We catch up with Sydney's Microwave Jenny backstage at the 2011 Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie.

Kids In Glass Houses just released their third full length album In Gold Blood and we caught up with Aled Phillips, the bands lead singer, just before they kick off their massive tour of Japan, Australia and the UK.

We come to the end of a massive year in which you released your third record In Gold Blood, which is gracing plenty a best-of-2011 list... how are you feeling about the record now that it's been out for a few months?

We caught up with Twin Shadow to have a chat about some new and upcoming material and touring.

We caught up with Greg and Jeremy from Erik Omen about the beginnings of the band and the release of Grade E/Payphone.

How did Erik Omen come about?

We had both just returned to Sydney from our own respective journeys – one of us was travelling around the world while the other was riding his motorcycle to Perth. We were eager to play some music after our time away and that’s when it started.

Kicking off on yet another tour, we caught up with The Smith Street Band to discuss their growing success and touring for this year.

When you were young what career did you think life had in store for you?

We catch up with Perth's Young Revelry backstage at the 2011 Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie.

We catch up with Melbourne's The Delta Riggs backstage at the 2011 Festival of the Sun in Port Macquarie.

We catch up with another homegrown act to be featured on the Sugar Mountain line up, Pets With Pets.

Congratulations on how well Saturday Aquatic Pixie Acid has gone. Did you envision the record bringing the extent of attention it did to the band?

Sporting a bedraggled beard and fierce axe to stir the envy of Odin and his mighty sons, Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society have knocked the paisley-mellow orthodoxy of metal virtuoso guitar on its ass; breathing nothing but fire and spittle while shredding up storms of fury throughout his colorful career. Mastering his craft since the age of fourteen, Wylde drops recondite phrases into his genre-spanning career just for kicks as enraptured, raw-throated crowds cheer on. Jetting into Australia for Soundwave, the confidante and doom-driven acolyte of Ozzy Osbourne shoots straight from the hip laying down some real talk for y’all about spirituality, strange times and the Shatner. You’d expect nothing less from the fearless leader of the famed Black Label Order, leading the wounded cult of rock n’ roll back into the darkness.

I've arrived and settled in at Woodfordia for this years Woodford Folk Festival. Needless to say, I haven't so much hemp clothing product in one location! Apart form all that fashion craziness, all has been quiet of the perfomance front, except from the odd poet and person on stilts. However, I'm sure that will all change soon enough today.

Returning to the country for Soundwave next month, we catch up with Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Returning to Australia next month for a performance at Sugar Mountain Festival in Melbourne alongside a few other shows, we catch up with Petey Dammit of San Francisco group Thee Oh Sees, to talk about their new record and more...

Let's talk about your latest album release, Carrion Crawler/The Dream. Where did you record the record?

This record was recorded at The Hanger in Sacramento, California. It's our go to spot where we've done albums like The Masters Bedroom, and Help.

In anticipation of their performance at Sugar Mountain Festival, we catch up with Melbourne's Absolute Boys.

Fresh from playing the Vanguard in Sydney, we catch up with the UK's Gemma Ray, who's currently on a tour around the country, to talk about her forthcoming record Island Fire and more. You can catch Gemma at Peats Ridge Festival next week!

Let's talk Island Fire, due for release in February - have you been giving Australian audiences a taste of the record on your shows in Australia?

I've been playing about half of the new album with my current trio.

Hitting Australia next week, we catch up with Mongolia's folk rock collective Hanggai.

How did Hanggai come together?