13th Floor MusicTalk

Veteran Dunedin artist J Callander (Jeremy to his friends) has just released Shadows In The Shade , an impressive collection of original music he calls, "Outlaw Space Rock". The 13th Floor's Marty Duda found Jeremy in his music room in Dunedin ready to talk about writing and recording Shadows In The Shade and how he turned Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel into Outlaw Space Rock.

Texas-based band Voxtrot is back with their second album in just two decades. What have they been doing all that time? Bandleader Ramesh Srivastava is here to explain all. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Ramesh just as the new album, Dreamers In Exile , was due to be "dropped". Ramesh was home in Lockhart, Texas, the self-proclaimed "BBQ Capital Of Texas", where he opens up about how this lon...

Veteran Americana band The Long Ryders have just released their new studio album, High Noon Hymns. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to founding member Sid Griffin about a range of subjects…everything from politics to mortality to rock & roll cliches to becoming Vanilla Ice .

Em Beihold is finally about to release her debut album, Tales Of A Failed Shapeshifter , nine long years her debut EP. Along the way there have been some ups and downs. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Em a few days before Tales Of A Failed Shsapeshifter was about to drop. Here she is explaing why the process took so long, how she dealt with writer's block and why she enjoys a bit of monobob.

Iron & Wine are about to release a new album titled Hen’s Teeth and play dates in Australia and New Zealand. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Sam Beam about making Hen’s Teeth simultaneously with his previous album, about writing Grace Notes and what we can look forward to when the live show comes down under.

Ex-pat Kiwi singer/songwriter Hemi Hemingway has just released his second album, Wings Of Desire, and moved back to New Zealand after an extended stay in London. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Hemi on release day and asked what brought him back, what inspired his musical evolution and what he plans next.

Bic Runga has just released her first new album in 15 years. It's called Red Sunset , and this time around the 20-time Tui Award winner has made a record with "modest expectations". The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Bic on the eve of release day and just after a Lorde concert. Listen as Bic reviews Lorde and tells us about her "new stage in life", her musical beginnings as a drummer and... Alic...

alayna , the critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter who hails from Rotorua, is preparing to release her highly-anticipated second album, Set Her Free. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to alayna in the middle of “Album Week” to find out more about this collection of original songs that she calls, “a series of love letters”.

Here is Six60 guitar and bass man Marlon Gerbes to tell us all about their new album, Right Here Right Now and how they are preparing to open Auckland’s newest venue, Te Paepae Theatre/NZICC. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Marlon about how they recorded this new album, “live in the studio” in just three days, while breaking in new drummer Damian Graham . And why they choose to collaborate wi...

Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History Of Gary Young & Pavement is a documentary film about the band’s “eccentric” first drummer, Gary Young . The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to two of the film’s producers, Jeffrey Clark and Brian Thalken , just as the Soundtrack album is released on Independent Project Records.

Her hometown is Los Angeles, but her musical heart is in Nashville...meet Natalie Del Carmen and hear about Pastures, her second album...the one she considers her real debut. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to the young singer/songwriter and talked to her about her great-grandad's banjo, her inability to whistle and her ability to write songs that address the unique trials of finding yourself in...

Belfast-based singer-songwriter Dani Larkin is about to release Next Of Kin, an album that blends traditional Irish ballads with a taste of the 21st century. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda found Dani at home in Belfast and they talked about how this album is the culmination of three years’ of work and a lot of passion.

Berlin-based Kiwi Muroki is about to release his long-awaited debut album, Amber Skies. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda found Muroki holidaying on the Coramandel just ahead of release day and the beginning of his NZ tour. Here he is to tell us how his time in Berlin, New Zealand, Portugal and Kenya influenced what we hear on Amber Skies .

Nashville-based Americana rocker Sophie Gault is about to release her third studio album, titled Unhinged . The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Sophie about covering Robert Johnson , recording with Gurf Morlix and sailing the Outlaw Cruise.

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Melody Guy has just released her new album, Train To Dreamland . Marty Duda spoke to Melody on the eve of release day to find out where that train took her. Turns out its be quite a journey, one that has included domestic abuse, being kidnapped at gunpoint and singing at McDonalds.

Blues guitarist Eric Johanson has released Live In Mississippi , where the raucous Friday-night crowd welcomed Eric to the stage at the Ground Zero Club in Biloxi, Mississippi. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda found Eric at home in New Orleans earlier this year and spoke to him about playing at Ground Zero and briefly living in New Zealand.

This past year saw a host of cool reissues from Liberation Hall including an expanded version of the one and only album by Pearl Harbor & The Explosions . The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Pearl who was at home in the desert in Southern California in remission from a recent cancer scare.

Portugal. The Man have released their 10th studio album, titled Shish , after Shishmaref, Alaska. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to bandleader John Gourley who is a proud Alaskan native. He found John at home in Portland, Oregon and talked about making Shish , growing up in Alaska and being chased by ICE agents in Portland.

Season Of The Peach  is the 10th studio album from  Black Lips,  a record they call a “rock & roll odyssey”. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to founding member  Jared Swilley  about a musical odyssey that takes us from punk to doo-wop to gospel to Sardinia.

Juliana Hatfield  releases her latest solo album,  Lightning Might Strike , in just a few days. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Juliana about making a record that, “captures a period of change”. Along the way we discuss the life changes that come with aging and the joys of  R.E.M.

Sax man  Dave McMurray  has just released  I Love Life (Even When I’m Hurting)  on Blue Note Records. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Dave, who was in his hometown of Detroit, the inspiration for the album and the place where he first met friend, collaborator and, now head of Blue Note,  Don Was . Dave recounts those days in Detroit and where he’s at now.

Liberation Hall Music has just reissued  American Music  and  Non Fiction , the first and third albums by  The Blasters . The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Blasters bass player  John Bazz  about those heady times in the late 70s and early 80s when he,  Phil & Dave Alvin  and the rest of the band were crossing  Chuck Berry  with  T...

JJJJJerome Ellis  has just released his new album,  Vesper Sparrow , an album of very original music that combines “granular synthesis” with jazz and gospel. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to the songwriter, sax player and former Yale lecturer about how he turned his stutter into a musical instrument while, all the time, keeping his eye on the sparrow.

Kiwi-South Africa trio  The Transits  have just released their second album, titled  Bleed Hope . The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to vocalist and bass player  Dom Antelm  from his home in Auckland to find out how they keep a band, separated by thousands of miles, productive and creative.

Troy Kingi  has just released his 9th album in his 10/10/10 series and  Night Lords  finds him collaborating with 14 of his favourite rappers. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Troy about his unique mix of hip hop and r&b, resulting in a soulful blend that will leave listeners floating on a sea of possibilities.