13th Floor MusicTalk

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.

Aussie punk pioneers  The Saints,  led by vocalist  Chris Bailey , recorded one last album before his death in 2022, now titled,  Long March Through The Jazz Age . The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to late-era Saints drummer  Peter Wilkinson  about the making of this poignant final album and what his friend,  Chris Bailey  would make of all this.

Kirsten Morrell  releases her new single,  Hoping & Wishing (Robin’s Song) …with an album in the works and a show coming up at Big Fan. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  invited the former  Goldenhorse  vocalist to The 13th Floor to talk about her new music, her return to New Zealand and what to expect at her solo shows.

Weaving post-rock, dream pop and indie rock, Wellington’s  Hail, Meteor!  have released  Nearer , an album of delicate vastness. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to guitarist  David Coventry  and  John Kingston  to find out exactly what that means.

The Salt Collective  is a collaborative musical project led by French songwriter-guitarist  Stéphane Schück. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Stéphane about how and why he travelled from Normandy to North Carolina to work with his heroes from  The dBs  along with a cast of collaborators that includes  Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Andy Partridge (XTC), Amiee Mann (Til Tue...

Wellington band  Dropper  has just released their debut album,  Be A Little Kinder , borne out of frontman  Jude Savage’s  previous band,  Bleeding Star . The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Jude just before release day and his 20th birthday and found out how a new collaboration with  River Hann-Ellen  of  Debt Club  reignited his creative s...

Rhett Miller , founding member and front man for  The Old 97’s,  has released his 10th solo album,  A Lifetime Of Riding By Night. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Rhett who had vocal chord surgery immediately after recording his vocals for the album. Rhett’s recovered and singing better than ever! So we talk about making this very personal album as he takes a day off from...

Erase Everything features members of  Pluto ,  Bleeders ,  Shitripper ,  Fever   Lake  &  Crap   Date and their new EP is called Glass Souls.  The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Angelo Munro (also of The Bleeders ) about how he and his new bandmates reconnected with their formative years, being "Children of the '90s".  Erase Everything is: An...

With their neighbour to the South threatening to turn them into the 51st State, Canadian band  The Besnard Lakes  have good reason to feel like they live in a ghost nation. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to bandleader  Jace Lasek  about making a more “playful yet thoughtful” record in these uncertain times.

George D Henderson ,  the driving force behind 90s Dunedin icons  The Puddle ,  celebrates 50 years of underground rock with the vinyl debut of his latest project,  The New Existentialists. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to George about making his new album,  Bad Astrology  and his formative years with  Shayne P. Carter  in  The Puddle. 

John McFee  has played with everyone from  Van Morriso n to  Elvis Costello  to  Rick James …but have you heard of  Jackdawg ? Jackdawg  was the band John formed in 1990 along with fellow ex- Doobie Brother Keith Knudsen  and former  CCR-man Stu Cook . Their one album sank without a trace in 1990, but know its got a second life after a reissue…on vinyl...

Auckland punk band  Dick Move  has just released their third album,  Dream, Believe, Achieve , 13 songs in 25 minutes recorded at Roundhead Studios. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to lead singer  Lucy Suttor  about their duty to respond to the social and political landscape and, at the same time, offer a glimmer of hope.