The Keyboard Chronicles

Peter Manning Robinson is a pianist and composer who also has developed his own piano (the Refractor piano). On top of those amazing achievements he’s needed to overcome some major obstacles to continue playing at a high level. We cover all that and more in this fascinating conversation. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the e...

Cory Henry is one of the most innovative and dynamic players of the past 20 years, and hot off the release of his latest album Devotion, we were thrilled to spend some time getting his perspective on his evolution as an artist, the challenges of being an independent artist, and plenty of keyboard talk. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: wa...

Zac Rae has been Death Cab for Cutie’s keyboard/guitar player for more than 1o years, with previous touring or session stints with Macy Gray, Alanis Morrissett, Leonard Cohen and Morrisey to name just four. In addition, Zac has a prolific and ongoing career in film, TV and other collaborations. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watc...

Ivan Doroschuk has been making great synth pop/rock songs for more than 40 years, and as founder of Men Without Hats remains a live performance powerhouse in addition to regular releases of new material. In this episode we chat on Ivan’s career, approach to composition and his favourite synths of all time. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or:...

Mike Lindup is one of our most requested guests and we were thrilled to speak with him in the lead up to Level 42’s Australian tour. In this initial catch-up with Mike, we do a quick rundown of his amazing career and talk about his keyboard rig , upcoming Australian tour and briefly talk on his stellar solo career as well. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio...

For our 200th episode we couldn’t think of a better person to feature than Tony Banks, a true master of the craft and still creating amazing music to this day. In a little over an hour we cover Tony’s career as the heart of Genesis, as well as his brilliant solo output and some superb insights into composition, soloing and a great deal more. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the...

David Paich is an American musician, songwriter, and producer best known as a founding member, keyboardist, and principal songwriter for the rock band Toto. Beyond his extensive work with the band, where he wrote or co-wrote hits such as “Africa,” “Rosanna,” and “Hold the Line,” David has a prolific background as a session musician. Over the course of his career...

No-one deserves to be part of our Masters Series more than Don Walker. Don is one of Australia’s most iconic players and songwriters and we chat on his latest release Love Songs , his work with Cold Chisel and Tex, Don and Charlie, and a whole lot more. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and...

Lawrence Gowan is a Scottish-Canadian singer, songwriter, and keyboardist best known as the vocalist and keyboardist for the classic rock band Styx, a role he has held since 1999. Before joining the group, he forged a highly successful solo career in Canada under the stage name Gowan. His 1985 solo album Strange Animal achieved triple-platinum status, driven by hit singles such as “A Crimina...

Richard Barbieri is best known as the keyboardist for the pioneering British new wave band Japan, as a core member of the progressive rock group Porcupine Tree and a successful artist in his own right. He is known for his unique approach to synthesis, atmospheric sound design, and textural playing style. Richard chats with us on his career to date, his distinct approach to creating sounds, and a g...

In this episode we speak with Christian Dinh Gulino, a UK-based keyboard player and musical director covering everything from pop tours to video game soundtracks. Aside from his arranging and production work for Square Enix Music, he has extensively toured with artists such as Bryan Ferry, Kylie Minogue and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, alongside a long-standing working relationship with Will Young. We cha...

John Linnell is one half of  They Might Be Giants, an American alternative rock band formed in Brooklyn, New York, in 1982. The group is known for their unique blend of alternative rock, experimental pop, and highly unconventional songwriting. John chats with us on his career to date, recent album The World Is To Dig and a great deal more. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in...

Mark ‘Squeezebox Wally’ Wallace is an Australian-based accordion and keyboard player, who for more than forty years has played around the world with a range of outfits including Weddings Parties Anything and Mick Thomas’ Roving Commission.  We cover a lot of that career, in addition to some discussion on accordions in contemporary music, some great desert island disc selections a...

Julian Emery is a UK-based songwriter, producer, and guitarist whose credits include work with artists such as Nothing But Thieves, McFly, and Lissie. This episode is a little different as Julian doesn’t play keyboards himself, but he joins the show to share his unique perspective from the producer’s chair and offers some interesting thoughts on the role keyboard players play in songs. To li...

Geoff Downes returns for his second appearance on the show, having originally joined us back on Episode 38 . While his extensive history with Yes is well documented, this time around we focus specifically on the band’s latest album, Aurora. Geoff covers a lot of ground in this interview, and we take the opportunity to delve into his current approach to songwriting and his performance on the...

Scottie Miller is an American keyboardist, singer-songwriter, and producer based in Minneapolis. Known for his blues- and roots-influenced playing style, Scottie has spent years on the road as the long-time musical director and keyboardist for Ruthie Foster. He’s also worked with Bo Diddley and Johnnie Johnson to name just two others. Alongside his work as an MD, he has maintained a steady s...

Danny Silverston is an American keyboardist and founding member of the Boston-based soul-pop band Couch . Known for his warm, jazz- and funk-influenced playing style, Danny has been an integral part of the seven-piece group’s collaborative writing and production process since their formation in 2018. He recently played on the band’s 2025 debut full-length album, Big Talk, and continues to to...

Paul Furness is a keyboard player and multi-instrumentalist who serves as a founding member of Brisbane indie rock mainstays Ball Park Music. Since forming the group during a university class assignment in 2008, Paul has spent nearly two decades helping anchor their melodic and eclectic sound, layering essential synthesizer textures, piano, and occasional trombone across eight studio albums. From...

Michael Stephen Brown is a versatile American pianist and composer best known for his solo performances, rich chamber music collaborations, and unique original works. Bridging the gap between world-class piano playing and storytelling, he has recently released his debut album of all-original music, Twelve Blocks. Showcasing his distinct creative voice, the deeply personal project features a series...

Peter Dasent is an incredibly versatile pianist, composer, and musical director best known for his long tenure as the resident keyboardist on ABC’s Play School, a role he has held for over two decades. While he is well known for his daily on-set improvisations for children, his impressive resume also includes leading his chamber-jazz ensemble The Umbrellas for over 30 years, as well as compo...

Peter Sandberg is a Swedish neo-classical and electronic pianist and composer based in Uppsala. Known for his minimalist, felt-piano compositions and atmospheric textures, he has released several acclaimed albums including Motion, Återvända, and Midnattssol. Beyond his solo work, Sandberg’s music has reached a wide audience through high-profile placements in television series such as Stranger Thin...

Greg Kane is one half of iconic outfit Hue And Cry, which has been producing music for well over 40 years. We chat with Greg on that amazing history, his approach to production and playing, and lots more. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our YouTube Channel Discussio...

Erik Deutsch is an American keyboard player currently touring with The Black Crowes. While he is well known for his extensive live and session work—including time spent with Leftover Salmon and Charlie Hunter—Erik is also a dedicated solo artist with a diverse catalogue of original jazz and funk releases. We chat with Erik about his career to date, how he balances major touring commitments with hi...

J. Willgoose, Esq. is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer best known as the founding member of the conceptual electronic rock group Public Service Broadcasting . Blending vintage synthesizers, samplers, and traditional instrumentation with extensive archival audio, he is recognized for constructing thematic musical narratives based around historical events. Known for his focused approa...

 In Part 2 of our chat with the brilliant David Hirschfelder, we dive deeper into his time with John Farnham, talk on his numerous other collaborations and his incredible career as a film and TV composer. To listen / watch: Audio-only: click on the play button in the audio player above, or: Video: watch the embedded video below or check it and previous episodes out on our YouTube Channel Discussio...