Trusty Chords

If you're someone who likes their music a little bit dreamy, a little bit hazy, and a whole lot of brilliant, then you need to point your peepers toward New Zealand, where Auckland's Phoebe Rings have been providing just that for some years now. 

Initially beginning as something of a solo project for Crystal Choi, it swiftly expanded, bringing together a group of stellar artists to form what we now know today as Phoebe Rings.

Of course, if you look a bit closely, you might recognise some of the artists in the mix. While Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent has performed with Princess Chelsea, Alex Freer has served as a member of Tiny Ruins, and Benjamin Locke's name can be found over myriad New Zealand releases.

After releasing a debut EP a few years back, the group slowly worked toward the next logical step, debut album 'Aseurai.' If you've listened to it, then you'd already know just how amazing it is, and if you've not listened to it, then maybe check it out before you listen to me ramble for the next hour.

Either way, Crystal and Simeon were kind enough to join me for a chat this week, and I can't thank them enough for their time and their wonderful insights. 

Anyway, have a listen to Phoebe Rings' 'Aseurai', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Are you someone who likes their music with a bit of energy and a bit of fun? Then let me point you towards Bakers Eddy.

Formed in Wellington, New Zealand when its members were still quite young, the group found itself crafting a pop-punk sound and issuing a few tracks and an EP before heading west and relocating to Melbourne, Australia.

Since 2017, Bakers Eddy have been an Australian band in location only, with the group's profile consistently rising ahead of their debut album, 'Love Boredom Bicycles,' in 2022. And rightly so – it's a solid record and one that definitely shows the level of passion and skill they bring to their craft.

Since then though, things had been a bit quiet, with the group largely remaining silent on the recording front until this year. That's not to say they've been taking it easy – with appearances both at home and abroad, there's been plenty of activity, but we didn't get new music until the singles from their latest EP, 'I'm Doing Better.'

A solid release that really captures the band's maturity and their growth as songwriters and people, it's a record that's certainly worth your time.

To celebrate its release, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Ciarann Babbington from the band about their history, and everything that has led up to the new EP.

Anyway, have a listen to Bakers Eddy's 'I'm Doing Better,' have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

For over 20 years now, music-lovers of the world have been lucky enough to exist within the same timeline as The Spill Canvas.

Formed by Nick Thomas back in 2001, the group rose to fame throughout the decade, with their work equally being categorised as alternative rock, emo, pop rock, and more.

Thanks to releases like the 'Denial Feels So Good' EP, 'One Fell Swoop,' and 'No Really, I'm Fine,' the group managed to make a name for themselves as one of the finest groups in the genre.

Of course, they've never exactly had the mainstream success that some of their counterparts have had, but I'll be damned if they don't deserve as much – if not more – kudos than many other of their contemporaries.

This July, The Spill Canvas make their way down to Australia for the first time, touring in support of the 20th anniversary of 'One Fell Swoop.' They'll also be joined by The Juliana Theory, who are themselves celebrating 25 years of the 'Emotion Is Dead' album.

No matter how you slice it, a good time will be had by all.

This week, I was lucky enough to be joined by Nick Thomas, who was kind enough to put up with my fanaticism of the band while I asked some probing questions.

Anyway, have a listen to The Spill Canvas' 'One Fell Swoop,' buy a ticket to their tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

When it comes to explaining Private Function in just a few short paragraphs, there's a lot of difficulty at play. 

After all, they're a Melbourne punk outfit who have been around for close to a decade now, pumping out blistering tunes while employing a visceral sense of humour as they use their platform to succeed in the rock world while simultaneously turning the genre back on itself and laughing at it.

Over the years, they've released albums like their Metallica-referencing debut 'St. Anger' and '370HSSV 0773H,' which was banned in South Australia due to its scratch-off competition cover.

Alongside that, they've released myriad vinyl variants and even issued records filled with bags of speed and members' own urine. Needless to say, they don't do things by halves.

This month, they release their fourth album, which is titled '¯\_(ツ)_/¯.' In an effort to make life difficult for folks like me, that's the shrug emoji and it's pretty much unpronounceable. However, it does come with an official title, but that title is included within the thousands of individual album covers included on the album artwork.

I've interviewed Private Function numerous times over the years, but to get to the bottom of this new record, I decided to call up vocalist Chris Penney and catch up with him to record an episode of the podcast. As always, it's a little bit intriguing, a little bit weird, and a little bit on-brand for fans of Private Function.

Anyway, I strongly urge you to check out Private Function's new album '¯\_(ツ)_/¯,' and once you’re done giving that a spin, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good lyricist, and then that means you should definitely know the great Craig Finn.

For the uninitiated, Craig was the man behind the likes of Lifter Puller, and following their split in 2000, he moved from Minneapolis to New York City and, well, didn't do much. That was, until he formed The Hold Steady after being inspired by the likes of Drive-By Truckers.

If you've not yet listened to The Hold Steady, then you need to do me a favour – turn off this podcast and go and listen to them right now. Of course, if you're already across their stellar discography you'd know the sort of power and impact that their performance style, and Craig's stunning lyricism, brings to the table.

While it's just been a couple of years between records for The Hold Steady, Craig has remained active as ever, issuing the exceptional 'Always Been' album only a few weeks ago. It's certainly one that you need to hear right away.

This week, I was lucky enough to be joined by Craig for a wonderful chat about his musical history and latest solo record.

Anyway, have a listen to Craig Finn's 'Always Been,' have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

If you're someone who hasn't yet listened to Propagandhi, then I'm sure you're about to have the time of your life as you discover their eclectic and celebrated discography.

Forming in Canada back in 1986, they've been a going concern for close to four decades now, though it wasn't until 1993 that they released their first album. 

After a few years, they released 2001's 'Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes,' which is often considered to be a seminal record in the world of political punk music. Personally, it's an album that I fell in love with thanks to its lyrical focus and high-energy intensity, and I've been a fan ever since. 

But that's not the peak of their career, by far, because as the years have gone on, Propagandhi have occasionally returned with a new record, reminding us of just how amazing and important their work is.

This year, they returned with 'At Peace,' their eighth record and their first in as many years. Needless to say, it's a special moment for punk fans the world over when Propagandhi returns.

This week, I was lucky enough to have a wonderful chat with the group's vocalist and guitarist, the legendary Chris Hannah. For someone as ferocious as Chris is on the live stage, it's hard to imagine someone as reserved, thoughtful, and wonderful as a guest, and I'm truly grateful for him to join the podcast.

Anyway, have a listen to Propagandhi's 'At Peace,' cross your fingers for their live return, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

For 15 years now, Canadian outfit PUP have been defying the concept that their name stands for a Pathetic Use of Potential and have been proving all and sundry wrong as they travel around the world with their unique blend of alt-rock and punk.

Formed in 2010 as Topanga, PUP issued their self-titled album in 2013, with 'The Dream Is Over' following just a few years later. Records like 'Morbid Stuff' and 'The Unravelling Of PUPTheBand' have since cemented their status as consistent, reliable purveyors of stellar music, and their live shows have cemented them as favourites amongst lovers of the genre.

This year, May 2nd, to be precise, PUP release their fifth album, 'Who Will Look After The Dogs?'. As I usually say, it's a brilliant record, and it's one that is undeniably worth your time. Things get even better too, because in just a few short months, they'll be back visiting Australia as part of their global tour plans.

This week, I was lucky enough to be joined by PUP guitarist Steve Sladkowski, who was kind enough to talk about music for far longer than we were supposed to. In honour of his appearance, we're also briefly rebranding the podcast in honour of PUP's 2022 song 'Four Chords.' (Not really, but hey, I'd be remiss not to take the opportunity!)

Anyway, I strongly urge you to check out PUP's 'Who Will Look After The Dogs?', and once you’re done doing that, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

There’s no denying the fact that Adelaide is just one of those cities that can’t help itself but breed amazing bands. Sure, you can look at groups like The Angels, Cold Chisel, and more, but why not look at groups like Stolen Youth, The Rivalry, Sleeptalker, and Dick Wolf?

They’re also amazing bands, and for the trainspotters amongst us, you might recognise that those bands have one constant thread, and that’s Jesse Coulter. Jesse’s been in the music scene for a good number of years now, whether it’s up the front of bands or behind the scenes, but at every turn he’s in charge of quality.

One of the most prominent projects he’s been associated with is none other than Grenadiers, a three-piece rock outfit which formed in 2009 and released three records over the ensuing eight years.

Following a lineup change in those formative years, Grenadiers released their second album ‘Summer’ in 2015, and it was a little bit of a corker. It got them some decent attention, and even nabbed them a spot on triple j’s Like A Version series.

After their third album, ‘Find Something You Love And Let It Kill You,’ Grenadiers went a little bit quiet, and in fact, they’ve not actually played a show since 2019. But that’s all about to change this May, because Grenadiers are hitting the Crown & Anchor in Adelaide for a ten-year celebration of ‘Summer’ on May 3rd.

It’s likely the last time you’ll see them, so I figured now was the time to have a chat with Jesse about the band.

But before we get into it, I strongly urge you to buy a ticket to Grenadiers’ upcoming gig, and once you’re done doing that, pop ‘Summer’ on the stereo, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

If you’re anything like me, the name Killing Heidi was one that was synonymous with the Australian music scene at the turn of the millennium.

Formed in regional Victoria by siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper, Killing Heidi first rose to fame as part of triple j’s Unearthed series, with the track ‘Kettle’ featuring a newly-teenaged Ella on vocals. This promise that triple j saw soon exploded in 1999, with tracks such as ‘Weir’ and ‘Mascara’ serving as an indicator of what was to come on their debut album, ‘Reflector.’

‘Reflector’ was a monster success, becoming the fastest-selling album in Australian music history at the time of its release, and winning the band four ARIA awards, including Best Group and Best Rock Album.

A few more albums followed in the years after, but then it all went quiet on the Killing Heidi front. While the Hoopers are still immensely active (Ella can be seen frequently in the media world), it was only close to a decade ago that Killing Heidi themselves became active again. 

Now, after years of shows, the band are hitting the road this year to mark 25 years of ‘Reflector.’ They’ve not only announced a 25th anniversary reissue, but they’re hitting stages around the country to play the record in full. Put simply, if you were a Killing Heidi diehard like me, then you won’t want to miss this.

Recently, I was lucky enough to be joined by Ella and Jesse for a chat, and truly, I can’t thank them enough for the pleasure.

So before we get into it, I strongly urge you to buy a ticket to Killing Heidi’s upcoming gigs, and once you’re done doing that, pop ‘Reflector’ on the stereo, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

There was a period of time in the early ‘00s when one of the most exciting bands in the game was Canada’s own Death From Above.

Well, that’s what they were called at first, but by the time they released their debut album ‘You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine,’ Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler had lengthened their name to Death From Above 1979 due to a lawsuit.

But that didn’t detract from that album becoming a ferocious piece of work, with tracks like 'Romantic Rights,' 'Blood On Our Hands,' and 'Black History Month' being considered classics by all fans of the dance-punk and alt-rock genre spectrum.

In 2006 though, the group split, and fans wondered what the future may hold. While Grainger launched his solo career and worked with other bands, Keeler served as one half of electronic duo MSTRKRFT.

But in 2011, they were back together, and we’ve since received three new albums from the band, with 2021’s ‘Is 4 Lovers’ being their last to date.

More recently, they’ve been a little busy touring the world as part of the anniversary of their debut album, playing the record in full in the process. Now this month, they’re visiting Australia for the first time in years to bring the stellar tracks to local audiences.

To celebrate, I was lucky enough to have a brief chat with Jesse F. Keeler about the record and the band’s history, though he quickly abandoned our time constraints and we just kept it pretty casual.

Anyway, I strongly urge you to check out Death From Above 1979’s ‘You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine,’ grab a ticket to their upcoming tour, and once you’re done doing that, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.