13th Floor MusicTalk

Wellington band Underwire have released their debut album, State Between , after years of life getting in the way of art. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Johnny Mills and Jane Brimblecombe about making the album with producer Scott Seabright and what they have up their collective sleeves next...

The Bats  have just released their 11th studio album, a little beauty titled  Corner Coming Up . T he 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Bat Man  Robert Scott  about making the record and keeping the legacy alive.

Adam Hattaway stopped by The 13th Floor while he and his band, The Haunters were in Auckland to play at Whammy Bar. Marty Duda sat down with Adam to discuss what road he and his band would take next after their Hot Variety Tour comes to a close.

Paisley Underground pioneers  The Dream Syndicate celebrate the 40th anniversary of their second album, Medicine Show , with an expanded 4-CD reissue featuring 42 previously unreleased tracks. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to band leader Steve Wynn to find out what kind of hidden gems they dug up and why this album was so different from their first.

Freak Slug is here! The Manchester-based artist also known as Xenya Genovese makes her NZ concert debut in Wellington at San Fran. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Xenya as she was acclimating to the windy weather. With a new EP, Loose Tooth And A Short Skirt due out on November 7th, fans are bound to hear some new tunes mixed in with favourites from last year's debut album, I Blow Out Big Can...

Dunedin band The Beatniks stop by The 13th Floor Studio to talk about their new EP, Today/Tomorrow . The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to vocalist Sam Charlesworth and lead guitarist Logan Edwards about the always changing, always vibrant Dunedin music scene and how they fit in.

California-based singer/songwriter Kris Angelis has released her sixth album, Le Sigh , on Blue Élan Records. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda found Kris in Carmel, California just ahead of release day and talked to her about making an album where, “the original concept for the record was unsent letters, the things you want to say to people you really can’t.” That and Elton John .

Veteran Kiwi jazz trumpeter  Kim Paterson  has just released a new album titled  Lake Rd …a collaboration with the  Mike Nock Trio  and featuring  Nathan Haines . The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Kim about making  Lake Rd , his early years in the 1960s NZ and Australian jazz scenes and how an Indian guru saved his life.

Echomatica is a synth-rock four-piece based in Auckland who have been together for seven years, but only now have released their self-titled debut album. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Charlie, Matt and Scott...three-quarters of Echomatica ...about their long and winding road to release day. 

New York based noise-rockers Laveda have just released their third album, Love, Darla , their first for new label, Bar None. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda tracked down the band as they drove from Las Vegas to Long Beach. Founding members Jake Brooks and Ali Genevich talk about their move to the Big Apple, but more importantly about the connection Jake has to Kim Gordon, Lydia Lunch and Genny Creme A...

Supersuckers founding member Eddie Spaghetti explains why rock & roll is not a young man's game anymore on the eve of the release of his band's latest album, Liquor, Women, Drugs & Killing. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Eddie ahead of release day and found out, among other things, what was the record that blew young Eddie's mind and set him on a life-long course to make his own bran...

Nicki Bluhm  releases her new album,  Rancho Deluxe …recorded at her home studio Madison, Tennessee which is where we found her getting ready for release day. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Nicki about making this record near the banks of the Cumberland River with her producer, co-writer and partner  Jesse Noah Wilson.

Patrick Sansone formed The Autumn Defense with fellow Wilco bandmember John Stirratt over 20 years ago, but its been a while since their last album. But fans can rejoice as Here And Nowhere is about to drop. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Pat about the long gestation period that finally spawned Here and Nowhere . Watch and listen as Pat explains how the two songwriters work together and apar...

Rachael Yamagata is just about to release her fifth studio album. Starlit Alchemy  is the triumphant result of hard-earned clarity and recalibration. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Rachael, who was home in Woodstock, NY, about making Starlit Alchemy , a record she calls "a collaborative listening experience". 

Baxter Dury has just released his latest album...and talking about Allbarone finds the son of Blockhead Ian Dury as straight-up and no-nonsense as he's always been. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Baxter about working with Grammy-winning producer Paul Epworth ( Adele/Florence and The Machine ) and his early days as an aspiring filmmaker.  

The Far West  is an LA-based Americana band that has been “on hiatus” for over a decade. Finally, we have their third studio album,  Everything We Thought We Wanted . The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to  Robert Black  and  Lee Briante  about the band’s new album, long gestation period. This from a band who claims to make “horribly painful songs that you can dan...

You may know Donny McCaslin as the sax player and bandleader on David Bowie's Black Star or as a musical artist in his own right...as you'll find on his new album, Lullaby For The Lost . The 13th Floor's Marty Duda found Donny at home in Brooklyn and talked to him about making this new album with the help of producers Tim Lefebvre and Dave Fridmann . And of course, we couldn't help but talk about...

Kiwi Country star Kaylee Bell has just released her new album, Cowboy Up. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Kaylee about splitting her time between New Zealand and Nashville (and Australia) along with the joys of motherhood and the friendship of Tami Neilson.   

In addition to being Slash’s stepdaughter, 23-year-old S carlet Rae  proves to be a talented artist and songwriter in her right, with the 5 songs that make up her  No Heavy Goodbyes  EP all the proof she needs. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to the transplanted Californian, now living in New York City. Scarlet’s older sister died tragically last year and Scarlet is coming t...

Neko Case is just about to release Neon Grey, Midnight Green , her first new studio album since 2018. During that "down" time, Neko wrote her memoir, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, and then wrote more songs. The fruits of that labour can be heard all over this new record. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Neko, who was home in Vermont, and started out by asking the obvious question...

The Pink Stones have just released Thank The Lord...It's The Pink Stones , 11 new Country weepers that have you crying in your beer. Marty Duda spoke to bandleader Hunter Pinkston about sad movies, Robert Redford , pressing records and that 1960's era of Classic Country songs.

Jon Nolan & Good Co. are about to release, Slow Cooker , a new album borne out of the Say Zu Zu's front man's Slow Cooker Sessions. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Jon, who was home in Newmarket, New Hampshire, about making Slow Cooker while living in the Between Times.

American singer-songwriter  David Wilcox  has released a new album titled  The Way I Tell The Story  made with the help of friends like  Daryl Jones, Jeff Pevar, Philippe Saisse  and  Bill Berg. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  found David at home in Asheville, North Carolina and talked to him about how making  The Way I Tell The Story  helped find his...

Asleep At The Wheel is still going strong after 55 years with their new album, Riding High In Texas featuring newest man Ian Stewart on fiddle and vocals...and don't worry, founding member Ray Benson is still leading the pack. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Ian Stewart about his own back story and how he came to join a band that is two decades older than he is.

New Zealand-based musicians, composers and producers  Rhian Sheenhan  and  Arli Liberman  have joined forces to create  Traces , 8 new ambient tracks that are both immersive and intimate…futuristic and nostalgic. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda  spoke to Rhian and Arli on the eve of release day and talked to them about their exclusive use of analogue instruments on this p...