Australian blues guitarist and singer-songwriter Owen Campbell joins The Mixtape for a fascinating conversation about music, travel, creativity and the experiences that have shaped his distinctive sound.

Owen takes us back to the Himalayan Blues Festival in Kathmandu, where an extraordinary encounter with a Nepalese sitar player introduced him to Indian ragas and helped inspire his unique approach to slide guitar.

We also explore his forthcoming album, Free As A Bird, a project more than three years in the making, and his collaboration with award-winning producer Nathaniel Chan, whose credits include Paul McCartney and Adele.

Along the way, Owen discusses his changing musical tastes, why he's grown tired of excessive guitar solos, and the importance of leaving space in music.

And, of course, Owen creates his six-track Mixtape, featuring selections from J.J. Cale, Van Morrison, Frank Sultana and his own catalogue.

Plus, in our Quickfire Five, Owen recalls a disastrous Sydney gig that had to be stopped, his love of performing in New York City, and the legendary guitarist he'd travel back in time to see.

Find Owen Campbell:
www.owencampbellmusic.com.au

The Mixtape Podcast:
www.themixtapepodcast.com

Australian singer-songwriter Tilly Fenton joins The Mixtape ahead of the release of her new EP, Serendipity, arriving November 27.

Tilly discusses the inspiration behind her latest single, Rear View, a more vulnerable and personal song exploring complicated relationships, the challenges of moving on and the things left unsaid.

We also explore the creative process behind Serendipity, how her songwriting has evolved since her debut EP, her love of collecting vinyl and the excitement of releasing her own music on physical formats.

Then it's time for Tilly to build her six-track Mixtape, revealing an eclectic collection of musical influences spanning Taylor Swift, Kylie Minogue, Lizzy McAlpine, Disney favourites and more!

Plus, in our Quickfire Five, Tilly reveals her dream collaborators, a memorable onstage wardrobe mishap and why she'd love to travel back in time to see both One Direction and Pink Floyd.

Find out more: https://tillyfenton.com

The Mixtape: https://www.themixtapepodcast.com

What happens when the desire to please everyone leaves you with nothing left for yourself?

Perth singer-songwriter Helen Shanahan joins me on The Mixtape to discuss her new single My Hamartia, a song inspired by the ancient Greek concept of a fatal flaw and Helen's own experiences of people-pleasing, motherhood and learning to set boundaries.

With her new album My Hamartia arriving in February 2027, Helen reveals how she's embraced Americana influences, character-driven storytelling and collaboration with acclaimed pedal steel guitarist Lucky Oceans.

We also explore the origins of her Fremantle Songwriters Cafe, inspired by Nashville's legendary Bluebird Cafe, and the magic of hearing artists share the stories behind their songs.

Through her six Mixtape selections, Helen reveals her love of Joni Mitchell, Gillian Welch, Aimee Mann, Imogen Heap and Madison Cunningham, alongside the music that inspired her as a young songwriter.

And in our Quick Fire Five, there's a missing bass player who was apparently taking a bath, a potentially intimidating dream collaboration with Joni Mitchell, and a chance to witness The Beatles' legendary rooftop performance.

An honest, warm and entertaining conversation about music, creativity, family and finding your own voice.

Discover Helen Shanahan

Website: https://helenshanahan.com

New single: My Hamartia

New album: Hamartia – February 2027

Perth album launch: 12 February 2027 (venue to be announced)

The Mixtape – Conversations with the artists, and the music that matters to them.

Jesse Leach, frontman of metalcore pioneers Killswitch Engage, joins The Mixtape ahead of the band's November Australian tour.

From sharing the stage with Iron Maiden to discovering new vocal techniques through Lorna Shore's Will Ramos, Jesse takes us inside the life of one of metal's most distinctive voices.

We discuss the band's evolving creative process, his lifelong love of hardcore punk, an embarrassing onstage moment, and why a legendary Bad Brains performance at CBGB would be his ultimate time-travel destination.

There's also a wonderful moment when Jesse recalls how a mixtape from his teenage girlfriend introduced him to a whole new world of punk music — a story that perfectly captures what The Mixtape is all about.

And, of course, Jesse shares the six songs that have helped shape his musical journey.

Killswitch Engage play Metropolis Fremantle on November 14, 2026, as part of their Australian tour.

Tickets and information: sbmpresents.com

The Mixtape — Conversations through music.

Zia McCabe has spent more than three decades inside the wonderfully strange world of The Dandy Warhols — but when she first joined the band at 18, she remembers sitting alone in a basement wondering whether she'd just made a deal with the devil.

In this episode of The Mixtape, Zia joins Mark to talk about the band's remarkable journey, their adventures performing with a full symphony orchestra and why decades of obscure B-sides eventually led to a collection of Dandy Warhols cover versions.

Away from the band, Zia takes us inside See Hear Now, her immersive art and music installation at MONA, where movement, visual art, electronic music and orchestral instrumentation combine to create an experience that can effectively change every time you enter the room.

There's also plenty of crate-digging as Zia remembers raiding her parents' record collection as a teenager — including the record-store staff who refused to let her sell George Harrison's All Things Must Pass.

Then she builds her six-track Mixtape, with selections including The Fall, The Knife and Babybird, before tackling the Quickfire Five.

Thirty-two years into The Dandy Warhols, Zia McCabe remains every bit as curious about music as the teenager who first joined the band.

Tour Tickets: https://www.sbmpresents.com/tours/the-dandy-warhols-2026

https://mona.net.au/stuff-to-do/art/zia-mccabe

Gary Jarman of The Cribs joins The Mixtape as the band return to Australia for the first time in eight years.

Gary talks about life on the road, The Cribs’ long relationship with Australia and the making of their latest album, Selling a Vibe. He explains why the band decided to step outside their comfort zone and work with producer Patrick Wimberly, handing over more creative control than ever before and allowing the hooks and melodies at the heart of The Cribs’ songwriting to come to the surface.

We also get into the chaos of The Cribs’ legendary live shows — electric shocks, concussions, flying champagne bottles and even a stage collapsing beneath them — plus the two-hour pre-show ritual the band still considers sacred.

Then Gary takes on The Mixtape, choosing six songs that tell us a little more about him, with selections from Paul Westerberg, ABBA, Quasi, The Righteous Brothers and Nirvana.

Along the way, he talks about his love of ABBA’s deceptively complex songwriting, why Nirvana changed everything for him as a teenager and the concerts he wishes he could travel back in time to see.

The Cribs’ new album Selling a Vibe is out now.

Australian Tour Tickets from:

www.destroyallines.com

Loudon Wainwright III joins The Mixtape ahead of his long-awaited Australian tour — and he's got one hell of a Perth story to tell.

During a previous visit to Western Australia, Loudon went scuba diving with the late, great bassist Danny Thompson. Neither had scuba-dived before, their instructor was smoking a cigarette while signing them up, and things eventually went very wrong when Loudon became wedged inside an underwater cave and thought he was going to die.

That's just one of the extraordinary stories in this conversation.

Loudon also talks about 50 years of songwriting and performing, his love of Thelonious Monk and Merle Haggard, the influence of his father's record collection, the night he fell backwards into Robert Wyatt's drum kit, and the time he was forced off stage at the Royal Albert Hall after the audience started throwing beer.

And, of course, Loudon puts together his Mixtape — six songs spanning Edwin Starr, Merle Haggard, Johnny Winter, Frank Loesser, Irving Berlin and Ry Cooder.

Loudon Wainwright III returns to Australia in February, finishing his tour in Perth at the Astor Theatre on February 17.

Australian Tour Tickets: www.destroyalllines.com

Justin Currie joins The Mixtape for a journey through 40 years of Del Amitri — from a formative US tour with no record deal, no agent and no money, to breakthrough gigs at Glasgow Barrowlands, Top of the Pops and the surreal experience of becoming pop stars in Australia.

Justin also tells the story behind Driving with the Brakes On, revealing how loneliness in Los Angeles, a difficult relationship and a drive through the Californian desert helped shape one of Del Amitri’s most loved songs.

Then it’s time for Justin’s Mixtape. His six selections take us from Stick in the Wheel and The Carpenters to Public Enemy, The Flying Lizards, Johnny Cash and Buzzcocks, opening up a conversation about songwriting, cover versions, musical discovery and the records that shaped him.

Australian Tour Tickets from www.destroyalllines.com