Interviews

Jazz legend, pianist and long-time Melbourne local Bob Sedergreen is turning 80 and, to celebrate, he has curated a unique performance event for Boroondara Arts, featuring two all-star bands and two exceptional vocalists, that will culminate in a Kansas City-style jam session. Tune in to Monday's Black Wax to hear Bob speak about his birthday party happening at Hawthorn Arts Centre on August 27.

The Stanley Records Travelling Medicine Show 2023 returns to Victoria this Saturday. Featuring artists Katie Brianna, Looch Lewis & the Press Gangsters and T.C. Jones. Tune in to 5ft High & Rising to hear T.C. Jones and Looch Lewis speak about the show happening at The Lomond Hotel.

'Mutiny In Heaven: The Birthday Party' is the new documentary by Ian White that details the chaotic history of Melbourne punk band The Birthday Party. It features rare and unseen photos, artwork, letters and diaries, unreleased tracks and studio footage, and its soundtrack has been curated by the band's multi-instrumentalist, Mick Harvey. Mick joins Michael at Junkyard to talk about the documentary and the history of The Birthday Party.

Before taking off to Canada in September, sister folk duo Charm of Finches will play a couple of local shows, including a showcase of new songs at Brunswick Ballroom on August 11th. They drop in on Radio City to chat with Crispi about their forthcoming album, an indie-pop musing on travel, tour life and new perspectives of home. Tune in on Thursday afternoon from 1pm.

'Little Richard: I Am Everything' tells the story of the black queer origins of rock' n’ roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the originator, Richard Penniman. The documentary brings us into Richard’s complicated inner world, revealing the icon’s life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. Director Lisa Cortés speaks to Annika about the documentary.

When French cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras was invited to join the Silk, Metal, Wood project, he leapt at the chance to work with one of Australia’s musical treasures, grand master of the Koto Satsuki Odamura. The pair then welcomed one of Adelaide’s young stars, cellist James Morley, into the mix, to create a trio of passionate musicians inspired by the love of their instruments. James joins Cas on The Modernist for an intimate conversation about this unique unique cross-cultural string trio.

Dual front men Valak Exhumer and Defiler of Melbourne satanic black metal band, Anarazel join Kene on Burning Bitumen as special guest programmers in celebration of their forthcoming album. Tune in from 10pm as it's going to get dark and blasphemic.

Desert Rock pioneers Yawning Man will make their way back to Australia this August to showcase their latest album 'Long Walk of the Navajo.' Tune in to Pojama People to hear the band's conversation with Chris.

Acclaimed US rock band The War on Drugs are returning to Australia in December for the first time since 2018. To make up for their lengthy absence, the band is bringing along for the tour two special guests: US indie favourites Spoon and Australian singer-songwriter Indigo Sparke. Frontman Adam Granduciel joins Claire Stuchbery on Firewater for a chat about their belated tour in support of their stellar 2021 album, I Don’t Live Here Anymore.

'No Excuses' was recorded live at the Thornbury Bowls Club on April 24, 2022 at a show dedicated to the memory of Nathan Ashworth who sadly passed away from brain cancer at the end of 2021. The day saw over $10,000 raised for The Cure Brain Cancer Foundation in Nathan's name and funds from this tape go directly to increasing that total. Grace Gibson from Rack Off Records joins David Pisker on Underground Love to talk about the label's new tape compilation.

One of Melbourne's newest independent labels, Beloved Recordings, aims to champion lyrically captivating and musically daring art-rock, indie-folk, and weirdo pop. Founded by Darvid Thor, the label has just signed Lewis Coleman who will be launching his new single 'Talking To Yourself' as part of the label showcase at The Evelyn on August 11th. Tune in to Homebrew to hear from both Lewis and Darvid as they chat with Brooke and play a couple of acoustic songs live in-studio.

Rosie Jones and Jason Byrne (director and producer) joins Roger on the Global Village to talk about their documentary 'Abebe - Butterfly Song,' which is about the extraordinary musical friendship between Sir George Telek MBE and Australian musician David Bridie. The film will premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on August 13, including an intimate performance from Telek, Bridie and long-time collaborator Phil Wales.

Catherine Britt and Lachlan Byrne formed The Pleasures through an unintended chance meeting in a Texan brothel. The Pleasures’ are readying themselves to release their debut album, which plots the lifespan of a fiery relationship from the start, through to the end and the aftermath. Catherine and Lachlan chat with Dave DeBrincat on Swinging Doors about The Pleasures’ debut album 'The Beginning of the End.'

Those Pretty Wrongs (Jody Stephens [Big Star] and Luther Russell) make their return to Australia. Tune in to Radio City as they grace PBS for a special Studio 3 performance ahead of their shows at Brunswick Ballroom on August 12 and Memo Music Hall on August 13.

Taking time out from recording her 6th album, Kylie Auldist will grace the Brunswick Ballroom stage on August 5 to play a one-off special show featuring heavy soul cuts from her last two solo albums and an all-star band. Kylie catches up with Lyndelle to talk about the gig.

The Meltdown is back with a new live record. Recorded at The Night Cat on April Fools' day 2021, it encapsulates The Night Cat heaving and sweating through an awesome night of music during a time where Melbourne had been locked down for several months and the excitement of being out in the world again jumps out of the speakers. Vocalist and keyboard player Simon Burke drops by The Afterglow to talk about 'Live at the Nightcat' and its launch at The Night Cat on August 4.

Ko Shin Moon was born in 2017, at a crossroads between traditional Eastern strings and electronic music machines. Ko Shin Moon creates otherworldly, hybrid melodies where psychedelia meets space disco. Individually, they are Axel Moon and Niko Shin.

Future Static's vocalist Amariah Cook and guitarist Ryan Qualizza drop in to the studio to chat about their cover of Daddy Yankee's 'Gasolina,' into an upcoming headliner at The Evelyn on September 8 and their upcoming tour of Europe.

I AM MORBID, the band featuring former Morbid Angel members David Vincent (bass, vocals) and Pedro “Pete” Sandoval (drums), will revisit the first four Morbid Angel albums on its upcoming Australian tour next month. David chats with Kene about celebrating the 30 year anniversary of the seminal album 'Covenant,' the enduring relevance of death metal, living in Texas and making country music.

Drummer for Norwegian black metal band Vreid, Jorn Holen (Steingrim) joins Kene on Burning Bitumen to talk about the band's new stand-alone single 'Flammen,' forming Vreid after Windir, playing on top of a Norwegian mountain overlooking a Fjord and the path forward.