Compiled by Tess Connery and Grace Gollasch
“She hadn’t done a lot of interviews that were like that”: Sarah Grynberg on her time with Olivia Newton-John
With the passing of Olivia Newton-John last month came an outpouring of grief from people all over the world. The legacy she left behind was huge, and people have been keeping her memory alive by looking back over her life and lengthy list of achievements.
Before her passing, Newton-John gave a rare hour-long sit-down interview with Sarah Grynberg on her A Life of Greatness podcast.
Podcast Week’s Tess Connery spoke to Sarah Grynberg about her time with Newton-John.
“It was really special to interview Olivia Newton-John,” says Grynberg. “We did that interview a year and a bit ago – she was actually someone that I really wanted on the podcast for a long time.”
Grynberg is particularly picky about the guests she has on A Life of Greatness, but says that Newton-John made the cut because their values aligned.
“She looked at life with a bigger lens than most people, she had a good heart, and she gave back so much to the community – not only through her work in entertainment, but also with animals and cancer research. She had just such a beautiful perspective on life, and such a great story.”
When asked what Newton-John was like to speak to, Grynberg says that “it was one of the most beautiful conversations.” With an hour to record, the pair covered a lot of ground.
“We talked about her amazing career, and the heartache that she had in her life with so many of her loved ones passing. We also spoke about the love that she had for her daughter – I speak to hundreds of people about the love they have for people in their lives, but Olivia Newton John’s love that she has for Chloe brings tears to my eyes.
“We spoke about her having cancer and how she beat it twice. We spoke about what death meant for her, and the afterlife. In reflection, it was so special that we captured that conversation, because from what I know, she hadn’t done a lot of interviews that were like that.”
With just over three years of A Life of Greatness under her belt, Grynberg says that the evolution of the show hasn’t strayed too far from her original hopes for the podcast.
“I’ve got to say I’m pulling in some really great guests, and that is something that has been really good, because I get to hear their wisdom. It’s amazing to be able to spend time listening to these stories and then share them with others.
“I always knew that the podcasts would do well, I could just feel it – it was a good idea, and I knew that I would be able to have really deep and meaningful conversations for people to be able to learn from. I don’t think the expectation has changed.
“As time goes on, the podcast is successful, and it evolves. The guests get bigger and better, but it’s not about just having big guests, it’s about just having a great story.”
[Listen to A Life of Greatness here]
LiSTNR to host Christian Hull’s ‘Complete Drivel’ podcast
AACTA nominated comedian Christian Hull’s popular podcast Complete Drivel is moving to LiSTNR, with the first new episode launching on September 5.
The entire catalogue of Complete Drivel’s no-filter discussions on trending topics moves to LiSTNR as of today, where listeners can find Hull’s hilarious takes on his sometimes controversial thoughts, opinions and “absolute shambles of an existence”.
Commenting on the move to LiSTNR, Hull said: “Having done this podcast on my own for the last five years, it’s such an exciting moment to have a team of people able to help take it to the next level.
“LiSTNR has been so insanely helpful and supportive. A new studio, a killer producer, and amazing audio and digital team at my disposal are such an asset. With this amazing team behind me, you can bet on one thing, I’ll still remain the hot mess that I am!”
With almost a decade of experience at SCA as the National Digital Video Producer, Hull knows the content creation space from all angles, giving him a unique perspective on the cultural trends he discusses on Complete Drivel.
[Listen to Complete Drivel here]
Head Noise: Investigative podcast into NRL concussions launched by The Australian
The Australian’s world-famous podcast The Teacher’s Pet was re-released over the weekend following the conviction of Chris Dawson, and today the publication has announced its new six-part podcast series Head Noise.
The investigative podcast follows former rugby league legend James Graham through an exploration of his brain health and the epidemic of concussions in the NRL. The Australian’s Jessica Halloran co-hosts the podcast, and the pair investigate concussion effects on grassroots junior to elite players to discover what more can be done to reduce or even reverse the consequences of concussions on the field.
Profiles of NRL household names are also analysed on the podcast, including Wally Lewis, Matty Johns and Boyd Cordner. The podcast also looks into the AFL and AFLW’s issue of on-filed concussion, looking at the careers of Shaun Smith and Kristen McLeod and how head knocks have affected these players across codes.
Halloran, a Walkley-award-winning journalist said: “This is much more than a podcast series for James and me – he has been on a real journey during the whole process and has shown incredible compassion, insight and curiosity to lift the lid on a topic that can make some within sporting codes feel uncomfortable.”
LiSTNR and the University of Newcastle announce ‘The Minds Changing Lives’ podcast
The Minds Changing Lives podcast launched today in a partnership between LiSTNR and the University of Newcastle (UON) showcases people who are pioneering change.
A first for UON, the podcast was inspired by stories shared through the uni’s online platform Hippocampus, centring on topics such as removing needles from the testing process of diabetes. The series aims to highlight the broad strides that UON researchers, students and alumni are making across a variety of fields and topics.
Hosted by University of Newcastle communications specialist Shani Wellington, she said: “It’s been an amazing opportunity to speak to people who are shaping the world as we know it. From needle-free diabetes testing, to address an urgent need for speech therapy in our regional areas – the incredible work showcased in this podcast will impact the future as we know it.”
The first six episodes show viewers the scope of work being conducted by UON alumni and students, from an effort to solve cold cases to a discussion on what hydrogen means for the future of renewable energy and how the Hunter region will lead the change.
[Listen to The Minds Changing Lives here]
ALWAYS LIVE brings new podcast hosted by Alex Lahey to music fans
Victoria-wide celebration of contemporary live music, ALWAYS LIVE has launched its own podcast, hosted by Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Alex Lahey.
The podcast comes off the back of the ALWAYS LIVE program announcement, which will see more than 90 events featuring 150-plus artists take place in Victoria in the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest celebration of live music featuring. The events will feature Dua Lipa, Sampa the Great, Crowded House and more.
Over 10 episodes, Lahey embarks on a journey to meet the people who make the music and those who make the music happen – the venue owners, the band bookers, the crew, the roadies, the movers and shakers … and the fans.
Through the retelling of amazing stories and the sharing of some incredible live music experiences, Lahey pin-points the elements that connect Melbourne and Victoria to live music like no other place in the country.
The ALWAYS LIVE podcast has so far released two episodes, featuring interviews with Boo Seeka, Alice Ivy, Cameron Adams, and more.
R.M. Williams and DM Podcasts partner to bring the OUTBACK Great Australians podcast
The R.M. Williams Outback magazine has made its way into eardrums this week after the release of The R.M. Williams OUTBACK Great Australian podcast in collaboration with DM Podcasts.
The R.M. Williams OUTBACK Great Australians podcast features in-depth interviews with Australians who are doing things away from the bright lights of our cities. They are not celebrities or publicity seekers – they are real people making an extraordinary difference in their everyday lives.
Guests include drought mitigator Grace Brennan, beef industry leader Bryce Camm, island naturalist Ian Hutton, rural writer Fleur McDonald, youth mentor Bernie Shakeshaft, and climate change activist and farmer Anika Molesworth. The podcast is hosted by OUTBACK senior associate editor Terri Cowley, an experienced journalist and broadcaster.
Unlike the brand’s bi-monthly magazine, episodes of The R.M. Williams OUTBACK Great Australian podcast will be released each Tuesday with the first 3 episodes out now.
[Listen to R.M. Williams OUTBACK Great Australian here]
Linktree introduces Podcast Links to help podcasters grow audience
Linktree has introduced a new feature called “Podcast Links” — designed to help podcast creators grow their audiences across streaming platforms.
This new feature connects fans with podcasters by giving them a place to see every streaming platform a podcast is hosted on, including Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.
Podcast Links uses content-matching technology to automatically detect the same show and episodes across supported streaming platforms and will aggregate them in one place on Linktree.
Additionally, Podcast Links also gives creators the ability to display their podcast logo, description and recent episodes, so fans can associate the creator’s brand with what they’re hearing too
[For more information on Podcast Links, head here]
Charlie Albone returns for season two of That’s How We Grow podcast
Award-winning gardener and television personality, Charlie Albone has once again teamed up with outdoor power equipment brand, STIHL to launch a second season of the gardening podcast, That’s How We Grow.
Following a successful pilot season – with Australia being the global test market for STIHL’s first ever foray into podcasting – Albone returns to share his knowledge and tips on a range of gardening topics to help inspire gardeners to tackle the big and small challenges they have in their garden.
Season two will have eight new episodes, released fortnightly from Friday, 2 September 2022.
Albone will be joined by an array of guests, with former Sunrise host Samantha Armytage starting the season off first. Other guests include award-winning garden designers Paul Bangay and Tristan Peirce, Better Homes & Gardens host Johanna Griggs, and award-winning chef Matt Moran.
Albone will chat with them about their shared gardening passions and exchange their knowledge for everyone to have their garden thriving.
[Listen to That’s How We Grow here]
The Flipside podcast lifts the lid on building a tech-driven business
Co-founders of the shopping & discovery app Her Black Book, Sali Sasi and Julie Stevanja, have started a brand new STEM-focused podcast, titled The Flipside.
With sponsorship from Samsung Electronics Australia and amplification through POPSUGAR Australia, The Flipside with Her Black Book features honest, insightful interviews and action-driven conversations with a diverse range of guests from various industries.
In this 8-part podcast series, successful tech twins Sali and Julie lift the lid on the thrills and spills that come with building and working in a tech-driven business.
The lineup of guests includes entrepreneur Lillian Ahenkan AKA Flex Mami, co-founders of the new content creator platform Sunroom, Michelle Battersby & Lucy Mort, web3 digital marketing expert Lisa Teh, and Australia’s most passionate ‘Used Pouch Salesman’, Mike Smith of Zero Co.
Dropping at 5am each Thursday, The Flipside will serve up the whole story, deep diving into the philosophies and mindsets of successful entrepreneurs and creators.
