Interviews

Locally-based, 7-piece soul-funk outfit Steppers are proud to present a body of work truly representative of their unspoken dialect; a sonic language communicated in groove, translated through dance. Their 6-track debut album launches Friday June 12 at Sooki Lounge, Belgrave, with the full weight of their combined experience and musicality. Tune in to The Afterglow Radio Show for a deep groove Studio 5 Live session, followed by an interview with Lyndelle.

Jake is a composer and music producer whose work can be heard in hundreds of films, games, and TV shows. Based in Chicago, he is a two-time nominee for Best Artistic Content at the Unity Awards in 2023 and 2025. As an educator, Jake coaches up-and-coming composers at the 'Video Game Music Alliance' and 'The Game Composer's Apprentice'. On this week's episode of Game Jams, Jake joins Matt to chat about his work on the upcoming card-slashing horror game, 'Forbidden Solitaire'.

Born in Tasmania but now residing in Munich, Germany, Alec Shea is an award-nominated voice actor, composer, and sound designer for video games. Following up his soundtrack releases for well-received indie games Corpse Factory and EcoGnomix, Alec joins Matt on Game Jams to talk about his fast-paced soundtrack for the upcoming Tassie-made game, 'Nullstar: Solus', which features a number of talented instrumentalists and vocalists as collaborators.

Drawing influence from artists like Bonny Light Horseman, Norwood fuses Americana inspiration with the alt-folk sounds of their home city, piecing together vulnerability with candid self-awareness. Formed through a shared admiration of upfront lyricism and inseparable harmonies, the pair have always aimed to create songs that find weight in their unassuming tenderness. Bringing in their guitars, tune in to Down By The River for a special live performance from the Naarm based duo.

Respected band of the eighties, The Eastern Dark are re-releasing their 1985 singles 'Johnny & Dee Dee / Julie Is A Junkie' on Grown Up Wrong Records. With a mix of sixties-via-Ramones pop smarts, hard rock crunch and punkish energy, their slim output has produced a world-wide cult awareness. Listen in from 2pm as Crispi catches up with drummer Geoff Milne about the re-release.

Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson of UK post-punk duo, Sleaford Mods, return to Australia. The pair celebrate the release of their new album, 'The Demise Of Planet X', which offers a universal cry of anger and release of energy that pushes against the encroaching cultural darkness. Tune in to Sunglasses After Dark with Phil MacDougal where he catches up with the band since their last PBS visit three years ago.

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.

Tune in to Burning Bitumen as Kene catches up with local satanic boogie band Nephalem. Having released their album 'Nepalism' last year, the band's musical backgrounds ranges from punk to indie to hardcore and everything in between. Find out when their next music releases will be, along with any upcoming shows they have in store. 

London-based duo U-BEND bridge the gap between acid cougars and the namaste death cult. Their steady stream of sold out 12” releases are packed with low-tempo, off-kilter gems that can regularly be heard on 'Charlie Bones’ Do!!You!!!' radio, with previous broadcasts on U-BEND.com. Joining Milo on The Breakfast Spread to spin the Wheels Of Steel, tune in for some obscure pop gems, to churning house and acid work outs, and to hear about their show at Collingwood Basement on April 18.

Dominic Flynn is the artistic director and curator of Ensemble Mania, a group based in Naarm/Melbourne and Nipaluna/Hobart, who focus on promoting rarely heard music, particularly by living composers who challenge notions of listening. Joining Ian Parsons on The Sound Barrier, they'll be talking about their upcoming concert at Tempo Rubato on 9 May, which will honour the 80th birthday of British composer Michael Finnissy, who has close ties to the ensemble.

Castlemaine artist Carla dal Forno is about to drop her album ‘Confession’ on April 24 via Kallista Records. Her latest single ‘Under the Covers’ draws on the romance of the ordinary found in 'The Cannanes' and 'Garbage and the Flowers', finding depth in routine and long-term intimacy. Bringing her soft, electronic sounds to The Breakfast Spread for a Studio 5 Live performance, tune in to hear about her upcoming shows at Hope St in Collingwood Yards on April 22 and 23.

Coming on to Deeep Space today is local musician Alex Macfarlane. With a new album on the horizon called 'Gleams and Louring', Alex is also the head honcho at local label Hobbies Galore, and is deeply connected to the music community, playing in Faceless Burial, The Green Child and Francis Plange - to name a few. Tune in from 9am to hear tracks from the new album, and to find when we can next expect to see Alex Macfarlane perform in Melbourne.

Tune in to Black Wax this Monday as Adam Rudegeair dedicates his show to Prince. To kick things off, Adam will be chatting with accomplished and enduring voice in R&B and soul - Andrew De Silva. Rising to fame as a founding member of CDB, their 1995 single 'Let's Groove' earned them an ARIA Award and cemented their place in Australian music history. Tune in to hear about Andrew De Silva's tribute show, 'A Decade in Purple' at Prince Bandroom on April 24.

Award winning Indian-born, Australian-based musician Darren Hart will be joining Adam for the second half of Black Wax. Famously discovered and mentored by legendary musician Prince at Paisley Park, Harts has composed, written, recorded and produced the entirety of his music catalog to date. His unique blend of funk, blues, psychedelic rock, pop, and indie electronic has seen him rise to great musical heights. Tune in to hear about Harts' new project 'The Melodaze'.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.