Trusty Chords

Tyler Jenke

Trusty Chords is a podcast which aims to celebrate music and those that create it. Hosted by Tyler Jenke, it features a casual chat with an artist, and their own trusty chords – the one artist the changed their life, the three albums that impacted them greatly, and the five songs they can always turn to.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 105: Greg Barnett – The Menzingers

    If you've taken anything away from the sort of artists I've had on this podcast in recent years, you can probably surmise I'm a bit of a fan of the more indie, alternative, punk, and heavier genres.   One of the groups that does manage to traverse all of those elements is The Menzingers, a punk-influenced outfit from Scranton, Pennsylvania who this year celebrate two decades in the game. Releasing their first album in 2007, new records have been a regular occurrence for the group, who signed with the legendary Epitaph Records for 2012's 'On The Impossible Past' and have stayed there ever since.  Over the years, they've been pumping out plenty of brilliant records, playing countless live shows, and just generally being the very definition of unsung heroes in the world of music. Seriously, go back and listen through their discography – it's pretty hard (if not impossible) to find a dud. This week, The Menzingers return with their latest record, 'Everything I Ever Saw', and if you're a newcomer to the group, it's a solid showing of what makes them great. It's got hooks, it's got choruses, it's got some pretty heavy songwriting, and it's got that undeniable element that makes us all love them. A couple of days ago, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Greg Barnett – vocalist and guitarist of The Menzingers – about the band's history, their new record, and our shared love of The Mountain Goats. (Stay tuned for Greg and I launching the 'Full Force Pittsburgh' tribute podcast at some point in the far away future.) Anyway, have a listen to The Menzingers' 'Everything I Ever Saw', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

    Episode 105: Greg Barnett – The Menzingers
  2. Jul 2

    Episode 104: Campbell Burns – Vacations

    Hello and welcome to Trusty Chords, the podcast which aims to celebrate music and those that create it. Most Australian bands would tell you that the dream is to not only carve out a respectable niche for yourself on home soil, but to make impressive in-roads overseas. For Newcastle's Vacations, that's exactly what they've spent the past decade doing. Initially formed out of solo recordings made by frontman Campbell Burns, Vacations soon began releasing a string of EPs and singles, with debut album 'Changes' arriving in 2018. Since then, they've released three studio albums, and amassed a huge following.  2016 single 'Young' has gone Gold and Platinum around the world, bringing in close to 900 million streams on Spotify alone, while 2018's 'Telephones' has performed similarly, surpassing 800 million streams. Needless to say, they're doing pretty well for themselves, and these global in-roads now extend to Burns himself living in New York, where he continues to craft stellar tunes. Those stellar tunes will again be a focus of their forthcoming album, 'Pursuit Of Anything', which arrives in October. It's on track to be a big one for the band, but before that, they'll be returning home for a national tour next week in support of their recent single, 'Holy Grail'. Ahead of the big few months for the group, Burns was kind enough to join me for a chat where we discussed his musical growth, the growth of the band, and of course, his eclectic musical taste. Anyway, have a listen to Vacations' 'Pursuit Of Anything' when it arrives in October, buy a ticket to their upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

    Episode 104: Campbell Burns – Vacations
  3. Jun 25

    Episode 103: Ryan Fox – Dexter And The Moonrocks

    There's a very good chance that if you've listened to music lately, then you might have heard of Dexter And The Moonrocks. Maybe theirs isn't a name you've particularly become familiar with, but on a statistical level, you've likely heard them thanks to their March single 'Freakin' Out'. Hell, I'll admit I had no idea who they were until the track popped up on my Instagram feed. By that point, it had garnered millions of streams, and at the time of this recording, it boasts over 109 million streams on Spotify alone – just for that one song. But this wasn't an overnight success, given that Dexter And The Moonrocks have been on the scene for about five years now. Again, as we speak, it's No. 48 on the Australian charts (having made it up to No. 30), and managed to hit the top 50 in the US, and the top ten on the Alternative and Rock charts – topping the former. Needless to say, Dexter And The Moonrocks are hot property right now, and if you're not yet on board, you might need to do so. Just under two months ago, I was lucky enough to have a chat with drummer Ryan Fox (otherwise simply known as Fox, since they have another Ryan in the band, too) about all this success. Since then, they've dropped another single called '12 Steps', and they've announced an Australian debut thanks to appearances on the Strummingbird lineup, and slots supporting Bailey Zimmerman. Anyway, buy a ticket to Dexter And The Moonrocks' upcoming Australian tour, listen to their in-demand discography, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

    Episode 103: Ryan Fox – Dexter And The Moonrocks
  4. Jun 4

    Episode 100: Jack Parsons – The Pretty Littles

    For about 15 years now, the Australian music scene has been home to The Pretty Littles, arguably one of the best rock bands this country has produced in quite some time. From humble beginnings with a batch of albums that largely flew under the radar, it was in 2016 or so that The Pretty Littles began to experience wider fame.  Albums like 2016's 'Soft Rock For The Anxious' and 2018's 'Skeleton Run' helped cement them as staples of the independent rock scene, and there's a very good chance that 2020's 'Weekend Away' would have continued that trajectory, had it not arrived against the backdrop of COVID. That album was very close to being the last for the band, with The Pretty Littles effectively ceasing to exist after its arrival.  Thankfully, the story doesn't end there, and frontman Jack Parsons kept the group going, enough to release 2025's 'Force' album, which was my favourite Australian release of 2025, and third-favourite record of the year overall. Given that Force took a while to arrive, one could have reasonably expected another few years to elapse before The Pretty Littles dropped a new record, but thankfully, we're celebrating today with the release of 'Mulga Wire', a fresh new album that shows that this is a band that don't just offer up some slick songs with stellar songwriting (try saying that five times fast), but commands your attention because of it. This week, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Parso, just days after he returned from the latest edition of Guts Touring up in the Northern Territory. Thankfully, he was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed enough to take part in what would be this podcast's 100th episode celebration (or as I'm calling it, the 'Trusty Chords 100th Episode Extrava-Spec-Ganza-Tacular'. Catchy, right?) Anyway, have a listen to The Pretty Littles' 'Mulga Wire', grab a ticket to their upcoming tour, listen back through that impressive discography, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping and some words about this podcast's 100-episode run.

    Episode 100: Jack Parsons – The Pretty Littles
  5. May 28

    Episode 99: Jimmy Kyle – Chasing Ghosts

    If you're someone who has a penchant for music which is a little bit ferocious, a little bit honest, and a whole lot of impactful, then you might have come across Chasing Ghosts over the years. Originally, Chasing Ghosts was formed as a solo act by Jimmy Kyle, a Thungutti man who also happens to be a musician, storyteller, and educator up there with the best of them. Following Chasing Ghosts' arrival, albums arrived in due course, and soon enough, it expanded into a full-band affair. Records like 'Confessions From A Phone Booth' and 'I Am Jimmy Kyle' were followed by the 'Homelands' EP, and in 2025, we received the Therapy album. I'm going to editorialise a little bit when I say that 'Therapy' is a stunning record and one that is definitely worth your time. Early this month, however, Chasing Ghosts revealed that they were going on an indefinite hiatus. Noting that "family has to come first," Jimmy reflected on the impact that the band has had on both him and the wider community, and revealed that they wouldn't be going out with a whimper, but with a bang. Indeed, they announced one final show to take place at the Northcote Social Club this June, with the massive attention soon necessitating a second show.  This week, Jimmy was kind enough to join me for a wonderful chat, discussing his musical history, the story of Chasing Ghosts, and the impending hiatus. As a bit of a peek behind the curtain, my band will actually be supporting Chasing Ghosts at their second Northcote Social Club show, but this hadn't been locked down while we were chatting. Anyway, buy a ticket to Chasing Ghosts' upcoming farewell show, listen back through that impressive discography, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

    Episode 99: Jimmy Kyle – Chasing Ghosts

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Trusty Chords is a podcast which aims to celebrate music and those that create it. Hosted by Tyler Jenke, it features a casual chat with an artist, and their own trusty chords – the one artist the changed their life, the three albums that impacted them greatly, and the five songs they can always turn to.

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