Trusty Chords

When I first started this podcast, I made a wishlist of people I wanted to chat to. I've still not achieved my most-wanted artist (but I came close earlier this year!), but one of those first names I put on that list was none other than Eric Michener, better known as Fishboy.

If you're not across Fishboy, then you definitely need to go back and right that wrong immediately.

I truly believe Eric is one of my favourite songwriters, with albums like 'Albatross', 'Classic Creeps', 'Waitsgiving', and 'Art Guards' providing a perfect example of his broad storytelling skills, and the way in which he is able to construct and craft dazzling character-driven narratives that connect like satisfying jigsaw puzzles. 

That is to say, if you want an album to sound good and feel good too, then darn it, you need to listen to his discography.

To this day, I believe that 'Art Guards' may actually be my favourite album, solely due to the satisfaction obtained from this lyrical narrative.

Of course, in recent years, 2021's 'Waitsgiving' may have overtaken things as his most popular record – especially if you're in Eric's home of Denton, Texas, where the annual Waitsgiving celebration takes place.

However, it's been a few years since the last album was released, and last month, that all changed with the arrival of 'Bravest Neighbor'. 

Described as a "12 song examination of how a game of telephone in an imaginary community can touch on isolation, embarrassment, estrangement, and heartbreak," I'm not lying when I tell you this is a very good album.

The lyrics are impressive, the music is accomplished, the narrative is stunning, and the additional musicians on here (I mean, it was recorded by Kid Koala in Montreal, so you know it's going to be good) are stunning. 

I don't want to give anything away, but I urge you to listen to this record at least once before you hear this episode. I've listened to it close to a dozen times and I'm still discovering things. In fact, Eric and I actually discussed whether to make this episode spoiler-free or not in the lead-up to our chat.

Oh, in case you can't tell, my guest this week is indeed Eric Michener, who was kind enough to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon talking down the computer to a dedicated Australian fan about his craft, his records, and his love of music.

Now, I will admit that there are a few audio hiccups at play here. Namely that I could hear my own voice echoed through Eric's audio, so if you're hearing a little bit of doubling up when I'm talking, that just means my countless hours of audio editing have not quite reached their peak. Sorry about that.

Anyway, have a listen to Fishboy's 'Bravest Neighbor', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Has there ever been a musician harder to categorise than Pinky Beecroft? (Okay, for those saying Frank Zappa or Ween, that was more of a rhetorical question, so please hold onto your opinions for the end.)

For the vast majority of music fans, his is a name which would have come to prominence thanks to his role as the de facto frontperson of Machine Gun Fellatio, a group whose very success needs to be studied by academics under the guise of answering the question 'How on Earth did that happen?"

Machine Gun Fellatio were a genre-defying outfit whose existence was tantamount to a loose collective of weirdos – that is, a collective that just happened to make some amazing music. 

Despite their less-than radio friendly name, lyrics, live shows, and songs, they persisted, supported artists like KISS, Duran Duran, and Robbie Williams, and after three studio records, called it quits in 2005.

Shortly after that, as members went and did their own thing, so too did Pinky. He launched the band Pinky Beecroft & The White Russians, released an EP and two albums, and sporadically emerged from the shadows to play live shows.

Pinky Beecroft & The White Russians soon became The White Russians, and then performances as The Wreck Tangle and Pinky Beecroft 4.0 followed, but for 17 long years, no new music arrived. That is, until this year.

In fact, this month sees Pinky releasing the new album Lonesome Wolf. It might sound bizarre to say, given his storied career, but it's a stunning piece of work. 

Equal parts heartfelt, affecting, and powerful, it's enough to remind you that behind the chaos he's known for, he knows his way around a song – after all, he does also share a co-write on the ARIA Award-winning 'No Aphrodisiac' by The Whitlams.

Truly, it's a wonderful album that ebbs and flows in terms of intensity and reflection, and it's one that I urge you to listen to with the headphones on, allowing it to wash over you as it unfolds.

While Pinky might have had a wild life, the release of 'Lonesome Wolf' proves that there's more to him than what many fans would expect. Of course, diehard fans like myself have long been aware of that, but it's nice to be able to share that with others.

This week, Pinky was kind enough to invite me into his hotel room in Melbourne for a lengthy chat about his musical career, his time with Machine Gun Fellatio, his solo work, and everything in between.

Anyway, have a listen to Pinky Beecroft's 'Lonesome Wolf' when it arrives next week, buy a ticket to his upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

I say this a lot, but as a former Adelaidean, I really do enjoy listening and chatting to musicians from South Australia.

If you're someone whose finger has firmly been on the pulse of the City of Churches' music scene, then you might be aware of Any Young Mechanic, a quintet whose music is a true delight for anyone who enjoys a blend of indie, folk, and rock in equal and appropriate measure.

They're actually a somewhat nascent addition to the music scene, because before they adopted their current name in late 2024, they were better known as Wake In Fright, having taken their moniker from the 1971 film of the same name.

Due to issues with the film's estate, they took on this new name and made a very auspicious 'debut' of sorts.

That debut has taken on a tangible form by way of their stellar record 'The Modern Shoe Is Ruining The Foot'. It's not just a dire warning for any fans of podiatric health, but also one of the finest records you'll hear this year. 

Former triple j Music Director Richard Kingsmill likened the record to The Middle East (the band that is, not the region), and as a massive fan of that group, I have to agree that this is an album that one can only describe as truly special.

Now, all of that glorious praise I just shared above is why I'm heartbroken to actually note that this is possibly the worst-sounding podcast I've recorded to date.

For those unaware, a lot of media interviews take place these days either in person, over the phone, or – most commonly – via Zoom. Any Young Mechanic were taking part in a press day in Sydney while we chatted, and while press days may usually feature in-person chats, our differences in distance necessitated the five of them speaking to me from a couch over Zoom.

While that usually wouldn't present any problem, this one did – for some reason – find itself presenting numerous *audio* problems whereby there are times when members simply cannot be heard, and their answers are almost entirely unintelligible. This isn't just a you problem either, listeners – I couldn't hear the band either during these responses, which is a shame, because what I *could* hear sounded very passionate.

I'll offer a promise to have the members back on an episode at some point in the future (perhaps when they're next in Melbourne), but in the meantime, I've presented the episode here with the audio cleaned and enhanced as best as I could.

Anyway, have a listen to Any Young Mechanic's 'The Modern Shoe Is Ruining The Foot', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

Ahead of making this podcast, I really had to think back to where I first discovered the band Metric. 
Hailing from Toronto in Canada, the group came together back in 1998, initially forming as a duo between Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw, before things expanded, evolved, and early releases started arriving.
There's an interesting story about how their first records actually came about (stay tuned for that one), but personally, I think I would've come on board with Metric around the time of their fourth album, 'Fantasies', in 2009.
That's where a lot of folks came on board, to be quite honest, and I'm not too ashamed to say I was definitely among the many who were drawn to the band's immersive sound and their rising popularity.
Since then, they've been a constant figure in the 'new releases' list, with this past April resulting in the release of their tenth album, 'Romanticize The Dive'. It's an album you should definitely check out if you're a fan of their earlier material, and it's one that you'll likely find yourself returning to quite a few times.
This week, I was lucky enough to have a chat with Emily and Jimmy about the band's history, their new record, and how it's all up to me whether they make it back to Australia or not.
Incidentally, as we spoke, they were gearing up to return to one of the most Canadian tour line-ups imaginable, with Broken Social Scene and Stars as their tourmates. (Sure, Emily is a former member, and Jimmy is listed as a current member of Broken Social Scene, so it's not that out of the ordinary, but what a bill that is!).
Anyway, have a listen to Metric's 'Romanticize The Dive', have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.

One of my favourite things is watching a band achieve their goals. I don't just mean recording an album, releasing it, hitting the charts, and going on tour – both domestically and internationally – but honestly, even just playing music together.

While Melbourne outfit The Velvet Club have certainly achieved all those initial things I mentioned, the majority of their journey was predicated on a shared love of music and the ability to simply get together and crank out some tunes.

Having done just that close to a decade ago, the group have gradually and constantly risen through the ranks of the Australian music scene, with a series of singles and EPs resulting in them ultimately releasing their debut album, 'Are You Falling In Love?', earlier this month. 

It's a great record that will undoubtedly appeal to anyone who is a fan of genres like indie rock, the garage rock revival, and the indie sleaze vibe that came along with it.

That era of music was exactly what I found myself chatting about with the band's vocalist and guitarist, AJ Tilyard, who was kind enough to join me this week while we talked about the band's rise, and the release of their debut record.

Anyway, have a listen to The Velvet Club's 'Are You Falling In Love?', buy a ticket to their upcoming tour, have a listen to our chat, and I’ll see you at the end of the episode for some general housekeeping.