the world). In more recent years, however, an unexpected shift has found him being also celebrated as an acclaimed photographer.

After buying his first ever DSLR in 2015, Liam released his debut photo series, ‘Tokyo Nights’ which brought worldwide attention and recognition. Almost unexpectedly, his work has exploded into a new realm of opportunities which has seen him work with some of the world’s best in art, as well as global companies such as Apple, Canon, Google. Red Bull, Huawei and more.

Currently in the midst of an extended break of leave from Ubisoft, Liam is spending his time continuing to build his portfolio in photography, releasing his first book ‘TO:KY:OO’ this year and also seeking out new opportunities in film.

In our chat, Liam speaks about how the last few years of recognition and work in photography has seen him continuing to build toward what he feels is the next natural step in his creative journey being film. We talk about some of Liam’s inspirations including favourite movies, photographers, film directors and also how music in particular helps inspire and capture the feel of his work.

Speaking of music, I originally discovered Liam’s work via a retweet from Synthwave masters The Midnight. This is a great example of how communities of fans who love Synthwave, Cyberpunk, Sci-Fi, Japanese animation and more have been completely enthralled by his work, leading to the success he’s had to date.

Lot’s covered in this chat from his earlier days in game development, how he got the opportunities to work with the BBC and later to leave Edinburgh to land the Ubisoft role in Montreal, despite having a bit of an introverted personality. We also spoke about what the last several years of photography has done for him personally and the drip feed approach he has been taking with new photo collections, including recent trips to Hong Kong.

To discover more, be sure follow Liam via the links below and also sign up for the release of his first book ‘TO:KY:OO’ due out in 2019.

Show notes

Referenced by Liam:

People – Syd Mead, Lynne Ramsay, Ian McQue, Simon Stålenhag, Mike Shinoda.
Movies – Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, John Wick, Atomic Blonde, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Se7en.
Music – Zedd, Makeup and Vanity Set – System Override, Scratch Massive ft. Koudlam – Waiting for a Sign, Slow Magic – Corvette Cassette, Ghost City.
Other – Memories of Tokyo, Greg Girard – Kowloon Walled City.

Ghost City / https://t.co/a7rE5g12zN pic.twitter.com/LwnmgzFQa8

— Liam Wong ???? (@liamwong) November 26, 2018

Video game director Hideo Kojima & filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura.

Blade Runner Origins

One of Japan’s biggest bands, Sekai No Owari. Also known as End of The World.

Podcast

163 – Lara Gibson (Automotive Technician)

January 17, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Lara Gibson is an Automotive Technician based in Melbourne, who applies her wizardry knowledge and skill to get hundreds of cars back on the road each year. It’s always cool to dig in deeper to jobs that many of us take for granted. Having vehicles, many of us rely on people like Lara to ensure they stay on the road. Not always the easiest of jobs to have and there’s a lot of pressure, especially when you’re working in a high volume, fast-paced major city workshop like Lara does.

Vehicles these days are complex products that are comprised of a multitude of computers (in simple terms). Long gone are the days of lifting the hood and seeing the problem visually or quickly. It’s common place to now rely on a diagnostic fault finding tool to locate and identify potential issues, that assist the Technician in guiding them toward the component that requires attention.

Lara and I talk about how she fell into the automotive world as an apprentice and gradually built up experience working in the smaller town of Wodonga before moving to Melbourne to continue to develop her skills and expertise. We cover the differences between the terms Mechanic and Technician and also discuss what happens on a day to day basis in a workshop. A place where many of us don’t get to see beyond the point of where we drop off our car.

Lara is one of the higher qualified Automotive Technicians in the country and being a woman certainly encourages more to follow in her footsteps and have more representation in the industry. Hopefully Lara’s story provides some inspiration for others looking to make their own mark in a workshop. Enjoy!

Show notes
Follow Lara via Facebook | Instagram |

Here’s a few of videos I found on YouTube which give further insight into Lara’s world.

Podcast

162 – Mike Hohnen (Freelance Writer, Journalist)

January 10, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Mike Hohnen is one of the unsung heroes in the creative world. Being a journalist or writer, especially in music, can be a bit of a thankless job at times. It can be unfairly seen as a mechanism and necessity for artists to have their work marketed and promoted to wider audiences through popular media channels. Some of this is due to outlets resorting to a churn and burn approach that spits out run-of-the-mill, stock standard media. A lot of it as a result falls into the ever growing void of content or tactics used via buzz style headlines creates a magnet for undeserved attention.

It’s not all bad news of course and many writers don’t fall into the above (could be argued) hyperbole. Mike is one of these standouts and has been writing for the past several years not only covering music but various pop culture and social topics. Cutting his teeth with popular press outlets such as Music Feeds and working as a journalist with some of the world’s best artists, Mike eventually moved into a more freelance capacity and has been doing impressive work as a individually celebrated writer and journalist.

Over the years of building experience, Mike has continued to grow and develop a thirst to dig deeper beneath the surface, writing meaningful content that not only opens up the floor to important conversation but also acts as an aid toward finding similarities in what might be seen as unrelated niche interest groups.

Recently Mike and a friend/fellow writer Chris Schilbach who’s a big MMA fan decided to blend their talents together and create The Neversphere. A portal where the guys can share “high quality, engaging content about music, gaming and MMA, opening the conversation to those who are passionate about their chosen art.” The guys in particular highlight that “The Neversphere provides a meeting ground for similar, yet seemingly disconnected arts.”

While still in it’s infancy stage, the guys have been able to use the website to showcase their interests and unique writing style in a way which acts as an liberated outlet for them personally, but also provides gateway and cross over content to bring different groups together.

One really cool thing about our chat is Mike’s passion for bringing together different interests and thinking outside the box. We’re in an era now in music where a lot of musicians are trying to find unorthodox ways of bringing their music to new audiences. Whether it be music featured in gaming, MMA (both covered on The Neversphere) or in an unexpected or previously ignored format, the conversation is continuing to be had and many are finding the courage to blend their creative output with other communities and methods. This is to not only promote but to also remove divides and bring people together. Mike is a big proponent of this and encourages more open thinking and conversation this through his own work.

If you’re a writer or someone aspiring to be, you may get a real kick out of this episode. Mike and I cover a lot of his own journey into the media and his challenges along the way but also how his perspective and work ethic has changed and improved as the years have progressed. We dig in deep to the freelance culture and Mike shares some great tips on how he stays on top of everything and continues to find the fire to keep producing content in what could be seen as an era of saturated information, both good and bad.

If you want to check out some of Mike’s work, check out the links below and be sure to follow him on the socials!

Show notes

Photo by Narayan

Podcast

161 – Leon Todd (Guitarist, YouTuber, Ragdoll)

January 3, 2019November 27, 2020
by andy

Leon Todd is the guitarist of Perth rock band Ragdoll and also runs his own YouTube channel discussing all things guitar and gear. To date, Leon has 11,000 subscribers and is churning out new videos on a daily basis. High output!

Long gone are the days where a musician was seen as solely a recording/performing artist. Now you can see many musos promoting themselves under their own name as an individual personality talking about what they are passionate about whether it be music or otherwise. Leon’s YouTube is an extension to the band but more importantly his persona where he is able to connect with people who share a mutual love of music.

This is another epic chat with a musician who is hustling and making the most of the increased connectivity and technology that is at our finger tips. More and more creatives are embracing these changes and moving away from old expectations of how things ‘used to be’. In our conversation, Leon and I speak a lot of this including mindsets, mental health, which is huge revolving and important topic, and also touch on some great stories of Ragdoll going all in with building their audience in the US. Lot’s of great points uncovered that should bring a lot of value.

Be sure to follow Leon via the links below, subscribe to his YouTube channel and crank some Ragdoll.

Show notes

Photo by Elspeth Erickson

Photo by Emmanuel Rudnicki

Photo by Elspeth Erickson

309 – Rohan Stevenson (I Built the Sky)
Rohan Stevenson is the man behind I Built the Sky. An instrumental guitar project which Rohan has been self releasing music under since 2012. Follow Rohan via the I Built the Sky pages. New album coming soon in 2022. Show notes Follow Rohan/I Built the Sky via Main Website | Bandcamp | Patreon | Facebook |
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308 – Shep Hyken (Customer Service Expert)
Shep Hyken is a Customer Service and Experience Expert as well as the Chief Amazement Officer of Shep Presentations. I’ve been a big fan of Shep’s books for a while now and use a lot of his teachings to improve the way we run our band LORD. In particular, how we interact with our friends
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307 – Ben Hamilton (Kickin’ the Punt)
Ben Hamilton and his wife Jasmine formed Kickin’ the Punt in 2020 which encourages honest conversations about gambling addiction, as well as exposing the predatory behaviour of the gambling industry. Ben has battled a gambling addiction himself over the years and is now using his platform to help others. If you want to learn more
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