Unfiltered with Dave Letele

This week, Dave sits down with Ladi6 — artist, storyteller, and one of Aotearoa’s most respected voices in music — for a raw kōrero about the life behind the music.

From growing up in Christchurch with social worker parents who gave everything to their community, to navigating trauma, anxiety, and learning how to separate her own identity from the stories she inherited, Ladi opens up about the work of healing and figuring out who you really are.

She shares how music became both her outlet and her purpose, and how journaling, self-reflection, and building strong boundaries helped her survive the chaos that can come with success. A powerful conversation about healing, family, and finding yourself beyond the noise.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Ezra Hirawani — co-founder of Nau Mai Rā — for a powerful kōrero about business, purpose, and building something that actually helps people.

After telling his nan he was starting a power company, she shared that she would sometimes sit cold and alone, afraid to turn the heater on because she couldn’t afford the power bill. That moment changed everything.

Ezra turned that into Nau Mai Rā — a Māori-owned power company built to fight power poverty, keep whānau warm, and make sure families never have to choose between food and power. A real conversation about entrepreneurship, responsibility, and using success to create change.

Massive shoutout to Ezra for coming onto the podcast: https://www.naumaira.nz/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Chris Hipkins for a straight kōrero about what people are dealing with right now — the cost of living, rising fuel prices, the genocide in Gaza and the war on Iran, and how it’s impacting Kiwis here at home.

From growing up in Lower Hutt to finding his way into politics, Chris also shares the perspective behind how he sees these issues — and why understanding the root causes matters.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Dave sits down with Tammy Davis — actor, radio host, and storyteller — for a raw kōrero about the life behind the public image.

This is a side of Tammy you haven’t seen before. From growing up in a small town to struggling to find his place after moving to Auckland, he opens up about getting caught up in drugs, alcohol, and violence — and how close he came to a path he might not have come back from.

He also speaks for the first time about what really happened at George FM, and how being let go after eight years forced him to reset. Through it all, this is a story about perspective — understanding where you come from, and finding purpose in telling real, everyday stories people can actually relate to.
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This week, Dave sits down with Dean Clarkson — founder of Wana, New Zealand’s first men’s refuge for domestic violence — for a raw kōrero about his life, and surviving domestic violence as a man.

Although Dean grew up in a loving family, he lived through sexual abuse from both male & female family friends during his adolescence. As an adult, his 20-year marriage turned violent, leaving him feeling trapped with no where to turn to.

Those experiences are what led him to create Wana — so men have somewhere to go, something he never had. While most domestic violence is experienced by women, this conversation highlights the reality that men can be victims too — and why more people need to feel safe to speak up and get support.

Massive shoutout to Dean for coming onto the podcast: https://www.wana.services/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.