Interviews

Melbourne songwriter and arranger Ashley Davies' new album, Gold, is out on Strange Loops Recordings and scheduled for a special launch at the State Library of Victoria Theatrette on July 17. Ahead of the launch, Ashley drops into PBS for an intimate chat with Lucas Packett on Radio City.

Austudy Records present its debut release, Burning It Up: Australian Reggae 1979-1986, a compilation surveying the influence of reggae on Australia's preoccupation with rock, pop and new wave. Behind this fascinating anthology is PBS's very own Lloyd Briggs who is this week's special guest on Musical Chairs. Tune in to The Breakfast Spread to hear Lloyd chat with Milo about some of the earliest examples of reggae sounds in Australia.

Having not had the pleasure to grace Australian shores since 2019 New Zealand punk rockers The Cavemen return to help celebrate the launch of The Espy Live, featuring supports from Dumb Punts, Fuzzsucker and The Canberra Raiders with DJs Street Fighter II and Drunk Mum. Listen in to hear The Cavemen's talk with Kev on Shock Treatment.

Australia’s Queen of Soul Emma Donovan and Melbourne’s favourite rhythm combo The Putbacks released 'Muurrbay Tree,' a new song referencing the ‘tree of life’ found on Gumbaynggirr country, in mid Northern NSW. Ahead of her performance alongside Spinifex Gum with the MSO on July 9, Emma visits PBS to talk about some upcoming shows, NAIDOC Week, and how 'Muurrbay Tree' is an invitation to everyone to connect with different dreaming stories of country. Tune in to The Afterglow to hear more.

After a couple of years of cancellations, uncertainty and lockdowns Echuca Winter Blues Festival returns with a lineup of some of Australia's finest blues artists. Artistic director Jon Howell rings in to Roots of Rhythm to talk about the festival.

Compiled by artist/author Pauline Bailey, Blues Portrait – A profile of the Australian Blues Scene Vol 1-3 is a collection of stories and anecdotes from some of Australia’s best-known and loved blues and roots musicians. Featuring forty-six musicians, who share their thoughts and insights on the history of Australian blues. Author Pauline Bailey calls in to Roots of Rhythm to talk about the book.

Premiering at the Merlyn Theatre in July, director Stephen Nicolazzo (Loaded, Merciless Gods) brings Melina Marchetta’s best-selling novel 'Looking For Alibrandi' to the stage for the first time. Tune in to State of the Art to hear Annika chat with director Stephen Nicolazzo about the retelling of the classic novel that gave an honest and empowered portrait of 1990s Mediterranean culture which spoke about systemic racism in Australia from a migrant perspective.

After running an organic tea & coffee company called Satanic Tea Co. for 5 years, what do you do? release a brutal death metal track, that's what. Kene talks to Crucifix about the forth coming EP and the track 'Blood Drenched Torture Chamber' and selling tea.

Taking their name from an alleged ancient Persian method of execution called Scaphis, where the victim is trapped between two boats in, fed and slathered with honey and milk and left to feaster in their filth to be devoured by insects. Tune in to Burning Bitumen to hear the death metal band talk about their second album 'Dissected & Fermented.'

Featuring authentic choral arrangements, extensive analogue synth labs, percussion labs and a full hoard of Melbourne’s very best classical performers, it is no wonder why Acolyte have taken three and a half years to craft their latest album 'Entropy.' Vocalist Morgan-Leigh talks to Chris about 'Entropy' and upcoming shows.

Canberra's merchants of doom Witchskull return to the Bendigo Hotel on July 9 with a line-up of Melbourne’s finest purveyors of rock, metal and 70’s psych. Guitarist and vocalist Marcus De Pasquale calls in ahead of their gig to talk to Chris.

Meanjin based artist DancingWater brings a new wave of neo soul and punk fused with ancestral song lines. She joins Mike Gurrieri to co-host a very special NAIDOC Week episode of Mystic Brew. Tune in on Tuesday from 9am.

Musician, educator, 3RRR announcer and Gunai Kurnai & Yorta Yorta man Paul Gorrie performs as a music producer and DJ under the name dj pgz. He drops in on Headhunters to play a special NAIDOC Week mix and to chat about some upcoming events. Tune in on Monday from 5pm.

For almost thirty years, Songlines Music Aboriginal Corporation has been advocating for greater recognition of contemporary Aboriginal Music as an important cultural art form. Holding some of Victoria’s largest Indigenous music events, Songlines is putting on a NAIDOC show at the Arts Centre called Get Up, Stand Up, Show up and Shake a Leg. Yidaki player and Dharug man Kiernan Ironfield drops in on Homebrew to tells us more about the event and to play a couple of live pieces. Tune in from 3pm

Naarm-based proud Noongar woman and artist Bumpy is readying herself to release an enthralling new single during NAIDOC Week. Ahead of the release, Bumpy drops in to PBS to tell us about the dreamlike song and how a post-lockdown camping trip on GunaiKurnai country inspired it. Tune in to Homebrew from 3pm to hear more.

Yorta Yorta woman Allara is a double bass playing, looping queen who drops hard hitting spoken-word poetry and addresses displacement and sovereignty, alienation and connection to country through music. We are fortunate to have her come in to PBS to play a couple of live pieces on The Breakfast Spread as part of NAIDOC Week. Tune in on Monday morning.

In celebration of NAIDOC Week, Roger is joined by vocalist and song-keeper of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music Jessie Lloyd to talk about her latest album 'Ailan Songs Project,' which explores popular historical songs from the Torres Straits through a contemporary lens.

Melbourne-based Malian musician Aboubacar Djelike Kouyaté has recorded his new single 'Babe Chocolat' at Pughouse Studios along side Lucky Pereira on drums, Jaya Pawarta on bass guitar, Moses Carr on keys and Amadou Suso on kora. Tune in to hear Stani's talk with Aboubacar.

Award-winning electronic music duo and self-described ‘feminine brothers,’ Zaachariaha Fielding and Michael Ross, aka Electric Fields, are giving their sounds a special orchestral treatment in their debut concert with the MSO at Hamer Hall on July 7 for NAIDOC Week celebrations. Tune in to Subway Sounds to hear them chat with Suzi Hutchings about their collaboration with MSO under the baton of Noongar man Aaron Wyatt.

Beloved Melbourne electronic duo Sleep D have been working tirelessly on some exciting forthcoming releases. They also have some fun events coming up; a Butter Sessions showcase at SubClub on July 8 followed by some grand party vibes with Darcy Justice at 24 Moons on July 16. And they are finally delivering their previously postponed Melbourne Music Week showcase at The Forum on July 30. Ahead of these big things, they drop in on The Breakfast Show to play a big mix on the Wheels of Steel!