Interviews

Freeform is a music festival that brings together leading international and local electronic artists for a full day of dancing and discovering. On the line up is USA electronic music producer and sought-after festival DJ, Avalon Emerson. The album 'Written into Changes' by Avalon Emerson & the Charm just came out in March this year, which she describes as "soft and bedroomy". Ahead of her festival appearance at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on October 3, Milo catches up with Avalon.

Joining Crispi on Radio City is the folk duo Fountain Lakes, made up of Emma Henney and Jac Tonks. With a sound that is expansive and genre spanning; with texture, reverb and dreamlike dual vocals, they will be celebrating the release of their debut EP 'Junkyard of Lost Hearts' with a show at the Railway Hotel Ballroom on Friday, August 14. Tune in to hear about their plans for the EP release.

Adelaide artist Ryan Martin John is a folk singer-songwriter with a penchant for warm harmonies and pondering. He's released his full-length album 'Big Love', and is playing at The Merri Creek Tavern, alongside Emmy Ryan, this Thursday August 13. Ahead of the show, Ryan drops by Swinging Doors to catch up with Ernie. 

After honing their chops in every dive bar, saloon and honky tonk in Naarm, sorcerers of twang, Acid Arrow are set to launch their new single 'Drop Your Shoulders Down' at Shotkickers on August 15. Riding the knife’s edge between struggle and surrender, the track leans into life’s trials and the quiet strength we all need at times. Tune in to Swinging Doors from 4pm for a live acoustic set from Brooke Penrose and Brett Marshall, the duo behind Acid Arrow.

Having just completed a European tour with Napalm Death and the Melvins, Jerry A of Portland powerhouse Poison Idea and his mates from Sydney The Hard-Ons - Blackie, Ray and Murray - are releasing their new album 'Hard-Ons/Jerry A'. Ahead of the album dropping on August 14, Rodney catches up with Jerry A on Sunglasses After Dark. Tune in to hear about the new record.

This week on Burning Bitumen Kene chats to Brann Dailor from US metal masters Mastodon about their new album Marrow Deep, their return to heavier material and a look back at the most tumultuous year of their career.

With a sound that is rooted in the rich traditions of the tar, setar, and oud, Reza Kashi is a gifted Persian musician. He began his career in Iran in 1998, migrated to Australia in 2017, and has become a sought-after musician who works with a variety of Middle Eastern, Western and Australian ensembles. Tune in to the Global Village as he chats with Roger about his presentation of 'A Mystic Journey with the Oud' at CY Venue on Saturday 29th August, and for an intimate solo oud performance.

Infusing centuries old Lithuanian folk music with decades old fashion and months old facial hair, The Lost Clog is made up of the offspring of World War II Lithuanian refugees living in Melbourne. Alex Brovedani (kankles player) and Jieva Brovedani (fiddle and drum player) visit the Global Village to talk about a fundraising concert for the Australian Lithuanian Festival on Sunday August 23, which is titled 'Baltic Ballads of Birds & Bees' and will be held at the Melbourne Lithuanian Club.

At the Melbourne Recital Centre on Friday August 21, Africubismo will be bringing together musicians who reimagine their shared lineages from West Africa and Cuba. Ray Pereira, Amadou Suso, Yunior Terry Cabrera and Julien Wilson from the group will drop in to the Global Village to perform some live music - tune in to hear about cascading West African harp lines meeting the polyrhythmic pulse of rumba and son, and contemporary improvisation bridges past and present.

Today on the show, Ian Parsons catches up with world-renowned pianist and composer Michael Kieran Harvey. A strenuous advocate for new music, and particularly for music by Australian composers who push boundaries and challenge ideas, Michael is currently based in Tasmania. Tune in from 10pm to hear Michael chat about his new album 'The Life In Between', which celebrates recent works by some of Michael's closest musical friends.

Joining Claire on The Breakfast Spread today is indie-folk musician Rowena Wise. Her sophomore album 'Bad Things Feel Good*' is a bold, intimate statement on transformation, tracing the emotional fault lines of love, identity and mental health with unflinching clarity. Across raw, live-band arrangements and candid, poetic lyricism, Wise explores heartbreak, estrangement and the quiet unravelling of selfhood. Tune in from 8am for an intimate, acoustic performance from Rowena. 

On September 5, 'DIY On High', a free day festival on High Street, as part of Darebin FUSE Festival, will be taking place across Cactus Room from 1pm and Cafe Gummo from 6pm. The line-up features emerging Naarm artists, including Kosmetika, Banksy, R.U.B and Bughunt, highlighting local independent music in intimate settings, offering two distinct shows that together form a full day of diverse punk. Ahead of the festival, Carsten Bruhn joins Kurt on Homebrew to chat about the day.

Coming onto Pojama People today is Mike Rudd and Tim Gaze, chatting about their double bill show at the Wesley Anne on August 28. Tim Gaze has trailblazed a lifetime of music, including time with Tamam Shud during and post the seminal Morning of the Earth era and breakaway band, Kahvas Jute. Best known for his work with Spectrum, Mike Rudd's song 'I'll Be Gone' became one of the most enduring songs of that era and still heard on the radio today. Tune in to hear from these two artists.

Tonight on the show, Ryan catches up with Blaythe Steuer, the vocalist for Alabama metallic hardcore group No Cure. Blaythe will be chatting about the new album 'It Is Going To Get Dark', along with No Cure's debut Australian tour supporting To The Grave, playing at Max Watt's Melbourne on September 5. Find out about the group's aspirations for the rest of the year.

Kaytetye producer and DJ RONA will be joining Milo Eastwood on the show today, the day before her EP launch at Hope St Radio on August 21. The new release 'To The Ground' explores the living frequency of Country and the power of rhythm to return us to ourselves. Moving between intimate sound design, expansive vocals and basslines inspired by ceremonial grounds, the EP draws the body back toward earth. Tune in to The Breakfast Spread from 8am to hear from RONA. 

In 1978, Robert Forster co-founded acclaimed rock band The Go-Betweens with friend and fellow singer-songwriter Grant McLennan. Their sixth album, '16 Lovers Lane', was placed at # 12 on The 100 Best Australian Albums list, and their ninth and last, 'Oceans Apart', won the 2005 ARIA award for Best Adult Contemporary Album. Today on the show, Crispi will be chatting with Robert Forster about his 2025 album 'Strawberries', which he'll be performing at The Thornbury Theatre on Sept 12.

Joining Michael on the show this week for an exclusive interview, is USA artist, actor and radio presenter, Henry Rollins. He'll be chatting about a previously unreleased album from the 1976 band The Cramps, titled 'Gravest Gravy'. The band is credited as progenitors of the psychobilly subgenre, fusing elements of punk rock with rockabilly. The tapes of the album were transferred by Brian Kehew, and the tracks were selected for inclusion by Henry Rollins. Tune in from 7pm to hear from Henry.

Multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter Marcel Borrack has just released his new album 'Sun Dust'. Recorded by Marcel, 'Sun Dust' is inspired by his love of Indian music. "The first time I heard the sitar I was instantly hooked on Indian music. Over the years I’ve continued to listen, love, and be amazed by its seemingly unfathomable depth." Tune in to Tiger Beats Elephant Grooves as Marcel catches up with Pradip about creating the album.

After their Studio 5 Live performance, Amaru Tribe will be coming on to the Global Village for an interview with Roger. An intersection between cultures, traditional music from Latin America, urban flow and electronic sounds, their new album 'Golden Roots' is Amaru Tribe’s third full-length album and second vinyl release, created to celebrate 10 years of music, movement and connection. Tune in to hear about the creation of the new album.

Visiting the Global Village on the second half of the show today is Alec Ilyine and Poly Varghese. Belgian musician, sound engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Alec Ilyine is known for his exploration of diverse musical traditions. Poly Varghese, based in Australia and born in Kerala, is a virtuoso of the Mohan Veena (Indian slide guitar), and disciple of Grammy Winner Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, aka V. M. Bhatt. Tune in for some live music, and to hear about their inspirations and collaborations.

Formed in Melbourne in 1992, Icecream Hands - made up of band members Charles Jenkins (guitar, vocals), Douglas Lee Robertson (bass, vocals), Derek G Smiley (drums, vocals) and Marcus Goodwin (guitar, vocals) - are about to release a new EP in August. With a show at the Kew Court House on September 4, Charles Jenkins joins Crispi on Radio City to chat about the new EP, 'Pineapples Pieces'.

Tonight on Junkyard, Michael Mulholland will be joined by Hugo Race and Michaelangelo Russo to chat about the new album 'I Made It All Up For You'. Released back in March with his Italian band Fatalists, the record fuses together roots, electronica, Italian soundtracks and desert rock. With Giovanni Ferrario (Scisma, PJ Harvey) on guitars and synth, Francesco Giampaoli (Brutture Moderne) on bass and Diego Sapignoli (Sacri Cuori) on percussion, tune in to hear more about the album.

Coming on to the show this week, is The Jawa Pitu Band, who are launching their second album 'Kapindho' at the Northcote Social Club on September 5. They will be joined by Sekar Kidul, Melbourne's Sundanese Kacapi Suling ensemble, and performances from Reog Ponorogo (Javanese Giant Mask Dance), Pencak Silat (Sundanese martial arts), and the Sanggar Lestari Indonesian dance troupe. Tune in as members of The Jawa Pitu Band visit the Global Village to talk about the new album.

Joining Michael Mulholland for this episode of Junkyard is Guy Blackman from Chapter Music. He'll be chatting about the second instalment of Chapter’s acclaimed Australian post- punk compilation series 'Can’t Stop It!', originally released in 2007. Tune in to hear about this rich and dynamic time in Australian music history, a time when Australia stepped out of the shadow of overseas influence and asserted its own musical identity for the first time.

Sydney’s indie rock/blues artist Nathan Cavaleri is coming to town for his show 'Growing Pains - The Nathan Cavaleri Story', playing at Memo Music Hall on September 10. From child prodigy to cancer survivor, from global stages to mental health collapse, Nathan has quite the story to tell. Joining Lauren Plant on Down By The River ahead of his show that night, tune in for a live performance from Nathan. 

'Psychedelia in White', the third album from former member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Mick Harvey and longtime collaborator Amanda Acevedo, is a natural evolution from their 2023 duet debut, 'Phantasmagoria in Blue'. Tonight on Junkyard, Mick and Amanda drop by the show to chat with Michael Mulholland about their new record, which explores themes of mysticism, mythology, love, and loss.