Interviews

Interview: Adam Brand (Perth) reflects on his twenty years in the industry

On July 13th, 1998, Adam Brand released his debut album. Fast forward to 2018, and he’s done what a lot of artists have failed to do before him – and that’s last 20 years in the competitive music industry. Celebrating his two-CD release Milestones…20 years, after a nation-wide call out for unique venues, he’s taking…

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Interview: Zane Banks (Sydney) talks about the Pioneers of Rock n Roll at Sydney Guitar Festival

A long standing muso on the Sydney Music scene, we’ve long been friends and fans of Zane Banks here on the AU, from his Swing/Rockabilly project Cruisin’ Dueces, to his various solo and collaborative projects, he’s been one of the city’s most active guitarists for years noa. And this weekend, you’ll see him as part…

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Interview: Adam Harvey (Australia) on Nashville, the 1970s and how political correctness has no place in country music

Fulfilling a dream of recording in the US, Adam Harvey’s tenth studio album The Nashville Tapes is inspired by country music of the 1970s and its icons. Off the back of last year’s tour of The Great Country Songbook Volume II alongside Beccy Cole, the eight-time Golden Guitar winner is again on the road, this…

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Interview: South African guitar maestro Derek Gripper chats at the Sydney Guitar Festival

We spent some time getting to know South African guitar maestro Derek Gripper while he was in Sydney for the sydney Guitar Festival. What was the first guitar you bought? Spanish Guitar from a guy at school for 100 dollars – not counting a Clear Sound bass Guitar somebody gave me Do you still have…

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Interview: Catherine Britt (Australia) talks recording her new album while pregnant

Since her last release Boneshaker in 2015, Catherine Britt has gotten married, given birth to her first child, won a battle with breast cancer and released her seventh studio album, Catherine Britt and the Cold Cold Hearts, alongside Michael Muchow and Andy Toombs. Recorded in her own backyard studio with engineer Jeff McCormack, this release,…

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Interview: The Coronas (Ireland) discuss their Lollapalooza set, their upcoming Australia dates & rising success

Irish band The Coronas have been around for over 15 years which has included five different studio albums and many stops around the world. Their latest album, Trust the Wire, reached #1 on the Irish charts and the band has started to receive global acclaim and an ever growing fan base. On Sunday, the band…

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Interview: Morgxn (Nashville) talks about playing Lollapalooza and supporting Carly Rae Jepsen

There is a lot more than sticks out about Nashville singer/songwriter Morgxn than the x in his name. His soaring vocals, chill beats, and dynamic stage presence brings to mind comparisons to Jack Garrett, SOHN and Asgeir. With over 2 million YouTube views of his hit single “Home” Morgxn has quickly become one of the…

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Why Queensland rapper ZEKIEL has a certified hit on his hands with debut single “Writing Away”

Clever worldplay and a banging beat is usually all you’d need to move a hit between the increasingly thinning lines that once divided hip hop and pop. “Writing Away”, the debut single from Queensland’s ZEKIEL has that in spades, but on top there’s also a genuine, earnest expression of lost love, plenty of character, and…

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Splendour Interview: Woodes (Australia) talks evolving her live show for “Change My Mind” & her favourite music

In our final interview from Splendour in the Grass 2018, we sit down with acclaimed Townsville artist Woodes, who is just about to hit the road on a tour in support of her latest single “Change My Mind”. We talk about the track, her experiences touring with City Calm Down and how her live show…

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Splendour Interview: G Flip (Australia) reflects on working with Sounds Australia to debut her live show & “the best months of my entire life”

Few artists, be they Australian or otherwise, have ever had quite a whirlwind and eventful five months as Melbourne’s G Flip, who burst onto the scene with “About You”, just a few weeks before making her international live debut at the Twitter / Sounds Australia Party at SXSW. And now this weekend she played to…

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30 Minutes with Superorganism: Don’t call them a cult, but compare them to Regurgitator and chat about Adelaide

It’s the end of May and I’m in Brighton, England for the annual The Great Escape conference and festival; possibly the world’s best event to discover new talent, and see the artists that everyone’s been talking about over the last six months or so. One act who fit very much in the latter category are…

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Interview: Roo Panes on bringing Quiet Man to fruition as LP #3

When listening to the opening notes of “A Message to Myself”, the album opener of Roo Panes‘ third studio record, Quiet Man, the listener is stung with the evocative punch behind the English songwriter’s artistry almost immediately. It’s a craft Panes has developed beautifully over the course of the last few years, being embraced by audiences around…

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Interview: Tim Campbell (Australia) talks nostalgia, sports, and high school discos.

Tim Campbell has dabbled in so many forms of entertainment that it’s becoming hard to classify him as a particular type of entertainer. It’s a general classification that he is content with regardless. Here he chats to Philippe Perez while he is on the road for his High School Disco tour. There seems to be…

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SXSW Interview: Mallrat reflects on her first time in Texas, and upcoming international tour dates

Mallrat is a name fast gaining traction and renown amongst Australian music fans but for Texans and those visiting SXSW this year, this was a perfect introduction to the Aussie currently preparing to take more international sectors by storm. We caught up with Mallrat to find out more about her time in the US, and what’s…

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Interview: David Le’aupepe & Joji Malani on Gang of Youths’ continued strides forward into the light

It seems just yesterday that we were celebrating Gang of Youths as a recently discovered band destined for success – yet here we are at the release of their sophomore record, Go Farther in Lightness. I caught up with frontman Dave Le’aupepe and lead guitarist Joji Malani about how Go Farther in Lightness came together, racism in the Australian music…

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Interview: Noah Kahan (USA) reflects on songwriting, touring and looks ahead to an exciting 2017

On his recent tour in Sydney, we sat down with singer-songwriter Noah Kahan. Making waves on live stages during sold out shows with Milky Chance and Ben Folds, Noah is certainly one to watch. He tells us about his latest singles “Young Blood” and “Hold It Down”, currently topping Spotify Charts, song which express the passion…

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Producer Giles Martin talks about the state of streaming as Sgt. Peppers celebrates its 50th Anniversary

Just under two weeks ago now, the classic Beatles album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band – widely acknowledged as one of the best and most important albums of all time – celebrated its 50th Anniversary, with the release of a brand new remixed, repackaged and remastered special edition, produced by the son of the…

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Sarah Blasko talks touring solo and the development of her new album

One of Australia’s best known and celebrated singer-songwriters, Sarah Blasko is touring around Australia, but this tour is special because she’s playing completely solo at all of her shows. We caught up with Sarah to find out why she’s decided to play solo now, and get the insider information about her new album. I saw…

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Hanging at The Great Escape: Dean Lewis talks making an impression in the UK

Dean Lewis is one of those artists who has an effortless charm about him. At The Great Escape this year, I was able to watch him perform twice – a proper introduction to his onstage presence – and it was undeniable, the hold the songwriter had over his audience. He’s slightly awkward, almost coy, in his…

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Lizzy Plapinger dishes on her new project LPX and her time in Nicaragua with What So Not

MS MR have long held a love-love relationship with Australia but when we catch up with one half of the band, Lizzy Plapinger, we’re in a different environment altogether. She’s at Coachella and as the world is getting to know her new music project, LPX, the vocalist and songwriter tells us about her new sounds and what’s in store…

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Lee Fields on Special Night and takes us through his time at Coachella 2017

When we get the opportunity to sit down with our favourite artists, of course, it’s not something we take for granted. And then there are the opportunities we get when we get to speak with someone as legendary as Lee Fields, backstage at what he describes as one of the best, if not the best, musical…

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Warren Ellis talks about scoring Bad Girl, returning to the stage with Nick Cave and the future of Dirty Three

Fresh from making the score for National Geographic’s Mars miniseries, Warren Ellis – acclaimed musician and member of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Grinderman and Dirty Three has just created an original score for the new Australian thriller Bad Girl. He spoke to us about his approach for this project, recently returning to the stage with Nick Cave…

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Beatles producer Giles Martin talks about reinventing the home speaker experience with the Sonos PLAYBASE

When Sonos announces a new speaker, the whole world takes notice. This is a company that has spent the last 15 years focused on quality over quantity, with years of R&D behind every new speaker that hits the shelves. And tomorrow we’ll be enjoying the latest addition to their product line: the PLAYBASE – a…

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Suicide Silence on bullet trains, Deathcore & their game changing self-titled record

There’s definitely a unique formula that a band establishes pretty early on, which always seems to line up with success and longevity. A lot of the time, the success of this particular formula is often measured by fan based dedication, especially as your guitars get louder, the vocals get grittier and the sound gets a…

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Max Dunn & Donnie Borzestowski reflect on 2016 for Gang of Youths and tease Album #2

Festival of the Sun this year saw Sydney’s Gang of Youths top the bill at Port Macquarie, drawing in strong numbers for what was to be one of their first festival shows of the summer. After spending 2016 on the road with The Positions and the Let Me Be Clear EP, the boys have hit the studio hard in recent months…

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Fletcher Ehlers takes us through Slumberjack’s Asian tour for Music Matters & the Ultra Music Festival

For Perth electronic duo Slumberjack, September saw some pretty hectic and invaluable experiences come their way, with their first trip out into the South East Asian market bringing them to Music Matters and the Ultra Music Festival. Having become a larger name in the States through this year especially, for Fletcher and Morgan, 2016 has been a year of levelling up and…

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Interview: Glen Hansard (Ireland) talks Didn’t He Ramble, songwriting, performing & his upcoming Australian tour

Earlier this year it was announced that Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard would be returning to Australia for a run of shows this October, in support of his latest record, the Grammy nominated Didn’t He Ramble. While Hansard has been on something of a solo run since the release of Rhythm and Repose in 2012, he…

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How To Be A Human Being: Glass Animals take us through LP #2!

Ahead of the weekend, Glass Animals released How To Be A Human Being, their much anticipated second album. As a follow up to their 2014 debut Zaba, this new collection of music has seen the Oxford group continue to pursue an ambitious approach to their craft and the final result has been a joy to listen to (check…

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Stumbled Upon #116: Cold Hands Warm Heart (Melbourne)

Melbourne psych-folk pop group Cold Hands Warm Heart are the latest local artists to be featured in our Stumbled Upon series! Finding each other through uni and other bands, the group is currently gearing up for a special show at the Gasometer Hotel to launch their new music video for “Nightfall”. Learn some more about the…

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Stumbled Upon #115: Serina Pech (Katherine, NT)

Serina Pech is a young singer songwriter based in the NT who is poised to make some serious waves outside the country’s north. The Katherine artist has been displaying some impressive writing chops; weaving heartfelt lyricism with some gorgeous folk acoustic musicality and a potential that is only just being tapped into. “The scene is…

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