on Savage has, for years, been at the forefront of content creation. Inspired to think differently, Jon continues to push boundaries when it comes to creating content that is memorable, exciting and out-of-the-box. After his years on 5FM ended, Jon started an online radio platform called ‘The Eye’ which housed the popular show ‘What’s Your Poison’. The segment saw Jon candidly speaking to guests over a bottle of whisky. Now, the segment has evolved into a podcast of its own – and as the second season commences, Jon has an exciting line-up of diverse individuals who have made waves in their respective industries.
With ‘What’s Your Poison?’, Jon encourages guests to feel like they are chatting to a friend rather than being interviewed. The guests get no introduction, drinks are just poured and Jon’s casual demeanour creates a space where guests feel comfortable enough to let their guard down and open up about topics they may have never spoken about before.
“I started ‘What’s Your Poison?’ again as a bit of fun in the middle of lockdown in lieu of being able to go out or see anyone,” Jon explains about the concept’s reinvention. “I love my whiskies so the basic idea was to just spend some time with different personalities and just talk. What happens naturally is that the whisky, plus my silliness, takes the interviews in to all sort of weird places – often creating some of the most memorable stories from your favourite artists you’ll ever hear.”
Previous guests include Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who chatted about dinners with Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, Moonchild Sanelly, who got candid on her dreams of starting her own brand of sex toys, Kwesta, who spoke about what changes when you get married, Trevor Gumbi on some experiences he’d rather forget, Kurt Darren who sang through the entire podcast, Steve McGown, who detailed the six years he was held hostage by Al Queda and Tresor, who reminisced over when he had to cross a river infested with crocodiles to escape the Congo.
As the second season continues to take off, Jon promises more enticing, stimulating and captivating content with some big names already confirmed for the remainder of the season.
Jon adds that he doesn’t like to prepare too many questions in advance and enjoys letting the conversation evolve organically. “I genuinely believe that these are some of the best interviews you’ve ever heard with some of these people. I can’t take credit for that, but the whisky can! The entire format of the show manages to get people to tell stories they wouldn’t ordinarily.”
Over the next few weeks, Jon has conversations with Vusi Nova, Steve Kekana, MacG, Urban Village, Prime Circle and more premiering on the podcast.
Jon has had an extensive career in the media industry. During his early years as a DJ on youth radio station 5FM, Jon approached the idea of content creation with a different eye. He was responsible for the station’s popular MashLab collaboration segment which saw his single with The Parlotones and Khuli Chana nominated for a SAMA in 2014. Over the past few years, Jon launched InBroadcasting, a division of Have You Heard, a business focussed entirely on innovations in broadcasting, livestreaming and content creation and which creates digital radio stations for brands.
During the pandemic, Jon founded BUSQR, the world’s first donations platforms for musicians. Before that, he directed a film titled ‘Stone Cold Jane Austen’, a comedy about the local music industry. Recently he worked with Have You Heard to create AMPD Studios by Old Mutual, a free culture hub for emerging artists (www.ampdstudios.co.za)
Content supplied by El Broide for El Platinum