Interviews

Renowned for their ecstatic, free-flowing performances, Mildlife have lit up stages at Glastonbury, Primavera Sound, Montreux Jazz Festival, Love Supreme and beyond, transporting audiences through a kaleidoscopic journey of ’70s psychedelia, cosmic disco and deep-space jazz. They’ll be playing their Monash debut at Big Jazz Day Out on March 21, but first, Kevin Mcdowell from the local group stops by Black Wax to chat with Adam Rudegeair about the show.

Versatile Chinese/Australian composer and world-leading contemporary guzheng artist, Mindy Meng Wang is known for collaborations ranging from the Australian Art Orchestra to Gorillaz. A pioneer to bring the guzheng into many western genres such as experimental, jazz, western classical, electronic, pop and improvisation, Mindy will be playing at the Big Jazz Day Out on March 21 at the Monash University Performing Arts Centre. Adam catches up with Mindy ahead of the epic jazz party.

MESS (Melbourne Electronic Sound Studios) have just opened applications for this year's Professional Development Course. This is a FREE 12 week course and a rich opportunity for artists to connect with new communities, and to be a part of the MESS family. This week on Deeep Space MESS Director Byron Scullin drops in to chat to Justin Ashworth about this program and all the great things happening at MESS in 2026.

Annie & The Caldwells are a family from Mississippi whose powerful disco soul sound stirs church congregations and dance club revellers alike. Their new album, Can't Lose My (Soul), on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label is 40 years in the making and was hailed by The Guardian as a 'masterpiece'. Ahead of their Melbourne show at the MRC, Annie and the Caldwells call in from WOMAD to chat to Helen and Jackey about their unique take on gospel music.

'Sound of Women' is an initiative by rapper Krantinaari and percussionist-singer Charu, empowering women artists across India by preserving folk traditions while inspiring new expressions through contemporary music collaborations. With 'Studio Monkey Shoulder', Krantinaari travelled to Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in a mobile studio bus, visiting communities where women’s voices are rarely heard. Pradip catches up with Krantinaari, tune in for this TBEG special for International Women's Day.

The mind behind RnBSide.Naarm, an R&B party for lovers of underplayed and underappreciated tracks from across the decades, FRESHXPRINCESS is known for their signature throwbacks, B-side deep cuts, and genre-blending mixes that fold in R&B, house, afrobeats, Jersey club, and more. Tune in to Moondial as DJ FRESHXPRINCESS joins Olive for a dynamic, feel-good guest mix.

On March 26 at Northcote Theatre, Faroese singer, composer and sonic alchemist Eivør and Norwegian composer and multi-instrumentalist Sylvaine will be joining forces for an unforgettable show. With a sound that has been described as a bridge between the sacred and the storm, Sylvaine's (Kathrine Shepard) album ‘Nova' solidified her as a leading figure in the black-gaze and atmospheric Nordic music scenes. Kene catches up with Sylvaine, tune in to hear about her first ever show in Australia.

Extreme doom band Mammon's Throne have just signed with Hammerheart Records and will be launching their third and largest opus to date ‘My Body to the Worms’ at the Leadbeater Hotel on March 14. Atmospheric metallers Aquilus will make a rare live performance to celebrate - their first show since their European tour. Joining Kene on Burning Bitumen, tune in to hear about their new album ‘My Body to the Worms’.

'Get Low' is the new EP from Victorian songwriter and musician Sarah Carroll; an intelligent and adventurous five song trip which takes listeners from the intimacy, playfulness and pain of love to a wide-screen view of life itself. An intrinsic understanding of all manner of roots music, Sarah’s songs chime with sincerity and deal largely with her experiences as a teacher, mother, wife, political animal and touring musician. Tune in as she plays a few live songs to air on Swinging Doors.

The Aireys Inlet Music Festival is happening from March 13–16, and the lineup features an array of great local artists, including Ella Thompson, The Meanies, Kathleen Halloran, and Sarah Carroll and The Big Fuss. PBS’s own Ernie is helping put the festival together and joins Crispi on Radio City to chat about it. Tune in to hear more.

Renowned in city pubs and regional halls for their country-soul, rock’n’roll boogie and high-energy performances, the Danny Walsh Banned are about to launch their new album 'No Monument' at Shotkickers on March 22. With singles like 'Emu War' and 'Mousetrap', the new album dives deep into Australian folklore and untold stories, expanding their sonic horizons and featuring a lineup of guest artists including Kylie Auldist, Davey Lane and Dave Graney. Tune in as Crispi catches up with Danny Walsh.

After six years touring across three continents and earning nominations from the JUNOs, ECMAs, and CFMAs, Inn Echo has firmly established themselves as a dynamic force in modern trad music. Based in Prince Edward Island, the trio - Karson McKeown, Tuli Porcher and Tom Gammons - blends fiddle, cello, and guitar into a sound that’s both rooted and boundary-pushing. Tune in to Down By The River as the trio join Lauren for a couple of live songs ahead of Port Fairy Folk Festival that weekend. 

American folk artist Annahstasia performs in Naarm for the first time tonight, bringing her soulful, poetic, and deeply intimate songcraft to Northcote Theatre. A singular voice in contemporary folk, she has carved her own path through patience, independence, and a devotion to storytelling - qualities that shape her acclaimed debut album Tether. Tune in to Down By The River to hear her chat with Lauren.

This week on Game Jams, Matt will be joined by Ramon Bellett. A game developer at Super Spin Digital, the Melbourne-based indie studio behind the rhythm game Spin Rhythm XD, Ramon has composed the original liquid drum and bass soundtrack for their upcoming game 'Ligmanauts', a physics-driven party platformer launching on Steam later this year. Tune in to hear about the music engine that Ramon has built that generates an endless, evolving DnB mix.

Locally based developer of weird, small and silly games, Hugh aka StormCat is a solo developer of the game 'WIZARD PUNKS!!!' - an upcoming spell-slinging local multiplayer party game. Andy, aka Bsharp creates videogame compositions that is a mishmash of influences from the early 2000’s mixed with their current interests, including games such as 'Hollow Knight', 'Deltarune', and 'Earthbound'. Tune in to Game Jams as Matt catches up with StormCat and Bsharp from local game studio EyeOfStormCat.

Brunswick Music Festival and In The Moment present a hub for music, culture, and community- spanning live radio, curated events, intimate gatherings, pop-ups, record-fairs and everything in between. To mark the beginning, join them for their official launch, taking place over two nights, where they will let loose, boogie and toast to the road ahead. Tune in to The Afterglow Radio Show as Lyndelle is joined by Mike Gurrieri who'll be chatting more about this event. 

Following the successful release of their self-titled debut album in 2024, PepperCreek Revival and Kelly Auty embarked on a new creative journey together, releasing their sophomore album 'It's all Been Said'. The ten-track album weaves together themes of life’s journeys, embracing Australian roots and rock while exploring both joyful and challenging personal relationships inspired by the music the band has admired over the years. Barry Hills and Kelly Auty join Helen to chat about the record.

Chain, the originators of ‘Oz-Blues’, present an evening that includes their hits from the early 70's through to recent albums, all delivered with the energy and cohesion they are known and loved for. Founding member of the band, Phil Manning, has had an impressive career as a guitarist and catches up with Helen ahead of the shows. Tune in to Roots Of Rhythm as they discuss the performances going down at Memo Music Hall on March 7 and 8.

Claire Edwardes OAM has built a career in new music by asking what percussion can be and how it can boldly reflect the world we inhabit. Drawing inspiration from chaos theory, 'Dual Attractor' explores two gravitational centres pulling in different directions. For Claire, these opposing forces are found in the relationship between performer and instrument, and the distinct voices of marimba and vibraphone. Tune in to hear about her show at the Melbourne Recital Centre on March 18.

Tonight on Tyrannocoreus, Ryan will be interviewing Greg Burgess, lead guitarist for US melo tech group Allegaeon. Having just released 'The Ossuary Lens’, they’ll be chatting about the reception their new album has received, and how vocalist Ezra Haynes has joined the band once again. Tune in to hear about their Australian headline tour, playing in Naarm on March 8 at The Corner Hotel.