'The Bottom Of It' with Joshua Moriarty

Gretta Ray is a natural when it comes to songwriting. She was already kicking arse as a teenager when she won the Vanda & Young songwriting competition for her song Drive back in 2016. Since then she has released some impressive singles and an excellent EP and her debut album ‘Begin To Look Around’ will be out in August of this year, nice one Gretta! We discuss how we met 10 years ago when Gretta was a kid singing in the Young Voices Of Melbourne children’s choir (who featured on a Miami Horror song), we talk about John Mayer not wanting to play Your Body Is A Wonderland (just play it John ya dick!), our resistance to Tik Tok, how difficult it is to write a great pop song and a bunch more. All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours. Gretta’s recent video for the song ‘Passion’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TSRWdFwjY4 Gretta’s song ‘Drive’ which won the Vanda & Young songwriting competition in 2016- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d0rwhERGBw&ab_channel=GrettaRayGrettaRayOfficialArtistChannel 'Imagination' by Miami Horror featuring Gretta and the Young Voices Of Melbourne- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0qfueY5tXA&ab_channel=musich3admusich3ad

Murray Cook is one of the founding members of Australian children’s music group The Wiggles. Easily recognisable in his red skivvy with a guitar around his neck, Murray played in the band for 20 years and recorded an enormous amount of records (an album every year and sometimes more!). At their peak they were known to play up to 40 shows a month and on average were playing to a million people every year, that definitely makes them one of the hardest working bands in showbiz. Guitar Magazine once speculated that since Cook was one of the first guitarists children were exposed to, he might be the most influential guitarist in the world, nice one Murray! Since leaving the Wiggles in 2012 Murray has been focusing on his new project The Soul Movers which just released a new record entitled ‘Evolution’. Murray and I caught up in Sydney to talk about infinite Wiggledom, American stalkers, The Soul Movers, touring like a madman, what makes a children’s hit single and a bunch more. All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours. The Soul Movers single ‘Hot Sauce’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRXb9_wFFZs&ab_channel=TheSoulMovers The Wiggles cover Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a13WnqsRc5g&ab_channel=triplej Murray in the DZ Deathrays video for ‘Like People’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DstIlngjlw4&ab_channel=IOHYOUMUSIC The Wiggles song ‘Play Your Guitar With Murray’-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxg8qHUaxQY&ab_channel=AllieWiggle

Lachlan Stuckey is the guitar player in Melbourne instrumental soul band Surprise Chef. He also runs the record label College Of Knowledge which puts out their records and other like minded contemporaries. Their latest record ‘Daylight Savings’ is exemplary, the playing is super tight, the production is gritty and the musicality is on point, it’s impressive stuff. We sat down to discuss jazz school, Marilyn Manson, whether you really want to know what’s in a chicken McNugget and what constitutes musical blackface. All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours. Surprise Chef live- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-uThmynHQE&ab_channel=StampTheWax College Of Knowledge Records- https://collegeofknowledgerecords.bandcamp.com/ The Putbacks live- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXUekfJSBzc&ab_channel=HopestreetRecordings

Coco Reilly released her debut self-titled record in December of 2020 and it’s excellent, it was a swell way to finish off a very silly year, thanks Coco! Recorded in Nashville over the course of a few years it took her 3 attempts at recording it to get it right and was definitely worth all the hard work. Coco and I have worked together on a bunch of projects over the years and I think she’s an exceptional songwriter with a real natural gift for melody and chord movements, I’m a big fan. We recorded this episode remotely as Coco is currently living in Iceland and this is actually the first episode of The Bottom Of It to be recorded that way! We talked all things Iceland, American democracy, recording an album multiple times, whether being a narcissist is good for success in the music biz and the circadian rhythms of darkness. All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours. Coco’s video for her single ‘The Truth Will Always Find A Way’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OXIN_p1H0I&ab_channel=CocoReilly Coco’s video for her single ‘Define You’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uoLHrH6xg4&ab_channel=CocoReilly ‘That Thing You Do’ slow version- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPiD9HptXz4&ab_channel=DomPedroI ‘That Thing You Do’ fast version- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o40za1wAlI&t=11s&ab_channel=Movieclips

Clinton Tokona is the bass player for iconic New Zealand band Weta. Tookie (or Toks as he is known) and I have been good friends since Weta released their debut (and only!) album ‘Geographica’ back in 2000. We met backstage at Kiwi high school band competition The Pepsi Smokefree Rockquest which I was competing in with my first band 1QA and Weta were the guest performers. Since then Toks and I have played in a bunch of different projects with each other and have enjoyed many a lol over a coffee/tea/beer/cigarette/other.   After the death of his brother Aaron Tokona (the principal singer/songwriter for Weta) earlier this year the band have remastered their record and are celebrating it’s 20th anniversary along with a new single entitled ‘So Far, So Close’.   Toks and I talk about boxing, bass playing, cheap eggs benedict, his brother Aaron, how he (maybe) met Flea (but DEFINITELY met Neil Finn) and a bunch more.   All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   The title track of the Weta record ‘Geographica’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGF4-hUzSMQ&ab_channel=Weta-Topic   ‘Got The Ju’ live on Channel V in 1999- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuRNLpGOnDM&ab_channel=Weta   Aaron Tokona performing his song ‘Turnaround’ with Fly My Pretties- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNHDfl__g2c&ab_channel=loopcrew

Nicolaas Oogjes is the ringleader of globulous, wonky and gooey Melbourne band NO ZU. Self labeled as ‘Heat Beat’, NO ZU is a 10-piece party of flesh, muscles, horns, rotor toms, whistles and ass shaking vibes. We sat down to talk about constructing the ZUniverse, Nic’s new project Cong Josie, The no strings attached policy of NO ZU and how Australian dance act the Potbelleez (maybe) came up with their smash hit ‘Don’t Hold Back’. All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   Check out the NO ZU video for ‘Spirit Beat’, it’s excellent!- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0HuwgoandM   ‘Mind Melt’ Live on 3RRR- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bQHObvO-gg   The 80s band Nic mentioned Use No Hooks (very cool)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xudoxJBTVU

Edward Quinn is one half of Melbourne electronic duo Slum Sociable. Edward takes care of all their production duties (AND the hot guitar licks!) and is a real wiz when it comes to whipping up fresh beats in the studio. Edward and I along with Angeline Armstrong have been collaborating on a new project called Telenova over the last year and things are sounding tip top thanks to his expertise. We sat down to talk about the Chili Peps and Jack Johnson, what makes an exceptional live show, whether or not something is good enough for the boys in Queensland and if Opeth is the ‘real shit’ or not.   All songs on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   The single ‘Life Is Free’ by Slum Sociable- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08xLbZMq2OA   ’65-45’ from the Life Is Free E.P.- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK9nu69tz-M   Opeth live at Shepherds Bush Empire in London (a little bit of that ‘real shit’..)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_trbJ8T5lk

Jake Webb is a musical adventurer, The Methyl Ethel records he creates cover a lot of themes and concepts and move melodically in such beguiling ways. His voice is elegant and bewitching and the production is right on, I dig what the man is doing! We sat down to discuss the lessons you learn through osmosis while working with producers, when to be untethered musically, what to do when you get the ‘tinge of the cringe’ and whether all music could stop being made tomorrow and if we would still have enough to last us a lifetime.   All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   My fave Methyl Ethel song ‘Trip The Mains’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elQ5Xr7OsZQ   The hobbyist Joe Tossini’s record we talked about from 1982- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BxDZZ1HrR0&list=RDEMxMFwi4r7sbzhnblx7Meb7Q&start_radio=1

Sam Sparro has a penchant for nostalgia, it runs deep in his family. His self-titled first record hinted at the 80s, his second record ‘Return To Paradise’ was late 70s disco flavoured and his latest record ‘Boombox Eternal’ is a homage to the new jack swing era. Sam always brings something fresh to everything he does and his voice is exceptional, the man can sing! We sat down to discuss the highs and lows of the record biz, heading to the suburbs for tranquility, Myspace and our mutual fear (and adoration) for Beyonce.   All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   The video for one of Sam’s most recent singles ‘Everything’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlTcgXq8Rec   ‘We Could Fly’ off Sam’s second record ‘Return to Paradise’ (a sick tune with excellent production and arrangement, love it)-  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FeofWJsvrQ   The Sam Sparro and Basement Jaxx collaboration ‘Feelings Gone’ (with a seriously bad ass vocal performance!)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQajT2JPgc4

Tony Buchen is an A-class producer. Not only does he know how to make things sound shit-hot and get the best out of an artist and their songs but he is also an excellent musician too, it’s a winning combo! Him and I have been working together a bunch over the last year and his musicality and studio knowledge is second to none. We sat down to talk about authenticity in art, how being in the fanciest studios with a lot of history doesn’t mean you’ll automatically create something special, what makes live music so exhilarating and how he could happily never hear ’It’s Raining Men’ ever again.   All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   Tony Buchen instagram- https://www.instagram.com/tbuchen/   Tony’s latest musical project ‘Air Land Sea’ with his best buds Lior and Nadav- https://open.spotify.com/album/4hpJBQEqgNOLIeiKpuKwg2?si=8tiQ5MxxQqStuc3yD69fGA The Mick Flannery record Tony produced that went to number 1 in Ireland! - https://open.spotify.com/album/48rcrRY3lVDZ23cpE6kwls?si=dLez5IBhRL6P8Cb6inlTcw The latest Harper Finn single Tony produced- https://open.spotify.com/track/2y7xcnb7kV5ScDMgtOl9T2?si=JCms_IFtSSWvumvPuFLjcg

The Phoenix Foundation are one of my all-time favourite bands. So much so that I’ve dedicated two episodes to them! Since their second record ‘Pegasus’ was released in 2005 I’ve followed their career closely and have caught them live every chance I’ve had. Samuel Flynn Scott is one of the principal songwriters and singers in the band alongside Luke Buda (who I interviewed for episode 52). Sam and I talk about songwriting in creative bursts and stock piling songs, the difficulty of songwriting when you’re a family man, what you would do if KFC offered you a shit tonne of money to use one of your songs and what it means to give up a fictitious dream and enjoy what you have.   All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   ’40 Years’ film clip by The Phoenix Foundation (directed by and featuring Taika Waititi)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz5qUPpuAFM   Some of my fave Phoenix Foundation songs in a Spotify playlist- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5MvhNkhK8VwhhmixXATtvY?si=N_NS_lghRfy_jQm7KZcftg   The Rolling Stones ‘Waiting On A Friend’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYSTlwf2_XM   Mick Jagger, Will.i.am and J. Lo (this is serious bad news!!)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjIwmJMqrco   Supergroove Munchos song- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv2ttPX6MrU

The Phoenix Foundation are one of my all-time favourite bands. Since their second record ‘Pegasus’ was released in 2005 I’ve followed their career closely and have caught them live every chance I’ve had. Their records are always lush sounding and filled with brilliant songs and beautiful instrumental compositions. Luke Buda is one of the principal songwriters and singers in the band alongside Samuel Flynn Scott. Luke and I sat down to discuss Metallica, scoring films for New Zealand director Taika Waititi, the unlimited sonic options available to musicians these days, the fashion statement of wearing a cardigan whilst having a beard and lots more.   Some of my fave Phoenix Foundation songs in a Spotify playlist- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5MvhNkhK8VwhhmixXATtvY?si=tnOFBSxZSn-0-pUgOMlq5A   ‘Bob Lennon John Dylan’ (this song and video rules!)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=digLC94vx2I   The video for ’Give Up Your Dreams’ (featuring Bret McKenzie)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIx9ljxszq0

Donny Benét has a very strong aesthetic. An Italian 80s lothario, a nostalgic romantic, a hot shot bass playing love machine, the list goes on. His latest record ‘The Don’ encapsulates all these things and his videos are always exceptional, Donny doesn’t miss a detail. We sat down to talk about his love for jazz and how it has influenced his career as a musician, how Donny Benét as a project is avant-garde, how having children can really bring fulfilment into your life and a whole bunch more.   All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   Donny’s latest single ‘Second Dinner’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dD7KeRETsA     ‘Just Leave Him’ (one of my faves)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kiaQYWnnLI   The Donny & Kirin J Callinan video for ‘The Edge’- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7pQvi73fsQ

Malcolm Besley is a strong all-rounder. Not only is he the drummer in Northeast Party House but he also mixes and produces their records as well as contributing songs to the band, that’s a man of many talents! He has mixed and produced a bunch of great Australian acts over the years including Client Liaison, City Calm Down and of course All The Colours! We sat down to discuss Art vs The Artist, lasers, Limp Bizkit (a bottom of it staple these days..), Ed Sheeran being sued by Marvin Gaye’s blood thirsty estate, the reasons for writing music and a whole bunch more.   All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   ‘Girl’ my fave tune by Northeast Party House: https://open.spotify.com/track/2t92t3Fxs3a4XK3rBOqjVk?si=bXXybwEnS_u0LJqd_G85hg   ‘Dare’ (sick tune!) the title track of their second record: https://open.spotify.com/track/13Xa8MPm2LWd0f6wootU4H?si=oH78l4PzS82H2hneAMu0Yg   Ed Sheeran being sued by Marvin Gaye’s estate (bastards!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kt1DXu7dlo

Gareth Liddiard is an icon. He is enigmatic, prolific, never adheres to trends and has a voice that is completely his own. With The Drones he paved the way for countless other Australian acts and his new band Tropical Fuck Storm is just as fresh and innovative. We sat down to talk about meat space, Gareth’s musicological obsessions, why Eric Clapton is a shitty guitar player and lots more.   All music on the podcast by Joshua Moriarty & All The Colours.   You Let My Tyres Down by Tropical Fuck Storm (this song really makes me feel stuff!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYWHjfVtoSM   Mighty Sparrow (a big influence on Gareth musically): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZkiwdxbJBk   A live version of Shark Fin Blues by The Drones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRu7yh7IQZk