The Music Show

Ziggy Ramo, Leah Senior, and Kate Fagan join Andy to talk about the art of turning poetry into song.
Recorded live at the 2026 Sydney Writers' Festival, in partnership with Red Room Poetry.
Songs performed live:
Ziggy Ramo: Little Things (after Kev Carmody and Paul Kelly)
Leah Senior: The Arbour (text by Giles Watson)
Kate Fagan: Child Upon the Road (trad. with new verses by Kate)
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country
Technical production by Antonia Gauci and Harvey O'Sullivan

Electropop singer, songwriter and producer Montaigne took the plunge into the world of independent music after over a decade with a big label a couple of years back. Their first offering in the indie era is an album called it's hard to be a fish. But they've not left their earlier music behind entirely: Montaigne joins Andy to talk about taking their 2016 album Glorious Heights on the road in August.
Elissa Goodrich is a composer and percussionist whose album Gene Tree is the result of her long-term engagement with climate science and genetics. She and her guitarist Elliot Folvig join Andy to explain how the DNA of moths and butterflies, the patterns of cells dividing and multiplying, and transcriptions of mRNA all part of the creative process.
Gin Wigmore's last album was eight years ago. Since then she's got divorced, picked up sticks with her kids and moved from LA to her native Aotearoa New Zealand where she's been writing and recording music and running a deli. The new album is called Beautiful Mess and she performs it live in The Music Show studio. 
Music heard in the show:
Title: Replication SlippageArtist: Elissa Goodrich, Gideon Brazil, Elliott Folvig, Miranda HillComposer: Goodrich, ElissaAlbum: Gene TreeLabel: Independent release
Title: Glorious HeightsArtist: MontaigneComposer: Cerro, JessAlbum: Glorious HeightsLabel: Sony
Title: so fast in the waterArtist: MontaigneComposer: Cerro, JessAlbum: It’s hard to be a fishLabel: Independent
Title: Moth Returns to Mountain Ash I, The Other Moth, Moth Returns to Mountain Ash IIArtist: Elissa Goodrich, Gideon Brazil, Elliott Folvig, Miranda HillComposer: Goodrich, ElissaAlbum: Gene TreeLabel: Independent release
Title: Country Diamond, Tip of My TongueArtist: Gin WigmoreComposer: Wigmore, GinAlbum: Beautiful MessLabel: Universal
The Music Show is produced on Gadigal, Gundungurra and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country
Technical production by Antonia Gauci and Harvey O’Sullivan

ELISION Ensemble began as a Melbourne new music ensemble, but have gone on to become international in both focus and reputation, building enduring collaborations with some of the world's best modern composers. Elision turns 40 this year and the artistic director Daryl Buckley reflects on the ensemble's history and their birthday celebrations.
The Go Twos began as a collaboration between Rosie McDonald and Nigel Lever - a blend of traditional Celtic and more contemporary folk, along with bluegrass. They recorded a new album - Kurrawarra -  last year and released a few early singles, but Nigel passed away late in 2025, before the full record was released. Rosie talks about the album and about Nigel.
Elision Ensemble performance dates available here.
Music heard in this program:
Title: HejiraArtist: The Go TwosComposer: Joni MitchellAlbum: KurrawarraLabel: Independent release
Title: Negatives I; DeltaArtist: Elision EnsembleComposer: Richard BarrettAlbum: Richard Barrett: Chamber WorksLabel: Etcetera
Title: Athena’s TrumpetArtist: Elision Ensemble & Jeannie van de Velde Composer: Liza Lim & Barrie KoskyAlbum: Singing in TonguesLabel: NMC
Title: Lay Down Your Weary TuneArtist: The Go TwosComposer: Bob DylanAlbum: KurrawarraLabel: Independent release
Title: Days Warm BreezeArtist: The Go TwosComposer: The Go TwosAlbum: KurrawarraLabel: Independent release
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Tim Jenkins

Guringai writer and creator Kaylene Langford is behind the mic for NAIDOC Week, with a celebration of Koori Radio for its 25th anniversary.
"It's an ecosystem for song people" says Stiff Gins' Nardi Simpson, one of the acts championed by Sydney's Indigenous station.
From beginnings in a Redfern terrace with a knocked-through wall to a cornerstone of Indigenous culture, it's a story of local connection and global solidarity.
Kaylene is joined by co-founder Cathy Craigie, program manager Gavin Ivey, and musicians including Stiff Gins, Casey Donovan, and DOBBY who have championed and been championed by the station. 
Tune in to Koori Radio
Discover music and performances by our guests:
Stiff GinsCasey DonovanDOBBY (new album MARSHMALLOW out 31 July)Gina WilliamsSunny Luwe
Music heard in the show:
Title: Nutbush City LimitsArtist: Casey DonovanComposer: Tina TurnerAlbum: Countdown: Live at the Sydney Opera HouseLabel: ABC Music
Title: Whossat on the WassatArtist: Wire MCComposer: Wire MCAlbum: SingleLabel: Independent release
Title: Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, BabeArtist: Barry WhiteComposer: White, BarryAlbum: SingleLabel: Philips
Title: Mr. WendalArtist: Arrested DevelopmentComposer: Arrested DevelopmentAlbum: SingleLabel: Chrysalis
Title: Big MoodArtist: BARKAA feat. Kobie DeeComposer: Quayle, Chloe; Duncan, Kobie; Turier, JacobAlbum: Big TiddaLabel: Bad Apples
Title: Shake ItArtist: Casey DonovanComposer: Dimataga, Carl; Rollins, John BenjaminAlbum: SingleLabel: Cee Dee
Title: Same Old SongArtist: NokturnalComposer: NokturnalAlbum: Single releaseLabel: Sputnik Records
Title: Bindi BindiArtist: Gina Williams and Guy GhouseComposer: Gina Williams, Guy GhouseAlbum: Bindi BindiLabel: Independent release
Title: It Won’t Be Long Til I See You AgainArtist: Sunny LuweComposer: Luwe, SunnyAlbum: Feeling GoodLabel: Independent release
Title: Sabotage!Artist: DOBBY (feat. Josh Pyke)Composer: Clapham, RhyanAlbum: MARSHMALLOWLabel: ABC Music
Title: Something About A Cake ShopArtist: Stiff GinsComposer: Briggs, Kaleena; Simpson, NardiAlbum: CrossroadsLabel: Gadigal Music
Title: Close Your EyesArtist: Stiff GinsComposer: Briggs, Kaleena; Simpson, Nardi; Donovan, EmmaAlbum: OriginsLabel: Gadigal Music
Title: YadingjiArtist: CooeeComposer: Saunders, Kirli; Harding, Mark ChesterAlbum: MessengersLabel: Independent release
The Music Show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country Country
Technical production by Tim Jenkins

It’s almost impossible to choose a Beatles song for Cover Story (we’ve been putting it off for three series). The band’s productivity in 1964 alone would give us ten good options. It was the year of their first - and second! - US tours, their one Australian tour, and the film A Hard Day’s Night. Can’t Buy Me Love inspired a wide and wild range of covers, so strap in with DOBBY and Vanessa Hughes for jazz, bossa nova, and raunchy madrigal takes on the classic. 
Every great song gets covered. Sometimes beautifully, sometimes badly, and sometimes by people who clearly should have known better.
Cover Story, returning for its third series, hunts down the best, the worst, and the downright strange versions of classic songs, and asks the question: why does this version give us goosebumps while that one makes our skin crawl?
Can’t Buy Me Love
By Paul McCartney, credited to Lennon/McCartney.
First performed by The Beatles
Released as a single 1964
Versions heard in the show:
The Supremes - A Bit of Liverpool (Motown, 1964)
Ella Fitzgerald - Hello, Dolly! (Universal, 1964)
Stanley Turrentine - Mr. Natural (Blue Note, recorded 1964, released 1980)
Peter Sellers - A Hard Day’s Night (recorded 1965, released 1993)
Chet Atkins - Chet Atkins Picks on the Beatles (RCA Victor, 1966)
The King’s Singers - New Day (Warner Music, 1980)
Blackstreet - Another Level (Interscope, 1996)
Tahta Menezes - Relaxing Bossa Lounge 3 (Charm Music, 2009)
Leo Sayer - Northern Songs (Edsel Records, 2022)
Paul McCartney - Tripping the Live Fantastic (Parlophone, 1990)
Catch up on every episode of Cover Story
Technical production by Isabella Tropiano
The show is made on Gadigal, Gundungurra, and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country.