Justin Currie: 40 Years of Del Amitri, Driving with the Brakes On & His Mixtape

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

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

Australian Tour Tickets: teglive.com.au metropolistouring.com James’ Saul Davies joins The Mixtape for a fascinating conversation about the past, present and future of one of Britain’s most enduring bands. As James prepare to return to Australia and New Zealand performing their landmark album Laid in full alongside hits and deep cuts, Saul reflects on revisiting the record more than three decades later — and explains why he believes James may actually be at the best point of their career. He takes us inside the extraordinary Laid sessions with Brian Eno, from being encouraged to play less and embrace imperfection to the chaotic jams that became Wah Wah. Saul recalls the recording of “Sometimes” and “Say Something”, why Eno thought the band were ruining “Laid” by making it too polished, and the weekend James secretly worked on “One of the Three” just to see if they could impress him. Then Saul makes his Mixtape, choosing songs from Black Sabbath, Dire Straits, Stereophonics, The Beatles and The Undertones before finishing with one of his favourite James songs — the rarely heard “All Good Boys”. A funny, candid and revealing conversation about creativity, longevity, nostalgia and why James are still determined to move forward.