HEAVY Music Interviews

Interview by Ali WilliamsSCREAMFEEDER, the beloved Brisbane Indie Rock Trio, formed back in 1991, and in 2026 have proven to be one of this country's influential groups in the industry. They’re best known for turning down major-label offers throughout the 90’s as a way of maintaining their independence and ultimately having control over where and how their music was created and displayed. Their decision to do this inspired an entire generation of Australian alternative musicians by showing them that they had options and to seriously consider exercising them.Tim Steward has been doing this long enough to know when a band is repeating itself, when a room feels right, and when a stranger in her twenties accidentally delivers the funniest career review imaginable.Speaking with HEAVY’s Ali Williams ahead of Screamfeeder’s run of July shows, Steward was relaxed, generous and wonderfully unfazed by the fact that his band has now lived through more musical eras than most streaming services have patience for. Screamfeeder are not a band having a comeback, exactly. Comebacks are for acts that disappeared properly. Screamfeeder never really did. They just wandered through the strange machinery of time, vinyl reissues, loyal punters, new songs, old bruises, and the occasional “last ever show” that, naturally, turned out to be no such thing.“We’ve been around for a million years,” Steward laughed, which is not strictly true but emotionally accurate enough to pass in court.The band are currently working on new material, though Tim is the first to admit it is moving at the sort of pace that suggests creativity has its own union and refuses to be rushed on a Monday. After eight albums, the challenge is not whether Screamfeeder can still write songs. That part is handled. The problem is making sure they do not fall back into old habits simply because those habits know where the kettle is.Check out the full interview for more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Australia, get ready to have your faces completely melted because some spectacular savagery is heading down under this winter. Floridian metalcore titans Wage War are returning to our shores for their first-ever nationwide headline tour, and if you think they’re coming alone to play nice, you are dead wrong. They are bringing one of the most vicious live acts on the planet today to help them tear down venues across the country: Nashville’s very own heavy-hitters, Orthodox.Led by the chaotic energy of frontman Adam Easterling, Orthodox are a unique but undeniable powerhouse that absolutely refuses to compromise. These guys have made nu-metal feel genuinely new and dangerous again. They take the absolute best elements of Converge’s start-and-stop metallic hardcore, throw it in a blender with the unhinged fury of early Slipknot and Korn, and channel it through their own signature, modern style. It is a molten alloy of sonic violence that hits you like a freight train, reminiscent of Knocked Loose or Harm’s Way but with an entirely different breed of aggression.Having just dropped their massive fifth studio album, A Door Left Open, Orthodox are returning to Australia with a massive point to prove. Aussie fans got a small taste of their visceral live show last year when they supported Stray From The Path on their final run down under, but this time around, the gloves are completely off. This isn't just music; it's a therapeutic, audio beatdown.This epic winter tour is shaping up to be an absolute ripper. Melbourne demand has already forced a massive venue upgrade to the iconic Forum, while Brisbane's Tivoli and Sydney's Metro Theatre are selling out faster than a bad decision at 2:00 AM. Alongside local legends Heavensgate, Orthodox are primed to deliver a masterclass in pure, unadulterated hardcore violence. If your neck isn't broken by the end of their set, you simply weren't doing it right. Get your tickets now via Destroy All Lines before you’re left with major FOMO. Tickets HEREBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Lock up your eldest, dust off your leather, and brace your ear canals, because a metal storm of apocalyptic proportions is officially tracking straight for Australian shores! HEAVY is absolutely stoked to bring you a rare, face-to-face breakdown with two of the most uncompromising, venomous, and legendary frontmen to ever grace a festival stage: Dani Filth of black metal royalty Cradle of Filth and Dez Fafara, the groove-metal mastermind driving DevilDriver. After completely decimating the United States on their co-headlining run, these long-time partners-in-crime are packing up their Double Trouble tour and unleashing it on Aussie fans at massive stops like Sydney's Enmore Theatre and Brisbane's The Tivoli. We sat down with the iconic duo to find out exactly how they plan to tear our concert halls apart, why their brotherhood makes this the must-see ticket of the year, and just how chaotic things are going to get when they finally touch down down under."It worked really well in America," Dez enthused, "and it's two bands that are obviously quite different. But man, it really works. Our fans love Cradle. Cradle's fans love DevilDriver. And I think there's just something special. We've obviously done a lot of interviews, right? And a lot of people have said, you know, it's refreshing. Like this tour is refreshing. You're not getting just four or five of the same bands."Cradle Of Filth and DevilDriver Australian Tour DatesThursday 9th July BRISBANE, The TivoliFriday 10th July SYDNEY, The EnmoreSaturday 11th July MELBOURNE, The ForumTuesday 14th July ADELAIDE, Hindley Street Music HallThursday 16th July PERTH, The AstorTickets on sale: https://thephoenix.au/cradle-of-filth-and-devildriver/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

If there is one thing you can always count on in this crazy, beautiful thing we call the rock and roll landscape, it’s that Dallas Frasca does not do things by halves. She doesn’t just play music; she lives it, breathes it, and commands it like a genuine force of nature. Coming off the back of heavy touring, massive arena supports with legends like ZZ Top, and a highly successful Green Electric Tour, Australia’s premier riff-queen is gearing up for her most ambitious sonic adventure yet.Pack your bags and fire up the engines, because Frasca is heading across the Pacific to Canada to record her highly anticipated fifth studio album. Supported by a prestigious grant from the Record in BC Program, this isn't just a simple trip to lay down some vocal tracks. This is an all-out international collaboration designed to push her massive blues-rock sound into entirely new territory.Once she lands in Canada, the magic truly begins. Frasca is teaming up with a world-class production unit, tracking at the legendary Smooth Operator Studios in Vancouver and the serene, isolated Capsule Studios on Bowen Island. Behind the desk is producer and engineer Janey Aurora, alongside multi-instrumentalist Erik Nielsen, known for his stellar work with City and Colour. If that layout wasn't enough to get your heart pumping, iconic Canadian drummer Pat Steward - who has kept time for Bryan Adams - is stepping behind the kit to lock down the rhythm section.This next chapter promises to be an absolute ripper of a record. With Frasca’s signature powerhouse vocals, face-melting guitar work, and a legendary international crew in her corner, the rock world needs to brace itself. Canada won't know what hit it.HEAVY sat down with Dallas before she left to dive deeper, asking her the reasons behind relocating to Canada for a month or so."A producer (Janey Aurora) reached out to me late last year and sent me this really amazing email about why she wanted to make the album with me," she began. "And it really resonated quite deeply with me. Plus, I think I'm also ready to do something quite different sonically to extend what I've been working on for the last couple of years and the songs I've been writing."In the full interview, we discussed why Dallas is heading overseas to record in more detail, the musicians she is working with in Canada and what she is expecting. She ran us through recording outside of your comfort zone and the different ways being in that position can impact your songwriting and the way you approach music.Dallas told us more about what we could possibly expect from the new music, including the use of a Gospel choir. She told us about the songs she has already written and her mindset going into recording, including the challenges and advantages of doing so. We talked about the success of her previous album, Force Of Nature and the importance of challenging yourself musically and growing as a person and musician between albums, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Interview by Kris PetersBodyjar is bringing the machine back in for its 25-year scheduled service this July and August 2026, proving that classic Aussie punk rock never goes out of style. Celebrating a quarter-century of their iconic, gold-selling fourth album How It Works, the Melbourne legends are hitting the highway for the massive How It Still Works national tour.Let’s be honest: when an album like How It Works drops in 2000 and completely reshapes the landscape of Australian punk, you don't just let it gather dust. You polish up the riffs, lube up the kit, and drag it back out to blow the roof off venues across the country. The boys have made it very clear that the odometer might be clocked, but the vehicle is fully serviced and ready to put on some serious mileage. Frontman Cam Baines has reportedly undergone a full grease and oil change, Tommy Read has a fresh set of strings, and the whole unit is primed to deliver that signature, hard-hitting sonic assault we've been craving.The 11-date run kicks off on July 9 at the King Street Bandroom in Newcastle, before tearing through a ruthless schedule of metro and regional venues. Fans can look forward to hearing anthems like Not The Same and Feed It exactly how they were meant to be experienced: loud, fast, and surrounded by a sweaty, fist-pumping mosh pit.HEAVY caught up with Cam Baines to dig deeper."We've been around for probably 30 years, 29 years or something, and probably even a bit longer if you go back a little bit further," he began. "We had a different name and everything, but we're doing a tour in July for our album, How It Works, and it's the 25-year scheduled service we're calling it.Just getting this album back on the road and playing all the songs we never play live, and trying to play some of the other tracks that people never hear, is exciting. And because it was a pretty successful album for us, we sort of thought, let's just do this, and we're working on a new album at the same time. We've actually got a new song coming out pretty soon with a video and everything!"In the full interview, Cam explained that the shows will focus on How It Works combined with fan favourites, use an Instagram poll to select additional songs, and randomise song order so performances can be swapped on the night to stay fresh. He told us about the special guests, describing the support act as a punk-rock "supergroup" composed of members from $1 Short, Frenzal Rhomb, and Something With Numbers assembled specifically for the run.We talked about the making of How It Works, including the band's decision to join a major label prior to the release and how that impacted the final result. Cam said the band aimed for a big melodic rock sound on How It Works and felt the record achieved that ambition.Cam recalled the success of How It Works, including being showcased on Tony Hawk's video game, future music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Interview by Ali WilliamsVINDICTA are heading Down Under this month and are starting a new era by becoming louder, angrier and significantly harder to ignore. Freshly formed by vocalist Grace Pasturini, formally of Dutch band Dogma, Pasturini and other former members are diving headfirst into ensuring VINDICTA hits in all the right spots, following the chaotic demise of their previous band. Chatting with HEAVY’s Ali Williams, Grace assures that the band’s next chapter is not a polite little adjustment or a cautious shuffle into slightly different shoes. It is a full creative shift, backed by new music, a concept album in progress, a fresh music video, a run of singles and, most importantly for Australian fans, the band’s first ever trip to this side of the world. Grace made it clear that VINDICTA are moving into a sharper, more aggressive space. Their previous sound carried more melody and power metal brightness, but the new material has a nastier pulse to it. Not in a forced “look how dangerous we are” way either. More in the sense that this time they aren't going to be singing pretty ot dressing the truth up to look cute. “We’re pulling a little bit away from our older sound,” she explains. “It’s a bit more aggressive; it’s more honest.” That honesty seems to suit her voice as much as the band’s direction. While plenty of vocalists treat aggression like something they have to wrestle into place, Pasturini says this heavier delivery actually comes more naturally. The rawer edge is not just better for the songs; it is gentler on her voice. Some singers are out here fighting for their lives, trying to sound melodic, and Grace is finding relief in going harder.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

Interview by Kris PetersDead of Winter Festival is officially back, resurrecting its glorious, dark alternative underworld at Brisbane’s iconic Mansfield Tavern on Saturday, 27 June 2026. After six long years in the shadows, this absolute staple of the heavy music calendar is rising like a Phoenix. Organisers have curated a massive line-up of 31 bands, performance art, and horror cosplay. Yet, out of all the distortion and chaos set to take over the multiple stages, one band is uniquely poised to completely steal the show: The Neptune Power Federation.Fresh off massive European touring, the Sydney-based rock outfit is making their highly anticipated return to Australian soil. If you have ever witnessed them live, you already know it is an over-the-top, mind-bending experience. If you haven't, prepare your soul. Fronted by the utterly hypnotic and fiercely commanding Imperial Priestess, Screaming Loz Sfire, the band seamlessly blends 1970s heavy psych, punk-driven aggression, and pure, unadulterated stadium rock theatrics. They do not just play a set; they bring a full cosmic ritual that forces your feet to tap and your neck to snap.What makes their inclusion at Dead of Winter so perfect is how seamlessly their occult energy meshes with the festival's community atmosphere. Backed by a razor-sharp rhythm section and an onslaught of massive, screeching guitar riffs, they are an absolute powerhouse of rock 'n' roll. Dead of Winter has always built its legacy on being a super fun, super safe space for sub-genres to collide. The Neptune Power Federation delivers exactly that brand of welcoming, theatrical madness.HEAVY sat down with bass player Jaytanic Ritual (a.k.a Jason Whalley from Frenzal Rhomb) to better prepare ourselves for the show and asked about the genesis of the band."We were formed on a distant planet," he began. "We were summoned by Her Majesty the Imperial Priestess to basically support her in all her endeavours. Those endeavors being traveling through time to destroy the patriarchy. So we've basically been doing her bidding now for about 10 years in our time, but it spans the millennia in other people's time. We also have all these rules. So, none of the men in the band are allowed to speak. She's deemed that it's okay for me to talk today, so I can talk candidly, but for the most part, we're there just to do her bidding. And apparently, her bidding is to play 1970s psychedelic rock."We mention that it must be an exercise in futility expecting Jaytanic Ritual to say nothing from the stage, to which his tone became more sombre."The consequences of speaking are so dire that it's better off just doing what she wants," he replied, fear in his eyes. "The other thing we're not allowed to do is smile, because what we're doing is very serious. Plus, we're not allowed to wear band shirts because we're the only band from our planet, so there are a lot of rules, but I do like the boundaries."In the full interview, we explore the world of The Neptune Power Federation in greater detail, finding out what makes them tick and the driving force behind their music. Jaytanic Ritual runs us through their live performance and what to expect, offering three songs concert goers can listen to in order to get to know the band better if they are only new to the party.We talk about the new album Mondo Tomorrow and its musical psyche, including the move away from recounting the adventures of the High Priestess in favour of technology. Jaytanic Ritual explains how the album sees The Neptune Power Federation return more to their punk roots, the surprise album that was recorded at the same time and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

There are few stories in Australian rock history as heavy or as real as Nathan Cavaleri’s. We all remember the kid—the pint-sized blues prodigy who jammed with B.B. King, signed global deals, and made the guitar sing like a seasoned delta master before he was even a teenager. But as any rock fan knows, the higher the climb, the more brutal the crash. With his upcoming massive national theatre production, the Growing Pains tour, Cavaleri isn't just playing a set of tunes; he’s laying his soul bare on stage in a raw, real-time reckoning with stardom, mental health, and survival.This isn't your standard, ego-driven rock retrospective. This is an intimate, solo performance that beautifully blends heavy storytelling with the soulful, blues-infused musical prowess that made him a household name. Cavaleri is taking audiences on an emotional rollercoaster, tracking his journey from busking on the streets of Campbelltown to conquering international stages, battling leukaemia, and surviving a full-blown mental health collapse that once left him terrified to even pick up a guitar.What makes Growing Pains so essential is its unapologetic vulnerability. Cavaleri openly admits to feeling "nervous as hell" about putting his darkest moments under the theatre spotlight. Yet, it’s exactly that honesty—paired with his undeniable guitar wizardry—that leaves the crowd uplifted, inspired, and completely in awe. It is a powerful reminder of how music can serve as ultimate therapy.HEAVY sat down with Nathan to chat about the run of shows and the subject matter, asking where the idea came from."When I got back into it, I was actually just starting to share my experiences," he began, "like growing up on tour and playing with all these amazing legends, but also making sense of life along the way and some of the challenges I went through. I was getting a lot of feedback from members of the audience saying that they loved the songs, but they really loved the stories and wanted more of them, and suggested I write a book. I've lived this life, so it's not... it just feels pretty normal to me. And I thought, well, I don't want to write a book. It feels a little bit premature, but they were barking at me for a long time. So I thought, all right, well, why don't I try something different and bring it to the stage and create a live show out of it?"In the full interview, Nathan talks more about the genesis of the idea, including how he decided what subject matter to cover. He detailed the difficulties he faced confronting some of those memories and working them into a narrative, offering up some stories that made the final cut along the way.He talked about some of his best memories, how music ultimately affected his mental health and the steps he has taken to get through it. The format of the shows was discussed, as was the level of crowd interaction, as well as new music and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.

American rock titans Shinedown and British alternative legends Bush are uniting for a massive co-headline tour across Australia and New Zealand in September 2026. Promoted by Destroy All Lines, this blockbuster arena run bridges two distinct eras of heavy guitar music. The highly anticipated roadshow represents Shinedown’s monumental return down under for the first time in over 15 years. Simultaneously, it marks Bush’s first full-scale headline run of the region in nearly three decades.Shinedown brings a precise, high-octane live production to the stage, fueled by a record-breaking 24 number-one rock hits and more than 8.3 billion global streams. Local audiences can expect a dense, anthemic setlist packed with their definitive mainstream radio hits like Second Chance, Sound of Madness, and Monsters. The Florida-based rockers are also using this international trek to showcase brand-new material from their eighth studio album, EI8HT, which launched recently with widespread critical acclaim.Complementing Shinedown's arena-ready energy is the raw post-grunge power of Bush, anchored by the iconic charisma of frontman Gavin Rossdale. With over three decades of global success and a billion streams, the London-born outfit remains an essential fixture of modern alternative rock. Their performance will highlight definitive mid-90s hits from their seminal, multi-platinum debut record Sixteen Stone, treating fans to live renditions of Glycerine, Comedown, and Machinehead. Additionally, Bush will perform tracks from their tenth studio album, I Beat Loneliness, demonstrating their continuing creative evolution.HEAVY sat down with Shinedown frontman Brent Smith to get his thoughts on the tour. It's been 16 years since Shinedown last toured this country, so we ask Brent what has changed with the band over that period."Just the trajectory of the band," he measured. "The albums. Life. Experience… The thing that I never take for granted is that I can look back and say to myself, I feel very, very fortunate that from the moment I could have a conscious thought… what I wanted to do with my life, I'm doing. And to still be 25 years into being in this band… You don't ever want to have this big, meteoric rise. I don't know the way I should say this, but I can only say it in the most authentic way possible. Experience is something that you need in this industry. Sometimes, when you get a big jump, there can be a heavy fall. It's a very difficult industry to navigate, the music business and however you want to look at it. But the reality is it all comes down to the audience and the artist. I've said this before, and I mean it. In Shinedown, we only have one boss. It's just everybody in the audience. And Shinedown is also everyone's band."In the full interview, Brent makes apologies for taking so long to get back to Australia, promising the band will more than make up for lost time. He spoke about the evolution of Shinedown over their musical journey and the importance of staying grounded, no matter what else is happening.He recounted how the initial discussion to pair Shinedown and Bush on tour came about, expressing his respect and love for their touring partners and how their music will compliment the other. Brent talked about Shinedown's recent album Ei8ht and its reception, highlighting the positive reaction by fans and critics alike, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.