Interviews

Exploring a variety of rock, funk, jazz, folk, and global  music flavours through an Australian lens, Özergun is a six piece band of devout music lovers. What originally began as a lonely solo project has turned into nothing short of family, and the band's culture has overflowed into the creation of a music community. Ajak catches up with a few members of the band, tune in to hear about their latest single. 

Chapter Music and Liquid Architecture present Jeremy Dower performing live in celebration of 'Personal Computer Music', 1997–2022, released via Chapter Music. Joining the night in supportive performance will be a duo of Ai Yamamoto and Dan West. The reclusive electronic figure joins Brooke on Homebrew to chat about the release, tune in to hear about the show at Tender in Brunswick on April 30.

 21st-century philosopher-musician John Maus is coming to Australia this month, stopping by Max Watt's Melbourne on April 26. With a fierce belief in the emotional weight of sound, feeling deeply and thinking seriously, his arrangements sound as good at the club as they do at the symposium. Elle Young catches up with John Maus ahead of his trip, tune in to hear about his new album 'Later Than You Think'. 

Local group The Gruntled has been making avant-medieval instrumental psych noise since they formed over 20 years ago in 2004. They're about to drop two new singles 'Mirrors in the Grass / Gatecrash!', along with announcing the single release show. Find out when the launch will be and more this week on Pojama People when they catch up with Chris Pearson. 

Ohio emo veterans Hawthorne Heights are returning to Melbourne to celebrate 20 years of their seminal album 'If Only You Were Lonely', which cemented them as one of the era’s defining acts, earning gold certification and leaving a lasting impact on fans around the world. Ryan catches up with vocalist JT Woodruff about their show at The Croxton on April 25, tune in as they chat about overcoming adversity and challenges that the band have dealt with in their over two decade career.

Michigan emo band saturdays at your place are making their way to Australia to support their friends Hot Mulligan at the Forum on April 22. Their intimate lyrics pair with heavy hitting instrumental hooks and cleverly placed twinkly guitar parts to create a uniquely personal sound that has come to define the band. Ryan catches up with guitarist Mitch Gulish, tune in to hear about the band's goofy music videos and their busy touring schedule. 

Located in the heart of Melbourne's creative epicenter, Marios Cafe has been a touchstone for counter-culture, art and music in Melbourne's inner north for four decades. Now celebrating their 40th anniversary, the two Marios - De Pasquale and Maccarone - drop into The Breakfast Spread to share stories about the music, art and cultural scene that has exploded around them since opening their doors in 1986.

The Big Boogaloo is Sam Linton Smith on vocals and guitar, Chris Pascoe on keys and Steve Purcell on double bass. Featuring an eclectic repertoire of blues-based, harmony-driven RnB, funk and reggae influences, The Big Boogaloo make time this week to drop into PBS to play an exclusive live set on Jumpin' the Blues.

This year, Chewin’ The Fat celebrates seven years of connection and dancing together for mental health. With the collective on track to reach $100,000 in charitable donations supporting mental health and community wellbeing, the event is taking place at Fairfield Amphitheatre on April 25. Benji comes on to The Breakfast Spread for a round of Musical Chairs with Milo Eastwood, tune in to hear tracks from the line up, which includes Harvey Sutherland, Supa Kameleon and Kuzco, to name a few. 

Solo artist of the year from the 2021 'Australian Folk Music Awards', Ruth Hazleton is taking her darkfolk album 'Heronbones' to Brunswick Ballroom on Sunday, April 29. A collection of stories (both traditional and composed), Ruth draws from deep wells of folklore and trad song, reshaping these narratives through a darkfolk lens, blending electronic sampling and sound design with guitar and banjo. Ruth Hazleton joins Lauren Plant on the show to chat about the upcoming album launch.

From busking on Bourke street in 2014 to headlining sold out venues around the world, twin brothers Jack and Patrick Pierce aka the Pierce Brothers will be joining Lauren Plant on Down By The River. Having just played at Port Fairy Folk Festival, their album ‘Moonrise’ debuted at #1 on the ARIA album charts in December, and the indie folk outfit are taking their fourth studio record on tour this month. Tune in for a live set from the duo, and to hear about their show at 170 Russell on May 1.

The beginnings of Khazurvaal stem from the late 80s, where an encounter with Bathory's seminal album 'The Return' ignited a fascination with metal's dark soundscapes. Khazurvaal joins Kene on the show, tune in to hear about his solo black metal project, and about his upcoming show at The Bergy Bandroom to celebrate '25 Yeas of Evil' on May 9.

Formed in 2019, Cult of the Night is an 80's speed metal attack duo based here in Naarm/ Melbourne. Joining Kene on the show, the band will be performing at Burning Bitumen's Birthday Bonaza '25 Years of Evil' on May 9 at The Bergy Bandroom. Tune in to hear what the first wave of black metal band has been up to recently.

A collective dedicated to all things deep, underground and psychedelic, Terri and Bec from Spincycle Records will be coming on to Audio Vitamins. They'll be sharing an insight into their local label, talking about their past releases and doing a special guest mix for Jonny Alexander. Tune in to hear about their upcoming party at Collingwood Basement on April 25.

Tune in to Jazz On Saturday for a modern, soul-jazz Studio 5 Live performance from the Jake Mason Trio. Launching their new album 'The Modern Ark' at The Jazzlab on May 8, the band features hammond organist and composer Jake Mason (Cookin’ On 3 Burners), alongside James Sherlock (guitar) and Danny Fischer (drums). Tune in to hear Andrew Young catch up with the ARIA-nominated group about their new album.

Boundary-pushing, alternative band Fan Girl are about to release their new EP, which they’ll be chatting to Brooke about on Homebrew. Known for their explosive live shows, emotionally unpredictable and artful songwriting, the band are rapidly growing an international audience - championed by the likes of BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio 1, and KEXP. Tune in to hear about their upcoming international tour, and where we can next see them play locally. 

LA-based, alt-R&B and soul artist Rochelle Jordan is bringing her genre-defying sound to 170 Russell on May 28, showing audiences what it means to be a pop artist today. Her third album 'Through The Wall' is a rich, emotionally charged blend of polished house, alt-R&B and pop, underscored by a clear sense of personal resilience and artistic growth. Dropping in to Headhunters to chat with Elle Young about her upcoming Australian tour, tune in to hear from the London-born, Toronto-raised artist. 

Psych-rock, free-jazz band Brown Spirits are about to embark on a UK/Europe tour in May, stopping off at Freak Valley Festival (Germany) and Fuzztival (Denmark), plus a string of club shows in support of an upcoming LP reissues on Soul Jazz Records.  In celebration, Brown Spirits will be playing a special farewell show at the Bergy Bandroom on May 8, whilst also launching a strictly limited edition private press vinyl EP. Tune in to Pojama People to hear how they're doing ahead of the big tour.

The new album 'The Singer' from local artist DC Maxwell comes out on May 22, and Crispi will be catching up with DC on April 30 to chat about the new record. A sharp songwriter and a wild live performer, 'The Singer' is a collection of songs about singing and dancing while the foundations of the world tremble. Tune in to find out where you can next catch DC Maxwell perform live. 

After their crushing Studio 5 Live performance, Kene will be catching up with local band Carcinoid. Embodying suffocating doom elements while forging their sound by incorporating a plethora of sludge, punk and hardcore stylistic influences, Carcinoid is known for bringing intensity to all of their performances. They'll be playing at the Burning Bitumen Birthday Bonaza, '25 Years of Evil' show, tune in to hear about the celebrations going down on May 9 at the Bergy Bandroom.