13th Floor MusicTalk

Don and The Divorcees are a Wellington-based folk trio who have just released their debut album, Bit Players . Marty Duda spoke to Don, Hollie and Beans about their spiritual approach to folk music, their collaborative energy and how the sum of their parts creates a greater "whole".

Texas-raised country-rocker Travis Roberts has just released his debut album, Rebel Rose , on the New West label and we found him just as the record was about to "drop". Marty Duda found Travis in Nashville just ahead of release day and asked the 25-year-old musician about trains, dogs, Shelby Stone and Amarillo, Texas.

Chris Stamey , the former  dB , has just released  Anything Is Possible , a collection of new songs, and one cover, inspired by the golden age of Top 40 radio. Marty Duda  spoke to Chris, who was home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and along with discussing the new album, he remembered back to his days working with  Alex Chilton  and seeing  The MC5  in high sch...

The Band CAMINO has just released their third album, NeverAlways , one that finds the trio 'finding the sweet spot'. Marty Duda spoke to Jeffrey, Garrison and Spencer...who pops up late...about Baggy Jeans, Stupid Questions, obscure YouTube references and what to expect when they next tour Down Under.

Auckland band Soft Bait have just released their second album, Life Advice , today...their first for the Flying Nun label. Marty Duda tracked down front man Josh Hunter in Ponsonby and spoke to him about the band's approach to making this new album, one that fans have high expectations for. We begin with some Life Advice from Josh himself.

Aila and Elisha Wildman are The Wildmans . Born in raised in Appalachia and educated at Berklee, the siblings have just released their new album, Longtime Friend . Here they are to tell us all about it. Marty Duda spoke to Alia and Eli just as Longtime Friend was about to drop. Watch and listen as they talk about their roots, Gram and Emmylou and Floyd Fest!

Up-and-coming Auckland singer/songwriter Freya releases her debut album, Of Water. Marty Duda caught up with Freya on the eve of the big day to find out why she's been writing heartbreaking songs since the age of eight, and what to expect from her first-ever full-band performance

Shedheads are three young lads from Nelson who are making a big noise on their debut album, Big Milk, where they mix rock and funk with a bit of reggae and prog to come up with something distinctly their own. Marty Duda spoke to JP, Shoei and Ryan about making Big Milk and what the future holds for the three musician who are still in high school.

Here is singer/songwriter Graham Gouldman to take us, track by track, through the making of their classic album, The Original Soundtrack , 50 years after its release. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Graham about this classic album. Listen and learn as Graham tells us how he, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme made their most successful record. It is the story of four very creative artis...

Pan Amsterdam  is the artist formerly known as  Leron Thomas …jazz trumpet player, rapper and bandleader for  Iggy Pop . Here he is to talk about his new album,  Confines . Marty Duda  found Leron just outside of Paris where he was about to perform with  Iggy Pop . Iggy has been a huge supporter of the  Pan Amsterdam  sound, even lending that iconic voice to...

The story of  Lucius  comes full circle on their new self-titled and self-produced album. The band is now on the road with their  Gold Rush Tour. Marty Duda  caught up with Holly and Jess to see how things are going. Talk turns to making the new album with  Adam Granduciel (War On Drugs)  and  Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes)  and who they would drop everything to s...

Veteran ska/punk/roots/rockers Fishbone return with Stockholm Syndrome, their first new album in nearly 20 years. Marty Duda tracked down frontman and founder Angelo Moore in Albany, New York, where the band was about to headline a show there. Fortunately Angelo had to to talk about Sly Stone, being clean and sober and touring in a country that he claims is "at war, being attacked from the inside"...

Ringlets have released their second album today... The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time For Walkies) . Here is guitarist Lázsló Reynolds to with the inside story on the new album, their first for Flying Nun. The 13th Floor's Marty Duda spoke to Lázsló about rolling blunts, post-punk and This Year's Hottest Movie...

People Of The Sun  are a pysch-rock outfit from Taranaki, comprised of seasoned musicians  Joseph Anderson  (Guitar, Lead Vocals) , Djordie Nikolic  (Bass, Vocals),and  Tom Scrase  (Drums, Taonga Puoro, Vocals). Marty Duda  spoke with Tom about how they melded the sounds of  Pink Floyd, Tool  and  Trinity Roots  into t...

Dee Dee Bridgewater  and  Bill Charlap  have teamed up to create  Elemental …a spontaneous celebration of the great American composers such as  Cole Porter, George Gershwin  and  Duke Ellington.  Marty Duda  found pianist  Bill Charlap  in Oakland just days after the duo performed at the famed Hollywood Bowl. Watch and listen as Bill explains...

Elijah Johnston has just released his new album, Stupid Soul. Now based in Atlantic, Elijah returned to Athens to record these 12 tracks of sundrenched power pop. Marty Duda caught up with Elijah in Atlanta and talked to him about his new approach to songwriting and, what he did last summer and covering Bruce Springsteen.

Grayson Hugh  has released  Save Your Love For Me …the new album was five years in the making, but, as you’ll hear, it was well worth the wait. Marty Duda  spoke to Grayson about making  Save Your Love For Me   and how session cats like  Pete Kennedy  and  Tony Garnier  helped him put some twang in his soul.

Blues-infused hard rockers,  The Dead Daises  pay tribute to greats like  Robert Johnson  and  John Lee Hooker  with a new collection of old standards called  Lookin’ For Trouble  that will rock your socks off.  Marty Duda  spoke to Dead Daisies vocalist  John Corabi  about the band’s pilgrimage to Muscle Shoals and their take on classics...

Heavenly  were, and are again, an indiepop band from England who have just released their first new single in 29 years. Marty Duda  spoke to bandmembers  Amelia Fletcher  and  Rob Pursey  about their new song  Portland Town , the reissue of their 1996 album  Operation Heavenly  and another new song by offshoot band,  Swansea Sound,  called&nbs...

Love Party  is  Kate Yesberg  and  Dayle Jellyman.  Married for 10 years, they’ve only just formed a band and released their debut album,  Wow! Marty Duda  spoke to Kate and Dayle who were home in Wellington and found out how this self-described “recovering lawyer” and in-demand musician formed a punk band and wrote and recorded 8 songs that make up a “ time-stam...

David Lowery is the chief songwriter and frontman for both Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker , his new 'musical autobiography' is a 3-LP set titled Fathers, Sons and Brothers . Marty Duda spoke to David at length about this impressive project, his personal and musical past and Kim Dotcom and Napster (who he successfully sued). Be sure to stay with this one as David has some valuable advice for arti...

What do you get when you mix a Bangle and a Cowsill? Listen to  Vicki Peterson  and  John Cowsill’s  new album and you’ll find it’s a little bit country and a little bit rock & roll.  Marty Duda  spoke to Vicki and John, who are married and living in California where they made  Long After The Fire , an album of songs written by John’s brothers,  Bar...

Auckland-based alt.folk singer/songwriter Greta O'Leary talks to us about her long-awaited debut album, River Dark and why she calls it "spook folk". Marty Duda spoke to Greta shortly after she was forced to cancel a concert due to illness. Greta's feeling better now and so are we after listen to these nine new songs produced by a team that includes producer Jol Mulholland and ace players such as...

West Tennessee native Valerie June has released her sixth studio album. Owls, Omens and Oracles is produced by M. Ward and is "a radical statement to break skepticism, surveillance, and doom scrolling. Marty Duda spoke to Valerie who was in Memphis Tennessee preparing to take these songs of positivity and  inclusiveness on the road.

The Minus 5 , formed in 1993 by  Scott McCaughey  ( Young Fresh Fellows ) and  Peter Buck  ( R.E.M. ) are about to release  Oar On, Penelope! , their first album in five years. Marty Duda  spoke to Scott about all the important subjects…the glory that is  Mott The Hoople , the under-rated  Marianne Faithfull  and  Michael Hurley , recovering from a...