Trusty Chords

I daresay that The Sheila Divine are one of those great examples of a band who deserve much more attention than they've received over their career.

Forming in Boston back in 1997, most casual fans of the group would've come on board around the release of 1999's 'New Parade' record, which spawned the likes of 'Hum', 'Like A Criminal', and more.

If you're a fan of music from the late '90s (and frankly, if you're listening to this podcast, I daresay you are), 'New Parade' should be required listening. Go ahead, take 46 minutes and give it a run. I'll wait right here. (That was great, wasn't it?)

But their story doesn't end there. Following another record a couple of years later, the group would split, with a pair of reunions eventually resulting in a constant stream of records since 2012 as an independent act.

An acclaimed group of musicians, songwriters, and performers, the band's fanbase is strongest in the US northeast, as well as Belgium. And with good reason, too, because they are a stellar band who are still operating at full capacity, decades down the line.

This week, they return with their latest album, the fantastic 'The Middle Ages.' If you're a fan of alternative rock with soaring choruses, frenetic energy, and a viscerally-earnest approach to the craft, you'd do well to check this one out.

Since The Sheila Divine's inception, Aaron Perrino has been up the front, serving as vocalist and guitarist. This week, he was kind enough to join us for a chat (well, we actually spoke back in March) to chat about the band's history, their new record, and his familial link to another friend of the show.

Anyway, have a listen to The Sheila Divine's 'The Middle Ages,' have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Ruby Jones is one of those musicians whose whole life has largely been spent in the pursuit of music, with a calling to the craft as a youngster soon finding itself following her for the entirety of her life.

If her name isn't one that's familiar, there's a very good chance you might have seen her as part of Melbourne soul outfit Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes, which existed until 2015 and boasted Ruby as a member.

Since then though, she's been very active as a solo artist, having launched her career a few years later, and releasing the stellar 'The Woman Who Loves You' album in 2021. There was a bit of a gap between releases after that, however, and it's taken us a little while to receive her new record, 'Souvenir.'

Arriving last week, it's one of those records which definitely falls into the category of 'worth the wait', because Ruby has crafted an 11-track collection of tunes which showcase her stunning approach to folk and rock.

Touching upon myriad topics such as creativity, heartbreak, toxic relationships, a love of place, and even climate catastrophes, it's a record which is varied in its approach, though anyone would be consistent in their opinion that it's a wonderful release.

You might have guessed by now, but this week, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Ruby about her musical career, and how it led to the release of her new record.

Anyway, have a listen to her 'Souvenir' album, buy a ticket to her upcoming launch show, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Hello and welcome to Trusty Chords, the podcast which aims to celebrate music and those that create it.

Spend just a few minutes chatting to Nick Manuell, and it's pretty clear that he's one of the hardest-working folks in the Australian music scene.

Having been interested in music since his early years, a number of bands gave way to The Sinking Teeth, who were a staple of live stages for quite some time – close to a decade in fact.

However, Nick's current list of bands can be traced back to 2013, when The Sinking Teeth went out on tour with punk icons Bodyjar for their 'Role Model' tour. Performing alongside Luca Brasi as fellow supports, it was just six years later that he'd be asked to join Bodyjar as their bassist.

Since then, he's served as a member of the legendary rock group, starting another band – Raging Hormones – along the way.

Most recently, Nick went back to that 2013 tour, because in 2024, he also joined Luca Brasi, this time as their rhythm guitarist. Needless to say, if you're in a band right now, be careful chatting to Nick, or else he might just be coming for your job.

Alongside his stellar work in his numerous bands, Nick's work also extends to the worlds of photography, videography, recording, and so much more. I've been lucky enough to share stages with him, record in the studio with him, and have his camera pointed at my face, and he's a dedicated professional in every aspect.

Next week, Nick is hitting the road with Luca Brasi as they kick off their 'If This Is All We’re Going To Be' tenth anniversary tour, but before he does that, he was kind enough to join for a lengthy chat about his musical history.

Anyway, buy a ticket to Luca Brasi's upcoming Australian tour; listen through the discographies of The Sinking Teeth, Bodyjar, Raging Hormones, and Luca Brasi; and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

It's pretty hard to think about punk music over the past 50 years without paying mind to the great Greg Ginn.

Beginning his career with a radio equipment company before he was even a teenager, Ginn co-founded the band Panic with vocalist Keith Morris in 1976, with the group adopting the name Black Flag in 1978.

The ensuing decade has been studied, talked about, written about, and immortalised at great length, with Black Flag quickly becoming one of the most hard-working, prolific, and energetic punk bands on the scene. 

When someone talks about hardcore punk, laments the 'glory days' of the genre, or turns their attention to what a punk band 'should' be, they're probably talking about Black Flag.

Though Black Flag would split in 1986, a batch of reunions have taken place since, and just last year – in 2025 – Ginn announced the latest lineup of the band. This time around, it made headlines, largely due to the fact that the combined ages of his new bandmates don't equate to his own.

While some critics have derided the latest era of Black Flag for featuring a 'Gen Z' lineup, and others have exercised some misogyny with comments towards their newly-recruited vocalist – the first woman to hold down the role – recent footage has shown that the band are actually firing on all cylinders.

This May, Black Flag  are returning to Australia for a batch of shows, and to celebrate, the normally media-shy Ginn joined me for a brief chat about the band's latest happenings. We don't quite get to all of his favourite songs, but with such a hard question put to a great musical mind, who can blame him?

Anyway, buy a ticket to Black Flag's upcoming Australian tour, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

I'll admit that when it comes to music in Australia, Canberra is a music scene that is typically overlooked.

Which is a shame, because that's where most folks got to experience the rise of Kim Yang.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Kim's formative musical years saw a brush with fame by way of an impressive appearance on Taiwan's Super Idol TV show. However, after relocating to Australia to professionally study music, Kim revisited the world of performing by way of busking in the streets of Canberra, eventually releasing a batch of recordings into the world.

Following support slots for a run of local acts such as Josh Pyke, Ben Lee, Katie Noonan, and more, Kim's impressive foray with widespread attention preceded a move to Beijing in 2023, where she continued her musical journey on a global scale.

In early May, Kim will release her debut album, the stellar 'Turn On The Lights.' It's an album that is a true pleasure to listen to, with Kim's penchant for curating an intimate, comforting mood with her music underpinned by her innate ability to showcase a sense of vulnerability and humanity in her lyrics.

With lyrical themes focusing on identity, purpose, fear, and anxiety, while also drawing on her own journey through self-doubt, discovery, and acceptance, it's an album you would do very well to listen to.

This week, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Kim ahead of the release of her album, and it was a true pleasure to learn more about her musical journey, and approach to her craft.

Anyway, have a listen to Kim Yang's 'Turn On The Lights' when it arrives on May 7th, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.