Listen Up with Ash McGregor

Ash McGregor
  • 4.3 (6)
  • MUSIC
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Listen up! This is your new favourite music hub. From big names to the next-gen, Ash McGregor brings you unmissable conversations with artists shaping the sound of now. Each week, deep dive your favourite artists and discover the musicians about to take over. You'll hear it here first. Keep up to date: ⭐️ @listenupwithash ⭐️ @ash_mcgregor ------ We'd like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation where this show is filmed.

  1. MELANIE C: From Sporty Spice to ‘Sweat’, It Was Always in Her DNA

    1 DAY AGO

    MELANIE C: From Sporty Spice to ‘Sweat’, It Was Always in Her DNA

    Melanie C, best known as Sporty Spice from the Spice Girls, is one of the most recognisable voices of a generation, she redefined pop music and global fame in the late ’90s. In this episode, Melanie takes us back to growing up just outside of Liverpool, being handed a flyer to audition for what would become the Spice Girls, and her first impressions of the group that would change her life forever. We get into the early days of the Spice Girls, the rapid rise to global superstardom, and the reality of navigating that level of fame at such a young age. If you want to hear the blow-by-blow of global domination, you're in the right place! Post-Spice Girls, Melanie has carved out her own path as a solo artist and DJ, it's a side to her that feels like a true return to her younger rave and dance roots. Now, with her new album Sweat on the way, she opens up about this chapter, the music and the upcoming tours.

    47 min
  2. VANESSA AMOROSI: The Voice of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, A Career of Reinvention

    7 APR

    VANESSA AMOROSI: The Voice of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, A Career of Reinvention

    Vanessa Amorosi had one of the most explosive starts to a career in Australian music history. Within a year of releasing her debut music, she was performing on one of the biggest stages in the world - opening and closing the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. But the story started long before that, years of dedication and grinding. In this episode, Vanessa takes us back to growing up in a very musical household, to being discovered singing in a Russian restaurant, and navigating the industry as a young female artist in the early 2000s. We talk about the whirlwind of early fame, the expectations that came with it, and her decision to move to the US and exploring new sounds in gospel and blues. Throughout this chat, two things really strike home: her strong sense of self from such a young age, and the quest to always be growing and challenging yourself. This is a bit of a longer one, but lets indulge - she's an Aussie icon!

    1hr 10min
  3. THE BEACHES: Dropped From Their Label to Viral Rock Band, Thanks to Their Ex

    24 MAR

    THE BEACHES: Dropped From Their Label to Viral Rock Band, Thanks to Their Ex

    Canadian rock band The Beaches have spent years building their story from teenage bandmates to one of the most exciting names in modern rock. In this episode, sisters Jordan and Kylie join the podcast to take it all the way back to their first band Done with Dolls, and the early years of growing up making music together. We talk about navigating the music industry as a female rock band, the moment they walked away from a team that didn’t understand their vision, and the viral success of their breakout track Blame Brett. The conversation also dives into the balance between writing deeply personal songs and sharing those stories with the world, and how that changed their perspective during the making of their album No Hard Feelings.

    37 min
  4. VELVET TRIP: Pro Skater, Viral Internet Creator, Psych Rock Frontman

    17 MAR

    VELVET TRIP: Pro Skater, Viral Internet Creator, Psych Rock Frontman

    Sydney psych-rock project Velvet Trip might feel like a new name on the scene, but the journey behind it is anything but conventional. In this episode, Zeppelin Hamilton takes us back to the beginning, growing up surrounded by some of the world’s best blues musicians in his family home, and nearly taking a completely different path as a professional skateboarder. From hitchhiking from Sydney to Darwin, to early internet fame as part of the viral Facebook creators Urmumsyadad, Zeppelin’s creative life has taken plenty of unexpected turns. We also dive into the musical chapters that came before Velvet Tri, including a metal band with Jules from Parcels, time in a seven-piece psych rock group, and the moment he realised he needed to start something of his own. Velvet Trip is quickly becoming a well known name in the Australian scene, and with the release of his new album Glimmers Continued, Zeppelin is on the path to "world domination".

    55 min
  5. MEG MAC: One of Australia’s Most Beloved Voices

    10 MAR

    MEG MAC: One of Australia’s Most Beloved Voices

    Meg Mac has been one of Australia’s most distinctive voices for over a decade. From her breakout track Known Better, which exploded on triple j Unearthed, to fan favourites like Grandma’s Hands and Roll Up Your Sleeves, she’s built a career defined by powerful vocals and deeply personal songwriting. Her 2019 album Matter of Time even debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts cementing her as a staple of the Australian music landscape. In this episode, Meg takes us back to the beginning: growing up in Sydney, studying music at Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), and the moment Known Better changed the course of her life. We talk about the challenge of being known for the songs that introduced you to the world, how her songwriting has evolved over 15 years, and the creative process behind her new album It’s My Party.

    49 min
  6. WISP: The Pressure of Being The New Face of Shoegaze

    3 MAR

    WISP: The Pressure of Being The New Face of Shoegaze

    Wisp's breakout single Your Face exploded online and pulled her straight onto the global stage, almost overnight. But behind the viral moment is an artist who grew up immersed in discipline and craft. Raised in San Francisco, Wisp trained as a ballerina and violinist before stepping into shoegaze - a genre known for both devotion and scrutiny. In this episode, we talk about what it really means to have a song take off before you’ve fully found your footing. The pressure of being labelled the next generation of shoegaze, and how she navigated it all in such a short amount of time. ------- This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

    44 min
  7. CAVETOWN: From YouTube Teen to Global Artist, Finding Identity in Public

    24 FEB

    CAVETOWN: From YouTube Teen to Global Artist, Finding Identity in Public

    Cavetown grew up uploading songs to YouTube at 14, building a global audience before he’d even finished school. What began as bedroom covers and self-produced tracks quietly turned into billions of streams and one of indie pop’s most devoted fanbases. But growing up online comes with its own challenges. In this episode, Cavetown reflects on evolving in public, from being known for the songs he wrote as a teenager to wanting recognition for the craft he’s building now. We talk about navigating identity, finding your sound, and what it’s like to mature alongside the audience that first found you. We also dive into his album Running With Scissors, the sonic risks, the growth in production, and the intention behind creating work that feels honest to who he is today.

    39 min
  8. HAZLETT: Starting Music At 26 With No Plan B

    17 FEB

    HAZLETT: Starting Music At 26 With No Plan B

    Hazlett didn’t grow up chasing music, nor fame and fortune. He started his solo career at 26 after years of playing bass and a stint in advertising. In this episode, Hazlett reflects on what it really means to back yourself later than most, the leap that took him from Australia to Sweden, and the creative partnership with producer Freddy Alexander that helped shape the sound he’s now known for. We talk about going from pub gigs to touring internationally, writing songs that feel quietly devastating, and the making of his new album Last Night You Said You Missed Me. -------This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body.

    45 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.3
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Listen up! This is your new favourite music hub. From big names to the next-gen, Ash McGregor brings you unmissable conversations with artists shaping the sound of now. Each week, deep dive your favourite artists and discover the musicians about to take over. You'll hear it here first. Keep up to date: ⭐️ @listenupwithash ⭐️ @ash_mcgregor ------ We'd like to acknowledge and pay our respects to the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation where this show is filmed.

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