Neo Radio

Auckland based songwriter and vocalist, INDIGO chats with Richard about how she broke into the music scene, where she first learned she had a gift with her singing voice, and how that has led her into a career in music. They reflect on how Synthwave is super niche in New Zealand, but have ideas on how this could find new audiences. Plus some bonus surprises, you'll have to listen for! Original...

In this long distance call to, yes, a radio station, Mayah Camara chats with Richard about her latest releases, collaborations and and her incredible content and artwork on socials. Learn about the songs that inspired her as a kid, and how she has used this as inspiration in her own music - Richard correctly spotted a few clues (and if you caught the show live, you would have heard us play them to...

Sometime during the chilly mid-winter of 2186, Killstarr, a Melbourne based synthwave maestro is creating neon-soaked 80s inspired cinematic synthpop jams. He explains to Richard how he builds his music soundscape, or shall we say, audio dreamscape. We also talk about the camaraderie within the synthwave scene, and run through a number of his favourite tracks. Originally aired on Retro Hit Radio,...

Jett Ranger rides into town on his bike complete with twin DJ decks, cos this is how it's done in Te Kuiti! After living in Melbourne and enjoying the Synthwave scene, he explains to Richard the stark difference NZ is in comparison. How he transitioned to DJ (or shall we say, a 'selector') and how he uses the unique song structures of Synthwave music to mix the genre in live sets. You...

Nate from Hearts In Beta links up from Brisbane, with a compelling story. It was 2019, and the algorithm dropped a fresh and new but familiar sounding song he'd never heard before. Nate had to investigate. He discovered Timecop, The Midnight, FM Attack, and so many more. It is safe to say, he was hooked! We take a look at his 5 track EP, 'Overnight' to discuss a few of them, the concept of the alb...

Richard catches up with Fear Of Tigers, all the way from Stari Grad in Belgrade. Its most significant landmark is the Beogradska Tvrđava, an imposing fortress at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava rivers. The fort is a testament to the city’s strategic importance to the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, Serbian and Austrian empires. However we don't even talk about forts. Instead, we dive into '80...

Richard chats with David Hale to kick off Season 2 just in time for his new album 'Off The Record' and his collaboration with YATTE, we tackle the important things that make a song special, situationships, his dream collaborations (should Phil Collins not return his call), and guess how many drums sounds that can end up on one track? Originally aired on Retro Hit Radio June 29, 2025. Note,...

YATTE catches up with Richard to talk about .. well, we don't really know. We chat about early AI voices, lost Paul McCartney songs, have a game of guess that tune, and dig up a boatload of fun and fanciful stories! Originally aired on Retro Hit Radio, Aug 18 2024

Pat, Nick and Aaron from The Motion Epic hang with Richard to talk about their upcoming new album. The guys share a few incredibly revealing behind-the-scenes stories about how the band formed, their songwriting process and art aesthetic, we get a load of hints and clues at upcoming collaborations and covers. Plus the guys share a few fantastic fan stories and spin a few favourites including their...

All the way from LA, Andy and Jenny from Diamond Field join Richard to talk about writing and performing as a duo, touring and collaborating with others, and why consistency is important when it comes to remixing. New Zealand remains top of mind for lyrical inspiration (and TV themes) and we hear news of a few songs 'in the can' we hope to hear soon! Originally aired on Retro Hit Radio, Au...

Lau Fares joins Richard as we talk about “Laser Eyes”, her collaboration with Akras ahead of the next LAU album, the Aztec Records family (just as Sunglasses Kid hits a huge home run!) plus we hear the worldwide exclusive first play of the next single “Drifting Away” (feat Akras). No, Lau was not in the toilet at any point during the show ;) Originally aired on Retro Hit Radio July 14, 2024

JJ Mist takes a break from packing ahead of her huge overseas trip, to hang with Richard and mark the 5 year anniversary of her debut album 'Communication'! We hear some of the songs and stories behind the songs (long-distance love-affair, anyone?) and we talk about the new Markham & Mist collaboration. Originally aired on Retro Hit Radio, June 30, 2024

Max Cruise joins Richard for a saxy-time! Don't think about a saxophone in a naughty way (well, if you want), we chat the sax on how versatile it is, sax solos, meal preparation (and avoiding burping) and we introduce you to the Max Cruise catalogue, and much more! Originally aired on Retro Hit Radio, June 23, 2024