Show Notes
Will Gao and Olivia Hardy (Wasia Project) are a sibling duo out of London who started making lo-fi bedroom pop during lockdown while they were still in school. Fast forward and they've got hundreds of millions of streams, have opened for Laufey and Tom Odell, and have just dropped their debut album 'Nocturne'. In this episode we get into all of it: growing up classically trained, a childhood home that was essentially a revolving creative hub, and the journey from bedroom demos to on screen fame and a debut album. We also do a deep dive into 'Nocturne' itself, an album that sees the pair really challenge the sound they have built their career on.
More from Listen Up with Ash McGregor
In this episode we go right back to the beginning of Stand Atlanntic: the first iteration of the band (I swear this is not a humiliation ritual!!), feeling overlooked by literally everyone, and a moment where they quietly agreed that if the Sidewinder EP didn’t land they’d probably call it. And they never had to. We relive the stories that have made Stand Atlantic, plus the never-before-heard voice note from 2020 that became Deathwish and the original song Bonnie wrote to beg Short Stack for a support slot. We also get into what made their 5th album, GODBREATH, different to every record before it - live tracked for the first time ever, deliberately imperfect, written as a direct response to the state of the music industry.
What does it take to make it as a boy band in 2026? Midnight Til Morning might just be the answer. Shane, Conor, Mason and Zach formed on Netflix's viral Building the Band and since then it has been absolute pandemonium! In two years months they've gone from strangers on a reality show to a globally touring act with a fanbase that will sell out a European run in ten minutes flat. In this episode we get across all four backstories, what it was actually like being on the show, the chaos of secretly being a band before anyone knew they existed. We hear stories of gigs, dive into music creation and tease their forthcoming album (!!!!). Plus the Alex Warren friendship, the poster that went to Sweden and came back, and what the band has planned for us over the next year.
Jack Gray is every touring artist's favourite support act. Jeremy Zucker, Tate McRae, Matt Corby, Dean Lewis, Freya Skye, Good Neighbours - you name them, he's probably toured with them. Now, after three years in the making, his debut album 'Swimming in Jeans' is FINALLY out. This episode really takes it back to the EARLY days, memories of high school music projects, unhinged lyrics, the first tour he went on whilst having barely any songs to the name. To now an artist/producer living in LA, who's been perfecting his craft for this debut album. We dive deep into the debut album, the stories behind the tracks and production, and hell there's an ester egg voice you may recognise!
Bugs have spent over a decade as one of Brisbane's most beloved bands. They found each other on Facebook, spent years touring the country, releasing music that refuses to be in a box, and collecting some of the most loyal local fans along the way. n late 2025, Jordan their bassist was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 colorectal cancer, and in June this year was given 3-4 months left to live. They are fresh off releasing their final album HEAD NOISE and at the time of recording are about to play two final hometown shows. This episode is a celebration. We dive into memories from the early shows, horror tours, accent choices, and what it took to build something real and lasting in this industry without a label. We also unpack HEAD NOISE, what they plan for their last two shows, and what this band has meant to each of them. There's a lot of love in this episode (and a whole lot of kissing???), so make sure you spread that love too!
Joel Birch has spent 20 years at the centre of The Amity Affliction - but the story behind the band is far more complicated than the music alone. On this episode, Joel opens up about the deeply personal story behind Amity’s ninth album, House of Cards, and his complicated relationship with his late mother. We talk about growing up around religion, becoming a parent, mental health, death, social media scrutiny and what the future of The Amity Affliction looks like.