Interviews

Today on Underground Love, Ella Ion will be coming on to the show to perform songs from her new EP 'Liminal Archive' live in the studio. Emerging from Kaurna Land (Adelaide), Ella Ion crafts music that cuts deep to the core. Drawing on influences of indie-rock, folk and country, her eloquent lyricism and masterful musical control delivers a cacophony of raw emotion, anchored by grit and heart. Tune in as Jordan catches up with Ella Ion about the new release.

The debut LP from Swapmeet is a sweeping, guitar-driven road trip that recalls and reinvigorates the alt rock and slowcore of the 90s and early aughts. Titled ‘Mount Zero’, the album arrives on the heels of the band’s signing to LA-based label 'Winspear', and after winning awards at the South Australia Music Awards. While visiting Naarm/Melbourne, the alt-rock band chat to Jordan in the studio about their LP, and their recently announced world tour plans. 

Aboriginal icon Briggs has a new musical project called BIG NOTER. Trading hip-hop beats for guitar riffs, Big Noter taps into Briggs’ hard-core, punk and metal roots with a full live band in tow, delivering a raw and uncompromising sound that feels both familiar and fresh. Fierce, loud and unapologetic, BIG NOTER is a return to the heavy music that first lit the fuse. Tune in to Firewater as Claire Stuchbery catches up with Briggs and band drummer Steve Smith on the show after 5.30pm.

‘Promise To Keep / Change Of Heart’ are the latest singles from multi-award-winning contemporary soul artist Ella Thompson. Released through Mr Bongo, ‘Promise To Keep’ is an irrepressibly upbeat groover that echoes the sound of mid-to-late-1960s vocal groups, while its flip side, ‘Change of Heart’, is a cold, downtempo deep-soul tearjerker. Ella brings her incredible vocals to The Breakfast Spread for an intimate Wednesday morning performance, tune in to hear about her show at Howler on July 4.

Catching up with Helen on the show this morning is Tracey Roberts. With a new art exhibition at MAGNET Galleries, she's showcasing 12 unique and vibrant synesthetic artworks where music is translated into colour, movement and form. Through her rare neurological experience of music-colour synesthesia, Roberts creates richly layered visual compositions that offer audiences a glimpse into the way sound can be perceived beyond hearing. Tune in to hear more about 'Fly Me To The Moon' art exhibition.

This morning on Roots of Rhythm, Helen Jennings will be catching up with guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and producer, Jeff Lang. Set to perform with Dom Turner at the Winter Blues Festival in Echuca from 23 - 26 July, Jeff Lang has released 32 albums, published a book, and won three ARIA Awards during a storied career spanning more than three decades. Tune in to hear about his upcoming tour with Sydney-based guitarist and vocalist Dom Turner.

Tune in to The Afterglow Radio Show for a special live performance from the legendary Emma Donovan. Throughout her celebrated career, Emma has enchanted audiences with her mesmerising voice and commanding stage presence. This NAIDOC Week, Emma and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will bring 'Take Me to the River' to life at Hamer Hall on July 10. Owen McKern catches up with Emma Donovan to chat about her new record, which is a tribute to the timeless soul classic.

Joining Milo Eastwood on The Breakfast Spread this morning for a round of Musical Chairs is Guy Blackman. Co-founding Chapter Music in Perth over 30 years ago, the label built a legendary reputation for nurturing unique artists across indie pop, post-punk, folk, rap, and experimental music. Over its three-decade run, Chapter Music released close to 200 titles, winning 'Best Independent Label' at the 2019 AIR Awards. Tune in to hear what Guy's been up to recently. 

Folk diviner Leah Senior has just released her fifth studio album 'Pt. Roadknight', with the album launch taking place at The Tote on July 18. Having shared the stage with artists such as Wilco, Iron & Wine and Jessica Pratt, the record explores Leah’s introspective, nature-loving side, while honing the singular baroque psych folk that has captivated listeners around the world. Stopping by Down By The River, tune in to hear a live in-studio performance from Leah Senior. 

This week on Junkyard, Michael Mulholland will be joined by Mick Harvey, Cash Savage and Robert Tickner to talk about 'These are the Waves' - The Music of Conway Savage', a tribute show taking place at Brunswick Ballroom on July 17. Conway Savage was a highly respected keyboard player, composer and member of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, and the show will celebrate his music, performed by family, friends, colleagues and peers. Tune in to hear tracks from the new 'Conway Savage Anthology'.

Spinning the Wheels of Steel on The Breakfast Spread this morning is Alice Payne. Her new EP 'Evolution' is a three-track EP that weaves between deep house, tech house and dub reggae infusions. Each track focuses on percussive grooves that gradually evolve into uplifting, dreamy energies. Tune in to hear about her upcoming show at 'Riggy Fest' in Bodriggy on July 18, as part of Leaps and Bounds Festival.

Also joining Greg on the show tonight is composer and Australian Art Orchestra (AAO) Artistic Director, Aaron Choulai. 'Smoke Between Mountains' is the new work by Aaron Choulai with the AAO, and it will premiere in Naarm/Melbourne as part of the AAO's Sonic City program on July 8. Composed for an ensemble of nine musicians, it traces a dreamlike narrative drawing on Shinto and Australian First Nations ecological thought against an innovative score that plays with the Ghibli sound world.

Sydney quartet Believe return with 'Nature's God': a meditation on the beauty of human existence and the power of the planet we love. This ode to connection is a bold next step for a band exploring what it is to be fully, unabashedly alive in the moment. The powerhouse group combines four of the most inventive improvisers – and composers – in Sydney’s creative music scene. Greg Sher catches up with Clayton Thomas, the bassist from Believe, ahead of their show at Jazz Lab on Sunday, July 12.

Fresh off the release of their debut EP 'Sicko', Naarm’s Jeane return to The Tote this July 24, with support from local bands Sonic Reducer and Gloomie. Led by front woman Jazz Johnston, 'Sicko' explores faith, femininity, vulnerability and self-expression through jagged guitars, hook-heavy songwriting and raw, unfiltered storytelling. Jeane stop by PBS, chatting with Brooke on Homebrew about their new EP and the release show.

Joining Claire Dickson this morning on The Breakfast Spread for a special, Tuesday morning guest mix, is PBS announcer Bridget Small. With a selection of tunes that reflect a deeply thoughtful ear and an intuitive approach to programming, her sets favour leftfield chuggy downtempo, homespun DIY guitar music and long-lost gems uncovered through close listening and curiosity. Find out about her upcoming DJ set at 'HIGH GROUND: IN MOTION' on July 18 at The Evelyn Hotel, as part of Leaps and Bounds.

This morning on Mystic Brew, Iwuda, the solo project of First Nations bassist Davin Ojala, will join Mike Gurrieri on the program. Named after the Anaiwan word for echidna, Iwuda draws on jazz, groove, and a wide range of musical traditions to arrive somewhere distinctly its own: bass-forward modern jazz with a searching, restless quality at its core. Tune in to hear about 'Music for Iwuda', the upcoming debut album from Davin Ojala.

This week on Tyrannocoreus, Ryan catches up with George Clarke, vocalist for US black-metal trailblazers Deafheaven. Coming over to Australia for a bunch of shows, their 2025 album 'Lonely People With Power' is their sixth album, and embraces the band’s full identity after years of evolution. The record captures Deafheaven’s innate ability to mix and merge melody with brutality, and pain with poetry. Tune in to hear about their show at The Forum on July 9.

'Under The Under' is the new sophomore album from local band Growth. Starting as a reflective space to explore the sorrows and sharp angles that come attendant with a lifelong diagnosis, Growth has found meaningful ways to channel the ugliest and most jarring fragments of the self. Opening for Rivers of Nihil at Max Watt's on August 15, tune in to Tyrannocoreus as Ryan catches up with the band ahead of their show with the US death metal group.

The Echuca Moama Winter Blues festival is running from July 23 - 26, and on the line up is award-winning artist, powerhouse bassist, and soulful vocalist Sweet Felicia and the Honeytones. Since forming the band in 1999, Sweet Felicia has shared stages with legends including BB King and Ron Wood, and in 2010 represented Melbourne as a semi-finalist in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Listen in to Roots of Rhythm to hear more about Sweet Felicia's extensive musical career.

Coming in to Roots of Rhythm this morning to join Helen Jennings in the studio, is multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Daryl Roberts. His band Hey Gringo have eight funky blues albums of original music, which have charted up to No. 2 on 'The Oz Blues & Roots Airplay Charts', and they are about to drop their ninth album 'Adios Amigos'. Tune in to hear about the bands upcoming shows, along with tracks from the new record.

With two album releases under his belt, Pirritu’s work honours a cultural journey connecting to land, language, and family with a continual thirst for deeper understanding. His music features folk instrumentation weaving amongst his unique vocals like the gentle wind and waters that the Ngiyampaa man sings of, with stories of sadness, love and hope. To kick off the show this week, Lauren Plant is joined by Pirritu for a captivating, live in studio acoustic performance.

Link McLennan from Bagful of Beez and Ross McLennan from Heir to the Squandered Millions will be stopping by Radio City this week to chat with Crispi about their new singles. Link Meanie - aka Link McLennan - has always been known for his love of pop, even when screaming his guts out in the Meanies, while Ross McLennan is known for his power-pop outfit Snout. Tune in to hear about their release show at The Tote on July 16.

'The Builders Arms', once known by some as the 'Black Pub of Melbourne' was a hub for the Aboriginal community from the 1930s-1980s. In that time, many people came off the missions and found family and community in Fitzroy. On July 22, as part of Leaps and Bounds, there will be audio stories from well-known Elders, and Uncle Robbie Thorpe will be stopping in for a yarn, followed by a music/spoken word set from MpathSoul. Tune in to Subway Sounds from 7pm as MpathSoul joins Suzi on the show.

The soulful traditions of West African blues will meet the evocative sounds of Greek rebetiko at the Melbourne Recital Centre on July 23, when the Mande Blues Ensemble and Estudiantina of Melbourne come together. Joining Roger Holdsworth on the show to discuss their remarkable cross-cultural collaboration, tune in for live music and a conversation with Amadou Suso, Aboubacar Djelike Kouyate and Con Kalamaras about this unique musical dialogue before experiencing it live on stage.

Coming on to Stars In The Static this week is New Zealand-born pianist Mike Nock. A work of astonishing emotional depth, his seminal album 'Ondas' was recorded in Oslo in 1981, featuring himself on piano, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jon Christensen. More than four decades on, it remains one of German independent jazz record label ECM’s towering achievements. Greg catches up with Mike Nock about performing his album in full at Fed Square on July 23, with support from Krakatau.

On Tyrannocoreus this week, vocalist Julian Cashwan Pratt for US art/punk/hardcore group Show Me The Body will be coming on to the show. 'Alone Together' is their new album, and it's about praxis and putting belief into action. The opening line, “radical love compels me to fight”, reflects lived experience, standing up for one another and for what you believe in, regardless of outcome. Tune in to hear what Show Me The Body has planned for the rest of 2026.

Using her artistry as a passage for connection and catharsis, Daisy Kilbourne combines elements of folk, rock, and soul to create a sound that pays homage to her musical heroes, while remaining distinctly her own. A wannabe ‘70’s child that comes from a small town with a big spirit, Daisy draws inspiration from the musical legacy of her late father, a fellow songwriter. Tune in for a special live performance from Daisy, and to hear about playing at Town Folk Festival later on in the year.

At the Fitzroy Bowls Club on July 23, Tracey Miller and friends will be playing a special show, as part of Leaps and Bounds.  With a career spanning four decades, Tracey’s voice has lit up stages all around the world, forging deep connections through gospel, soul, and rhythm and blues. On the day, Tracey will be joined by Le Tran singing in Vietnamese, Mietta Zaetta-Thomas performing in Italian and Byron Triandafyllidis playing the Greek bouzouki. Tune in to hear more about this free event.

On Radio City this week, Crispi will be joined by Scott Thurling, the founder of local record label Popboomerang. Releasing music since 2002 with over 80 recordings to date, Scott will be chatting about releasing a compilation called 'Shake Yer Popboomerang 4', featuring rare and unreleased tracks from Australian bands on July 3. Tune in to hear about the compilation launch shows at Shotkickers on August 9, followed by The Tote on August 15.