In On The Dial this week, we talk madness and mental health, musician Jamie McDell on her musical heroes, and comedian Eli Matthewson on religion and comedy.
Host Megan Whelan Photo: Unknown
Over the past eighteen months we’ve talked about mental health a lot on the wireless. From Megan Whelan’s story of her own depression, to a documentary about mental health services, to Eammon Marra’s anxiety mix tape. We’ve had lots of personal stories, ways to help people, reflections on family, and Tobias Brockie and Rosabel Tan writing about the friends they have lost.
Writing about depression is hard – there aren’t a lot of words in the English language for how depression makes you feel – and you can only use the words empty and hollow so many times.
That may be why Mary O’Hagan prefers the word Mad. Madness is evocative – and scary. At 21 Mary started an eight-year rollercoaster ride in and out of psychiatric units, she was told she would never work again, have children or ever really get better. In her new book, Mary describes what she was feeling when she was first admitted.
(If you are struggling with your mental health, help is available.)
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Throughout New Zealand Music Month, The Wireless is featuring young musicians taking about the local songs they love the most. Jamie McDell's picks include Crowded House, Elemeno P, Anika Moa, Jesse Sheehan and Greg Johnson.
She’s also curated the pop playlist on NZ on Air’s new platform AllTracks. Jamie is currently near the end of a tour around the country, which takes her through until the end of next week, with a show at Auckland’s Crystal Palace to close things out.
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Eli Matthewson was card-carrying, Parachute-attending, Christian teenager before gave it all up for the life of guilt-free sinning. And by guilt-free sinning, he mostly means highly enjoyable gay sex.
Based on some of the things he was told in his church growing up, it'd be understandable if Eli was angry or bitter about religion. But instead, he's turned those years of inner conflict into an even-handed show exploring his relationship with faith at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival.
Eli, who's a writer for Jono and Ben, is also nominated for a Billy T comedy award this year, for the second time – he speaks to Charlotte Graham.
On The Dial was produced by Megan Whelan, with technical production by Dan Beban, and financial assistance from NZ On Air.
Our music was composed and performed by Eddie Johnston, and the cover image was made by Hadley Donaldson.
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