Interviews

Local purveyors of hard-hitting tunes, Drunk Mums will be storming onto the Arockalypse Now stage in San Remo on April 18. Known for their raw riffs, sharp hooks and sweat-drenched live shows, the group have multiple albums to their name and years of touring across Australia, the UK and Europe, earning a reputation for no-nonsense, high-energy performances that hit hard every time. Ahead of the festival, Phil MacDougall catches up with Jake and Adam from the band.

Local group Comedy will be coming on to Radio City this March 19, ahead of their show at Lulie Tavern on March 27 and at Rocksteady Records for Record Store Day on April 18. Their indie-rock tune 'L.A. Perfume' was released late last year, and the four-piece are about to drop their second single, 'Hate Machine.' Tune in as Crispi chats with Andy and Francis from the band about their new music.

At The Gem on March 28, Feelds - the project of local songwriter and producer James Seymour, will be launching their new single ‘Mayhem’. Written about opening up to yourself and owning your vulnerability, the track features a new band lineup and a sound that feels like a nod to the project's initial alt-folk conception over a decade ago. Bringing in his guitar to Down By The River, tune in to hear Feelds perform his new single live-to-air.

Known for writing and performing some of Australia’s most loved songs as both a solo artist and fronting ARIA Hall of Fame inductees You Am I, Tim Rogers has a career that spans 30 years with over 20 albums, 10 ARIA awards, countless TV, Film, Theatre appearances and books to his name. Sharing some live, acoustic songs in-studio with Lyndelle, tune in to the The Afterglow Radio Show to hear about his show taking place at Brunswick Ballroom on March 20.

Now in its 23rd year, the 'Dandenong Ranges Open Studios' provides visitors a unique opportunity to glimpse into the artist's inner sanctum. Over two weekends on March 21-22 and March 28-29, the studios will open their doors to share their wealth of creative talent in their biggest Open Studios to date. Singer-songwriter, graphic designer, and visual artist Tracey Roberts catches up with Helen - tune in to hear more about this vibrant event.

Coming into Roots of Rhythm for the monthly segment 'Wordy Gurdy', Jackey Coyle and Helen Jennings chat about exceptional music and writing, scouring the past 100 years for rare and excellent blues, jazz, country, and more. Tune in from 9am to hear them analyse the best of the best.

Perth/ Boorloo-based band Vanta is carving their way with something unique in the melodeath space, an approach that fuses their influences with experimentation, storytelling, and a technical edge. Their new album 'Perpetual Selection’ is an emotional journey that offers catchy, melodic passages and ferocious moments with an engaging, atmospheric approach. Ahead of their album launch on March 27, Ryan catches up with Jesse Venus (bass) and Ferde Handojo (drums) from the band.

British metalcore band Sylosis have just released their fiercely sophisticated yet defiantly uncompromising 11 track record, 'The New Flesh'. They’re about to embark on a tour across Europe, the UK and North America, with plans to return to Australia. Ryan catches up with Josh Middleton, the singer-songwriter for Sylosis, tune in to Tyrannocoreus to find out when we can next expect to see them in Melbourne.

Local rockers Moler are releasing their blistering new single 'Roky', lifted from their brand new album '69', which is the band’s second full-length release since their ARIA-nominated 1997 debut 'Golden Duck'. Ahead of their album launch at The Tote on March 21, Helen and JJ McCann stop by Pojama People to catch up with Chris Pearson. Listen in to hear tracks from their new record, which is packed with alternative textures and glam-leaning, post-punk energy.

On March 20, Faroese singer, composer and sonic alchemist Eivør Pálsdóttir will return to this part of the world with her first-ever headline tour. Playing at Northcote Theatre, Eivør will be joined by another distinctive voice from the Nordic music world, Norwegian composer and multi-instrumentalist Sylvaine. Tune in to hear Eivør chat with Chris Pearson about her full-scale live production, where she'll bring her signature blend of primal rhythms, folk mysticism, and cinematic grandeur.

After nine years, local band Private Function have confirmed their final show ever at LuliePalooza Festival on March 21. Known for their unrelenting live shows and unmatched irreverence, their latest 19-track LP '¯\_(ツ)_/¯’ captures everything fans have come to love about the band: catchy hooks, irreverent lyrics, and a family-friendly “bite me” attitude. Claire catches up with the band’s front man Chris Penney, tune in to hear how he’s feeling ahead of the band’s big finale.

When the Bondi Cigars were first gigging around Sydney, late 1989, they moved in a blues circuit which had then been sparked into new life by the ‘blues revival’ of the mid-80’s, spearheaded by Robert Cray, Joe Louis Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan and similar crusaders. True survivors – the Cigars have been battling on without ever compromising their distinctive, no nonsense style. Bringing their music to Brunswick Ballroom on March 21, Andy Merkel catches up with Alan ahead of the Naarm show.

One of the defining figures in contemporary British jazz, Shabaka will be gracing Stars In The Static. His new solo album, 'Of The Earth' is written, performed, produced, and mixed entirely by Shabaka, marking a pivotal moment in the multi-instrumentalist’s artistic evolution. Establishing him as a singular instrumentalist-producer, the album synthesises the dance-driven propulsion of his groups Sons of Kemet and The Comet Is Coming. Tune in as Greg Sher interviews one of his musical heroes.

'Elsewhere in India' is an audiovisual performance by Indian electronica pioneers Murthovic and Thiruda. Their performances explore cultural heritage, digital technology, and speculative futures through film, video gaming culture, traditional and electronic music. Playing at Bunji Place on March 28, people can expect striking visuals, electronic beats, and a story-driven world that blends tradition with sci-fi ideas. Tune in to TBEG to hear more about this internationally-celebrated music.

Iron & Wine, the moniker of singer/songwriter and film studies lecturer Sam Beam, returns to Australia for the first time since 2018 – this time as soloist in a captivating run of shows. Known for his deeply burnished vocals, keen melodic sensibility, and introspective, free-flowing lyrical point of view, Iron & Wine is one of the preeminent artists and collaborators of the first wave of indie folk. Tune in as Myles catches up with Iron & Wine after his Studio 5 Live performance.

UK production project The Trip by Max van Dijk and Oliver Hiam are heading over to Naarm/Melbourne this March 14 for a show at Glamorama, presented by clipp.art. Releasing music under the name 'The Trip' since 2020, the duo grab inspiration from moments on the dancefloor, drawing on UKG, progressive, tech house, and house elements from the '90s onward  - weaving into a distinctive, sample-heavy style. Tune in to The Breakfast Spread as The Trip take over the Wheels Of Steel.

Tune in to Burning Bitumen this March 12 as Kene is joined by Phillip T King, the lead singer for local hard rock / heavy metal band Flitcraft. Their 2025 album 'Transmission Echo’, is filled with heavy melodic rock - like 70’s Priest or Scorpions, but with a quirky and modern progressive flair. Discussing the album in full, tune in to hear Phil and Kene chat all things metal. 

UK punkster TV Smith brings his Adverts cannon to The Tote on April 3 and Last Chance Rock on April 5. A true 1977 veteran, the Adverts were one of the leading bands in the first wave of British punk rock. Their 1979 album 'Cast Of Thousands' which was slammed by critics at the time, was later re-released to universal acclaim, and described by Mojo magazine as “the long lost punk album that rivals The Clash’s ‘London Calling’.” Phil catches up with TV Smith ahead of the Melbourne shows.

With stellar guitar work and songs that will have you smiling one minute and crying the next, Steve Poltz will be bringing his raucous, joyous, improvisational and always strange music to Brunswick Ballroom on March 12. After over a dozen albums, he’s still creatively firing on all cylinders and critically acclaimed by the likes of Rolling Stone, Associated Press, Billboard, and many more. Stopping by Swinging Doors ahead of his show, tune in for a live, acoustic performance from Steve Poltz.

US trio I’m With Her have just won Best Folk Album for 'Wild and Clear and Blue' and Best American Roots Song for 'Ancient Light' at this year's GRAMMYS. Routinely taking time out from their individual careers to dream up songs together, 'Wild and Clear and Blue' brings their luminous harmonies to a soul-searching body of work about reaching into the past, navigating a chaotic present, and bravely moving forward into the unknown. Lauren Plant catches up with the trio post their GRAMMY awards.