Chris Schulz: Previewing the 2026 music scene

January is nearing its end, but there’s plenty to come throughout the rest of the year. 

Chris Schulz joined Jack Tame to preview some of the albums set to release this year, and delve into some of the rumours floating around the music scene. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from News Talks at b Tonight.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Sen Cherry's.

Speaker 3 (00:39):
See I like this, but then I'm a big Arctic
Monkeys fan from way back. That song is Opening Night.
Chris Schultz is our music reviewer. He's here this morning
looking at some of the big albums and some of
the big shows on their way in twenty twenty six.

(01:00):
Good morning, Chris, Gotta Jake.

Speaker 4 (01:03):
I like that song too, and I haven't liked a
lot of what the Arctic Monkeys have done recently. I
like the guitars Loud Monkeys, and they kind of went
all Pianoy and Ballady, but that's kind of somewhere between
the two. That's that's a really good Arctic Monkeys song.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
You you're a fan of the what is it? Who
the hell are the Arctic Monkeys era Arctic Monkeys?

Speaker 4 (01:25):
Yeah, yeah, the louder, the louder.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, No, that's me as well.
I'm into that. I don't want anything that's too introspective,
necessarily so that they've just released it that's called Opening Night.
Does that mean that there's no Arctic Monkeys album on
the way.

Speaker 4 (01:41):
It doesn't that's part of a compilation album. At least
that's what we know so far. I think I think
the big trend this year is going to be surprises,
and that's certainly shown by Harry Styles this week, out
of the blue nowhere, turning up with a great new single,
announcing a new album and a world tour. I think

(02:02):
this is going to be the thing Exa doing this year,
sort of coming out of no where and just getting
that spotlight as fast as possible. Harry Styles, by the way,
like that song Aperture, I think you played it earlier.
That is the first Harry Styles song I've fallen in
love with. I must have played that twelve times since

(02:22):
it came in yesterday. Yeah, it's not a Harry Styles song.
It doesn't sound like him anyway. He's a pop star,
and that is more like a sad banger you'd hear
in the club at two am. And look, I haven't
been in a club at two am in a long time, Jack,
But that's the vibe it gives me. It's five minutes
long too. Who releases a five minute pop song? You

(02:45):
only do that if you're really confident, and clearly Harry
Styles is confident. Sadly, he is not coming to New
Zealand on this world to He's doing that thing where
he's playing four shows in Australia exclusively. If you want
to do that, just like last year with Kendrick and
Lady Gaga, you'll have to travel. I'm not going to
dwell on that. I'm fairly optimistic. I want to talk

(03:05):
about all of the great things that we know we're
getting this year. I sat down with Big Runger this week.
She is making her comeback in three weeks and her
first new album in fifteen years. It's been fifteen years
since you last released an album of all original material.
She told me that it sort of took that time

(03:25):
to get rid of the weight of being Big Runger
of one of the country's most celebrated songwriters. I love
what she's doing on this album. We've heard three songs
from her, and she clearly is just kind of stopped caring,
and not stop caring in the music, but stop caring
about what people think about her. She sounds really free.

(03:47):
I'm really looking forward to that. The same day, Charlie
XCX releases her first post Bratt album, It's the Wuthering
Heights soundtrack. That was only supposed to be a song
and became a whole album. So that's a huge, huge
day for pop fans and local music fans. And then
the other big one on my radar is Robin's Sex

(04:09):
Essential March twenty seven. Great name for an album. She
hasn't released anything for eight years and Robin's always class.

Speaker 3 (04:18):
So totally that you appreciate Robin. Both producer Libby and
I are huge Robin fans my deck. So yeah, I'm
really really looking forward to I've been actually going back
just with the hype around a new album, I've been
going back and listening to lots of old stuff. It's
going to be great, great to have that album OUTO.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
Have you been dancing on your own?

Speaker 3 (04:37):
Always?

Speaker 4 (04:40):
Okay?

Speaker 3 (04:40):
So what about the tours you're most looking forward to?

Speaker 4 (04:43):
Then, yeah, there's some, there's some. We've got a couple
of months coming up. So in just two weeks, Chapel
Rowan plays her first New Zealand show. She's headlining Lame
Way where we're also getting by the way, if you're
an Arctic Monkeys fan, Geese, the super hyped new rock
band out of America, the hype around them does remind
me of the kind of height that followed the Arctic

(05:04):
monkeys at started their career. I know so many people
are going to Lane Way just to see geese, so
that's definitely on my radar. Also, the day after Lame
Way done in Wellington, Nick Cave is playing the opening
night of the Wellington Arts Festival, with oldest Harding opening
for it. They're on two nights together that is going

(05:25):
to be warped and dark and twisted. I actually just
booked my flights yesterday for this. I think that's going
to be something to behold, those two oldest Harting and
Nick Cave together, It's just going to be a really
like twisted night. And then of course the Spliteans reunion.
I've never seen Splitoeans. You know, I was just a kid,

(05:46):
a toddler when they were you know, big in the eighties.
I've never had the chance to see them live. They're
headlining Electric Avenue their first shows. I think it's in
fifteen years too, so yeah, that's probably the one I'm
most looking forward to. What is that like? Are they
still going to wear those crazy outfits?

Speaker 2 (06:04):
What are they?

Speaker 4 (06:04):
What are they? What are they?

Speaker 3 (06:05):
What are they going to do?

Speaker 4 (06:06):
What there yeah, it's gonna be wild.

Speaker 3 (06:08):
Yeah, yeah, that's gonna be fantastic. I'm pretty sure that
the lead guitarist from Geese as well, Cameron Winter, he's
playing a solo show I think like at the Holy
Trinity or someone like that, because he's got he's got. Yeah,
solo music is quite different. I think game.

Speaker 4 (06:24):
Yeah, I have a ticket for that too, Jack, look
at you.

Speaker 3 (06:27):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course you do. I think, yeah, yeah,
it's it's going to be fantastic. Man, there is a
lot to look forward to, but you reckon Surprise is
going to be the It is going to be the
big thing for twenty twenty six. So when when When
is Harry Styles actually touring?

Speaker 4 (06:41):
He's doing throughout twenty twenty six. He's doing thirty dates
at Medicine Square Garden, which is just unbelievable. To the
confidence to go out there and book thirty shows at
Medicins Square Garden. I don't think anyone's ever done that before.
He's playing there for like two and a half months,
like a residency.

Speaker 3 (06:59):
Yeah yeah, well I was going to say the confidence
to it. The thing I love is that the announcing
the tour dates and announcing a month at Madison School
Garden before the album has actually been released. Like, that's
the real flex and the whole thing, don't you think
it is?

Speaker 4 (07:16):
But when you listen to that song, I think, of
course he must know.

Speaker 3 (07:20):
I think he knows. Yeah, yeah, I don't think he's
just putting his finger in the air. I think Harry
Stars has every reason to be pretty confident on that front.
Very good, All right, hey, look forward to your thoughts
on all those different shows and albums in the next week.
While thanks Chris, Chris Shultz. Of course, you can find
him on a substack. Boiler Room is the name of
his substack, and we will pick out one of those
good big songs to play out the show in a

(07:41):
couple of minutes.

Speaker 1 (07:42):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to news talks that'd be from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.