What Do We Know?
Music
About
What Do We Know? is the newly revamped podcast from Danny McCrum and new co-host Mike Harrington, born from the legacy of Don't Give Up Your Day Job. What Do We Know? is about all things music. We discuss albums, artists, theory, history, gear, the big debates and more! All with plenty of laughs.
Episodes
- 6. Was 1991 the best year in music?
The 'What Do We Know?' podcast episode explores the theory that 1991 was the greatest year in music history. Hosts Danny and Mike developed a scoring system to evaluate evidence from major artists of the year to determine if it truly holds…
- 5. Why do people hate Lars Ulrich?
This episode of What Do We Know? examines the public perception of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, discussing whether he is considered a great drummer or overrated, and a visionary leader or a jerk. Drummer Andrew Rooney joins the conversat…
- 4. Playing With Dynamics
Danny and Mike discuss dynamics in music, exploring its role in performance, songwriting, recording, and live shows. The episode features guitar examples and analysis of notable music tracks.
- 3. Tommy Emmanuel: Re-Release
This episode features a re-release of a 2017 interview with guitarist Tommy Emmanuel. The hosts discuss their reactions to his music, with one host preparing to see him perform live for the first time.
- 2. What Is a Musician, Really?
This episode of What Do We Know? explores the evolving definition of a musician amidst technological advancements. It examines the impact of technology on music creation, the reception of new tech, and the role of DJs and AI, questioning w…
- 1. A Clean Slate
Danny & new co-host Mike kick off their revamped podcast by talking about reinvention and why sometimes you just have to burn it all down and start again. New name, new show, new attitude. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
- 168. Bonus Episode: Stephen Gallagher Returns
On this special bonus episode, Stephen Gallagher returns to the show to discuss his work on Peter Jacksons Beatles documentary Get Back, and his recent gig scoring the soundtrack for the new animated Lord Of The Rings entry, The War of the…
- 167. Ben Jurisich
Next year, Danny and Ben will have known each other for forty years. Their friendship as has been quite the adventure, that’s included the Masters Of The Universe, G.I. Joe, skateboarding, fist fights, forming their first band together at…
- 166. Chris Bourke
Twenty-six years ago, Danny bought Chris Bourke’s book Something So Strong, which tells the highly entertaining and informative story of Crowded House. So much about the book stayed with Danny and gave him some very important tips about ho…
- 165. Chris Melville
Danny met Chris Melville twenty five years ago when they were both regularly performing at The Temple Bar in Auckland’s CBD. Chris didn’t realise he was playing an important role in Danny’s career, giving Danny lots of great advice about h…
- 164. Thabani Gapara
Saxophonist Thabani Gapara grew up Zimbabwe and eventually moved to South Africa to further his studies. While he was studying, his parents had been living and working in the UK, but despite much effort, Thabani was unable to secure a visa…
- 163. Jenni Smith
Danny first met Jenni Smith when he was tutoring guitar at Auckland University. Jenni was a first-year student on the Popular Music course and years later, Jenni is now celebrating a recent chart placement and is working hard promoting her…
- 162. Mike Baker
Mike Baker is a songwriter who was involved with the Flying Nun scene in the late 80s (primarily with the band Not Really Anything) before relocating to Sydney to manage bands and create a career as a chef, including cooking for White Stri…
- 161. Joanne Cole
Originally from Canada, Joanne currently holds the position of Director, Artistic Planning & Participation, at New Zealand Opera in Auckland, New Zealand where she has been a department head since 2014. On this episode the two musicians ta…
- 160. Graham Reid
Graham Reid has been an important part of the fabric of the New Zealand music scene for several decades. He’s a journalist, an author, a writer and a music reviewer who has consistently delivered intelligent and well-considered perspective…
- 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…
- 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…
- 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.dontgiv…
- 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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
- 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 m…
- 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…
- 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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
- 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 Ch…
- 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 Strawpeopl…
- 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…
- 148. Marmalade
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…
- 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.…
- 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. Send u…
- 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…
- 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! Send us Fan Mail Support the show
- 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 mus…
- 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 ki…
- 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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
- 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. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
- 139. Rory McDonald, Voodoo Bloo
Voodoo Bloo are an emerging Wellington based rock band who have built a strong following, toured Australia and recently supported You Am I. Their new album The Blessed Ghost is an inspired, raw and impressive effort from such young musicia…
- 138. Simon Wood Harris Part 2
Uk musician and composer Simon Wood Harris talks about his journey developing the Unidentified Flying Project, an album and collaboration that includes Dave Weckl, Dominic Miller, Jeremy Stacey, Robbie McIntosh, Pino Palladino, Omar Hakim…
- 137. Simon Wood Harris Part 1
Uk musician and composer Simon Wood Harris talks about his journey developing the Unidentified Flying Project, an album and collaboration that includes Dave Weckl, Dominic Miller, Jeremy Stacey, Robbie McIntosh, Pino Palladino, Omar Hakim…
- 136. Garageland's Jeremy Eade
Garageland rose to prominence in the mid 90s and released three albums before disbanding in 2002. Now they’re back together, touring in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their first album ‘Last Exit to Garageland’. Singer/Guitarist Je…
- 135. Dug Pinnick Returns
Dug Pinnick from US band King's X talks about the new Kings X album Three Sides of One, the producers who worked on Kings X's previous albums and his thoughts on the world and life. These guys created their own sound, paved their own road…
- 134. Riccardo Ball
Riccardo Ball is the vocalist for Just One Fix, the director of Wrecking Ball Media, he’s the former Music Director at The Rock and has worked as a song plugger and artist mentor. He's broadly experienced and refreshingly honest and on thi…
- 133. Tom Scrase
Tom Scrase is a drummer, percussionist and lecturer from Wellington. He’s written music for dance and has maintained a performance career as a drummer for several groups including dDub, Corrella and NZ's premier percussion ensemble Strike!…
- 132. Lee Prebble
Wellington producer Lee Prebble owns and runs surgerystudios.co.nz and has worked with a long list of great artists including TrinityRoots, The Phoenix Foundation, The Black Seeds, Cornerstone Roots, Fly My Pretties and L.A.B. We talk life…
- 131. Neil Watson
Guitarist Neil Watson has played with a long list of great artists including Michael Brecker, Ali Campbell (UB40), Anika Moa, Tim Finn, Greg Johnson, Lucy Lawless, Jordan Luck, Nathan Haines, The Finn Bro’s, Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra…
- 130. Ruth Power
Ruth Power is the founder of online creative piano school Piano Picnic. To date, Piano Picnic has approximately 2500 subscription-based students and is going from strength to strength. Ruth’s career has included music publishing, a Christc…
- 129. ARIA
ARIA has spent many years working as a vocalist for numerous artists including Homebrew, Dr Colossus, Teek and Noah Slee. ARIA lived in the bustling music scene of Berlin for several years before returning to New Zealand where she got to w…
- 128. Anthonie Tonnon
Anthonie Tonnon is a sing songwriter from Whanganui who is about to begin his ‘Leave Love Out Of This’ New Zealand tour. He’ll be playing in Christchurch, Dunedin, Auckland, Wellington and Whanganui from May 6th to May 21st. He’s released…
- 127. Toby Lloyd
Wellington based producer Toby Lloyd has worked with a long list of great artists including Hollie Smith, Stan Walker, Ladi6, Louis Baker, Jermaine Clements and Shapeshifter. Before going out on his own, he worked at Peter Jacksons’ Park R…
- 126. The Benefits Of Dyslexia
In our first episode for 2022 we talk to Guy & Suzanne Pope-Mayell, two of the founding members of the Dyslexia Foundation. We discuss what it means to be dyslexic, how we could better support the dyslexics in our life and how dyslexia is…
- 125. Evolution
Bobby Kennedy and Danny McCrum discuss the lessons they have learnt while making the podcast over the last six years and talk about the future of the show. Send us Fan Mail Support the show
- 124. Geoff Ong
Self-proclaimed "pop star for dorks" Geoff Ong stopped by for a fascinating conversation about funk guitar, racial profiling, his journey establishing his music career and the making of his brilliant music videos. Check out his videos on Y…