Alt Down Under

25 EPISODES! A huge landmark for Alt Down Under - thank you to everyone who’s listened along the way. To celebrate, we’re joined by Melbourne’s very own Playlunch. Ozzy, Michael and Liam chat about their early days in folk trios, how they evolved into a 7-piece “bogan funk” outfit, and why their mission is to poke fun at life’s shittier parts - from real estate agents to the cost of living… a...

“You’re gonna have to be more pacific, mate.” This week, Luke is joined in conversation by the absolute dude that is Jack Kay – bassist for the brilliant Pacific Avenue. 2 years on from their critically-acclaimed debut album, 'Flowers', Jack looks back on the journey between now and then and drops hints on when a second album could be on the horizon. It’s been a big couple of years, as the b...

When your band name is born out of trying to come up with the worst band name ever – then surely you’re destined to go to the top? That might not have been the thinking at the time, but Canberra’s Teen Jesus & The Jean Teasers are now 10 years down the track from that conversation and their 2015 inception. Lead singer - Anna Ryan - stops by on Alt Down Under to look back at the wild times she...

What do you get if you put two brothers into the same band? Some scraps in the early, pre-band years? Sure. But in the case of Radium Dolls, you end up with an irresistible cocktail of punk, passion and energy that slaps you in the face with the warmest of wake-up calls, right from the first listen. Frontman Will and guitarist Tom sit down with Luke for episode 22 of Alt Down Under. The boy...

How would it feel to be the lead singer of a band who’ve just recorded in the iconic Abbey Road Studios, made famous by The Beatles? Imagine that in doing so, you become the first Aboriginal act to record a full-length album in the studios’ hallowed rooms. That is exactly the journey of Selve, a Queensland outfit, fronted my Loki Liddle. A proud Jabirr Jabirr man, Loki describes how the new ...

Alt Down Under hits 20 episodes! For this milestone show, Luke catches up with Sonic Reducer, a 4-piece punk group from Canberra. Bassist, Louie Hanna, is on hand to discuss why the band are doing things differently to the generic 4-piece bands that we’ve grown tired of over the years. Find out the impact that the closing of venues in Canberra has had…and the creative workarounds that artist...

This time out, we take a trip west....to see what alternative gems New Zealand has to offer! That comes in the form of episode 19's featured artist, Phoebe Rings. Joining Alt Down Under is lead singer, Crystal Choi. Native to Korea, Crystal tells all about how moving to The Land of the Long White Cloud has impacted her life and her song-writing. And...is starting a band a few months before ...

With Aussie winter around the corner, it feels like the time of year where music that warms the soul is on the menu. Step in, Annie-Rose Maloney, the featured artist in episode 18 of Alt. Down Under! The Naarm-based singer-songwriter’s debut album Circle Walking is the perfect antidote to winter blues. With insights into her personal journey to seeking happiness and battling life’s dramas alo...

Slap bang in the middle of their Aus/NZ tour, we caught up with The Murder Capital! Joining Luke Scanlan in conversation is bassist, Gabriel Blake. After waiting years to finally play to fans in the region, Gabriel speaks of what it means to give fans a taste of tunes from across their three albums: When I Have Fears, Gigi’s Recovery and Blindness Plus, why he thinks albums – also referred t...

This time out, it’s the melodic vocal genius of The Stamps under the spotlight, joining us as our artist in residence! Ahead of a big week of announcements for the Melbourne-based group, singer and songwriter Scarlett Graham drops by for a chat. One third of the vocals behind the band formed after a suggestion from their school music teacher – Scarlett tells all about the story behind new sin...

James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck, better know as HONNE are this week’s artist in residence on Alt. Down Under. Fresh from the release of their latest album, Ouch, the British electronic duo drop by to talk us through the stories behind the new tunes. From stepping into fatherhood and making sure to squeeze all that you can from life. And of course, the boys build their Dream Gig Venue. How ...

Another fantastic guest artist interview for you in episode 14 of Alt. Down Under... This time out, it's the unreal Girl and Girl. Speaking with Luke is frontman Kai James and drummer, Aunt Liss. They've just caught a breath after an 8-date whistle-stop tour around Australia, bringing the energy to cities up and down the country. It's not every day an aunt ends up being the drummer for her n...

Don't they say "never work with a partner"? It might be a disaster for some, but Sydney duo Salarymen have found the magic formula...and we are here for it. Thom Eagleton and Renee de la Motte sit down for a chat off the back of their latest EP release, Day By Day. Why is being honest with each other so crucial to the way they operate as a couple and as artists? PLUS - social media - love i...

The fantastic Romanie is the guest artist for Episode 12 of Alt. Down Under. After meeting her in his first week in Australia when she performed alongside Katy J Pearson, Luke finally sits down with the Belgian songwriter to chat through her experiences of moving down to Aus. Romanie explains how stepping out of her comfort zone has shaped her as a person as well as empowering her work as an a...

Lotte Gallagher is Episode 11’s featured artist for Alt. Down Under! The rising star of Melbourne’s Indie & Alternative scene drops by for a chat all about her debut EP, A Better Feeling – which landed earlier this month. The Naarm-based singer opens up on how she was able to find her feet as a songwriter in her early teens, why family has been so important to her journey so far and how music...

Alt. Down Under podcast is back with another slice of Indie chatter! The Paris 2024 Olympics might be in full swing, but Melbourne post-punk/new-wave outfit Radio Free Alice are this year’s real athletes... Fresh from a mammoth 2-month, 24-date stint in the UK and Europe, front-man Noah Learmonth drops by to talk about life on the road and the British food that has fuelled the band. Find out ...

This week, a Melbourne Rock n Roller…. Jacob Fitzgerald! He’s had a recent support slot with UK outfit Sea Girls and is opening for Pacific Avenue in Sydney next month. Jacob takes us through his love of Bruce Springsteen, old school rock and his band, The Electric City. Find out about the labour of love that is living - and creating music - with lead guitarist, Rick Hollywood. PLUS His new ...

Lead guitarist. Vocalist. Master on the keys. There's not much The Vanns' Cameron Little can't do. Here, he drops in for a chat with Luke Scanlan to chat through his experience of the music biz and how The Vanns have developed such widespread appeal - all ahead of the band's huge regional tour across Australia across the next few months! As for his Dream Gig Venue? Well...this week, we are h...

Masego. The artist carving out a whole genre of his own. TrapHouseJazz with splices of R&B, Soul and Rap. This guy isn’t afraid to express – isn’t afraid to experiment. On this episode of Alt. Down Under, the US star runs us through the brilliance of his band Sax Fifth Avenue, the fluid jazz style in his live shows and why he is dead-set on pulling people together by being truly present when...

Time for an episode of Alt. Down Under with an artist with a real exciting future ahead of them… It’s Melbourne’s Ruby Cannon! Ruby drops by for a chat about her retro-inspired tunes that are based on her love of music that runs deep through both her life and her work as an artist. She also opens up on the challenges facing artists that are trying to break through right now. In the age of st...

2024 is here and Alt. Down Under is back with a huge episode! Hit the link in the bio now to hear our chat with the ever-adapting and ever-changing Declan McKenna, fresh from his tour in AUS/NZ and appearance at Heaps Good in Adelaide. He tells all about coming through as a younger artist, with breakout hit ‘Brazil’, building confidence in his career and never being afraid to express himself....

This week in the Dream Gig Venue....it's Dulcie! Have you ever wondered how Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Freddie Mercury might handle event security? Then look no further. Ashleigh Carr White - vocals & keys for the WA outfit - runs us through how the two icons are set to take care of things at AshSLAY's. Plus - a look at Dulcie's rise over the past few years, their growing aspirations and ...

HERE IT IS! Alt. Down Under’s interview with Foals, ahead of their upcoming tour of Aus & NZ. Listen in to hear Luke Scanlan’s chat with Foals guitarist Jimmy Smith! Jimmy tells all about being a part of the mid-late noughties Indie scene in the UK, how touring days haven’t really changed over the years and who out of the band rocks the budgie smugglers on the beaches of Australia! Inside hi...

4 albums in 4 years. Countless tours. Big plans in 2024. Find out how the hell The Grogans are doing it! Here, drummer Jordan Lewis explains the love the band have for creating new music, how they are part of an ever-growing Alternative scene in Australia and why their name is actually Aussie slang for.....shit! Plus - his Dream Gig Venue - why are singlets the choice of dress code...and why ...

FIRST EPISODE IS HERE! Alt. Down Under is a new alternative music podcast with Luke Scanlan - your resident pomme who is on a mission to check out the hottest artists Australia has to offer - and the artists that travel all this way on tour. Kicking things off in episode numero uno is Lenny (Sam Barrett-Lennard) - the drummer of WA indie rockers, DICE. He tells us all about how the band are ...