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DISCOVER EXTRAORDINARY TALES FROM REGIONAL AUSTRALIA WITH LiSTNR’S ORIGINAL PODCAST SERIES STORIES OF US.

Stories of Us is a collection of untold stories from some of Australia’s biggest names and everyday heroes to celebrate regional Australian communities.

In each episode, host Sarah Grynberg from A Life of Greatness, is joined by a guest whose journey was made against the backdrop of regional Australia.

Grynberg’s inquisitive interview style ensures that her conversations, with the likes of activist and former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, singer Shannon Noll, musician Pete Murray and comedian Rhys Nicholson, uncover all the joy, heartache, and wisdom that have shaped their lives and the impact that the heartland of our nation has had on them.

The first episode features a lively chat with Ben Gillies, the talented drummer from iconic Australian band Silverchair. Heralding from Newcastle, New South Wales, Ben shares how his love for the area has never waned, despite the global success he achieved with the band.

“Wherever you’re born, and you grow up, you tend to just fall in love with it,” Gillies says.

He also discusses the dynamic of the band and “the magic when the three of us came together to play music”, plus the highs and lows of fame, including appearances on international talk shows like Saturday Night Live, The Letterman Show, and more.

While reminiscing about the band's glory days and subsequent fallout, Gillies shares a poignant moment from 2021 - the last text message he received from Silverchair's enigmatic lead singer, Daniel Johns.

“It was pretty definitive...it definitely felt like a full stop. It’s one of the painful parts of the storytelling,” Gillies says, reflecting during his Stories of Us conversation.

That friendship, along with the band’s demise, came to an end in what Gillies describes as “tough and a special closeness that I probably haven’t had with a person ever”.

He says there was a grieving process that went along with the ending of the friendship - the dynamic crumbled as result of bad communication and 'wobbly moments’.

“It’s sad, it’s just really sad…you can’t dwell on it too much,” Gillies says of trying to repair the friendship.

Gillies has co-written a book with Silverchair bass player, Chris Joannou, Love and Pain which explores the loss of the friendship and the struggles in and out of the band as things unfolded.

“If we were to get in a room and have a heartfelt conversation… we may have some closure…” Gillies says of the breakdown of the friendship with Johns, and the social expectations they grew up with where men don’t talk about their emotions.

Grynberg says the stories in the podcast are from diverse walks of life.

“This nation has given rise to exceptional individuals, whose stories serve as a boundless source of inspiration. It is an honour to traverse the many landscapes of regional Australia and celebrate these extraordinary stories.”

SCA Executive Head LiSTNR Podcasts, Grant Tothill says the podcast unearths remarkable stories: “The series aims to collectively redefine what it truly means to be human and the importance of regional communities.”

Listen to the first episode above and subscribe.