Trusty Chords

For a few decades now, one of Australia's greatest unsung musical heroes has been none other than Bryan Estepa. 

Born in the Philippines before moving to Australia as a child, Bryan has had a storied career as a musician, performing in bands such as Swivel and Hazey Jane before turning his attention toward solo gear.

That solo gear first took form under the moniker Adeline before he decided to use his real name around 20...

Cast your mind back 20 years and you might be taken right back to a moment in time where one of the most exciting Australian bands out there on the scene was none other than End Of Fashion.

Formed in Perth by Justin Burford, who was at the time a member of The Sleepy Jackson, End Of Fashion found itself slowly finding fame thanks to constant airplay on triple j, and by the time 2005 rolled around, the group were readying their d...

If you know me (or simply listen to the podcast – both are very good options), then you'd likely know how much I like to surround myself with musicians I both enjoy and respect. Frankly, with that in mind, I reckon you can't go past someone like Ashlea Jaye.

A lifelong lover of music and a self-described theatre kid, Ashlea has been a supporter of music for as long as I've known her. If you're from Adelaide, you ...

Ever since they released their debut single back in 2019, Queensland alt-rockers Cardboard Cutouts have been determined to keep themselves moving. 

Whether it's trying new things on the writing or recording front, or simply looking towards myriad artists for inspiration, it's easy to see they're a group who aren't happy to stay in one lane.

Indeed, these past few years have seen the group slowly grow and evolve with each and every re...

For a few years now, the Australian music industry has been home to a band whose current iteration has roots spanning back decades.

In the early '90s, the Sydney scene featured an indie-rock trio dubbed The Templebears. Issuing three releases across as many years, the group never released a debut album, ultimately splitting around 1992.

Its members would soon find themselves playing in bands such as Big Heavy Stuff and At...

If you're someone who likes their music a little bit dreamy, a little bit hazy, and a whole lot of brilliant, then you need to point your peepers toward New Zealand, where Auckland's Phoebe Rings have been providing just that for some years now. 

Initially beginning as something of a solo project for Crystal Choi, it swiftly expanded, bringing together a group of stellar artists to form what we now know today as Phoebe R...

Are you someone who likes their music with a bit of energy and a bit of fun? Then let me point you towards Bakers Eddy.

Formed in Wellington, New Zealand when its members were still quite young, the group found itself crafting a pop-punk sound and issuing a few tracks and an EP before heading west and relocating to Melbourne, Australia.

Since 2017, Bakers Eddy have been an Australian band in location only, with the group'...

For over 20 years now, music-lovers of the world have been lucky enough to exist within the same timeline as The Spill Canvas.

Formed by Nick Thomas back in 2001, the group rose to fame throughout the decade, with their work equally being categorised as alternative rock, emo, pop rock, and more.

Thanks to releases like the 'Denial Feels So Good' EP, 'One Fell Swoop,' and 'No Really, I'm Fine,' the...

When it comes to explaining Private Function in just a few short paragraphs, there's a lot of difficulty at play. 

After all, they're a Melbourne punk outfit who have been around for close to a decade now, pumping out blistering tunes while employing a visceral sense of humour as they use their platform to succeed in the rock world while simultaneously turning the genre back on itself and laughing at it.

Over the year...

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good lyricist, and then that means you should definitely know the great Craig Finn.

For the uninitiated, Craig was the man behind the likes of Lifter Puller, and following their split in 2000, he moved from Minneapolis to New York City and, well, didn't do much. That was, until he formed The Hold Steady after being inspired by the likes of Drive-By Truckers.

If you've not yet li...

If you're someone who hasn't yet listened to Propagandhi, then I'm sure you're about to have the time of your life as you discover their eclectic and celebrated discography.

Forming in Canada back in 1986, they've been a going concern for close to four decades now, though it wasn't until 1993 that they released their first album. 

After a few years, they released 2001's 'Today's Empires, To...

For 15 years now, Canadian outfit PUP have been defying the concept that their name stands for a Pathetic Use of Potential and have been proving all and sundry wrong as they travel around the world with their unique blend of alt-rock and punk.

Formed in 2010 as Topanga, PUP issued their self-titled album in 2013, with 'The Dream Is Over' following just a few years later. Records like 'Morbid Stuff' and 'The U...

There’s no denying the fact that Adelaide is just one of those cities that can’t help itself but breed amazing bands. Sure, you can look at groups like The Angels, Cold Chisel, and more, but why not look at groups like Stolen Youth, The Rivalry, Sleeptalker, and Dick Wolf?

They’re also amazing bands, and for the trainspotters amongst us, you might recognise that those bands have one constant thread, and that’s Jesse Coulter. Jes...

If you’re anything like me, the name Killing Heidi was one that was synonymous with the Australian music scene at the turn of the millennium.

Formed in regional Victoria by siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper, Killing Heidi first rose to fame as part of triple j’s Unearthed series, with the track ‘Kettle’ featuring a newly-teenaged Ella on vocals. This promise that triple j saw soon exploded in 1999, with tracks such as ‘Weir’ and ‘M...

There was a period of time in the early ‘00s when one of the most exciting bands in the game was Canada’s own Death From Above.

Well, that’s what they were called at first, but by the time they released their debut album ‘You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine,’ Sebastien Grainger and Jesse F. Keeler had lengthened their name to Death From Above 1979 due to a lawsuit.

But that didn’t detract from that album becoming a ferocious piece...

When it comes to Damian Cowell, the only word that accurately sums up his career is ‘prolific.’

A staple of the Melbourne music scene for close to five decades now, Cowell has been involved in more bands than I’ve had hot dinners. On the prehistoric side of things, there’s bands such as Tall Stories and I Can Run, and then there’s a rather well-known group called TISM. 

That’s probably the band he’s best known for, with the g...

For about 15 years now, Adelaide has been home to a stellar outfit called Raccoon City.

Though not exactly trailblazers of the screamo and post-hardcore genre in the city, for a while, they were arguably one of the most prominent, setting themselves apart as a leading figure within those circles at a time when the genre du jour was a breezy indie-rock.

Personally, Raccoon City were one of those groups that became rather form...

If you don’t recognise the name Kingsley Hall, then I want you to stop what you’re doing right now and do a bit of musical research.

For most, Kingsley’s name would be recognisable thanks to his role up the front of English outfit The Chapman Family, where he was better known as Kingsley Chapman. Though relatively unknown down here in Australia, their successes were notable (after all, they played the likes of Glastonbury and even b...

I’m going to hazard a guess that even if the name Barry Adamson isn’t one you recognise right off the bat, you’re definitely aware of his contributions to the world of music.

At the age of 19, Barry found himself joining the nascent Magazine as his first band, with wayward Buzzcocks vocalist Howard Devoto recruiting him for the new band. An influential presence in the world of post-punk, the group's short tenure resulted in ...