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 […]
Matthew Cooke Explains How To Make Money Selling Drugs (Interview)
Matthew Cooke is the director of How To Make Money Selling Drugs, a documentary that dares to speak the truth about the “War On Drugs” and its real cost to society. The film starts out as a humorous, tongue-in-cheek “manual” on how to become a drug kingpin, but then evolves into a sobering expose on the […]
India.Arie – Taking On The Music Industry (Interview)
India.Arie is sharing the bill with Joss Stone for two shows in New Zealand this month. They will be at Auckland’s Vector Arena on Friday, April 25th and at Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre on Sunday, April 27th. India.Arie has been recording for over a decade, accumulating of 10 million album sales world wide while winning […]
Paco Pena – The Flamenco Legend Speaks! (Interview)
For over 50 years, Paco Pena has been one of the leading Flamenco guitarists on the planet. This month, he brings his Flamencura show to Auckland’s Bruce Mason Centre for two shows, on Tuesday, April 15 and Wednesday, April 16. The show features nine performers and mixes Paco’s guitar with vocals and dance. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke […]
Morcheeba – Skye's The Limit (Interview)
British band Morcheeba is due to perform at Auckland’s Powerstation this Thursday. It will be the first time they’ve been in New Zealand with original vocalist Skye Edwards in over a decade. Edwards rejoined the act in 2010 and they have since recorded two albums, the most recent being 2013’s Head Up High. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda […]
Jimi Goodwin – What's An Odludek? (Interview)
Jimi Goodwin has been a member of Doves since the late 1990s. But the trio has been dormant since 2010, leaving the members to pursue other musical projects. And so Goodwin has just released Odludek, his first solo album, just a few days go. The 13th Floor spoke to Jimi Goodwin just as the album was to be […]
Back From The Brink – The Kaiser Chiefs (Interview)
The Kaiser Chiefs have just released their fifth album, Education, Education, Education & War. Its their first without founding member Nick Hodgson who was not only their drummer, but chief songwriter. The split came as quite a blow to the band, who seemed to be experiencing dwindling interest with each release. Rather than split up, the […]
Spending St Patrick’s Day With Damien Dempsey (Interview)
Damien Dempsey…the name may be new to you, but he has been one of the leading voices in Irish music for over a decade. Having just released a double “best-of” album titled It’s All Good, Damien is now touring New Zealand for the first time. The 13th Floor spoke to Damien Dempsey by phone while […]
Dan Baird – Rockin’ With Bobby Keys (Interview)
When Stones sax man Bobby Keys performs at Auckland’s Powerstation on Saturday, March 29th, the lead singer for his band, The Suffering Bastards will be none other than Dan Baird, the former vocalist for The Georgia Satellites. In an era of cheesy synth-pop and hair-metal bands, The Georgia Satellites blew in like a breath of […]
Tami Neilson is Dynamite! (Interview)
Tami Neilson has just released her debut solo album today. It’s called Dynamite! and it was produced by Delaney Davidson and Ben Edwards and features contributions from Dave Khan, Marlon Williams, Joe MacCallum, Ben Woolley and legendary pedal steel player Red McKelvie. Tami came up to The 13th Floor recently to talk about the making […]
KT Tunstall: Feeling Happy And Free (Interview)
Scottish musician KT Tunstall is due to perform in New Zealand in May. Last time she was here, she took part in Neil Finn’s Seven Worlds Collide project. This time around, she’s on her own, in support of her latest album, Invisible Empire/Crescent Moon.The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to KT Tunstall about her latest […]
Ed Kowalczyk – Going It Alone (Interview)
As the lead singer for Live, Ed Kowalczyk racked up an impressive string of hits including their 1994 multi-million selling album Throwing Copper. But Ed and the band had a somewhat acrimonious parting of the ways a few years ago which led to Kowalczyk being forced to restart his career as a solo artist. He’s […]
Getting Lucky With Benmont Tench (Interview)
As a member of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Benmont Tench has performed hundreds, if not thousands, of shows all over the planet, with most of the top names in rock & roll. But with the release of his first solo album, You Should Be So Lucky, Tench is venturing into known territory…recording his own […]
Jake Bugg: From Shangri-La To Auckland (Interview)
Its just days before his 20th birthday, but already Jake Bugg has made his mark on the music scene with two Brit Awards nominations and a Mercury Prize nomination for his 2012 self-titled debut album. Jake has already performed in New Zealand, playing a memorable set last July at Auckland’s Powerstation. Now, with a new […]
Hello…It’s Lionel Richie! (Interview)
Lionel Richie is due to tour New Zealand in March, sharing a bill with John Farnham. The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to the former Commodore recently and discovered that Lionel is busy working on his first album of new, original material since 2006. He also found Mr. Richie to be a very easy-to-talk-to, engaging […]
Bobby Keys: Keeping The Sax Alive (Interview)
The 13th Floor is pleased to be co-presenting the Bobby Keys concert at The Powerstation on April 4th. Bobby Keys, of course, is the sax player who has been touring and recording with The Rolling Stones for over 40 years. So, before he takes the stage with The Stones at Mt Smart Stadium, Keys and […]
Talking To The Autumn Defense (Interview)
The Autumn Defense was formed by two members of Wilco as an outlet for their late 60s/early 70s-inspired power pop and folk-rock tunes. Those two band members are bassist John Stirratt and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. This is not just a one-off vanity project…the Autumn Defense has just released their latest album, the appropriately-titled Fifth. The […]