Interviews

Sleepless Festival is a joint initiative of Stargazed Productions and the Maribyrnong City Council that will see Footscray become a playground of artistic talents and expressive identity of its community. The inaugural festival will transform hidden alleys into inviting places, familiar venues host adventurous events and unused buildings reimagined as creative hubs of art and performance. Festival director Troy Rainbow calls in to State of the Art to talk about the line-up.

Guitarist Simon Aistrope and drummer James Mullins from Adelaide band alt. joins Ryan on Tyrannocoreus to talk about releasing their debut album 'Abeyance' on record labels Resist and Sharptone Records, and touring New Zealand with Thornhill before embarking on a tour of Australia with Windwaker and Caskets.

The black metal/ambient project of musician Russell Menzies, Striborg is a force to be reckoned with in the Tasmanian scene and has been going strong since its inception in the mid-90s. Menzies chats with Kene about the spirits of forests, darkness, night, misanthropy and death that he will bring to The Toff this Saturday night.

Featuring members from long-standing acts Be’lakor and Rainshadow, two-piece black metal outfit Dusk Cult are proud to release their second album ‘NIGHT SKY REVELATIONS’ on July 1st. They drop in for a chat with Kene about the new album.

Hailed as one of the most vital guitar acts in the country, Bad//Dreems are taking their new pub-rock-meets-art-rock album ‘HOO HA!’ around the country this June and July. Claire spoke to the band ahead of their Melbourne show at the Corner Hotel June 24.

Founding members of The Maggie Pills, Mario and Delfi chat to Jordan about their newly-released debut album 'Hope is a Risk' and upcoming album tour.

Mash and Bailey from alt-country rockers Bones and Jones stop by Underground Love ahead of the release of their third album 'Love You,' out Friday.

aNyO & Luke Vecchio, two of Naarm’s most rambunctious DJs, expel more energy in a two-hour set than most of us would during a full marathon. They’ve blended that super-pure vibe in the studio to deliver their debut EP release, 'Heart & Soul,’ a classy outing of deep house anchored around their years of dance floor experience. Ahead of the EP launch at ATET on June 24, the duo chat with Mike Gurrieri and play a guest mix on Mystic Brew.

Garage Sale, The World At A Glance and Sondar (NSW) have teamed up with lofi emo label Sore Horse Records to present a night of eclectic line up of melodic punk and shoegaze noise at The Retreat Hotel, Brunswick on June 25. Garage Sale drop in to Homebrew to tell Brooke what they have in store on the night.

Up-and-coming folk singer-songwriter Ailsa Mitchell has a lot of promise and is a new favourite of Milo's on The Breakfast Spread. She drops in to PBS to chat about her new work and to play a couple of live acoustic songs in the studio.

Berlin-based Australian composer and cellist Judith Hamann joins Australian/Egyptian drummer and sound artist Robbie Avenaim to chat to Ian this week about their involvement in the latest Liquid Architecture presentation 'Investigations', Saturday June 24 at the Meat Market, North Melbourne.

The Midnight Ramblers were formed in 2017, as a side project to help Dave Wright delve deep into his vast catalogue and re-imagine some of his most popular songs into down home country and bluegrass stompers. Tune in to 5ft High & Rising to hear Dave Wright & The Midnight Ramblers play a couple of songs from their new album 'Darkness Calling' ahead of its launch at George Lane June 23.

'Man on Fire' is the latest single from Les Thomas. Capturing the immediate aftermath and near-hospitalisation of being pushed to his emotional and psychological 'Man on Fire' draws on those painful lessons in a way that gives hope. Tune in to 5ft High & Rising to hear Les talk about the single and its launch along side debuting his full band at George Lane June 22.

Jason Isbell is a storyteller at the peak of his craft, observing his fellow wanderers, looking inside and trying to understand, reducing a universe to four minutes. With help from his fearsome backing band, The 400 Unit, 'Weathervanes' is Isbell's new collection of songs about adult love, change, the danger of nostalgia, the interrogation of myths. It is about cruelty, regret, and redemption, and he cannot wait to tell Myles O'Neil Shaw about it. Tune in early on Saturday morning to hear more.

Ahead of his performance at The Forum for RISING Festival, Nigerian UK-based artist Obongjayar graced PBS to speak to Kix. Tune in to Friday's edition of Afro Turn Up from 10pm to hear their conversation.

Power pop wonder Wesley Fuller returns with ‘Back to Square One,' his first new single since 2018. Wesley calls by Radio City to tell listeners about it.

Following on from their cold, chorus-drenched debut 12” EP from 2021, Naarm-based outfit Body Maintenance channel the stark characteristics of goth poised between the overarching pop familiarity of new wave on their first full length album 'Beside You.' Kristen is joined by Riley, Nick and James from Body Maintenance to talk about 'Beside You.'

The Hornets have a lot to be excited about. In 2022, they celebrated their silver anniversary, recorded a new EP and signed to Laneway Music. Craig Horne, Jeff Bursting and Bruce Haymes join Helen on Roots of Rhythm to talk about their new EP and its launch at George Lane June 24.

With sounds ranging from dreamy pop, country and hypnotic folk to vintage Americana and modern folk-rock, these three artists have become a staple in the blues and folk diet in Melbourne. Tanya Lee-Davies, Alison Ferrier and Little Wise talk to Helen about their special night of collaboration at Merri Creek Tavern on June 16.

Performing arts company Forest Collective have joined forces with Geelong composer and pianist Kym Alexandra Dillon and baritone Stephen Marsh to perform Kym Alexandra Dillon's newest work 'Diapsalmata: Portrait of self.' The work sees a composer bid farewell to her shattered identity and gender dysphoria, through a heartfelt and artistic rendering of her journey to freedom and discovery. Cas talks to Kym about the forthcoming performance of the work.