HEAVY Music Interviews

HEAVY Magazine

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Music Interviews
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All the latest music interviews from the team at HEAVY Magazine. HEAVY interviews the worlds leading rock, punk, metal and beyond musicians in the heavy universe of music. We will upload the latest interviews regularly so before to follow our social accounts and our podcast account on www.speaker.com/user/heavy Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

1h ago

JD Fortune Returns to Australia: Carrying the INXS Torch Once Again

JD Fortune is returning to Australia this October, bringing a full band and a set packed with the songs that helped make INXS a defining force in Australian music.Following the sold-out response to his 2025 Australian tour, Fortune says it was the connection with Australian audiences that made returning an easy decision.“The love was insane,” Fortune tells HEAVY. “The energy for the music… there’s something in the DNA because of those songs.”That connection is something Fortune understands intimately. After winning Rock Star: INXS in 2005, he went on to front the band, stepping into a catalogue that had already become deeply woven into the lives of millions of fans.Fortune says he has heard countless stories from people who associate songs such as Never Tear Us Apart and Don’t Change with weddings, graduations and even funerals.“I never take it for granted,” he says. “Music is like a time machine.”His upcoming Australian shows will see him performing the best of INXS, alongside Pretty Vegas and Devil’s Party, songs he co-wrote with the band. Rather than reinventing the material, Fortune believes the songs should be allowed to speak for themselves. Interview by Angela Croudace. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
2h ago

The Kings Of Freaks Head North: LIZARDMAN And CAPTAIN RUIN Talk CIRQUE LE STRANGE

Forget everything you know about the traditional, sanitized big-top circus, because a beautifully twisted, punk-infused counter-cultural storm is rolling through regional Australia. Straight from the beating heart of the underground party scene, Cirque Le Strange - the mind-bending brainchild of Oozing Future - is hitting the highway for its Regional Tour. This is not a show designed for the faint of heart or the easily offended. It is a high-octane, beautiful explosion of raw sweat, gender-bending performance art, and human-body-defying spectacles that demands to be seen to be believed. For years, Australia's capital cities have gatekept the weirdest and wildest late-night cabaret and freak shows, leaving regional fans starving for authentic alternative entertainment. This highly anticipated regional tour changes the game entirely, bringing a hand-picked, heavy-hitting collective of carnies, queers, and sideshow royalty deep into regional hubs across Victoria and Queensland. Spanning ten chaotic stops from the historic bandrooms of Geelong and Albury to the sun-baked stages of Bundaberg, Rockhampton, and Townsville, this run of shows is a massive, unapologetic celebration of fringe culture. The lineup reads like a fever-dream roll call of alternative icons. Headlining the madness is the legendary King of the Freaks himself - world-famous body modification star The Lizardman, recognizable globally from Ripley's Believe It or Not! Alongside him stands Soliana Ersie, widely celebrated as the bendiest woman in the Southern Hemisphere. Adding fuel to the chaotic fire is punk clown Captain Ruin, famed for causing absolute mayhem and hanging actual weights from his private parts, alongside the stunning Mx Burlesque Victoria winner Winter Greene, and the sheer, gravity-defying pole strength of Thembot. This tour transforms standard regional pub venues into volatile, safe, and wildly liberating playgrounds where the line between performer and audience is completely obliterated. It’s punk rock in its purest, most visual form—subversive, shock-inducing, and deeply captivating. Ahead of this monumental, logic-defying trek across the country, we sat down with the masterminds and freaks behind the curtain. In true HEAVY fashion, we dug into the sheer logistics of taking an underground freak show on the regional highway, how they handle pushing the absolute physical limits of the human body night after night, and why regional Australia is more than ready to embrace the strange. Secure your spot via Oztix, leave your expectations at the door, and prepare to join the rebellion—the freaks are officially coming to town. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
6h ago

Leave Expectations At The Door: BANKS ARCADE Talk Aussie Tour And New Album

Melbourne-via-New Zealand heavy hitters Banks Arcade are a band completely devoid of boundaries, systematically smashing the modern metalcore blueprint to pieces and rebuilding it in their own chaotic image. Merging towering post-hardcore riffs with hip-hop swagger, electronic glitch-work, and raw, bleeding-heart lyricism, this four-piece has rapidly evolved into one of the most exciting and unpredictable forces in the global alternative scene. They don’t just play heavy music; they live it, breathe it, and constantly reinvent it. Now, off the back of a relentless global tear, the boys are gearing up for a massive homecoming, hitting Australian roads this October for a powerhouse national tour alongside American rap-metal juggernauts From Ashes To New. This isn’t just another run of shows; it’s a collision of worlds. Teaming up with From Ashes To New makes for a fiercely high-octane double-bill that bridges the gap between classic nu-metal energy and the cutting-edge future of heavy music. For Banks Arcade, stepping onto these stages across Australia’s major cities is a statement of intent. They’ve spent the last couple of years cutting their teeth internationally and commanding festival stages, but there is a distinct, borderline-dangerous energy that ignites whenever they play in front of a homegrown Aussie crowd. It’s loud, it’s sweaty, and it’s completely unapologetic. Adding massive fuel to the fire is the looming arrival of their highly anticipated new studio album, Second Place Superstar. Written and refined amidst a whirlwind of international touring, the new record represents a creative quantum leap for the band. It’s darker, heavier, and features the kind of massive, genre-bending hooks that demand to be screamed back at a stage from a packed, suffocating mosh pit. This tour will give diehard fans their very first taste of this new era live, transforming venues into volatile testing grounds for tracks destined to become future anthems. Ahead of what promises to be one of the most explosive heavy music tours of the year, we sat down with Banks Arcade's magnetic frontman, Joshua O’Donnell. We dug deep into the raw creative headspace behind the new album, the sheer chaos of sharing a stage with From Ashes To New, and why Banks Arcade are refusing to play by anyone else's rules as they prepare to tear up the Australian highway. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
15h ago

MUDHONEY: STEVE TURNER On Surviving Seattle Without Losing The Plot

Interview by Ali Williams Australia has been claiming a little piece of MUDHONEY for longer than most of the world had worked out exactly what to call them. The Seattle band first made it down here in 1990, possibly becoming the first of the emerging grunge contingent to do so. Speaking with HEAVY, guitarist Steve Turner still has a fairly simple correction for anyone getting too enthusiastic with the historical labels. “We still think of ourselves as a punk band.” That distinction probably explains quite a lot about MUDHONEY. Formed in 1988, they had records out and were already touring before Nirvana and Pearl Jam became global names. They were there before Seattle became an international obsession, remained there while record companies went looking for the next band wearing old clothes and carrying a distortion pedal, and kept playing after the attention moved elsewhere. Turner remembers the explosion around his friends with far more amusement than envy. MUDHONEY were already earning enough to tour, pay their bills and continue making music, an achievement that was hardly standard operating procedure for a Seattle band at the time. Then everything around them became enormous very quickly. "I was happy where I was at. I don’t want to be a rock star. I never wanted to be a rock star or anything. I just want to play some music.” Watching friends become extremely famous only strengthened that opinion. “I definitely don’t want that. I want one paycheck. Give me one of your paychecks and I’ll be happy.” Fair. Fame optional, cheque accepted. Full interview and write up heavymag.com.au Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
15h ago

FROM ASHES TO NEW: Personal Warfare, Scrapped Demos, And The Aussie Invasion

When it comes to genre-bending, heavy music demolition, few bands have lit up the global landscape quite like central Pennsylvania's rap-rock juggernauts From Ashes To New. They didn't just crack the door open for the modern nu-metal resurgence—they kicked it down, set it on fire, and built an empire from the remaining embers. Led by founding mastermind, producer, and co-vocalist Matt Brandyberry, the band has weaponised a volatile sonic blend of arena-sized rock choruses, electronic grit, and rapid-fire hip-hop verses that refuse to be boxed in. After sending shockwaves through the scene with their chart-topping 2023 release Blackout, the quintet returned to double down on their dominance. Their highly anticipated fifth studio album, Reflections, dropped via Better Noise Music, proving to be their most introspective, explosive, and uncompromising work to date. Now, Aussie fans are finally getting the old-school throwdown they've been begging for. In partnership with premier alternative touring agency Destroy All Lines, From Ashes To New are locking and loading for their debut headlining tour of Australia. For a band that has generated billions of streams, sold out arenas across North America, and shared major festival stages with the absolute royalty of rock, this October run marks a massive, long-overdue milestone. Supported by Melbourne alternative heavy hitters Banks Arcade, the tour promises to bring the band’s notoriously high-energy, sweaty, and visceral live show down under. Ahead of the tour, HEAVY sat down for a raw, unfiltered chat with frontman Matt Brandyberry. In typical fashion, he didn't hold back. We dug deep into the high-stakes gamble behind Reflections—including the brutal, agonizing creative decision to scrap an entire album’s worth of completed demos and start completely from scratch to capture a more authentic, visceral sound. He talked more about the tour and what to expect, highlighting the fact that in the space of just 2 years they have gone from their first tour of Australia to headlining their own shows. We talked about the musical transition between the last two albums, future plans and more. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
2d ago

Architects Of Chaos: FISHBONE's ANGELO MOORE Promises Something Special

If there is one band that has spent the last forty years flipping a massive, middle-finger to the rules of conventional music, it is the absolute legends in Fishbone. These boys didn’t just break the mold when they burst out of South Central Los Angeles back in 1979—they blew it to pieces, swept up the debris, and used it to build a completely new sonic monster. Fusing punk, ska, funk, metal, and soul into a hyper-kinetic weapon, they created the foundational blueprint that launched a thousand bands. Without them, the alternative landscape of the '90s simply doesn't exist. But while their studio records are undisputed masterpieces, anyone in the global heavy army knows that the true church of Fishbone is found live on stage. It's a place where gravity is merely a suggestion and frontman Angelo Moore rules over the chaos like a mad scientist. Now, pack your bags and get ready, because the pioneers are heading back down under this September for a massive national headline tour. This isn't just any regular run of dates, either. The band is celebrating the massive 40th anniversary of their iconic debut studio album, In Your Face. For the old-school Aussie punters who remember the sweat-soaked, ceiling-shattering energy of their legendary tours here in the early 1990s, this is the ultimate homecoming. For the younger generation of heavy music fans, this tour is a rare, front-row masterclass in pure, unadulterated live performance from the absolute architects of the fusion genre. The hype surrounding this run is reaching a boiling point. With founding keyboardist and trombone player Christopher Dowd firmly back in the mix, Fishbone recently snapped a nearly twenty-year recording drought with their stellar EP, Stockholm Syndrome. The new material proves the creative fire between Moore and Dowd is burning just as fiercely and subversively as it did in the 1980s. This upcoming Australian campaign promises a blistering collision of pure nostalgia and modern aggression, tearing through the hits of In Your Face while unleashing the biting, socially conscious tracks of their modern era. Ahead of what promises to be an absolute series of masterclasses at historic rooms like Melbourne's 170 Russell and Sydney's Liberty Hall, HEAVY caught up with the incomparable Angelo - aka Dr. MadVibe himself - to get the lowdown. In true Angelo style, he holds nothing back as we dive deep into the endurance of Fishbone’s message, re-igniting the spark with original members, and exactly what happens when one of the most volatile live acts in rock history collides with the notoriously wild Australian crowd. Strap themselves in, heavy music fans, because this one is going to be special. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
2d ago

THE ETERNAL: MARK KELSON On Change, Distance And Obscured Horizons

Interview by Ali Williams There are easier ways to run a band than placing half of it in Melbourne and the other half in Finland. THE ETERNAL have apparently decided ease is overrated. For guitarist/vocalist Mark Kelson, geography has become one of the least complicated parts of the equation. More than two decades into THE ETERNAL, he is preparing to release the band's eighth studio album, Obscured Horizons, while returning to Australian stages alongside AMORPHIS. The record was built between Melbourne and Helsinki by a lineup Kelson describes as the band's most stable, collaborative and creative yet. THE ETERNAL now operate as a genuinely Australian-Finnish band, with Kelson and Richie Poate (guitar) in Australia alongside Niclas Etelävuori and Jan Rechberger in Finland. Their sound still sits firmly in dark melodic metal with progressive elements, although Kelson is not particularly interested in spending too much time arguing over genre labels. Full write up and interview heavymag.com.au Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
5d ago

Glam, Slam Australian Tour: STEVE SUMMERS From PRETTY BOY FLOYD Tells All

If your idea of a good time involves enough hairspray to deplete the ozone layer, leather pants tighter than a second skin, and hooks that could catch a great white shark, then brace yourselves, Australia. The glorious era of Sunset Strip debauchery and power-pop majesty is heading Down Under this November for the RU PRETTY ENUFF Australian Tour. In what is shaping up to be one of the most unapologetic celebrations of pure, unadulterated rock ’n’ roll excess to hit our shores in 2026, the legendary Pretty Boy Floyd are teaming up with Chicago's premier power-pop icons, Enuff Z'Nuff for a travelling rock show you don't want to miss. This isn't just a basic trip down memory lane or a lazy nostalgia run—both bands are actively flying the flag for live music, armed with fresh material and the exact same fiery attitude that made them subcultural icons decades ago. To get the absolute lowdown on what promises to be a dangerously loud run of shows, HEAVY caught up with none other than Pretty Boy Floyd's enigmatic frontman, Steve Summers. Summers is a true survivor of the late-’80s Hollywood explosion, a frontman who fully understands that a rock show isn't just about playing chords—it’s about creating a goddamn spectacle. When Pretty Boy Floyd dropped Leather Boyz with Electric Toyz back in '89, they gave the world a permanent blueprint for sleaze rock. Fast forward to 2026, and they are currently touring the globe celebrating the 37th anniversary of that iconic debut while simultaneously proving they still have plenty of gas left in the tank. Armed with an explosive new album, Summers and the boys are ready to mix timeless anthems like Rock and Roll (Is Gonna Set the Night on Fire) with their latest hard-hitting material. When we sat down for a chat, Steve was in fine form, buzzing about the prospect of bringing their high-octane set to Aussie crowds alongside their longtime brothers-in-arms, Chip Z’Nuff and his crew. We dove into how the band balances honoring their wild legacy while continually pushing forward with a distinct identity. Steve opened up about the enduring power of melodic hard rock songwriting, the realities of keeping the Hollywood flame alive through decades of shifting musical trends, and exactly why Australian rock fans still have an insatiable appetite for big riffs, massive choruses, and oversized hair. With an incredibly stacked national lineup of local XMusic acts like Audio Reign, Snakebite Whisky, Karly Jewell, RUNT and Poizon'Us jumping on board to turn each night into a massive, full-blown scene celebration, this tour is going to be special. Grab a cold beer, adjust your leather jacket, and tune in as Steve Summers gives us the full, unvarnished preview of the upcoming tour, recalls the magic of the early Sunset Strip days, and explains why rock ’n’ roll will always set the night on fire. Tix: https://xmusic.au/tours/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

All the latest music interviews from the team at HEAVY Magazine. HEAVY interviews the worlds leading rock, punk, metal and beyond musicians in the heavy universe of music. We will upload the latest interviews regularly so before to follow our social accounts and our podcast account on www.speaker.com/user/heavy Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Creator

HEAVY Magazine
Years Active

2018 - 2026
Episodes

1K
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© HEAVY 2025
Show Website

HEAVY Music Interviews