Bleeding Daylight

It’s been brewing in the background for quite a while, but the time has finally arrived.

I’m releasing a regular audio podcast named Bleeding Daylight and I’d really appreciate it if you could take the time to listen and help me get the word out.

I’ll give you a few suggestions of how you can help me later in this post.

Do you miss it?

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you’ll know that since the end of 2013 I’ve been working to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name through Compassion Australia. Before that, I was working in radio.

I racked up more than 25 years’ experience in radio overall and so a question I’m still asked reasonably often is if I miss working in radio. While I still love the medium, the main thing I miss is the opportunity to help uncover interesting stories through interviews.

I’ve had the privilege of interviewing hundreds of musicians, authors, politicians, comedians, actors, sporting identities and others. I’m always captivated by the stories behind the people. I love discovering what drives a person and gaining a window their everyday lives.

Why Bleeding Daylight?

Bleeding Daylight probably sounds like a strange name for a podcast so I guess an explanation is in order.

Canadian, Bruce Cockburn, released ‘Lovers in a Dangerous Time’ on his 1984 album ‘Stealing Fire’. (If you’ve never heard the song, you’re missing out.)

A couple of lines from the song have always captured me.

Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight
Got to kick at the darkness ’til it bleeds daylight

That speaks to me of the efforts we all make to ensure the light continues to break through the ever-encroaching darkness. Sometimes we need to kick harder than at others.

That’s the essence of what I want to see develop through the Bleeding Daylight podcast.

How can you help?

The trailer episode is now available now at BleedngDaylight.net

The first full-length episode of Bleeding Daylight, featuring Richmond Wandera from Uganda, will be released on Monday, the 1st of June.


Richmond Wandera’s life was torn apart by violence and poverty. One act by a 15 year old girl began the healing that transformed his life and the lives of those around him. In this episode of Bleeding Daylight he tells his incredible story in his own words.

Richmond speaks honestly about the day he lost his father, his home and his childhood. He discusses the devastating effects of poverty and the part we can all play in seeing the end of extreme poverty.

Please listen at the website or wherever you usually find podcasts.

It will be really helpful if you can leave a review, especially on Apple Podcasts but you can also head to Google Podcasts, Spotify or most other podcast directories.

You can also follow the podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Please share the podcast wherever you can. I really need your help to give Bleeding Daylight the best chance of success.



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RetroRadio – Guy Sebastian

RetroRadio is a series of posts of radio interviews from my time working at 98five Sonshine FM covering everything from issues of spirituality to chats with visiting musicians and celebrities.

Hopefully, the interviews spark a few memories and a few thoughts.

These days he’s the newest coach on hit television show, The Voice Australia, but since bursting onto our screens and winning the first series of Australian Idol back in 2003, Guy Sebastian has amassed an amazing list of accomplishments.

He has performed alongside and in front of some of the biggest names in the music business, won a swag of awards and was Australia’s representative at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest.

Back in my radio days, I had a number of opportunities to chat with Guy. Here are a couple of those interviews.

Firstly, here’s an interview from October 2007. Guy was just about to release his Memphis Album. The wonderful thing about that album was that Guy enlisted the help of top soul musicians such as Steve Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Steve Potts, Lester Snell, Dave Smith, Rick Steff, Jim Spake, Kirk Smothers, Scott Thompson and Howard Lamb.

Many of those musicians wrote and recorded the original versions of the songs on the album with the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Al Green and Wilson Pickett and were members of the MGs, playing with Booker T, and the Blues Brothers Band. Steve Cropper, who co-wrote In The Midnight Hour, Knock On Wood, and (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay, also produced the album with Guy.

I remember having a representative of the record company in the studio during our interview. She gasped when Guy revealed that some of those giants of the industry would be his backing band for a tour early in 2008.

The only downside of having Guy live in the studio was that he had a terrible flu, which I then managed to catch.

Listen to what he had to say about his music all those years ago using the media player below.

In October 2009 I had the opportunity to catch up with Guy again. Once again we talked about his musical journey and his album at the time, Like it Like That.

Once again he was a delight to interview. I was particularly encouraged, and a little embarrassed, by his final words to me in the interview. I guess he enjoyed the interview as much as I did.

Just click play and enjoy another catch up with Guy Sebastian.

[Note: All RetroRadio interviews on RodneyOlsen.net are a snapshot of the time they were recorded. We all grow and change and so the opinions and thoughts of those in the interviews at the time of recording may or may not necessarily be the same as they are today.]



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RetroRadio – Guy Leech



RetroRadio is a series of posts of radio interviews from my time working at 98five Sonshine FM covering everything from issues of spirituality to chats with visiting musicians and celebrities.

Hopefully, the interviews spark a few memories and a few thoughts.

If you’re setting your new year’s resolutions at the moment and you are thinking about some fitness goals, here’s a great place to start with some practical ideas on how to make a difference.

Today we’re going back to 2006 and a chat with former Ironman Champion, Guy Leech. Back in 2006 Guy appeared on the Seven Network‘s Australian Celebrity Survivor: Vanuatu, and won a stack of cash which was used to
build two schools in North Cambodia.

Guy has an impressive list of competition achievements.

1983 Australian Marathon Swimming Champion

1984 Coolangatta Gold Ironman (43km) – 1st

1985 Coolangatta Gold Ironman (43km) – 1st

1986 Inaugural Winner of the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman

1988 World Ironman Champion – Vancouver Canada

1989 Inaugaral Uncle Toby’s Ironman Champion

1989 Coolangatta Gold Ironman – 1st

1991 World Ocean Surf Ski Champion – Molakai Hawaii

1994 Avon Descent Paddling Champion WA (130km)

Seven Times Winner of the Uncle Toby’s Ironman Series

Represented Australia in Surf Lifesaving, Marathon Swimming

Despite his many achievements at such a high level, his advice for those of us who will never be professional athletes is helpful and achievable.

You can listen to our conversation using the media player below this post.

Have you set any health goals for 2019? Are you healthier at the end of 2018 than you were at the beginning? It’d be great to hear from you about your resolutions for the new year. Feel free to have your say by clicking the comments link below this post.

[Note: All RetroRadio interviews on RodneyOlsen.net are a snapshot of the time they were recorded. We all grow and change and so the opinions and thoughts of those in the interviews at the time of recording may or may not necessarily be the same as they are today.]



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RetroRadio – Cadel Evans

RetroRadio is a series of posts of radio interviews from my time working at 98five Sonshine FM covering everything from issues of spirituality to chats with visiting musicians and celebrities.

Hopefully, the interviews spark a few memories and a few thoughts.

It’s always a thrill when you get to meet an Aussie hero. It’s even better when they’re a personal hero too.

I had the honour of chatting with Australian cyclist Cadel Evans just a day or two after he switched to the BMC Team back in 2009.

I asked him who would be runner-up when he won the 2010 Tour de France. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan that year but it was an emphatic win a year later in 2011.

Cadel is a quietly spoken athlete who was a pleasure to interview. I’ve interviewed hundreds of people but my chat with Cadel will always be a highlight of my time in radio.

You can listen to my radio interview with Cadel by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

[Note: All RetroRadio interviews on RodneyOlsen.net are a snapshot of the time they were recorded. We all grow and change and so the opinions and thoughts of those in the interviews at the time of recording may or may not necessarily be the same as they are today.]



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RetroRadio – Ross Clifford

RetroRadio is a series of posts of radio interviews from my time working at 98five Sonshine FM covering everything from issues of spirituality to chats with visiting musicians and celebrities.

Hopefully, the interviews spark a few memories and a few thoughts.

I’m going back to November 2012 today with one of my regular guests on-air from that time, Rev Dr Ross Clifford. Back then we chatted about how Christmas has become a deadline rather than a celebration, an opportunity for friends and family to get together, a time to think about the first Christmas and the greatest gift of all.


I thought this discussion would be particularly relelvant at this time of year. You can hear our discussion using the media player at the bottom of this post.

Get it Finished

We have to have so much finished ‘before Christmas’. We want carpets laid, walls painted, projects finished, buildings built and so much more all before the 25th of December.

Buy Now!

Retailers tell us we must order now for delivery before Christmas, which I can understand to some degree if it’s something you want as a gift, but most of the time they’re just using the mention of Christmas to add urgency to their sales pitch.

Work Stress

Tradesmen are pushed to complete tasks that really have no relation to Christmas. Whether they’re completed before or after any particular date doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things but those paying the bills want their projects all sewn up before the big day. Many workers are feeling the pressure to get the job done before Christmas.

Self-Induced Stress

Then there’s the pressure we put on ourselves. We must ensure that everything’s perfect for the big day. We turn ourselves inside out to make sure that we’re ready for those who will share Christmas Day with us. Gifts, food, decorations, drinks, the list goes on. It’s really no wonder that the ‘Joy of Christmas’ has given way to the stress of what’s become known as the silly season.

Slow Down – You Move Too Fast

So, have you felt the stress rising already? Have you ever stopped to ask whether the deadline you’ve given yourself is just a false deadline? Will it make any difference at all if it happens after Christmas?

Is Christmas a restful or stressful time for you? What plans are you putting in place this year to ensure that you actually enjoy Christmas instead of racing at warp speed until you collapse in a heap on the 26th of December?

[Note: All RetroRadio interviews on RodneyOlsen.net are a snapshot of the time they were recorded. We all grow and change and so the opinions and thoughts of those in the interviews at the time of recording may or may not necessarily be the same as they are today.]



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