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December 8, 2025 • 12 mins
This week on music time, Nick and James showcase a local songwriting talent with a connection to one of the biggest music superstars of a generation. They also go deep down the rabbit hole with some of the oddest and kooky Christmas tunes from around the world. As well as James' top Christmas song at the moment.
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Listen to Ali Whitton's music here:
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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Said, b it's that time of the week, every fortnight.
We're going to do next week as well, James, I haven't.
I don't know whether you've been told, but we want
you next week as well, because it's Christmas Week. We
have to have all our stars on Christmas Week. It's
time to talk music with James Irwin, our music aficionado.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
That's a big word this this late in the year.

Speaker 4 (00:31):
Isn't it. This roll off the top of what do
we want to talk about? James. I know that you've
got to like this KEII artist you want to talk about.

Speaker 3 (00:40):
I just thought this is a bit of a feel
good So today we're going to also do some Christmasy
music y things, some some punishing, maybe some punishing Christmas songs.
But first of all, I thought, we're you know, we're
getting towards the end of the year. We're already busy.
This is kind of like a feel good Wellington music story.
And it's about a young chap who lives I Reckon
on the South Coast because I've just watched his music

(01:02):
video and I Reckon he's probably a customer of Spruce
Goose because the music video sort of shot all around
that beautiful South coast line. His name is Ali Witton.
He's a Keiwe but he grew up in the UK
Okay and so he found his way back to Wellington
about ten years ago. I think he grew up in Yorkshire.
He was born in New Zealand, parents of British, went

(01:22):
back over there when he was a young feller. Now
he's been yeah, so he's come back around about twenty
twenty ten, twenty twelve or something. He came back to
New Zealand to live. He's been doing his music now.
The nice backstory of this one is that he's one
of those guys who's a grafter. So he's when he
lived in the UK, he was playing local music clubs.

(01:44):
It'd be like playing at Moon in Newtown, going to
the songwriters night, and he became bud. He became good
buds with a guy called d and so him and
he had used to play a lot of songwriting nights,
a lot of you know stand up you know, joining
with the band, all those sort of fun things that
happen all around Wellington and they're great fun. I like
going along to the Moon one in Newtown. Definitely. Now,

(02:04):
this guy ed ended up being one of probably the
biggest singer songwriters of his time.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
I would say we're talking about on the show.

Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, yeah, so you probably know who I'm talking about
each Eran. So he's good mates Withcheran and so you know,
as D's career grew, Ellie Wooden he carried on writing
and making music and they stayed in touch. He actually
played his little bit of us Let's have a little
listener and I'll carry on the story after. He's his
latest single and it's be called quite my Heart.

Speaker 5 (02:38):
For talking, Where's you? Or in order subsidy even of
thorns rattling the pains of my home, I'll dare deep
keep on train and it seems sort of simple to
leave what ain't working and what is awful, And then

(03:06):
he were trying to love him. I don't need to
be so quiet quiet.

Speaker 3 (03:22):
So this is the first single. He's got his debut
album coming out called Between the Forest and the Stars
that's coming out early next year. So I'm gonna definitely
go back to this and and check it out.

Speaker 4 (03:34):
Now you're coming out Unders coming out in Albourne.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
It's coming out as an album.

Speaker 4 (03:37):
Yep.

Speaker 3 (03:38):
So I'm pretty sure it'll be a you know, I'm
hoping a CD and vinyl release. It'll be on all
the streaming platforms now. The way, the reason this album
came about because he was catching up with the Cheeran
in twenty twenty three when he was out here playing
at the stadium. I know he's coming back. He's coming
back early next year, isn't it. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah,
so January yeah yeah, so you know he'll probably be

(04:00):
I don't know if he's doing well well. He played
with Ed previously in the UK, played a stadium show
with them as a backup, so, you know, a support
ban not back up, you know, so I wonder if
he's going to do something here in Willington. He's definitely
you know this from the sounds of it. They're pretty
good mates. Ed actually funded help kind of challenged him
to write a song every week in twenty twenty four

(04:21):
and to put out an album, so he's helped him
along with us. This has all been recorded with all
some of the best guys. Marlon Williams, producer, helped produce this.
It's recorded here in New Zealand. I think it's gonna
be a really nice album. You can hear it's kind
of gentle and andy folk. Yeah, it's really lovely. I
think it's going to andy folk. I reckon there's probably
a good, a good, a good thing to call it.
So we'll check back in on Arlie Wooden next year.

(04:43):
I'm just I just thought it's really nice to have
an end of year feel good story. It's pretty nice.
I love love local people, you know, producing music and
putting it out there.

Speaker 4 (04:51):
So we'll put it on Facebook page.

Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yeah, you will put a link to that. So next,
I wanted to get on with some Christmas music. And
first up, I'm going to play you some some what
I would call punishing grifter music, punishing a gris. I
love Christmas. I've had my Christmas tree. Oh no, we're
not having Mariah and we're not having band Aid and

(05:14):
we're not having Feed the World. We're having punishing grifter
of music. Here we go, Gaala Pevy. She's still a
like eighty two years old. She was a child star terrible.
This is a voice. It's just about breaking the glass.
Bring him through the front door. Listen to the lyrics. Oh,

(05:35):
here we go. Now this is Oh my goodness, this
is earth a kit getting far too sexy for Santa,
disgraceful under the tree for me. I like it outrageous.
Santa doesn't like that kind of behavior. And here we go.

(05:56):
Some bearded Southern born agains grifting with a sad Christmas
tale about a mum who's about to die.

Speaker 4 (06:03):
Oh what, it's Christmas Eve? You really bringing the Christmas
para to the show.

Speaker 3 (06:11):
Goodness, sus listen to this one? Could you hurry?

Speaker 4 (06:16):
So Daddy says, there's not.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
Oh my days, you see, she's been.

Speaker 6 (06:22):
Sick for quad.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
And here's one that's not a grifter, you.

Speaker 5 (06:29):
Know who. This is a ride were Porky.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Bake a Christmas songs from the cartoon series. That's Disney
grifting on us, grifed.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
You take your break?

Speaker 3 (06:45):
Yeah, I need you, exhausted, you need a break.

Speaker 4 (06:48):
You're killing us.

Speaker 3 (06:49):
I know you. I've just eliminated your whole audience. Let's
go with the next one. I can't remember. Here's more
terrible Christmas songs. Oh, this is around the world Christmas songs?
Is that No, I can't remember. Oh, here we go.
Put the cats. Some of these are played beautiful the rain.
They can I climbed the hills of the lead. Italian Christmas,

(07:15):
Beautiful James Brown. Now we're getting better. Ghetto Christmas.

Speaker 5 (07:22):
Tell them James Brown sent you.

Speaker 7 (07:26):
An Iri Iri Jamaican Christmas, Indian Christmas and Christmas such
a thing?

Speaker 4 (07:41):
Are you gonna get the pie through the kicking up
the dust in the booth?

Speaker 5 (07:53):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (07:53):
Thank goodness, it's over. It's that one's over. But don't worry.
But wait, there's more. As Suzan Paul would say, what
have we got?

Speaker 4 (08:00):
Odd Christmas?

Speaker 3 (08:03):
Heddie middle Christmas? Maybe I don't know what do you
want for Christmas? Sea lave, muppets, Christmas.

Speaker 1 (08:15):
Jingle O the way jingle Jingle, the jingle all the way?
Or what fun it is in one something?

Speaker 6 (08:25):
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas out of tune Christmas.

Speaker 4 (08:42):
Race.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
We've got an goodness me you can, I'll take I'll
take a firing.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
I feel like it's a pan.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
The whole idea was you wanted to do weird Christmas songs?

Speaker 3 (08:51):
Right?

Speaker 4 (08:52):
You sold it to me?

Speaker 2 (08:53):
And Gray says, this is going to be like weird
Christmas songs. Next week I'll play it with a straight bet.

Speaker 3 (08:58):
This week play okay, we'll play it with a straight
bet next week you will, We'll do something right. Yeah,
So before I go on to my favorite Chrissy song
because I am going to play that and in the
past it's been air Poy was it that we played
last year or maybe it was Prince Touey Tecker and
Missy Dootecker, who I both love I think are fantastic.

(09:20):
But we're not gonna play that yet because I'm gonna
quickly talk about gigs throwing muses tonight. If you are
a rocker from thirty years ago like me, you would
have been at vic Uni Orientation seeing throw muses while
they're back and they're playing at the bath House tonight.
Same band. Kirsten Hirsch should be fantastic. I'm going along, yeah,
but you're not going to know any of them, you

(09:42):
know me. He's a cool one as well. If you're
into theater, go along to Circa before Saturday this week
into the Golden Weather. Steven Lover, I would say, is
one of New Zealand's premiere actors. It's a one man band,
is a terrific show. He's actually running two shows a
moment yep.

Speaker 4 (10:01):
Because I saw that come across.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
It's about a young boy Endo the gold where there
was a very famous play. It's just brilliant. I don't
it's one of those ones you just want to go
and absorb yourself into. Stephen is actually if you think
you know Stephen love it. He's also on Shortland Street. Yeah,
he's a doctor in Shortlean Street. And he also comes
down to our studio here every couple of weeks and

(10:23):
records with us. So he is a great guy. He No,
he's an Auckland guy, but he's down here quite a
lot in Wellington. Terrific guy, terrific actor. Seriously, one of
the best actors in the country. Go along to End
of the Golden Weather. You've also got darts tomorrow night
for all you Alaricans who liked the Christmas stuff I've
played today, Tomorrow night at Meal and Friday night. Nadi

(10:43):
you Reid, who's pretty popular in New Zealand. She's been
doing big things in the UK. She's back at Mao Nui.
But let's go out with the great great Marlon Williams.
He's this is his latest song. Yeah, this is this
is my favorite Christy song at the moment until next week.

(11:15):
He has some redemption for me.

Speaker 6 (11:16):
Maybe Hi listen being good.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Oh, Merry Christmas everyone.

Speaker 2 (11:40):
I love him so he is so good, so good.
And at first I saw him playing in one of
those sort of you know, TV shows or something. I thought, wow,
that's talent there, just absolute Will he crack it on
the world stage, you reckon?

Speaker 3 (11:52):
Yeah, I think he's kind of already kind of cracking
it on the world stage. He's definitely got a name
out there. Yeah, fantastic.

Speaker 4 (11:59):
I really like him.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
That was lovely. I mean there was a lot of
crap play there today, James, But I love that.

Speaker 3 (12:03):
I'm good at that.

Speaker 4 (12:04):
No, you're you're you're our music expert. I'll take it.
I'll take it on the Chimney listeners out there saying
James is the man.

Speaker 3 (12:11):
Uply, you've still got an audience.

Speaker 4 (12:13):
I've got one person listening. I'm okay.

Speaker 2 (12:16):
They'll be saying James is the man. Thanks, James' catch
you next week. We're going to do a Christmas special
next week.

Speaker 3 (12:21):
Oh you will to do a Christmas special.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
We'll keep it straight straight, bet straight beat like the
Cricket tomorrow, The cricket tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
Get your ticket for more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills.
Listen live to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine
am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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