It was 1994 when Darren Lapwood’s voice was first heard on the local airwaves.
The 43-year-old disc jockey has recorded an impressive 30 years in front of the mic and entertaining Fresh FM listeners with his interviews and retro music selections.
Darren says his radio career started off at Nayland College for its radio station which broadcast to students and staff.
He then went on to cut his teeth at Fresh FM - a community radio station in Nelson which broadcasts right across Te Tauihu (Top of the South).
“I used to run a show called The Rangatahi Show [in 1995] which was the kids version of our normal show, and I used to help out on other shows,” he says.
“I then began The Retro Show podcast [in 2000]… my father used to have CDs from the 1950s and I liked listening to that music… [my favourite artists] are Cyndi Lauper, Sir Dave Dobbyn, Sharon O’Neill and Kylie Minogue.
“A lot of young people these days prefer older music than the new music because they can’t understand what the new singers are saying.”
Darren says his highlights on air included interviews with members of the basketball and speedway community, including Nelson Giants coach Michael Fitchett, and Nelson Speedway driver Alicia Hill.
He was also “rapt” that his podcast was included in the Top 5 Most Streamed Weekly Podcast at the 2023 Fresh FM Awards.
“I must have quite a few [listeners] because that’s how I won the radio award… [The award represented] all my hard work over the years,” he says.
Darren says he has no desire to hang up the headphones yet.
He will keep the same frequency, hosting his beloved podcast, which broadcasts live on Tuesdays between 1pm and 2pm and replays on Friday nights.
