Interviews

Winner of the 'Folk Album of the Year – Traditional' for 2025, banjo player and singer Maggie Carty is from Ireland’s west coast and now based in Naarm/Melbourne. Infusing traditional Irish music with Australian folk, Americana, and blues, her debut album 'Ebb and Flow' explores emigration, heritage, and identity with fresh, timeless energy. Tune in to Down By The River to hear Maggie Carty play a special, live performance on the banjo.

With a voice that resonates the very soul of Ireland, musician Andy Irvine has maintained his distinctive performing style throughout his 50-year career. From Sweeney’s Men in the mid-60s to the success of Planxty in the 70s, Andy has been a true pioneer of traditional music. Lauren Plant catches up with Andy Irvine while he’s on tour, tune in to hear about his upcoming show at the Brunswick Ballroom on December 14.

Formerly known as Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, TEED has just released his bold and assured new album 'Always With Me'.  A luminous and emotional body of work, the record marks a striking new chapter for TEED, defined by restraint, clarity, and the most open-hearted songwriting of his career. Coming over to Australia early 2026 for a string of shows, tune in to The Breakfast Spread as Milo catches up with the US-based, UK-born, two-time GRAMMY-nominee musician. 

Singing songs of hope, passion, love, and loss, Tracey Miller has spent nearly 40 years captivating audiences worldwide with her soulful voice. Her new album, 'Queen of the Creek', echoes the classic soul records of the ’60s and ’70s, showcasing a voice that cuts through with emotional depth and seasoned skill. Tune in to Boss Action as Miss Goldie catches up with Tracey following her Studio 5 Live performance.

Melbourne-based blues artist Dan Dinnen has teamed up with Anthony “Shorty” Shortte, one of the blues scene’s well-loved drummers and percussionists, to create their new album 'Jeff’s Shed'. Recorded with Jeff Lang, Shorty’s dynamic drum work fits Dan’s style like a well-worn glove. Joining Helen on Roots of Rhythm, tune in to hear about their new album.

Breathing fire, virtuosity and improvisation into blues, classic soul and roots originals, Checkerboard Lounge are playing at Memo Music Hall on December 12, with local band Opelousas. With a multi-award-winning, ARIA-nominated 2022 album ‘Sun Sessions’ and recent limited edition vinyl release ‘Live at Jazzlab’, Checkerboard are the very essence of a live music experience. Tune in from 9.30am as Helen Jennings catches up with front man, drummer and vocalist Carl Pannuzzo about the show.

Armed with some of the heaviest riffs known to humankind, Dying Fetus has built a reputation for uncompromising integrity, with a slew of classic albums and a renewed surge of respect from a new generation. This December, they hit the road with 200 Stab Wounds who are forging their own brand of classic, gore-themed savagery for themselves and their like-minded brethren. Burning Bitumen catches up with 200 Stab Wounds, tune in to hear about their upcoming show at Northcote Theatre on December 12.

This week on Pojama People, Chris Pearson catches up with local band SPAWN about their new album. Forged over nine years, SPAWN’s record 'Light Rite' is a radiant rite of transformation. From the heavy mire of stoner doom to the celestial expanse of psychedelic rock, this odyssey embodies raw authenticity and quiet humility. Tune in to hear about their show at The Tote on December 12. 

On December 13 at The Gem Bar in Collingwood, Seedy Jeezus will be playing their last show of the year, in a straight ahead, sweaty affair - just the way they like it. Six years in the making, their third studio album 'Damned to The Depths' came out July this year, delving deep into the human experience of death and mourning. Chris Pearson catches up with the band ahead of their show, tune in to hear from the local heavy psych rockers.

In Iran, women are forbidden from singing in public. Vocalist and composer Faravaz has confronted this law firsthand, criminalised simply for using her voice. After leaving Iran, she founded 'Right To Sing', an advocacy platform amplifying women’s vocal freedom across borders. Joining MzRizk to chat about her new record 'Azadi' - a fusion of pop and alternative sensibilities with bold, provocative lyricism - tune in to Boogie Beat Suite for a special, live performance from Faravaz.

Last month, Claire Dickson caught up with Sharon Van Etten after her performance at Castlemaine’s Town Folk Festival with her new band, Sharon Van Etten and The Attachment Theory. The New Jersey musician, known for her heartfelt indie rock/pop songs, has entered a new era - writing and recording in full collaboration with her band for the first time, discovering the freedom that comes with letting go. Tune in to hear this exclusive Breakfast Spread interview with this incredible artist.

Multi-instrumentalist and producer Emma-Jean Thackray has just dropped her second album 'Weirdo'. Musically and creatively the record bridges grunge, pop, soul and jazz, channeling George Clinton and Kurt Cobain in the award-winning artist’s powerfully idiosyncratic style. Virtuosic musicality and self-expression is combined with humour in this triumphant exploration of loss, recovery and gratitude. Elle Young catches up with Emma-Jean Thackray, tune in to hear about her new release.

Award-winning musician, actor, educator, and devoted mother of two, Lauren Henderson is renowned for her versatility and genre-defying artistry. Moving seamlessly across musical styles, her dynamic approach has led to collaborations with internationally acclaimed artists including Moonchild, Jazzmeia Horn and Linda May Han Oh, to name a few. Adam Rudegeair catches up with Lauren, tune in to hear about her show at Jazzlab on December 12, as part of the Women's International Jazz Festival.

The debut album 'Restless Hands' from singer-songwriter Tilly O’Brien is about to be released, launching into the atmosphere upstairs at The Tote on December 12. Hailing from NSW but now based in Naarm, Tilly plays folk-rock and melancholic folk music, described as captivating and timeless. Tune in to The Breakfast Spread this Monday morning to hear a special acoustic performance from Tilly O’Brien ahead of the album-release show.

Stranger Cole is, simply put, a giant of Reggae.  He is one of the most important living links to the birth of the Jamaican sound with a career full of hits spanning all eras beginning with the proto-Ska 'Rough and Tough' for Duke Reid in 1962.  His mid-sixties rocksteady duets with Patsy Todd and Gladdy Anderson, respectively, are considered to be a high point of the genre. Joining Rick Howe on Riddim Yard, tune in to hear about his show at Brunswick Ballroom next Saturday, December 13.

For the first time in their 40+ year career, iconic rock band Hoodoo Gurus will perform with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on January 29. Since their formation in 1981, Hoodoo Gurus has delivered nine ARIA Top 20 albums, nine ARIA Top 40 singles and a host of multi-platinum albums. Tune in to Sunglasses After Dark as Phil catches up with the mastermind behind Hoodoo Gurus - Dave Faulkner - to chat about his remarkable music career and upcoming show.

Local post-punk band screensaver has just launched their third album ‘Three Lens Approach’, and they're coming in to Junkyard to chat with Michael Mulholland about the record. Taking cues from the late 70’s and early 80’s, screensaver’s new album is propelled forward by a more than danceable rhythm section, weaving through polyrhythms of classic synth sounds and frenetic guitars. Listen in to hear how the new record builds on its predecessors.

Local power-pop group Icecream Hands have emerged from the depths of winter with a very special gift – a new album, 'Giant Fox Pineapple Tree'. This year’s traditional pre-Christmas Icecream Hands show will become a full-blown album launch celebrating the release of their eighth record. Charles Jenkins and Doug Lee Robertson join Crispi on Radio City to chat about their new album that’s brimming with pop-rock melodies, tune in to hear about their Northcote Social Club show on December 20.

Mornington Peninsula songwriter Emily Jane Pritchard is set to release her debut EP, 'Never Ending Holiday', launching the new record at the Wesley Anne on December 6. The four-track collection of guitar-driven indie-folk features songs straight from the heart, decorated with touches of soul and pop, delivered with a voice that drifts seamlessly between heart-achingly sweet and ruggedly raw. Bringing her guitar into Down By The River, tune in to hear Emily perform a few live songs.

On Roots of Rhythm this December 3, Helen Jenning will interview Nigel Bourn from Adelaide based band The Honey Badgers. Having placed sixth in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2023, their debut album, ‘Shakin’ peaked at #1 on the ABARAC charts. Tune in to hear about this blues, soul and funk band’s upcoming tour across Victoria.