Southern Cross Media : THE HOWIE GAMES’ MARK HOWARD KICKS OFF NEW ARTIST SERIES PODCAST WITH MUSIC ROYALTY PAUL KELLY EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON LiSTNR

Mark Howard, host of Australia's number one sports podcast, The Howie Games, is expanding his repertoire with the launch of The Howie Games Artist Series on LiSTNR. To kick it off he talks exclusively with singer songwriter Paul Kelly, who discusses in-depth his new song Every Step Of The Way about the racism experienced by AFL player Eddie Betts.

Paul wrote the deeply emotive song a year ago after seeing champion AFL footballer Eddie Betts bare his soul on national TV about the racism he experienced on and off the field during his illustrious playing career.

Following the interview, Mark Howie said: 'It's hard to tell what Paul loves more: sport or music. To hear him break down some of his most famous songs and explain how they came to be, shaped by his own experiences at the footy, the Boxing Day Test or life on the road, was captivating. His brand-new song will seep into your bones and leave you with a myriad of questions. Chatting with Paul Kelly was the best two hours I've spent for a long time.'

Paul Kelly said: 'Eddie Betts has brought joy to me and so many others with the amazing feats he's performed on the field for 17 years. But he's shown even more class and courage off the field in talking about the deep hurt of everyday racism. Eddie keeps educating.'

Eddie Betts said: 'I was so honoured when Paul reached out to me with a song that he had written from his heart. He has always empowered us mob with his music and his authentic and heartfelt collaborations have always been enjoyed by myself and all my family for many years. I feel proud to have this song written for me by someone so respected here in Australia and someone who has always stood in solidarity with us mob - this song means a lot to me.'

The Artist Series sees Howie interview famous artists and creatives from diverse fields who have a passion for sport. It gives audiences an insight into some of their favourite artists who they may have been unaware had keen sporting interests. The lively conversations kick off discussing the guests' love for sport and what role that has played in their artistic careers and lives more broadly.

Other guests across the series include iconic radio and podcast star, Andy Lee, Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler, Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, iconic singer-songwriter from the legendary INXS Kirk Pengilly, former triathlete, actor and host Daniel MacPherson and comedian, podcaster, TV host, author and Howie's high school best mate Wil Anderson.

The Howie Games Artist Series is available now on the LiSTNR app.

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LiSTNR is a curated and personalised, free app offering radio, podcasts, music, and news, creating a new audio destination for all Australians. Featuring a fun and intuitive onboarding process, LiSTNR delivers an audio destination that is built for individual listeners' routines and preferences. Highly personalised, it provides listeners a new world of audio entertainment, with their own daily feed of audio and easy discovery of new content through curated recommendations. Available across a large array of devices including both iOS and Android, CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Assistant and Alexa and Android TV, LiSTNR enables a fantastic listening experience, anytime and anywhere. Open your Ears to a new world of audio - download the free app today. LiSTNR.com