Don McGlashan: The Stories Behind NZ’s Most Iconic Songs

Don McGlashan is a national treasure- one of the greatest NZ songwriters of all time. He is responsible for songs like Anchor me, Dominion Road and Bathe in the river. And at the time of recording this intro (in mid-January 2026) a documentary about his life is being released: “Anchor me: The Don McGlashan story” In this candid, funny, and at times emotional conversation, we talk about how the doco came about, his thoughts on being a pensioner, the grief of losing his brother when he was 15, his mental health struggles, playing Glastonbury, how his hits Anchor Me and Bathe in the river came about, why he called Chris Bishop a dickhead and much more. I’m a fan boy so I was always going to love this conversation, But I think and hope you will as well. *** Massive thanks to my long-term podcast sponsors, Generate. If I could ask you to do one big favour — for me and for yourself — it would be to consider getting KiwiSaver advice from Generate, like I did. The decisions you make with your KiwiSaver now could have a big impact on how much you have to live on in retirement. And if you’ve never had KiwiSaver advice before, you could be missing out. Generate has a strong track record of long-term performance — You can check out their latest returns on their website. They also have advisers who can come to you and help you figure out the right KiwiSaver setup for your goals — no pressure, just good advice. I met with one when Generate came on board as a sponsor back in 2023 — and honestly, I wish I’d done it sooner. Head to generatekiwisaver.co.nz/dom to book a chat The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited. To see their Product disclosure statement see generatekiwisaver.co.nz/pds Past performance does not guarantee future returns. And just a reminder — everyone’s situation is different, so I recommend getting expert advice before making any financial decisions. 00:02 – Introduction & discovering The Front Lawn 02:28 – “Anchor Me”: the documentary & Shirley Horrocks 04:47 – Being the centre of attention (without a guitar) 07:05 – Ageing, touring & never retiring 09:32 – Writing songs for kids and staying creatively “match fit” 11:54 – Avoiding self-destruction in rock & roll 14:13 – Early songwriting & the origins of “Giant Friend” 15:55 – Childhood, ADHD, asthma & green medicine 18:55 – Growing up surrounded by instruments 21:16 – Writing “Andy” and grief in songwriting 23:41 – Losing his brother & living with that loss 26:09 – New York, Irish folk music & learning to write songs 28:39 – Memory, mystery & meaning in songs 31:01 – Hearing the news of his brother’s death 33:15 – How grief shaped his ambition & drive 35:41 – Dreaming of his brother & imagining the life he’d have lived 38:01 – Politics, trolling & the infamous crayfish quote 40:22 – Calling out a heckler at the NZ Music Awards 45:14 – Blam Blam Blam & “There Is No Depression in New Zealand” 47:40 – Finding his songwriting voice 50:03 – The Front Lawn: theatre, music & absurdity 52:23 – Embracing a distinctly Kiwi sound 57:14 – Leaving The Front Lawn & starting The Mutton Birds 59:36 – What The Mutton Birds were meant to be 01:02:03 – Why “Nature” became the breakout hit 01:04:24 – Going global: EMI, touring & Peter Gabriel 01:06:45 – Playing Glastonbury & building an overseas audience 01:09:10 – Learning stagecraft from other great performers 01:11:38 – Fame, community & the NZ music scene 01:14:03 – Depression, pressure & struggling in the UK 01:16:30 – Living with depression & not asking for help 01:17:21 – Creativity, pain & the fear of “fixing yourself” 01:22:10 – When he’s happiest: writing songs 01:24:35 – Writing “Dominion Road” 01:26:57 – Songs as projections of the future 01:29:20 – Success, legacy & what really lasts 01:31:43 – What kind of songs he actually writes 01:33:05 – Writing “Anchor Me” 01:36:29 – Singing songs people love without resentment 01:38:53 – Streaming, money & the reality for musicians 01:41:17 – Touring small towns & breathing in the country 01:43:39 – Writing “Bathe in the River” 01:48:29 – Hearing Holly Smith sing it for the first time 01:50:53 – Kapa haka, Te Reo & the song’s second life 01:53:17 – Emotion, ageing & crying on planes 01:55:38 – Redefining success over time 01:58:03 – Legacy, family & letting songs go 02:00:29 – Fatherhood & being a better cook 02:03:16 – Reflecting on his brother & a life imagined 02:05:00 – Final reflections & closing