13th Floor MusicTalk

Fan Club is a rock and roll band based in Auckland, New Zealand...two guys, two gals all teenagers with ages ranging from 16-19.

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to the band just as their debut EP, Towards The Sun, was about to be released. With a gig just around the corner, there was plenty to talk about.

Cassandra Jenkins is back with her third long player, a collection of meditations on life's rich pageant titled My Light, My Destroyer.

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Cassandra ahead of the album's release, finding her in upstate New York, wrapping a video shoot. Here is Cassandra to explain how Lucinda Williams, Wayne's World and William Shatner all figure in to this stunning new record. 

James Bishop has spent the past five years making his debut album, Bodybound, a record that was made completely by found sounds recorded on his phone.

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to James who was in his home studio in San Diego, California where he spent years turning the sounds he recorded in the wild on the Pacific Crest Trail into the songs that make up his soon-to-be-released album. Watch and listen as James explains how and why he set out on this exhausting project.

Buffalo Tom have just released their 10th studio album, titled Jump Rope. Here is bass player Chris Colburn to tell us why, even tough "nobody cares about our new record" they do!

And so do we...

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Chris about how these same three musicians have managed to stay together (on and off) for almost 40 years. And we dive deep into the music, touching on R.E.M., Neil Young, The Stones, The Kinks and the Flying Nun sound along the way. 

Redd Kross has been rocking audiences for over 40 years now. Brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald are keeping the flame alight with their new. self-titled double album...and there's a film and a memoir on the way as well.

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Steve McDonald just ahead of the release of Redd Kross, the album.  Steve had plenty to say about working with his brother, opening for Black Flag, listening to Kiss and the "Get Back experience". 

Rory Block is an American blues guitarist and singer who has been making records since the late 1970s. Her latest is a tribute to another up-and-coming songwriter who used to hang out in her dad's shop in NYC...a guy who called himself Bob Dylan.

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Rory who now lives in upstate New York with husband and co-producer Rob Davis. Over the years Rory has paid tribute to blues greats like Son House, Bessie Smith and Rev. Gary Davis. Now Rory puts her stamp on the songs of her old neighbour, Bob Dylan. Here she is to tell us how she managed to choose 9 songs out of Dylan's massive catalogue.

Aaron Frazer has just released his second solo album, titled Into The Blue and here he is to tell us how he mixes classic Philly soul with hip hop beats to come up with his own sound.

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke with Aaron who is now living in California after a breakup in New York that inspired the songs that make up Into The Blue. Aaron also fills us in on his future plans with Durand Jones & The Indications. 

Sean Cunningham has just released his debut solo album, Whatever That Is. Based in Nashville, Kiwi music fans may remember Sean as the charismatic frontman for the record-setting band Atlas. But as they say, that was then and this is now.

The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Sean about the journey, both literal and figurative, that he made to get to the point where he finally was able to make this new record and find his own sound. Watch and listen as Sean explains how losing his voice and his dad led him away from bands and on to a solo career.

The Decemberists have just released As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again, their 9th studio album overall and first since 2018. Here is front man Colin Meloy to tell us why he thinks every Decemberists album could be their last.

The Dirty Three have just released Love Changes Everything. Here is Jim White to tell us how and why he, Warren Ellis and Mick Turner reunited to make this, their first new album in 12 years.

Marty Duda spoke to drummer Jim White who is on the road with Dirty Three in Adelaide. Not only is there a new Dirty Three album, but Jim released his own solo record, All Hits: Memories, just a few months ago. So, there’s plenty to talk about, starting with the dearly-departed friend, recording engineer, Steve Albini, and wrapping up with one of Jim’s favourite bands, The Saints.