Don't Give Up

Don't Give Up

Don’t Give Up is a podcast series hosted by kiwi musician Danny McCrum.

The idea of this podcast is to give people an insight into the real lives and careers of creative professionals, with a focus on problem solving and finding solutions in the arts, in our lives and in these unpredictable times.

Welcome to the conversation. Welcome to Don’t Give Up.

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159. Noise Play

159. Noise Play

Danny sits down with bandmates Jasper de Roos and Dan Antunovich to discuss how The Beatles and Covid initiated the creation of their band Noise Play and how they produced their new album Junk. They discuss the success and failure of their 2021 theatre show, recording the drums for one song with only three mics, the guest performances by Mark Steven, Stephen Small and Eddie Rayner and they also talk musicianship, song writing, session work, live performance, and their unique approach to recording the album. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ehtXV8otIDgwww.dontgiveup.co.nzSupport the show

Episodes

159. Noise Play

159. Noise Play

Danny sits down with bandmates Jasper de Roos and Dan Antunovich to discuss how The Beatles and Covid initiated the creation of their band Noise Play and how they produced their new album Junk. They discuss the success and failure of their 2021 theatre show, recording the drums for one song with only three mics, the guest performances by Mark Steven, Stephen Small and Eddie Rayner and they also talk musicianship, song writing, session work, live performance, and their unique approach to recording the album. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ehtXV8otIDgwww.dontgiveup.co.nzSupport the show

158. Jody Garrett

158. Jody Garrett

In a past life Jody Garrett managed record stores. Now he’s the General Manager of DRM (Digital Rights Managers), New Zealand’s go to aggregator for digital music releases. We have an in-depth conversation about the streaming platforms and navigating a music career in the digital age. Support the show

157. Bobby Kennedy

157. Bobby Kennedy

Podcast cofounder and Opshop drummer Bobby Kennedy is back to talk about the rebranding of the podcast, grieving his music career, societal divisions and Indiana Jones. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ueh8rYaE9cQ www.dontgiveup.co.nzSupport the show

156. Scott Parker, The Boondocks

156. Scott Parker, The Boondocks

Scott Parker from The Boondocks travels in from the sticks to talk about moustaches, kids’ toys, vocal techniques, surviving with no money, living with Tourette’s, Tall Poppy syndrome and 1980s TV Shows. Support the show

155. Rodney Fisher

155. Rodney Fisher

I recently sat down with Rodney Fisher and chatted about the beginnings of Goodshirt, getting bottled at his first Auckland gig, how Goodshirt recorded their albums themselves before everyone else was doing it, the making of their iconic music videos, his work with Breaks Co-Op and how and why he made his new solo album Art School Dropout. Support the show

154. Rajneel Singh

154. Rajneel Singh

Episode #154 is now available! Rajneel Singh is a director who has worked on short films, music videos and TV commercials and as an editor for television dramas and documentaries. He helped create the oldest active torrent, the pre-YouTube-era, viral video sensation The Fanimatrix. He’s also the first guest on the show who went to school with Danny. The two haven’t spoken for almost 30 years, and this recording starts a minute or so into them first meeting again. They talk extensively about The Matrix films, The Terminator sequels, The Corridor Crew and our local film industry. Support the show

153. Dixon Nacey

153. Dixon Nacey

Dixon Nacey is a highly respected guitarist, music director and tutor, who has worked with a long list of great people and has racked up a wealth of experience. We sit down for a wide-reaching conversation about guitar playing, gigging war stories, our music careers, our families and Fonzie from Happy Days. Great guy, lots of laughs, good times. Support the show

152. (Shorty #1) Brother Sister

152. (Shorty #1) Brother Sister

Dave Thomson from Brother Sister joins us to talk about being in a band of siblings, how they created their fantastic music videos, his work as a videographer and his involvement in the Smokefree Rockquest. Support the show

151. Monique Bradley

151. Monique Bradley

Monique Bradley is an incredibly inspiring person with an unstoppable attitude. Monique and her partner Pete Ward, provide training, coaching and consulting services through their company We Do Famous Ltd. Monique is also the CEO of Sky Channel 83 Face TV and they both produce several TV shows including the third season of lifestyle show Guide To Better Living and ecommerce infomercial show Guide To Better Shopping. On this episode we discuss making a living in the arts, bullying, the stories we tell ourselves (about ourselves), cancel culture, freedom of speech and much more. Support the show

150. Fiona McDonald / Strawpeople

150. Fiona McDonald / Strawpeople

On our 150th episode, Fiona McDonald joins me to talk about the new Strawpeople album Knucklebones - their first release in nineteen years! We also discus writing lyrics, the innovative approach of both the Headless Chickens and Strawpeople, Bosom FM (?) and a whole lot more!Support the show

149. Lorenzo Hazelwood

149. Lorenzo Hazelwood

Lorenzo Hazelwood is a young singer who fronts the band Silcrow and is in the full swing of trying to establish his career. With a new single out and an upcoming move to London, Lorenzo dropped by to chat about the highs and lows of being a young rock band trying to find their feet in the current musical industry. This is a very pointed, hard hitting, fun chat. Support the show

Jemilah and Koen from up-and-coming band Marmalade, stop by to talk about their thoughts and experiences as they work to get their band off the ground, progress their careers and navigate their way through the music industry. We also learn about bed socks.Support the show

147. Mark Moldre

147. Mark Moldre

Australian songwriter, musician and guitar tutor Mark Moldre, joins us to talk about his new album Nambucca Fables. We discuss song-writing, the story of the lost 1940s Tex Morton guitar, the trappings of genre and branding and much more. Check out his fantastic new album and enjoy the chat!Support the show

146. Andrew Rooney

146. Andrew Rooney

Drummer and fellow podcaster Andrew Rooney joins Danny for a wide ranging conversation about all things music. The conversation swings from Toto to Ringo, the Dunning–Kruger effect to making money, and Andrew gives Danny a pep talk. Support the show

145. Tracey Collins

145. Tracey Collins

Tracey Collins is a professional accordionist with a wealth of experience. We discuss her work touring with Operatunity, meeting her husband in Venice, her early gigs on K’ Road as a young teenager, building a restaurant in a tree and her life as a fulltime musician and Mum. Fast paced, lots of laughs, great chats. Support the show

144. Damien Binder

144. Damien Binder

Songwriter Damien Binder joins us to chat about his new album Bright Side. We talk about song writing, gigging, lyrics, production and much more. Great album, great guy, great chats!Support the show

143. Caitlin Smith Returns

143. Caitlin Smith Returns

In September 2022 renowned vocalist Caitlin Smith, returned to our podcast studio with more to say about her latest thoughts and musings. On this second instalment she talks about anxiety and addiction, musical identity, navigating the music business and Danny and Caitlin debate their slightly different views on lyric writing.Support the show

142. Pat Kuhtze

142. Pat Kuhtze

Pat Kuhtze has been a professional drummer since the 1980s and has remained a busy and in demand session musician ever since. He’s witnessed the music industry change in many ways and has continually evolved to stay afloat, raising four kids and racking up a long list of playing credits. As the pandemic arrived Pat decided to steer away from some of his work to focus on projects he’s more passionate about. He now has several projects on the go with Split Enz’ Eddie Rayner and a newfound excitement for music. Support the show

141. Renee Millner

141. Renee Millner

Musician and songwriter Renee Millner is here to talk about her new EP ‘Fly Me Back’ and her journey as an artist and a human. Danny asks a super corny question about Australia and many laughs are had. Support the show

140. Bobby Kennedy & Danny McCrum

140. Bobby Kennedy & Danny McCrum

Bobby Kennedy's back! The band's back together for our usual year opener episode. We talk A.I., music critiques and Danny gives an update on the future of the podcast.Support the show