Share
The Green Room with Tiana Speter
Episode 33 | Matt Goss | 04-02-2022
The story is the stuff of legends: twin brothers Matt Goss and Luke Goss combining forces in the 1980s, armed with leather jackets, bandanas and razor-sharp pop under the moniker Bros. In the blink of an eye, the brothers and original member Craig Logan became household names, going on to become the youngest artists to ever headline at the hallowed Wembley Stadium in London, whilst attracting mania-level adoration courtesy of their heart-throb looks and monster classics like When Will I Be Famous, Drop The Boy and I Owe You Nothing.
But behind the swift success and pop icon status Bros attained, an entirely different story was playing out behind the scenes: one of discord and constant media scrutiny, coupled with usual family clashes and the stressors of fame, ultimately leading to Bros breaking up in the early 1990s much to the dismay of their legions of (often screaming) fans.
It hasn't been all doom and gloom though, with 2016 bringing the tantalising news that the brothers Goss would be mounting a hotly-anticipated reunion show the following year; and the world was gifted with a substantial inside look into what went into that end result courtesy of the BAFTA award-winning 2018 Bros documentary Bros: After The Screaming Stops.
2022 will also now see Matt Goss release a brand new solo album, The Beautiful Unknown, channeling his lessons honed via his acclaimed Las Vegas residency, alongside the promise of many solo and potential Bros live shows - and, happily, Australia is firmly set in their sights. But before this latest chapter unfolds (and to celebrate Aussie audiences finally being able to see the Bros doco via SBS VICELAND and SBS ON DEMAND for a limited time), Matt Goss joins host Tiana speter today on The Green Room to chat fame, family, authenticity and much, much more.
- How Matt's 2022 has started off, and what's in store for him this year
- The reality behind the scenes and the experience of viewing the documentary Bros: After The Screaming Stops for Matt, as well as what was really going through Matt's head when he and brother Luke Goss emerged onstage at the Bros reunion gig at London's O2 arena in 2017
- The universal experience of family disputes, and Matt's advice for surviving conflict with families and loved ones in general
- Traversing fan mania throughout his career, Matt shares his thoughts on the potential secrets to the enduring adoration for Bros
- Matt talks personal and public aspects of songwriting, as well as finding a safe place, vulnerability and authenticity when creating and in relationships in general
- Matt dives into the observed fatigue of the pandemic in Australia (a place he considers as one of his most favourite in the world) and the importance of letting the arts get back on track
- How Matt gets gig fit for live shows (hint: it's extremely wholesome)
- The steep but valuable learning curve of doing his now-legendary Las Vegas residency
- A look back at an early Bros live show memory in Newcastle, and why the show was a significant turning point in the band's legacy
- The toll and lessons learned from the significant media attention that dogged Bros in their earlier years, and some advice Matt would offer to younger bands today when dealing with social media and the media in general
- What some of Matt's proudest achievements have been so far (from meeting Frank Sinatra to still being neck-deep in the industry)
- Matt's essential (and benevolent) green room items, and the beauty of all things unknown
More episodes
View all episodes
35. Episode 35 | Broods | 18-02-2022
33:28||Season 2, Ep. 35More often than not, in pain there lies a great beauty, and Kiwi indie pop dynamos Broods are no strangers to turning darkness into shimmering sonic gold. Emerging officially in 2013 under the moniker Broods, the compelling dynamic between brother-sister duo Georgia Nott and Caleb Nott is unsurprising, stemming back to the pair performing together as kids, while also being immersed in an extremely musical family in their formative years. And while the pair are already sitting pretty with over one billion streams of their material, 2022 is already gearing up to be another astronomical milestone, with the extremely anticipated release of their fourth studio album Space Island officially releasing today. Conjuring an immersive, ethereal and highly conceptual world on their brand new album, much of the inspiration behind Space Island stemmed from some significant personal lows and self-reflection, with Broods also embracing their most progressive songwriting to date as they traverse love, loss and heartache. And while the end result for Space Island perfectly lives up to its fantastical namesake, it also signals at the enduring connection both Georgia and Caleb possess, not just with each other, but with their fans who continue to remind them why they continue to chase this dream - and to talk all things Space Island and beyond, Georgia and Caleb join host Tiana Speter today to chat favourite instruments, songwriting, Aussie fan moments and beyond!IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:How Georgia and Caleb really feel to be on the brink of release for their fourth studio album Space Island, and how this release compares to when they previously unveiled Don't Feed The Pop Monster back in 2019.When the seed for Space Island was planted, and the journey behind the name and overall concept for the album.Weaving personal experiences into Space Island, finding the "hint" that they were on the right track in the songwriting process and music as a universal meeting point.Caleb discusses spending most of his money on gear, and how the fortuitous purchase of an organ added new layers to the eventual end product of Space Island.Caleb and Georgia share some behind the scenes tales about the filming of their incredible music video for single Piece Of My Mind, and how the experience linked to grief and concepts behind Space Island.Some key songs on Space Island that Caleb and Georgia love on the album, as well how they built the album, why it's designed to be listened to in full from start to finish and how the curation links to their live showsHow the time forced by the pandemic away from the stage and seeing some other inspiring live shows recently has contributed to a shift in their own live show plans.The power of live music and the connectivity that a live performance extends to artists and fans alike.Why Australian fans are some of the best Broods fans in the world for Georgia and Caleb, as well as why the Aussie music industry excites them.A standout fan moment for Georgia that still keeps her going when things get tough (hint: it was in Brisbane!), and what Caleb and Georgia love most about this Broods journey after all this time.34. Episode 34 | Alt-J | 11-02-2022
29:45||Season 2, Ep. 34Back in 2007, a group of uni mates in Leeds started writing and playing music together, not fathoming that casual living room gigs and an enjoyment of triangles would eventually lead to a Mercury Prize, Grammy award nominations and a debut album in 2012 that would go on to be classed as one that "flipped the indie script" via its genre-morphing, experimentation and catchy as hell off-kilter pop tendencies.The band in question, Alt-J, have since gone on to become one of the most successful modern British bands, boasting the coveted feat of successfully cracking America (despite some self-described British cynicism), selling over two million records, carving up half a billion streams and even counting artists like Miley Cyrus as a fan. With 2022 now well and truly upon us all, it's been now over four years since fans last copped a brand new studio Alt-J album, with RELAXER previously releasing in June of 2017, and a rap-heavy alternative album of RELAXER titled REDUXER released back in 2018. But as of today, the fourth album chapter in the Alt-J tale is upon us, bustling with songs about beauty, darkness, Hollywood and even true crime weaved with the classic Alt-J sonic hallmarks - but also with some shimmering showings of a band who just continue to burgeon as writers and storytellers with each passing release. And to celebrate the long-awaited release of The Dream, Alt-J vocalist and guitarist Joe Newman stopped by The Green Room podcast to chat with host Tiana Speter everything from first gigs to directing music videos and more!IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:The journey for Alt-J to releasing their fourth studio album The Dream, including from taking time off in 2019 to nowHow Alt-J usually craft their albums, the thematics that started to emerge during the writing phase of The Dream and what significant role feedback from their fans plays when it comes to them understanding their own creative worksJoe discusses the process and experiences behind his directorial debut for the music video Hard Drive Gold (and Tiana and Joe puzzle over whether it's Melburnian or Melbournite when it comes to talking about people who live in Melbourne), and opens up about catching the directorial "bug"What songs from The Dream is Joe most looking forward to playing with the band, and what songs on the album is Joe most keen on singing live? Joe dives into some standout tunes on The Dream for him and why (plus - Tiana's favourite song on the album turns out be a partial time-traveller from 2008)The Alt-J process for concocting, creating and, at times, storing music ideas, including an insight into how the band defy time periods when they write new materialJoe takes us back to the very first official Alt-J live show in 2008, and what happened in the lead up to this performance (hint: it was in a living room and it was the catalyst for Alt-J beginning their journey in earnest)The "pinch me" moments that stand out for Joe throughout the Alt-J journey, and balancing the work and play aspects of his "dream job"Joe's key green room item he likes to have backstage when he's on the road (hint: it's green, it goes well with toast and Tiana also found Joe a new favourite beer as a result)32. Episode 32 | Glass Animals | 28-01-2022
33:34||Season 2, Ep. 32It’s no great secret that Glass Animals are a band who have steadily charmed the world with their affable and dreamy take on indie pop and rock.For over a decade, the beloved UK group have gone on to unveil three studio albums, including their most recent full-length Dreamland. Alongside releases, the band are also currently nominated for a Grammy award in 2022 - and closer to home here in Australia, their iconic track Heat Waves took out the coveted #1 spot on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020, of course, but more recently the track also scored the crown as Spotify’s most streamed track in 2021, and also took out the #1 spot on the 2021 Aria end of year singles chart. Not too shabby for a track released a year and a half ago.Glass Animals are an anomaly in the best possible way, conjuring otherworldly psychedelic pop and hypnotic electronica in their recordings, while also often reworking their tracks to be more dance friendly for their live sets - and Aussie fans are set to cop the group live in technicolour action later this year, with the group lined up to play their biggest headline shows to date, including Perth, Sydney and Melbourne in July, and they’re also on deck for the sold out Splendour In The Grass extravaganza lined up for July as well. And along for the ride, of course, will be a long-awaited live celebration of the group's sublime 2020 album Dreamland. But before the band return to their adoring fans here in Australia later this year (and for the first 2022 episode of The Green Room): today frontman Dave Bayley joins host Tiana Speter to discuss live shows, personal songwriting, what kept him going through the pandemic and new music confirmation and much more - including the fact that host Speter scarily and somewhat poetically had some glass shatter in front of her thanks to a storm the moment the interview Zoom call started.IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:Glass Animals being "honorary Australians" and finally returning down under to tour their album DreamlandThe history of Glass Animals playing in Australia, and a particularly memorable Falls Festival moment for Dave featuring an Aussie fan and a belt made out of goon bagsWhy Dave loves playing at festivals, and Dave accidentally reveals his go-to festival disguise to get out and about in the crowdWhat we can expect from a Glass Animals show in 2022, and what it was really like to play their first live show post-lockdown in the UK (hint: there were nerves and possibly tears)The contributing factors that led to their 2020 album Dreamland being more personal than previous Glass Animals material, and how the band felt when the album was finally releasedThe incredible success for Heat Waves, both globally and here in Australia, and the contribution the love down under had to Dave traversing the COVID-19 pandemicDave chats about his love of Australia, Aussie crowds compared to other countries and how his mum's new boyfriend may contribute to him being in Australia more oftenWhy Dave currently finds himself loving festival shows compared to more intimate venues (for now)Dave reminisces about the first ever official Glass Animals live show, warts and all, as well as how it helped them positively evolve and led to their early Australian performancesWhat bands and artists caught Dave's ears in 2021, including Aussie artist D. D DumboDave reveals some minor secrets about what Glass Animals are cooking up in 2022 (hint: new music)Dave's key item on the rider when Glass Animals are on the road (Jerry Seinfeld would approve), and why we might be able to get our hands on a Dave Bayley cereal sometime soonSPECIAL: The Green Room End Of Year Wrap 2021 Part 2 | 17-12-2021
49:23||Season 2021 is a year that most won't - or desperately will want to - forget. But for host of The Green Room podcast Tiana Speter, it's been a year of change, including her stepping into the role as host of the podcast following the departure of founding host Neil Griffiths back in May of this year. What has followed has been a rollercoaster of laughs, learning and lots of chats, with Speter clocking up 31 regular episodes in just over six months at the helm, including majority of those episodes taking place remotely due to the extensive Sydney lockdowns starting not long after Speter took over the show. Add in two COVID-19 music industry specials, which collectively totaled just shy of three and a half hours worth of content, and an extra bonus today: a "Best of 2021" special to take a look back at the year that was - and it's safe to say The Green Room podcast has had an eventful but ultimately enjoyable year despite the odds.Today, join Tiana Speter reminiscing about some of her favourite (and most memorable) Green Room moments during her tenure, as well as some from earlier in the year, including an array of musicians, actors and comedians who continued to tell their stories during what eventuated as an extremely trying year for creatives around the globe.Grab your AAA pass and come backstage - we're entering The Green Room.PART TWO:When Tiana Speter stepped into the role as host for The Green Room podcast, little did she know she'd be undertaking much of the series remotely during substantial lockdown, while interviewing some of her heroes & new friends along the way. Today in part two of this two-part special, we take a look back at actors and comedians who joined The Green Room in 2021, as well as a look at the two-part COVID-19 music industry special released back in August, and a rapid fire round of some of Speter's guests sharing what they like to have in their very own green rooms when they're on the road.SPECIAL: The Green Room End Of Year Wrap 2021 Part 1 | 17-12-2021
01:14:30||Season 22021 is a year that most won't - or desperately will want to - forget. But for host of The Green Room podcast Tiana Speter, it's been a year of change, including her stepping into the role as host of the podcast following the departure of founding host Neil Griffiths back in May of this year. What has followed has been a rollercoaster of laughs, learning and lots of chats, with Speter clocking up 31 regular episodes in just over six months at the helm, including majority of those episodes taking place remotely due to the extensive Sydney lockdowns starting not long after Speter took over the show. Add in two COVID-19 music industry specials, which collectively totaled just shy of three and a half hours worth of content, and an extra bonus today: a "Best of 2021" special to take a look back at the year that was - and it's safe to say The Green Room podcast has had an eventful but ultimately enjoyable year despite the odds.Today, join Tiana Speter reminiscing about some of her favourite (and most memorable) Green Room moments during her tenure, as well as some from earlier in the year, including an array of musicians, actors and comedians who continued to tell their stories during what eventuated as an extremely trying year for creatives around the globe.Grab your AAA pass and come backstage - we're entering The Green Room.PART ONE:When Tiana Speter stepped into the role as host for The Green Room podcast, little did she know she'd be undertaking much of the series remotely during substantial lockdown, while interviewing some of her heroes & new friends along the way. Today in part two of this two-part special, we take a look back at actors and comedians who joined The Green Room in 2021, as well as a look at the two-part COVID-19 music industry special released back in August, and a rapid fire round of some of Speter's guests sharing what they like to have in their very own green rooms when they're on the road.31. Episode 31 | The Butterfly Effect | 10-12-2021
29:30||Season 2, Ep. 31Starting to form in the late 90s, before solidifying their lineup and rising to prominence in the early 2000s, The Butterfly Effect became one of Australia’s most-loved rock bands of the time, with their self-titled EP in 2001 and debut album Begins Here in 2003 putting them squarely in the public eye.Spanning everything from alternative metal to hard and prog rock - and all the corners and hidden places between the two, the Butters gents became renowned for touring their high octane shows at home, abroad and on festival stages, snagging chart and radio airplay success and selling hundreds of thousands of records along the way - until the fairytale came to a halt in 2012 when frontman Clint Boge departed the band, before the group officially announced their disbandment in 2016 following a lengthy hiatus. But out of the ashes and back on stage, 2018 saw the original lineup of or Kurt, Glenn, Clint and Ben reunite for a huge reunion national tour which in turn led to a new emotive-laden track Unbroken released in 2019 - and now over two years later, fans have been gifted with yet another new song recently, with heavy rocker ‘So Tired’ burning a hole in many a speaker of late.To celebrate the new track and beyond, Butters guitarist Kurt Goedhart stops by The Green Room today to chat excitement, expectations and some very hot new music news for early 2022.30. Episode 30 | Amandla Stenberg | 03-12-2021
15:41||Season 2, Ep. 30Actor and activist Amandla Stenberg may be young in years, but her legacy is already overflowing. With a breakthrough performance as the young tribute Rue in the Jennifer Lawrence-led flick The Hunger Games back in 2012, Stenberg's ascension as a Hollywood fixture has been lined with film roles in The Hate U Give and Where Hands Touch, TV stints on Drunk History and The Eddy, and even an appearance in Beyonce's epic Lemonade music video back in 2016. Now at the age of 23, it's not just shiny Hollywood appearances that has ricocheted Stenberg from young up-and-comer to industry powerhouse; Stenberg also gives voice and strength to a variety of cultural, political and social justice issues, named in 2015 as the Ms. Foundation for Women's "Feminist Celebrity of the Year", while also going viral that same year for her playful yet though-provoking cultural appropriation video project titled Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows. Balancing a burgeoning career alongside public scrutiny for her stances on racial and gender equality, Stenberg also has yet another string to her very powerful creative bow, playing violin and singing, making her official music debut in 2015 with the folk rock duo Honeywater. And her music chops are on full display in 2021, with the impending release of her brand new film: an adaptation of the Broadway smash-hit musical Dear Evan Hansen.Featuring a stacked cast including Stenberg, Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever, Nik Dodani, Julianne Moore and Amy Adams, Dear Evan Hansen follows the titular anxious and isolated high schooler Evan Hansen as he struggles to belong in high school and the social media age, with an array of Grammy winning songs including You Will Be Found, Waving Through a Window and For Forever. Stenberg joins the cast in the role of Alana Beck, an empathetic overachiever with a pivotal role in the film and musical, with Alana's role also expanded for the film to include a brand new song for the character, penned by Stenberg herself alongside writers Ben Pasek and Justin Paul. And to unpack the Dear Evan Hansen experience and also gift a brief insight into her other music endeavours, Amandla Stenberg joins The Green Room for today's episode.29. Episode 29 | Becky Lucas | 25-11-2021
31:33||Season 2, Ep. 29Commanding attention back in 2013 in the 2013 National RAW Comedy finals, Becky Lucas has since gone on to become a comedic force to be reckoned with. From sold out solo shows at home and abroad, Lucas has performed at some of the biggest venues around the world, alongside some of the biggest names in comedy, including Conan O’Brien, Nick Kroll, Jim Norton, Beth Stelling and many others. From the Sydney Opera House to The Comedy Cellar in New York and beyond, Becky’s irresistible knack for fusing relatability with razor-sharp delivery is gimmick-free and punctuated elegantly by her sparkling wit; and when she’s not onstage dishing out the laughs, she’s also written a novel, written for TV, appeared in TV shows, and holds the bragging rights as being the first female Australian to feature on Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show (where he also told her she needed meds after her performance).In 2021, Lucas took to the stage in-between Melbourne lockdowns to host the prestigious Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala, and 2022 is already shaping up to be a big one, including an appearance in March at the Super Fun Day Festival in Brisbane, a comedy and music festival bringing together some of the most beloved talent in the country into one amazing day of laughs and riffs. But before this year comes to a close, Becky Lucas stops by ‘The Green Room’ to chat life as a comedian, fun times in general and also the time both Becky and ‘The Green Room’ host Tiana Speter saw Gotye get mad onstage at a festival.