Ep 9: Radio Freedom with Paul Snashall

A Journey Through Aussie Pop

In the early '90s, there was no hotter Australian pop music label than Westside Records, who pounced on Radio Freedom, a project fronted by Paul Snashall. Fresh off an appearance on talent show Star Search, the singer otherwise known as Pehl put together a track called "I Can Feel It", an infectious mix of dance, Latin and hip-hop that stormed the ARIA top 10. In our interview with Paul, he reveals all the behind-the-scenes details of what inspired that tune, how the song and his profile exploded (sometimes with disastrous consequences), and his lucrative deal with Westside. Paul talks us through the follow-ups to "I Can Feel It", including soul track "Proove", Bob Marley cover "Is This Love" and the band's final single "Edge Of The World (Love Storm)", detailing the reasons behind Radio Freedom's evolving sound and the record company politics at play. Label issues would also have a huge impact on what could've been the band's big international break, with their support slot for Elton John cut short — a turn of events that, together with constant delays on their debut album, hastened Paul's disillusion with Radio Freedom.

Bonus material at chartbeats.com.au/aussie
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