Neko Case: On Depression and Bathroom Grouting (Interview)
Neko Case releases her new album tomorrow. With the rather unwieldy title of , The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, its the follow-up to her very successful 2009 album, Middle Cyclone. As The 13th Floor discovered when we spoke to her recently, Neko has been through something of […]
Bernard Fanning: Out On His Own (Interview)
Former Powderfinger front man Bernard Fanning is about to perform at Auckland’s Powerstation in support of his solo album, Departures. As the voice of Powderfinger, Fanning was one of Australia’s most respected musicians. Now he’s out on his own and The 13th Floor tracked him down just as he was wrapping up his Australian tour. […]
Thomas Oliver Gets Beneath The Weissenborn (Interview)
This Friday, August 23rd, Thomas Oliver will release his solo album, Beneath The Weissenborn. As he states in the liner notes, “I wanted to explore the sonic possibilities of the instrument in the same way that I wanted to explore its harmonic possibilities. I wanted to tell a Weissenborn story”. The 13th Floor rang up […]
R.I.P. Cowboy Jack Clement
Producer/songwriter “Cowboy” Jack Clement has passed away at the age of 82. Clement was one of the prime ingredients in the Sun Records sound. He was the first to record Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison and he wrote and arranged for Johnny Cash. Read more about Cowboy Jack Clement here. Listen to The […]
The Map Room Discuss Their New Album (Interview)
The Map Room is Auckland musicians Brendon Morrow and Simon Gooding. The two audio engineers released their debut album just last month and its a keeper…full of shimmering guitars and gorgeous melodies. Brendon and Simon stopped by The 13th Floor recently to talk about the recording of The Map Room, a project that got its […]
Phoenix Foundation Brings Fandango To NZ (Interview)
After traipsing around Europe earlier this year, The Phoenix Foundation bring their Fandango tour to NZ this week beginning Friday, July 12th at The Powerstation. The 13th Floor spoke to Samuel Flynn Scott about the tour, the album, the new drummer and the best places to eat in Auckland. Click here to listen to the […]
Catching Up With Booga (Interview)
Long-time New Zealand rockers Head Like A Hole are about to embark on their “Monsta X” tour in August. The 13th Floor caught up with HLAH front man Booga Beazley to find out what’s been going on with the band. Turns out, quite a lot, including a new bass player, a new album and a […]
Martha Wainwright: Celebrating Kate (Interview)
Nonesuch Records will release Sing Me The Songs: Celebrating The Works Of Kate McGarrigle, this week. The two-disc set features 34 songs recorded live from a series of concerts held place in London, New York and Toronto. The concerts featured artists such as Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, Teddy Thompson and Broken Social Scene, along with […]
Catching Up With Julia Deans (Interview)
The Adults featuring Julia Deans, Jon Toogood and Cairo Knife Fight’s Aaron Tokona (filling in for Shayne Carter) are hitting the road for a 5-date NZ Tour beginning June 27th. The 13th Floor spoke to Julia Deans to catch up on what’s happening with The Adults and her own solo career. Click here to listen […]
Feeding The Beast With Eden Mulholland (Interview)
You may know Eden Mulholland from his band Motocade. But now the Kiwi musician is releasing his first solo album, Feed The Beast. It’s out today and to give you an idea of what this diverse-sounding pop confection is all about, The 13th Floor invited Eden Mulholland up to sit down and discuss several of […]
Introducing: Sam Allen (Interview)
Sam Allen is a 22 year old singer-songwriter from South Auckland. He’s just released his first recordings, a six-song E.P. titled Low Cost Culture. A couple of days after celebrating that release in front of a very enthusiastic audience at Back Beat Bar, Sam stopped by The 13th Floor to talk about the stories behind […]
Special Report: Black Sabbath’s 13
The members of Black Sabbath are in Auckland preparing for their two shows (Saturday, April 20th and Monday, April 22nd) at The Vector Arena. The good folks at Universal Records invited a select group of music fans to The Langham Hotel on Symonds Street to get a first listen to Sabbath’s upcoming album, 13. The […]
Jazzin’ With Joan Armatrading (Interview)
Joan Armatrading will be in New Zealand for two show next week…Wednesday, March 20th in Wellington and Thursday, March 21st in Auckland. Joan has just released a new album called Starlight. It’s the third in a trilogy that found her recording an entire album in one musical genre After making a blues and a rock […]
Chris Smither’s Hundred Dollar Valentine (Interview)
Chris Smither has been recording and performing his own brand of blues and folk music for over 40 years. His latest album, Hundred Dollar Valentine was recently rewarded with a rare 5-star review my Mojo Magazine. Marty Duda met up with Chris in a small club called The Turning Point just north of New York […]
Martha Wainwright: Comin’ Home To Mama (Feature/Interview)
Come Home To Mama is Martha Wainwright’s third album of original material and her first since 2008’s I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too. Since then, a lot has happened in the Wainwright family. Martha gave birth to her and husband Brad Albetta’s first child and her mother, singer/songwriter Kate McGarrigle, passed […]
Beth Orton Is Back With A New Album (Feature/Interview)
It’s been six years since we last heard from Beth Orton. Since then she has given birth to a daughter and a son and has spent most of her time with her children and husband, folk singer Sam Amidon, at their home in Vermont, in the north-eastern United States. When The 13th Floor spoke […]
The Return Of The Pretty Things (Feature/Interview)
POWERSTATION: DECEMBER 11, 2012 ‘ BANNED ‘ from NZ for 47 years … THE PRETTY THINGS ARE BACK! The Pretty Things have always been ‘4 Real’. Attitude with a capital A. Real accents and bolshy attitudes to match, ‘the Pretties’ eschewed the Sixties pop scene to carve their own niche of hard blues rock. While the Rolling Stones Stones took non-conformity and turned it […]
Talkin’ Woody Guthrie With Billy Bragg (Interview)
Billy Bragg brings his “Ain’t Nobody That Can Sing Like Me” tour to New Zealand beginning on October 12th. Billy has spent much of this year involved in the celebrations of Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday, and his shows will be divided between performing Guthrie’s songs and his own. The 13th Floor spoke to Billy […]
Gomez Offers Chance To Vote On Set List (Interview)
Long time New Zealand favourites Gomez are returning for two shows in October. Having been together for 15 years, the band is celebrating with their Quinceanera Tour. As a tip of the hat to their long-standing fans the band is offering chance to vote for songs to be included in each show of the […]
Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson Talk About Wreck & Ruin (Interview)
Four years ago Australia’s first couple of country and Americana, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson, released their first album together, the highly acclaimed and highly enjoyable Rattlin’ Bones. Now, after tending to their respective solo careers and producing their second child, the duo is back with Wreck & Ruin. The 13th Floor spoke to Kasey […]