Podcast
HEAVY Music Interviews
Hosted by HEAVY Magazine · EN
All the latest music interviews from the team at HEAVY Magazine.
HEAVY interviews the worlds leading rock, punk, metal and beyond musicians in the heavy universe of music.
We will upload the latest interviews regularly so before to follow our social accounts and our podcast account on www.speaker.com/user/heavy
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
HEAVY interviews the worlds leading rock, punk, metal and beyond musicians in the heavy universe of music.
We will upload the latest interviews regularly so before to follow our social accounts and our podcast account on www.speaker.com/user/heavy
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
138episodes
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Death Metal For The Disconnected With DIVA SATANICA From BLOODHUNTER
Jun 1000:15:38Tap to summarizeInterview by Ali WilliamsSpanish melodic death metal force BLOODHUNTER returns on June 12 with their new album, Sons Of The Abandoned. It has been both a long wait and a very deliberate one for the band. Four years have passed since the band’s previous album, and while fans have been understandably circling the release date like metalheads around a merch table with limited sizes, BLOODHUNTER have not spent that time idling around waiting for inspiration to knock. “It’s been a long wait until we finally release the album,” vocalist Diva Satanica explained to HEAVY's Ali Williams, adding that the response from fans has already been overwhelming. “We are very thankful for that.”For Diva, Sons Of The Abandoned is not simply another BLOODHUNTER record with the distortion turned up and the emotional damage left to fend for itself. This time, something shifted. The music still carries that death metal edge, but the album and its inspiration step into more exposed territory lyrically. Diva admits that previously she had hidden behind the metaphors in their lyrics, but this time the writing became more direct. “It has been different this time,” she explains. “Usually, I feel like I hide myself behind the metaphors. It’s difficult when you play death metal to find this balance between speaking about things that everybody has in common, but without sounding too cheesy.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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The End Is Just The Beginning With JAKOB NOWELL From SUBLIME
Jun 1000:13:27Tap to summarizeInterview by Kris PetersThirty years after the tragic loss of frontman Bradley Nowell, California’s premier ska-punk icons Sublime have defied the impossible. The band has returned with their new album Until the Sun Explodes (June 15), their first full-length studio album of entirely original material since 1996. Arriving via Atlantic Records, this highly anticipated 21-track LP is a monumental generational handoff. Stepping into the frontman role is Bradley’s son, Jakob Nowell, who unites with original founding members Eric Wilson (bass) and Bud Gaugh (drums) to create a record that feels less like a modern reboot and more like a beautifully crafted epilogue.To capture the definitive, sun-soaked identity of the band, Jakob and producer Jon Joseph meticulously catalogued every chord progression, sonic texture, and lyrical boundary of the classic Sublime discography. The result is a vibrant resurrection of their signature formula: an intoxicating blend of reggae-infused punk, dub, hip-hop, and Southern California absurdism. The rollout has already proven historically successful; the explosive lead single Ensenada spent eight weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, eclipsing the chart-topping run of their 1996 timeless hit What I Got.While the music captures the nostalgic energy of the 1990s, the thematic core of the album rests heavily on legacy, sobriety, and profound gratitude. On the poignant title track, Until the Sun Explodes, Jakob’s vocals eerily mirror his father’s chill cadence as he sings directly to Bradley's memory: “Until the sun blows up in the sky/I owe you my life”. Rather than trying to rewrite history, Jakob has explicitly framed this album as a final, heartfelt thank-you letter to his father and the fans who kept the scene alive.HEAVY sat down with Jakob to dive deeper. We ask about the difficulties he faced with making an album that represented the entire career of Sublime, while still making it sound fresh and vibrant, asking if he and the rest of the band sat down and studied past releases to get the sound they were after or if it was more of a natural process."A little bit of both," he replied. "There's a lot of study going into it for me and our producer, John. We wanted to really do our work and take this gig seriously. Every single released piece of Sublime media and all of the interviews and the bootlegs, and then going back and listening to all of their influences and all the bands that really made them excited. We wanted to factor all this in so the sounds we were using had some precedent in the Sublime release catalogue, so we weren't just pushing the sound in some random directions for no reason. Then bringing Bud and Eric in to write these songs and fleshing them out with those two, who obviously already know how to make Sublime records, that part was the most natural part."We ask Jakob if he felt much internal or external pressure to get it right on the album."Yeah, yeah," he nodded. "Pressure abounds, for sure. We all deal with pressure differently, but acknowledging it is a big part of the process. I know how many people love Sublime, and I know how much my Father's legacy and memory mean to me and how much the very idea of even doing this might be ill-advised or fraught with peril. I think I had to go into it with that amount of respect. The way that I deal with all those expectations and fears and imposter syndrome is I try to remember at the end of the day, 'okay, this is important and is deserving of my respect, and I'm gonna take this job seriously as a professional'. But at the end of the day, I always say we're not curing cancer here. We're making rock and roll music (laughs). That is something I believe I know how to do."In the full interview, Jakob talks more about the new and final Sublime album, including the musicality present and what they were going for. He tells us about the pressures of not only filling his Father's shoes as frontman, but also personal fears and expectations around doing his Dad justice.We spoke about Jakob's first time fronting Sublime in the studio and how he feels about it, the fact that this is Sublime's final album and what the future holds. The album collaborations were fleshed out, and we talked about Sublime's recent shows at Red Rock Ampitheatre and plans for the rest of the year, plus more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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Calm Amidst The Chaos With GREG KUBACKI From CAR BOMB
Jun 1000:10:58Tap to summarizeInterview by Kris PetersLet’s be honest for a second. When you hear that Karnivool is touring, your ears instantly prick up. They are the undisputed kings of Australian progressive rock, a band that makes complexity sound like second nature. But when the tour announcement dropped, the words Car Bomb and TesseracT were slapped on the bill alongside them, things suddenly took an even bigger turn for the better. This isn’t just a concert line-up; it’s an absolute musical assault on the senses.HEAVY has always loved music that challenges you—the kind of tracks that don’t just sit in the background but grab you by the throat and force you to pay attention. That is exactly what this tour is going to do. If Karnivool is the masterclass in sonic atmosphere, deep groove, and sweeping, emotional melodies, then Car Bomb is the chaotic entity sent to tear the room to pieces before the headliners even touch the stage.For the uninitiated, Car Bomb doesn’t just play metal; they weaponise time signatures. Their style is a dizzying, frantic, and claustrophobic mathcore that feels like a glitching supercomputer trying to punch its way out of your speakers. Pairing their jagged, laser-guided ferocity with Karnivool’s lush, towering soundscapes and the wizardry of TesseracT is a stroke of absolute genius. It’s a beautiful contrast between absolute, calculated chaos and pristine, progressive beauty.HEAVY sat down with Car Bomb's guitarist Greg Kubacki to find out more. One of the topics of discussion is how Car Bomb find the balance between styles and genres in the creative process."I do the majority of the writing these days," Greg replied. "Back in the day, it was all of us working together in a room, but now we all have responsibilities, so I do the majority of the stuff. When the song starts, I start with an idea and put it on the shelf for a month or two and come back to it and see if I like it. And if I like something - whether it's technical or it's knuckle-dragging, really simple stuff - I'll just start working on a song from there.When I run out of ideas, that's when I usually know a song's done. Or if I put the song again on the shelf for another month and listen to it, and I don't find anything wrong with it, then I'm like, okay, it's good. But usually we have so many ideas that we're always working on. It's not like the movie Amadeus, where we're just writing it out, and it's written in five minutes (laughs)."In the full interview, Greg explains why it has taken Car Bomb so long to make it to Australia, how he prepares to tour a country for the first time and what they are expecting. He talked about the live show and what to expect, including what three songs people going to the show should listen to in order to get to know the band and music more.Greg ran us through difficulties in transforming the musical complexities into the live arena, as well as finding the balance between styles in the creative process. We spoke about the early days of Car bomb and the musical climate that gave birth to the band, the first time he heard one of his own songs on the radio and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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The Art Of Loving Spiders With LUKE SEVEREID
Jun 800:16:52Tap to summarizeInterview by Kris PetersSeattle’s favourite bald, bearded, heavy metal comedian, Luke Severeid, is returning Down Under this September for his highly anticipated headline stand-up tour, aptly titled Here To F#@k Spiders. Presented by premier music and entertainment promoter Destroy All Lines, this national run cements Severeid's status as one of the most explosive, must-see comedy acts in the global circuit today. Severeid first won over massive Australian audiences with a breakout run on the KNOTFEST Australia circuit, followed by an appearance on Aussie television's The Project. Known for his self-described "unmedicated ADHD in action" comedic style, he effortlessly fuses the high-octane energy of a heavy metal show with brutally honest, aggressively absurd, and insightfully idiotic storytelling. Severeid's unique ability to connect with heavy music fans and comedy lovers alike has earned him over half a million followers online, as well as the distinction of filming the first-ever stand-up comedy specials released exclusively through the KNOTFEST platform.The Here To F#@k Spiders tour will bring Severeid's chaotic observations, raw punchlines, and famously energetic facial expressions to premier comedy rooms across the country. Fans can expect a loud, unfiltered, and hilariously unpredictable night of storytelling that hits harder than a double bass drum. Reflecting on his return, Severeid shared his immense excitement for Australian crowds, warmly comparing them to a room full of country cousins who get to laugh with complete, gleeful impunity.Of course, one of the topics of conversation was the name of the tour and why spiders are the flavour of the month."You guys have terrifying, terrifying spiders and other small critters," he answered. "I'm going to keep my genitals away from them. But I thought it was a funny name, and I hope you do too."We ask Luke about his last Australian experience in 2025 as part of the travelling Knotfest Festival."Everyone was super cool," he smiled, "but I felt like I was a transfer student to a high school that everyone... I mean, my shows were at a different time than the actual festival. Because to actually compete with that would be just asking to lose (laughs). But I got to hang out backstage and do that in the back area, and everyone was super cool; this is what they do for a living. This was a new experience for me, where I've been a touring comedian before, but not part of a large festival. So I'm talking to the crew way more easily than I am talking to musicians. People would look at me and go, are you the bass player from Hatebreed? I got that so many times. I'm not that guy, but I've written probably at least 20 minutes of jokes that would make that individual man laugh very hard based on just me talking about how I look and how he looks."In the full interview, Luke characterized his stage style as high-energy and noisy, built from short, social-media-friendly bits and improvised material rather than a fixed hour. He said he uses crowd work selectively and adapts his set dynamically to the room and lineup position. Luke also discussed his association with heavy metal branding, explaining it is partly intentional marketing and partly driven by material about the genre, and that he sometimes withholds mentioning metal to surprise audiences.We spoke about his two Knotfest comedy specials, what Australians fans can expect from the shows, the tour name and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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Finding Your Peace With RYAN PRIMACK From POISON THE WELL
Jun 500:10:46Tap to summarizePoison The Well is touring Australia in June 2026, marking their highly anticipated return to the region for the first time since 2009. This massive headlining run celebrates a monumental new era for the Florida metalcore heavyweights following the release of Peace In Place, their first studio album in 16 years. For local fans who have spent nearly two decades missing the band's visceral energy, the tour bridges historical legacy with sharp modern urgency.Promoted by Destroy All Lines, the national tour features a heavily stacked bill of elite hardcore talent. Poison The Well is joined by Boston hardcore disruptors Haywire, making their debut Australian appearances, alongside iconic Melbourne road warriors Iron Mind.HEAVY spoke with guitarist Ryan Primack to find out more about what the band has in store for Australian fans.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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25 Years Of Jetsetting With STUART RUDD From THE SUPERJESUS
Jun 500:15:53Tap to summarizeAustralian rock legends The Superjesus are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their landmark sophomore album, Jet Age, with a national tour that kicks off in Brisbane tonight, June 5.Released in October 2000 through EastWest Records, Jet Age marked a massive creative and commercial evolution for the Adelaide-formed band. Following the gritty, raw, grunge-fuelled success of their 1998 debut album Sumo, The Superjesus faced heavy industry pressure and unexpected internal turmoil. This included the departure of founding guitarist and co-writer Chris Tennent.Rather than collapsing, frontwoman Sarah McLeod and bassist Stuart Rudd recruited new guitarist Tim Henwood. This lineup change completely transformed their musical direction. Moving away from the heavy distortion of the '90s grunge era, they embraced a more sophisticated, melodic "dark pop" and alternative power-rock aesthetic. The shift paid off brilliantly; Jet Age debuted and peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart and officially reached Platinum status.The album delivered some of the most enduring rock anthems of the turn-of-the-millennium era. The soaring lead single Gravity became a definitive radio staple, landing at number 17 on the Triple J Hottest 100. Other massive tracks like Secret Agent Man and Enough To Know solidified their status as titans of the Australian live music circuit, a position where the band has remained to this day.HEAVY sat down with bass player Stuart Rudd to talk about the album and the history of The Superjesus, at one point asking about the emotional side of doing an album anniversary tour."Just going through the songs is kind of reawakening these tunes that have sat dormant for probably since we… some of them we actually haven't played live since we recorded them," he smiled. "So to reawaken some of these songs is fantastic, and it's sounding great. We're always keen on doing this sort of thing and touching back on the history. We think it's a great vibe all around, just connecting with the audiences."We reflect back on the pressures on The Superjesus when making Jet Age, particularly after the universal success of their debut album Sumo."We'd just come off the back of touring worldwide, so we had been on the road for 18 months," he recalled. "Maybe more. It was hard. I know touring sounds like a dream - and it is - however if you're sleep deprivated for 18 months it can be quite an insane experience. We came off the road, and it was time to write because we hadn't been writing on the road. We'd just been touring, touring, touring, so yeah, it was difficult. And it was one of those things where we lost a band member through all the touring and the pressures of the road. It was a real roll up the sleeves effort, and we moved to Melbourne on this one just to get out of the comfort zone and find a new guitarist, then start working the only way we knew how. The only way we knew from the inception of the band was to roll up our sleeves and get the work done, and that's what we did. We listen to the album now through rehearsals and touching back on it, and we're super proud it."In the full interview, Stuart talks more about Jet Age and the process behind it. We run through the album and his personal favourites, focusing on the live component and bringing the music to life. Stuart spoke about the history of The Superjesus and the pressures on the band following the massive success of Sumo, detailing how Jet Age had to be a step forward for the band and more.Tickets for the Jet Age 25th Anniversary Tour can be found here: https://www.thesuperjesus.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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Still Sinning 25 Years Later With CJ PIERCE From DROWNING POOL
Jun 400:16:06Tap to summarizeInterview by Kris PetersDrowning Pool's multi-platinum debut album, Sinner, celebrates its 25th anniversary with a special reissue via Craft Recordings, marking its release date on June 5. First unleashed in 2001, Sinner remains a towering monument of the nu metal era. It quickly rocketed the Dallas-based heavy metal band into global stardom, debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and achieving RIAA Platinum status within its first six weeks. At the absolute centre of the album's cultural impact is the explosive hit single, Bodies. Instantly recognizable by its blunt, repetitive, and devastating opening riff, the track became an omnipresent cultural staple. It has soundtracked countless action sports videos, movie trailers, professional wrestling promos, and festival mosh pits and has been a life mantra for countless fans around the world. Alongside Bodies, standout tracks like Tear Away and the aggressive title track Sinner gave the record its thematic weight, exploring internal conflict and religious pressures. Sinner was also the first, and only, Drowning Pool album to feature original vocalist Dave Williams before his tragic passing in 2002 and remains the benchmark for debut albums across all genres.With the Anniversary issue out this Friday, and Drowning Pool preparing to hit the road where they will be playing Sinner in full, guitarist and founding member CJ Pierce has donated some of his time to chat with his Australian family about the album and plenty more. One of the topics of discussion was Williams and the emotions that invariably arise when Sinner is mentioned."Dave Williams was such a great human being, and he was excited to play rock music," CJ reminisced. "And just the stuff you don't think about, man, because life is just going, going, going. So it's been a time of self-reflection. And then us going over all the songs on the entire record. I'm excited to play this live, and I've been re-inspired by it, all three of us. And we just started writing all this new stuff.We walked into the studio with all these ideas we've been working on all year long, and all of a sudden, it's just like, it just started pouring out of us, man. So, I'm super excited about this song because we've been really inspired by the first record, and we're here doing it. The other thing that's exciting is we haven't been able to play the record in its entirety in so long. So the hardcore fans that have been with us get to see that again. And then there's a whole new generation of teenagers to 20-year-olds that are coming out that are finding nu metal again. So, for us to be able to play this record for them, for them to see it after so much time is super exciting. So, I'm all jacked up about it, man. I can't wait."In the full interview, CJ ran through his memories of making Sinner, their hopes for how it would be received and the weight of a massive commercial success. He reluctantly picked his personal favourite song from Sinner, running us through stories on a number of the songs and how they came into being.We discussed the limited edition vinyl release of the album as well as the three bonus tracks on the digital release, including Rob Zombie's The Man Without Fear. Drowning Pool's upcoming tour was mentioned, as was the possibility of an Australian tour early next year. CJ spoke of his fondness for Australia and the relationships he has built here, before moving on to new material and what we can expect and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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BEN KWELLER Brings COVER THE MIRRORS Down Under
Jun 300:12:17Tap to summarizeWords by Ali WilliamsBen Kweller is excited to be heading back to Australia in July with his Cover The Mirrors tour. It has been a while between visits. Kweller says he has not toured Australia since before the pandemic, making this run something of a proper return after the world decided to collectively lose the plot for a few years. “I’m so excited,” he says. “I love Australia. I haven’t been there since the pandemic, so this is my big return since the world shut down.” That excitement is not the polished, copy-and-paste version artists sometimes pull out when talking about every country on an itinerary. Kweller speaks about Australia with real affection. His fans are keen, he is keen, and the timing feels right. Cover The Mirrors has now had time to live out in the world, and Australia gets to be part of the international stretch of the album cycle. Released in 2025, Cover The Mirrors is the latest chapter in a career that started ridiculously early. Kweller began writing songs when he was eight and formed his first band around the age of 12 or 13. By his teens, he was fronting Radish, the Texas band that first put him on the map and gave him one of those music memories that still lights him up. He remembers being 14 when a Radish song, Dear Antarctica, was played on Q102 FM in Dallas by the gloriously named DJ Redbeard. Kweller and his bandmates piled into a car, because only one of them was old enough to drive, and circled the block until the song came on. It is the kind of story that sounds small until you remember how massive it would have felt at the time. Three young musicians, one working car, a local radio station, and proof that something they made had escaped into the world. That is the sort of thing that keeps people writing songs long after common sense has suggested a more stable hobby.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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GAVIN ROSSDALE Reflects On BUSH's Resurgence Ahead Of Australian Tour
Jun 300:19:51Tap to summarizeInterview by Angela CroudaceFor more than three decades, Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale has weathered the highs and lows of the music industry, but the band's current resurgence feels less like a comeback and more like the reward for years of persistence.Speaking ahead of Bush's Australian tour this September alongside Shinedown, Rossdale reflects on the band's renewed popularity, comparing success to a carousel that eventually brings artists back into the spotlight. "You've got to keep going," he said. "As long as you stay on and do your best, there's a chance it comes back around again."Rossdale credits Bush's longevity to a simple philosophy: focus on your craft, stay likeable, and never stop improving. Despite selling millions of records worldwide, he admitted the uncertainty never disappears, recalling conversations with actor Keanu Reeves that reminded him even the most successful people still wonder what comes next.Away from music, Rossdale has also found success with his cooking and interview series, which he hopes to continue with a second season. He described the show as an opportunity to reveal the human side of well-known figures.As for Bush's upcoming Australian dates, Rossdale is eager to return, promising fans a refreshed setlist featuring deeper cuts alongside the band's biggest hits. Tickets from destroyalllines.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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An Apple A Day... With KRAM From SPIDERBAIT
May 3000:20:51Tap to summarizeInterview by Ali WilliamsSpiderbait stands as one of Australia’s most enduring alternative rock bands. Formed in 1989 in the small town of Finley, New South Wales, the trio comprises Janet English on bass and vocals, Whitt (Damian Whitty) on guitar, andKram (Mark Maher) on drums and vocals. The childhood friends began playing in a local tractor shed, forging a unique, high-energy sound that blended punk rock, thrash metal, and catchy pop sensibilities. Their tight-knit personal bond and minimal three-piece lineup became the foundation for a career spanning more than three decades.The band rose to national prominence through Australia’s independent touring circuit and constant support from youth radio station Triple J. They achieved a historic milestone in 1996 when their frantic track Buy Me a Pony became the first Australian song to top the Triple J Hottest 100. This success catapulted their third studio album, Ivy & the Big Apples, into multi-platinum status. The album showcased their versatility, juxtaposing heavy guitar riffs with sweet, melodic vocals, exemplified by the chart-topping, acoustic-driven single Calypso.Spiderbait solidified their global and commercial legacy in 2004 with a blistering, hard-rock cover of the traditional folk song Black Betty. The track reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and gained massive international exposure through video games, television, and film soundtracks. Known for their explosive live performances, the band transitioned seamlessly from sweaty pub rock venues to headlining major festivals like the Big Day Out.Decades after their formation, Spiderbait remains highly relevant to the Australian music landscape. The group continues to tour to sold-out crowds, celebrating milestone anniversaries of their classic albums and introducing their raw, energetic catalog to new generations of fans. Their longevity, commercial triumphs, and fiercely independent spirit have earned them a permanent place among the legends of Australian rock music history.HEAVY'sAli Williams sat down for a nostalgic chat with Kram ahead of Spiderbait'sIvy & the Big Apples 30th anniversary tour.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/heavy-music-interviews--2687660/support.
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