Rediscovering Muscle Shoals (Interview)
Despite it’s isolated, rural location, Muscle Shoals, Alabama has been a hot bed of musical activity over the past 50 years with everyone from Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett to The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan making their way to the tiny studios in order to get some of that Muscle Shoals mojo. In 2013, […]
Devilskin: The Family That Plays Together… (Interview)
Metal fans around New Zealand have been aware of Hamilton’s Devilskin for several years now…the band has racked up hundreds of thousands of Youtube views for its three videos. Now, the band is finally releasing its debut album. We Rise will see the light of day on July 11th and the band will set out […]
Introducing Melody Pool (Interview)
Australian singer-songwriter Melody Pool has come out of nowhere…well, actually, Kurri Kurri, in NSW…to produce a debut album of astonishing maturity. The Hurting Scene is full of beautifully intimate songs, many of which reflect Pool’s own experiences. The album was recorded in Nashville, funded by Crowdfunding and released in Australia last year. Now, on the […]
Joe Satriani’s Unstoppable Momentum (Interview)
Yesterday, it was announced that Joe Satriani’s Unstoppable Momentum Tour would be coming to New Zealand for two shows in November. Today, The 13th Floor brings you a fresh, new interview with the flamboyant axe-man. Mr Satriani has been a busy man since he was last in New Zealand with his supergroup, G3, featuring Steve […]
PNC Gives Us The Codes (Interview)
PNC (aka Sam Hansen) is well known as a talented kiwi hip hop artist, with three albums under his belt and a fourth set to drop on June 27. The Codes boasts production genius of Matt Miller, Fire and Ice and Forty One, as well as being engineered and mastered by electronic duo State of Mind. But the name-dropping doesn’t end there, as Hansen continues his penchant […]
Angie Stone On Soulfest (Interview)
R&B diva Angie Stone is just one of the artists scheduled to appear at Soulfest, a celebration of some of the finest neo-soul, jazz and hip-hop artists around including Maxwell, D’Angelo, Common, Mos Def and Anthony Hamilton, among others. The festivals takes place at Auckland’s Western Springs Stadium this coming October. In addition to her […]
Getting To The Bottom Of Earth (Interview)
Doom-metal giants Earth have been in New Zealand for a few days, getting ready for a run of shows from Dunedin to Auckland. The band is now a trio, led, as always by guitarist Dylan Carlson. As Dylan told The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda, these shows will serve as a preview to the new Earth […]
Globetrotting With Ladi6 (Interview)
Ladi6 has just announce her latest tour, which will take her throughout New Zealand during August along with support act Team Dynamite. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda met up with Ladi6 just before she was about to head off to tour Europe and America before returning to NZ in August. They talked about her overseas […]
Introducing Busby Marou (Interview)
Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou, collectively known as Busby Marou, are an Australian duo about to make their New Zealand concert debut this month when they open for James Blunt in Auckland and Wellington…they’ll also play their own show at Auckland’s Back Beat bar on May 29th. Their second album, Farewell Fitzroy, has just been […]
Back In The Triumvirate…The English Beat’s Dave Wakeling (Interview)
Dave Wakeling is bringing his English Beat back to New Zealand for a series of shows beginning in Christchurch on May 28th. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Mr. Wakeling recently and found out that the band is cooking up some new music…the first in over 30 years. Wakeling also claims that the band […]
Watch Lawrence Arabia’s 13th Floor Video Session Here
Beginning on May 28th, over two nights in Auckland and three in Wellington, APRA Silver Scroll winner Lawrence Arabia and band will perform as faithfully as humanly possible all three Lawrence Arabia albums from start to finish. Recently, in preparation for this audacious event, Lawrence Arabia stopped by The 13th Floor, where he kindly sat […]
The Paper Kites: Flying High (Interview)
Melbourne musician Sam Bentley formed The Paper Kites in 2009 with Christina Lacy. Since then, the band has grown into a five-piece. Their music is a delicate mix of folk, country and rock with comparisons to Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan being bandied about. The band released their debut album, States, last year and […]
Getting Personal With The Eels’ Mark Everett (Interview)
Having reached his 50th year, Mark Everett, aka “E”, the guiding light behind the Eels, has just released one of his most personal albums to date, appropriate titled, The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Mark Everett just as he and his fellow Eels were preparing to hit […]
Gary Numan: "I Pretty Much Ruined My Own Career" (Interview)
Photo by Ed Fielding Photography Thirty-five years after the release of Cars, Gary Numan’s reputation has grown as one of the most important artists in the world of electronic, industrial and goth music, influencing a generation of musicians including Trent Reznor, Marilyn Manson and Beck. Numan’s most recent album, Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind) […]
Kris Kristofferson Speaks! (Interview)
Following last night’s Kris Kristofferson concert at Auckland’s Civic Theatre, The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda (and his trusty sidekick, photographer Michael Flynn) were given a few minutes to speak with the man himself. Kris has six more shows scheduled throughout New Zealand in the next week or so. So listen in to get an idea […]
Tami Neilson – 13th Floor Video Session
While touring New Zealand in support of the release of her debut album, Dynamite!, Tami Neilson stopped by The 13th Floor studios to record a video session. After chatting to The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda, Tami, along with multi-instrumentalist Dave Khan, performed three songs for our cameras, including a previously-unrecorded cover of the Patsy Cline […]
Getting To Know Grace Potter (Interview)
With Joss Stone, India.Arie, Steve Earle, John Mayer, The Doobie Brothers and Elvis Costello all playing in Auckland this past weekend, it was a busy time for any dedicated music lover. One of the unexpected highlights of the weekend was Grace Potter & The Nocturnals’ blistering opening set for John Mayer at the Vector Arena […]
Drive-By Truckers: "We’re Old and We Were Intoxicated" (Interview)
Georgia’s Drive-By Truckers have just released their 10th studio album, English Oceans. The long-running band has been keeping the spirit of Southern rock alive while simultaneously bringing it into the 21st century. At the band’s core are songwriters Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to Mike Cooley recently and talked […]
Introducing: Tift Merritt (Interview)
American singer-songwriter Tift Merritt is set to perform at Auckland’s Tuning Fork on Wednesday, April 23rd. Born in North Carolina, Merritt now lives in New York City and has released her fifth album, Traveling Alone, in 2012. Her voice and her songwriting have drawn comparisions to the likes of Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris and Mary […]
John Butler at The 13th Floor!
On his way to soundcheck at Auckland’s Powerstation, John Butler stopped by The 13th Floor where he was met by Marty Duda who gave the Australian musician a guide through his extensive record collection. Watch here as John Butler and Marty Duda talk about their favourite records, and John plays a musical guessing game with […]