2025 Review & Listener Q&A

Dave Varriale - I'd Hit That

Today’s episode is a bit of a full-circle moment for me, because my guest is Dave Varriale — the host of I’d Hit That Podcast… one of the reasons this show exists. Back in the day, Dave and his guests on Id Hit That were my companions on every drive to and from gigs — and it was the DIY magic of it: the handheld Zoom recorder, the in-person, unprepared hangs, and yeah… the legendary 2005 Ford Escape mobile recording unit. But here’s the twist: this time, we’re flipping the mic. Dave’s been the guy asking the questions for years… and now it’s my turn to throw them at Dave. We get into his story: New York, Spain, LA, and now Austin, Texas — where he says he “was thinking about escaping Shawshank, LA,” and the music took him toward real Texas blues and the shuffle. And of course, because it’s Dave… we also get into the stuff nobody says out loud — why “most guys… play it safe,” why the best stories come out when “the recorder stops recording,” and why he still believes audio-only is its own artform. This conversation was recorded 16th January 2026. Stevie in Sydney - Dave in Austin, Texas. More info on Dave and I'd Hit That podcast, check out I'd Hit That on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@IHTPOD] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ihtpod], and book a haircut and shave with Dave at Cedar Park Barber Shop [https://www.cedarparkbarbershop.com/] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Give back to the podcast to show your support [https://www.thegiglifepodcast.com/support/] The Gig Life Podcast [https://thegiglifepodcast.com/]

Adam Miller

My guest today is guitarist Adam Miller — one of Australia’s most quietly brilliant musicians. We talk about seeing the guitar like a piano, opening for Tommy Emmanuel as a teenager, touring the US as a fully self-managed artist, capturing music live in the room and much much more. Plus, we dive into his new album Timing and the Neumann Sessions, recorded at the Foo Fighters’ Studio 606. This conversation was recorded 14th Decemember 2025. More info and music, check out Adam's website [https://www.adammiller.com.au/], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/adammillerguitar/?hl=en], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/adammillerguitar] and Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@AdamMillerGuitar/videos] channel. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Give back to the podcast to show your support [https://www.thegiglifepodcast.com/support/] The Gig Life Podcast [https://thegiglifepodcast.com/]

Michael Paynter

My guest today is Michael Paynter — Singer, songwriter, producer and multi instrumentalist with a voice you’ve heard everywhere, even if you didn’t know it. From touring with Jimmy Barnes, ICEHOUSE, and The Veronicas, to that viral Jesus Christ Superstar performance that blew everyone away. We talk about the long game of music — session life, solo careers, theatre, and what it really takes to stay consistent over the decades. For more on Michael, check out his website michaelpaynter.com [https://michaelpaynter.com/] This conversation was recorded 19th Decemember 2025. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Give back to the podcast to show your support [https://www.thegiglifepodcast.com/support/] The Gig Life Podcast [https://thegiglifepodcast.com/]

Nick Gaffaney

My guest today is drummer, composer, and creative mad scientist Nick Gaffaney. Originally from Christchurch NZ, now based in LA, with a career that’s moved through jazz, free improv, cruise ships, the NZ session scene, artist residencies in India, and the heavy, uncompromising world of Cairo Knife Fight [https://www.cairoknifefight.com/]. [https://www.cairoknifefight.com/] In this episode, we talk about the shift from being a sideman to building your own thing, why Nick is putting focus back onto drums after years of production and songwriting, and the reality of chasing creative fulfilment instead of just gigs. Nick also speaks very openly about mental health, late ADHD diagnosis, and what it’s like to finally feel present after decades of just pushing forward through the darkness For more info on Nick, check out his Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/nickgaffaney/?hl=en] This conversation was recorded on 05/12/2025 As mentioned in the conversation, check out Aaron Tokona. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Tokona] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Give back to the podcast to show your support [https://www.thegiglifepodcast.com/support/] The Gig Life Podcast [https://thegiglifepodcast.com/]

2025 Review & Listener Q&A

Yo! Stevie Taylor here. No guest today… this one’s a bit of a pause-and-look-around moment. A wee bit of a year in review. Stick around. I’ll tell you about some of the behind the scenes stuff and my personal takeaways from some of this year’s interviews. I’ll also answer some listener questions and let you know whats happening in 2026. This is all set out in chapters on your app, so you can skip and bounce around to whatever section you want. I think we're rolling... thegiglifepodcast.com [https://www.thegiglifepodcast.com/]