Interviews

Joining Penny for this episode of Passing Notes is Helsinki artist Jeku. His latest release ‘Peyote Trance’, follows Jeku's journey into the 'trip', where mother nature pulls the strings, instead of the tin foil hatted puppet masters that hold the strings to us all. Finding solace in the dance and opting for psychedelic enlightenment over psychological terror, tune in for an energetic guest mix and interview from the Paris based producer. 

Artificial is the solo project of Nicole Skeltys, who's also one half of Australian electro-femme pioneers B(if)tek. Penny caught up with Nicole at the ‘re:send’ stage at un:send festival this year, tune in to hear her eccentric mixture of deep analogue bleeps, hillbilly house, fizzy disco, arthouse movie samples and '70s British TV comedy. 

Naarm/Melbourne-based sound artist Joel Stern is a curator and researcher with an interest in how sound and listening are part of shaping who we are as people and as cultures. He will be joining Ian this Sunday to talk about his latest release 'Environments 12', which delves into the complex connections and influences between the natural world and sound technologies, and interrogates the questions and uncertainties with which the modern world layers this ambiguous and baffling relationship.

Following on from 2024’s self-titled ‘kisses’ cassette, the band return with an evolved expression of their signature whimsical, intimate yet expansive brand of genre-bending folk. Delivering ten songs that  fly straight from kisses’ heart into your dreams, the group stop by PBS to catch up with Claire Dickson on The Breakfast Spread. Tune in for a live, intimate performance from kisses, playing tracks from their new album 'You Are in My Dreams’.

'Sono Una Pera' is an Italian folkloric inspired album by local musician Adam Halliwell. Weaving between improvisations and compositions using old and new forgotten technologies, the album relays stories, fantasies, tales and false experiences inspired by a quasi-Italian life with his grandparents in Diamond Creek. Performed solo and recorded live early last year, Lloyd will be catching up with Adam about the new album. Tune in to find out when it's due for release.

Known for high-energy, genre-fluid sets that blend globally influenced club sounds with percussive elements and "leftfield curveballs," Mondo Ritmo is the creative project of Naarm-based DJ and designer Jarrod Porter. A veteran of the Melbourne underground scene since 2004, the project has earned an international reputation for its versatile, dancefloor-focused curation. Tune in to Dounya as Jarrod joins DJ Matab on the show.

A tango between vintage doom metal and modern heavy rock, Devil Electric's new album 'Tahlia' is a homage to the Latin phrase 'that which nourishes me, destroys me'. Known for their crushing riffs, haunting vocals, and commanding stage presence, the band are coming on to Pojama People for a Studio 5 Live performance. Chris Pearson catches up with the four-piece about their new album. 

Formed in the sun-baked deserts of Southern California, Yawning Man make desert rock music, that is hypnotic, instrumental, and deeply atmospheric. With roots stretching back to the generator parties of the early Palm Desert scene, their music blends surf-inflected psychedelia, loose improvisation, and expansive groove, influencing generations of heavy and experimental bands worldwide. Tune in as Mario Lalli chats about Yawning Man's show with Rubber Snake Charmers at Stay Gold on April 2.

Born in post-grunge Collingwood in late 1995, Augie March are celebrating 20 years of their platinum album 'Moo, You Bloody Choir' which saw the band gate-crash the mainstream party in 2006. Playing their third studio album in its entirety at The Croxton on April 9, the record features their hit, 'One Crowded Hour' which topped Triple J’s Hottest 100 at the time. Tune in to Radio City as Crispi catches up with vocalist/guitarist Glenn Richards while he's in town. 

Local singer-songwriter Kavisha Mazzella was born in the UK to Italian and Anglo-Burmese parents. She is about to launch her new album, 'There is a Field', recorded with Nicholas Lyon, and the title track is based on a Sufi poem by Rumi that she's set to music. Kavisha drops by the Global Village to chat with Roger about the album, tune in to hear some of her new music.

Boasting a collection of high-calibre musicians with an impressive pedigree (The Cat Empire, The Badloves, Ajak Kwai), PSI PHI will be launching their debut album at Shotkickers on April 18. Drawing inspiration from the gatefold-era of 70s prog and psych rock hedonistic excess, PSI PHI evoke the gods and monsters of the golden age of rock with virtuosity and intensity. Members of the group stop by Pojama People, tune in to hear them chat with Chris Pearson about the upcoming show.

This week on Down by the River PBS presents a special delayed broadcast from the 2026 Port Fairy Folk Festival. Join Lauren on stage for live sets and interviews from Irish Mythen (pictured), Svavar Knútur and Charley Castle and the Boys in the Well. Re-live the magic of this concert and feel the energy of this unique live radio event.

Three respected and influential singer-songwriters - Sara Storer, Shane Howard and Shane Nicholson - will join forces in an extraordinary live collaboration, celebrating the craft, power and legacy of Australian songwriting at MEMO Music Hall on May 14. This event will bring together three distinct voices whose songs have shaped the nation’s cultural landscape across generations. The two Shane's join Ernie, tune in to hear an intimate live performance from them.

Coming on to Swinging Doors to perform a couple of live songs for Ernie is US musician Mike Frazier. Hailing from the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia but relocated to Seattle, Washington in 2022, Mike Frazier is carrying on the tradition of record craft with a focus on authentic songwriting and high-quality production. Tune in to hear what brings him to Naarm/Melbourne. 

Joining Kene on Burning Bitumen this Thursday night is US metal guitarist Jack Owen, a founding member of Cannibal Corpse and part of Six Feet Under. Originally a side project formed by Chris Barnes with guitarist Allen West of Obituary, Six Feet Under has released 14 albums, and is listed by Nielsen Soundscan as the fourth-best-selling death metal act in the US. Tune in to hear what Jack Owen has been up to recently.

Formed in Santiniketan, West Bengal, in 2009, The Three Seas grew out of an all-night jam between Australian saxophonist Matt Keegan and local musicians Raju Das Baul and Deo Ashis Mothey, alongside Kolkata-based drummer Gaurab 'Gaboo' Chatterjee. Joining Pradip on Tiger Beats Elephant Grooves, tune in to hear about their new album 'Antahkarana', a luminous meeting of Baul mysticism, Himalayan folk, rock and dub, which they'll be performing at Jazz Lab on April 11. 

Local musicians Patrick Ryan (Cantrips) and Lachlan Stuckey (Surprise Chef) have teamed up to form the new project Blademasters. Their debut release 'King’s Knight' and 'Live By The Blade' features delicate acoustic guitar arrangements in unison, set against a dramatic rhythm section, which is inspired by David Axelrod's bold cinematic jazz works of the 1960s and 1970s. Tune in to Mystic Brew as Mike Gurrieri catches up with the duo ahead of their launch at High Note on April 23.

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.