Trusty Chords

Hello and welcome to Trusty Chords, the podcast which aims to celebrate music and those that create it.

If you're not yet around sleepazoid, then now might be the time to change that, because according to all and sundry, they're on their way to becoming the 'next big thing' in Australian music.

It's easy to see why, however. One only needs to take a look at their blissful mix of – as a colleague of mine described it – "gritty grunge and dreamy shoegaze" to see why they're drawing a crowd everywhere they go.

And draw a crowd they do. Having shared their debut tracks back in 2024, sleepazoid released their debut EP 'running with the dogs' just last year. By the time I caught them, six months after that EP arrived, you'd be forgiven for thinking they've been around a decade or longer given how voracious their fanbase is, how packed their shows can be, and how intense they are as performers.

Fast forward even further, and now, they've just released their latest EP, 'NEW AGE'. As you'd expect, it's another stunning piece of work from this group who simply can't help but make some amazing music, and it truly leaves you wondering just what amazing heights sleepazoid are about to scale next.

This week, I was lucky enough to be joined by Nette France, Jo Pabis, Jim Duong, and George Inglis from sleepazoid (sadly, Luca Soprano couldn't make the chat) for an in-depth chat about their career and the new EP.

This is one of my rare in-person chats, so excuse the spotty audio that occurs when five people  chat over two shared microphones.

Anyway, have a listen to sleepazoid's 'NEW AGE' EP, buy a ticket to their upcoming shows, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

If there's one thing that you need to know about Joyce Manor, it's that every time they release a new album, their fans are in for a good time.

In fact, I've been saying that for well over a decade now, having followed the Californian outfit since the release of their second album, 'Of All Things I Will Soon Grow Tired,' back in 2012.

In the time since, they've released four more albums, a few more split EPs, myriad singles and music videos, and toured the world on numerous occasions. Not bad for a little group that kicked off rather quietly back in 2008.

Now, 18 years into their storied career, Joyce Manor are back with their latest album, 'I Used To Go To This Bar.' For diehard fans of the group, it's exactly what you want out of a record from Joyce Manor, with that frenetic sense of energy and power being paired with their stellar lyrics and inimitable knack for writing a killer tune.

This week, I was lucky enough to have a chat with not just one, but all three members of Joyce Manor, with Matt Ebert, Barry Johnson, and Chase Knobbe joining for what may actually be my favourite episode I've recorded to date.

Anyway, I'll let you be the judge of that from a listener's perspective. So in the meantime, have a listen to Joyce Manor's 'I Used To Go To This Bar,' have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

If you've listened to Australian music at any point over the last 25 years, the chances are good you've bumped a bit of The Herd from time to time.

Formed in Sydney out of, and by, members of the Elefant Traks collective, The Herd wasted no time in sharing their myriad musical influences with the world. After their self-titled debut scored praise thanks to the likes of the song 'Scallops' (to date, a word I cannot pronounce correctly thanks to the song), second album 'An Elefant Never Forgets' attracted attention thanks to enduring political cuts such as '77%' and 'Burn Down The Parliament'. 

But it was 2005's 'The Sun Never Sets' that really set the spotlight upon them. Packed full of intricate rhymes, a vast array of musical themes, and arguably one of the best local releases of that year, it was an album whose impact is far greater than its commercial performance. 

The record also scored an additional boost after The Herd performed a cover of Redgum's 'I Was Only 19' for triple j's Like A Version segment, cementing them into local musical history.

While two more records followed over the next six years, The Herd have been largely absent from our stages for years now. But this year, that's changing, with the group coming together for a 20th anniversary tour in support of 'The Sun Never Sets.' Performing the record alongside some of their other classics, it's bound to be a stellar experience for all and sundry.

This week, I was lucky enough to be joined by Tim Levinson (otherwise known as Urthboy) for a chat about the record and the upcoming tour.

Anyway, have a listen to The Herd's 'The Sun Never Sets,' buy a ticket to their upcoming shows, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

I'll be honest when I say that there's a good chance a lot of folks who appear on this podcast are unknown by large portions of the listenership. That's not a bad thing, of course, since it helps promote discovery and all that sort of thing.

However, there's another very good chance that this week's guest is one that you do know, especially given he's the first Grammy Award-winner (that I know of) to appear on this podcast. That person is John Gourley, the co-founder of Alaskan rock outfit Portugal. The Man. 

Having formed back in around 2004, it didn't take long for the group to start releasing music, and by the time I discovered them in 2009, they'd already released four records. Plenty of tours followed, including a few trips to Australia, and a spot on the final Big Day Out lineup. Then 2017 happened. 

That was the year the whole world caught on thanks to their unavoidable single 'Feel It Still'. It topped the charts around the world some months after it was released, and in early 2018, Portugal. The Man took home the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

It took a few years for the band to release their next album, and following a bit of a personnel overhaul in 2024 and 2025, Portugal. The Man returned in November with their tenth album, 'SHISH,' which is certainly worth your time if you're a fan of immersive, introspective pop rock.

This week (well, it was last year when we recorded this actually), I was joined by Gourley for a chat about the band's rise to fame, their brush with success, and – of course – their latest album.

Anyway, have a listen to Portugal. The Man's 'SHISH,' have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

It's been about two decades now since the world of Australian hip-hop welcomed Matt Colwell, otherwise known as 360, onto the scene. 

A rapper with a flair for mixing genuineness with wry humour and slick rhymes, 360 rose to wider fame in 2011 with the release of his 'Falling & Flying' album. Reaching No. 4 on the ARIA charts, it saw him take home two ARIA Awards from the ten nominations he received that year. 

His 'Boys Like You' single would hit No. 3, and his next two albums – 2014's 'Utopia' and 2017's 'Vintage Modern' – would hit No. 2 and No. 3 on the charts, respectively. That is to say, he's had a solid taste of commercial success.

But it doesn't end there, because this year, he returned with his fifth album, 'Out Of The Blue.' His first record in eight years, it was a long wait for hardcore fans, but came about following time spent on recovery as he went through a period of rehab to overcome addiction and to enter a newfound state of sobriety and stability.

Next year, 360 heads out on his latest tour, the ambitious Back And Forth tour with longtime friend and collaborator Pez, with the pair literally going back and forth across the country from February until June.

This week, I was lucky enough to have a chat with 360 as we spoke about his new music, his approach to the craft, and his journey from the darkness into light.

Anyway, have a listen to 360's 'Out Of The Blue,' buy a ticket to his upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

It was just over 30 years ago that power pop outfit the Icecream Hands formed in Melbourne.

With its origins lying in Adelaide group The Mad Turks From Istanbul in the '80s, the power pop sensibilities of The Mad Turks followed over to the Icecream Hands, which has featured founding songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Charles Jenkins ever since.

Throughout their storied history, Jenkins and the Icecream Hands have carved out an impressively dedicated fanbase, have scored a few ARIA Award nominations, and are frequently met with critical acclaim, though commercial success has often eluded them.

In 2007, their album 'The Good China' was followed by a hiatus of sorts where Jenkins would focus more on his solo work for a while, whether it be under his own name, or with The Zhivagos or The Amateur Historians.

In 2020, the Icecream Hands returned with their album 'No Weapon But Love,' and fast-forward another five years and we've now received the exceptional 'Giant Fox Pineapple Tree.' If you're a fan of music which is not just pleasurable to listen to, but features some of the best songwriting you'll hear this year, then this new album is one worth your time.

This week, I was lucky enough to be joined by Jenkins for a lovely chat where we discussed his musical history, the importance of good songwriting, and the Icecream Hands' journey to today.

Anyway, have a listen to the Icecream Hands' 'Giant Fox Pineapple Tree,' buy a ticket to their upcoming shows, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

For close to 30 years now, the Australian music scene has sporadically played host to the exceptional Cordrazine.

Fronted by Hamish Cowan, who formed the group following time spent in the group Blindside, Cordrazine were the very definition of a star that shone brightly, and for a period far shorter than they should have.

Releasing their 'Time To Leave' EP in 1997, the group's singular sound saw them making it into triple j's Hottest 100 of the year when their track 'Crazy' hit the No. 17 position, and by 1998, debut album 'From Here To Wherever' hit the national top 10 and resulted in two ARIA Award nominations.

Sadly, Cordrazine were not long for this world, and they split soon after. Cowan would go on to form the duo Hamish with Bryan St James, but we wouldn't see Cordrazine again until 2010, when the 'Always Coming Down' album was released into the world.

Since then, it's been a little sporadic on the live front, though we've recently seen a handful of new tunes released by the group in the lead up to the release of the 'You See In Me' EP, which arrives today.

The EP will be followed by a launch show at the Northcote Social Club next week, which is being billed as the final opportunity to see Cordrazine live.

This week, I was lucky enough to be joined by Cowan, who was kind enough to take part in not just one, but two chats, after we simply ran out of time in our first meeting to talk about all the things we had to. 

Anyway, have a listen to Cordrazine's 'You See In Me' EP, buy a ticket to their final show, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

I could probably hazard a guess and say that we all know people like These New South Whales: stunning musicians, effortlessly funny, charismatic, and just all 'round impressive people.

With that in mind, it's hard to pick out what to focus on when talking about their achievements.

Maybe we could talk about their musical career, which has brought with it a handful of albums and even an ARIA nomination?

There's also room to discuss their amazing live performances, which are as ferocious as they are arresting.

Perhaps we could focus on their comedic side, which resulted in their very own Comedy Central series?

Or maybe we could point our attention to their 'What A Great Punk' podcast, which is closing in on a lofty 500 episodes?

Ultimately, These New South Whales are the sum of many parts, and all of them done very well in tandem.

This week, the group release their fourth album, 'GODSPEED,' and in typical fashion, it's a pretty stellar release. Alongside its arrival, they're hitting up the east coast of Australia for a series of free instore performances which are then followed by a series of live podcast recordings, wrapping up the first season of 'What A Great Punk.'

With so much going on, I caught up with These New South Whales' Todd Andrews and Jamie Timony to have a chat about the new record, 500 episodes of their podcast, and their eclectic love of music.

Anyway, have a listen to These New South Whales' 'GODSPEED,' buy a ticket to this weekend's podcast recording tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this – the chances are very good that you do not know my guest today. In fact, I hadn't even heard about my guest until just a few months ago.

That all changed back in June when I played a show in Ruovesi, Finland, on whose line-up the band Cliff Barnes could also be found.

Also hailing from the gorgeous country that is Finland, Cliff Barnes is the sort of band that any self-respecting lover of '90s rock should familiarise themselves with immediately.

Fuzzy, raucous, and energetic, fans of Dinosaur Jr. will undoubtedly recognise some parallels with their sound, while folks who enjoy their music loud and laden with hooks will be well-catered to.

When I caught Cliff Barnes live, I left with a copy of their debut album, 'Free Flyin',' which arrived in 2023 – roughly 25 years since the group had first formed and begun making music. Truly, you'd do well to check them out, especially given that I've been unable to stop recommending them to friends since I heard them.

I also left that show with a definite need to chat to JP Jakonen, the founder, guitarist, and vocalist of Cliff Barnes, who – away from his time in the music world – should be called Dr JP Jakonen, with his professional career seeing him serve as a prolific author due to his specialties in the fields of philosophy, psychology, and religion.

So that's exactly what I did recently. I called up JP to have a chat about his myriad musical projects, the work of Cliff Barnes, and to gain a bit of an insight into what he does for a day job.

Anyway, have a listen to Cliff Barnes' 'Free Flyin',' have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

There's a very good chance that one of Australia's next big rock bands is going to be The Belair Lip Bombs.

Hailing from Frankston in Victoria, The Belair Lip Bombs aren't exactly from a massive musical metropolis, but that hasn't stopped them thriving.

First formed in 2017, the quartet issued a pair of EPs ahead of their 2023 debut album, 'Lush Life,' which arrived to widespread acclaim. Since then, things have been looking up even more for the group, with an appearance at the South By Southwest music conference garnering the attention of Jack White's Third Man Records label, and seeing the group become the first Australian outfit signed to the iconic stable.

Since then, their profile has only grown, and with the release of last week's 'Again' album, it's clear The Belair Lip Bombs are well on their way to global prominence.

This week, I was lucky enough to chat with drummer Daniel Devlin, who joined to discuss the group's rise to fame and the sounds and influences of their latest album.

Anyway, have a listen to The Belair Lip Bombs' 'Again,' buy a ticket to their upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.