Interviews

Growing up between Australia and his family village of Miniara in North Lebanon, Naarm-based composer and musician Daniel "Rafet" Grima has always had a deep interest in maqamat and traditional Arabic music. After writing for and performing with different ensembles over the years, Rafet now settles into his own artistic practice with ‘You Are In The Embrace of The History,’ out in late August on Research Records. Tune in to Tomorrowland to hear Rafet chat with Firas about this exciting new work.

IKSRE (I Keep Seeing Rainbows Everywhere) is the solo moniker of Naarm-based multi instrumentalist, vocalist, producer and sound healer Phoebe Dubar. She combines ethereal vocals with lush strings, bass-forward analogue synths and sound healing instruments with field recordings, to create a unique, ambient, neo-classical pop sound. Ahead of a series of shows at Fyansford Paper Mill in October, Phoebe chats with Firas on Tomorrowland and performs a live set at PBS.

Drawing inspiration from street-soul, electronic and afrobeat, Private Joy is the project of multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer Pops Roberts. Likened to Sade vocally, her debut EP 'Desire!' comes out this August 23 via Rhythm Section International. Listen in to Audio Vitamins as Jonny chats with Private Joy about her dazzling, genre-bending EP.

Cosmic country artist Henry Wagons promises a night of mystic, music, memories, and magic at his upcoming Johnny Cash tribute shows. On top of this, Henry is releasing his new album 'The Four Seasons' which is a modern Morricone-esque outlaw surf trip, taking you on a journey through all four seasons. Henry swings by to chat with Ernie about his busy musical schedule.

Perth band The Stems have been creating garage rock music since they formed in 1983. Known for their jangly guitars and catchy melodies, the band will be playing a 40-year anniversary show at The Corner Hotel this August 24. Tune in for a Radio City exclusive as Crispi chats with band members Dom Mariani and Ash Naylor.

New wave/post punk outfit Radio Free Alice have a new EP, titled Polyester, that they're celebrating with a national tour. Ahead of their Night Cat show on August 29th, frontman Noah Learmonth chats with Milo and plays a round of Musical Chairs on The Breakfast Spread. Tune in early on Thursday morning to hear more.

Our good friends at 3RRR are currently running their annual fundraising event, the 3RRR Radiothon. It's a really important time for our community radio colleagues and this week on The Afterglow Chris Gill from The Get Down pops in to chat to Lyndelle about all things RRR, and all things funky!

Dan Kelly is back with new music. Golden Shoes = Country Blues is the second single from his forthcoming LP, GOLDFEELS, out next month on Golden Point Records via Metropolitan Groove Merchants. 
After a sold-out show at the Tote in Melbourne last month, Dan is has announced dates for his Australian album tour with his band, Regional Crisis, featuring the talents of Gus Agars, Ben Woolley, and Dan Luscombe. Tune in to The Afterglow to hear from Dan as he serenades us with a couple of live songs.

Blues artist Frank Sultana has released 10 album, four EPs, and is only just beginning to show us what he’s made of. Last year he won first place in the Memphis International Blues Challenge and took away four Sydney Blues Society Awards. His music is a journey to pre-WW2 with dark, dirty guitar tones and a voice that has the grit and soul of the themes he sings about. Frank stops by to chat with Helen about his upcoming show 'The Memphis Three' taking place at the Wesley Anne this month.

Blending together jazz, fusion and progressive metal, Wallet Inspector are about to release their debut album ‘Ephemeris,’ an album that’s taken 15 years to make. Songwriter and guitarist of the band, Matt William, chats with Ryan about their album release and their first overseas shows taking place in New Zealand.

Metalcore band Bury Tomorrow formed in Hampshire, England, in 2006. Since then, the band has released seven studio albums, with plans for new material in the near future. Lead guitarist Kris Dawson chats with Ryan about the band’s return to Australia this August to tour with Perth band Make Them Suffer.

North Carolina death metal band Nile have been making Egyptology-inspired brutally heavy technical music for over 30 years. Ahead of their upcoming Australian tour in October, founding member Karl Sanders chats with Kene about what the band has been up to in recent time. Tune in to Burning Bitumen on Tuesday night to hear more.

Brisbane's cosmic collective of galactic solar soldiers, Endless Valley, are about to drop their latest album 'Kaskashir,' meaning 'eternal' in Nayivadan. Infused with heavy grooves, funk, tribal rhythms and pulsating percussion, 'Kaskashir' weaves a sonic tapestry of the threads of interconnection, unconditional love, and hope. Tune in to Pojama People as Chris chats with the band about their launch show at the Tote (upstairs) on August 24.

In an attempt to fight against the current trend towards revenue being siphoned out of the music scene, Cash Savage and her band manager Nick Finch have designed a two-day celebration that takes over Brunswick’s beloved Estonian House. The event, taking place this coming weekend, showcases the talents of Cash Savage And The Last Drinks alongside some of Melbourne’s best acts. Cash drops in for a chat about the line-up with Grace Gibson on Firewater. Tune in from 5pm.

Hailing from Aotearoa/New Zealand, the now Naarm-based alt-country singer-songwriter D. C. Maxwell brings the frenetic energy of a punk preacher and an intensely passionate physicality to his live shows. A magnetic troubadour, the mosaic of his music creates a world of love and loss in roadside motel rooms and the inner lives of small-town dreamers. D. C. Maxwell joins David Pisker on Underground Love for a chat about his latest single and upcoming shows.

Think About You are a Naarm, art-rock outfit who started making music in a Carlton share house. Four years on, and the band are about to release their sophomore album ‘Don’t Die On Me’ which features a blend of Celtic folk and Aussie garage punk. Tune into Homebrew as Brooke chats with the band about their latest single ‘Never Never Creek’ and the release of their album on August 16.

Tamara Murphy and The Golden Tone Retrievers is the new project led by bassist Tamara Murphy. Stepping from the back of the stage to the front, Tamara sings and leads a stellar new band that includes Fran Swinn, Theo Carbo, and Maddison Carter. Ahead of the release of their album, Remind Me Not to Forget, in October, Tamara and Fran drop in on The Breakfast Spread to talk about the new band and to play a couple of songs live in-studio.

On August 16th, funk soul outfit Sex On Toast will bring the sizzle at the Brunswick Ballroom Blitz. Joined by a lineup of comedy, drag, and magic acts, Sex On Toast will light up the dance floor and help you chase away the winter blues. Ahead of this show, frontman Angus Leslie drops in to PBS for a good ol' yarn with DJ Manchild. Tune in to The Breakdown on Friday from 3pm.

Since 2016, local label Modern Hypnosis has been focussed on dub-inspired music for sound systems and clubs. Ahead of the label's 8th birthday, founder and DJ Stormn Norm joins Firas for a chat on Tomorrowland about some upcoming releases and shows, and to play an exclusive mix for PBS.

Melbourne-based Brazilian DJ Luma brings the sunshine to your Friday morning when she plays a guest mix on The Wheels of Steel. Tune in early to hear everything.