Each week (or as often as time and technology allow) writers for AAA Backstage sit down to discuss the news and reviews of the Aussie music scene.

Ahead of their first ever Australian show, Sace and Noah join Sam and Max backstage at the Triffid. They chat about the different recording styles that went into their debut album "Brutalist", which Bieber era is the peak, and which Australian Razor Scooter maestros deserve the shout-outs.Connect with Sace6 on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to the singles from their up-coming debut record "Brutalist" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Max is operating on half-capacity thanks to a back injury, but the show goes on with fresh new music from some British indie rockers, a U.S. sexy-emo band, and some unexpected Jazz. Then it's an exploration of the first week of Coachella and two very controversial takes; one from Tash Sultana and the other attached to a recent Like A Version.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam's rewinding back to a big year for him as he listens to Prodigy's 1997 masterpiece, "The Fat of the Land". It's shaped his experience of dance music and electronica, but what are his takes on the album as a whole?Relisten to "The Fat of the Land" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Ahead of their tour with A Day to Remember and Papa Roach, Sam and Max dial in with Flo and Kevin from the French Metalcore band LANDMVRKS. They cover how the Marseille scene blended their sound together, why A Day To Remember is one of their ultimate support slots, and how they use their multi-lingual lyrics to tell even more stories.Connect with LANDMVRKS on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to their most recent album, "The Darkest Place I've Ever Been" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

After starting with a formal apology for last week's experimentation, Sam and Max dive into new music with features from some Aussie favourites and DM sliders alike. Then it's a look at Raye's latest album "This Music May Contain Hope", a look forward at Coachella's two upcoming weekends, and a look back at some of Max's unloved artists.Follow along with all the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

It's a review of one of Brisbane's most iconic bands and one of their most iconic record as Max looks back at Violent Soho's 2013 album, Hungry Ghost. You can already guess the result, but what nits will he still be able to pick?Relisten to Hungry Ghost on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Off the back of his latest single, "Arms", Max and Sam dial in with Sydney singer-songwriter Chuck Sics. They cover how he learned to love the song that he originally hated, whether he'll be the next "just one guy" artist, and why playing the trumpet gave him the competitive edge.Connect with Chuck Sics on Instagram and TikTok, and check out his latest single "Arms" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam debuts a character on-air which changes the vibe of the entire episode, as he and Max chat through the stack of winter tours heading Brisbane's way, Peking Duk's debut album announcement, and the AFL Grand Final locking-in with an Australian icon. They also provide an overview on the criminal case unfolding adjacent to Parkway Drive and family.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Following the release of his latest album, "Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally", Sam is reviewing Harry Styles' penultimate record, Harry's House. Sam's been surprising the gang with his pop music takes recently, but will it be continued love?Revisit "Harry's House" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

After getting a sneak peek at some work-in-progress tracks, Sam and Max joined Don Broco's Rob Damiani while they were in Brisbane on tour in September, and with the album, "Nightmare Tripping", dropping, they're stoked to drop a behind-the-scenes look at how the record came together. They cover how the band wanted something that their fans could describe, how they wanted to go back to their roots, and how Rob turned to believing ghosts.Connect with Don Broco on Instagram and TikTok, or listen to their latest album "Nightmare Tripping" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam has flown into town just to podcast this week, so alongside new music to grace your eats, he and Max cover the continuing fallout from the collapse of Bluesfest, deliver more news about Violent Soho's possible reunion, speculate on Good Things, and think ahead to airport security.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

It was one of their big transition albums from deathcore origins to alt-pop modernity, but will Max get onboard with Oli and the gang's 2015 album?Relisten to "That's The Spirit" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Max sits down with Dom from the electronic music duo Felsmann + Tiley to chat about their latest album, "Protomensch". Along the way they cover how the album started as a narrative manifesto, what led them to create music without any drums, and why you might be seeing them pop up at your local planetarium soon.Connect with Felsmann + Tiley on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to their latest album "Protomensch" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

After jumping into the new tunes of the week, Sam and Max look into how and why Bluesfest might have failed, how Hilltop Hoods brings the dads together, what's up with Future Islands, and how a beloved Brisbane band might be making a little comeback...Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam has made his feelings known about Coldplay both positively and negatively. But after a look back at their second full-length release, which side of that ledger will it land on?Relisten to A Rush of Blood to the Head on Spotify or Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Diving back into the archives, we're bringing our 2021 conversation with Dune Rats back to the fore. They cover what the big late-00s/early-10s scene was like in Brisbane as it spawned some of the biggest bands in the country, what wisdom was dropped on him by a religious icon, and what it's like to run their own record label.Connect with Dune Rats on Instagram and TikTok, and throwback to their 2022 record Real Rare Whale on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

The race is on as Sam opens up with a Melbourne Grand Prix recap, before he and Max bounce through some new albums on the scene, and then tackle one of the most important questions on the scene: what makes a song feel sexy?Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Fresh off Sam's recent visit to see Thornhill live backed by Ocean Grove, he's dropping the latter's fourth album for Max's homework this week. Will he get the vibe to shake that tree?Relisten to "Oddworld" on Spotify and Apple Music, or pick up a copy on vinyl from Ocean Grove's online store.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Alongside the release of their latest record, The Warning, Max dials in with Ed and Josh from Melbourne's Telenova. They chat about whether there's a live drum kit anywhere on the record, how smokey the room should be to enjoy the album, and whether you'll ever see a extended jam at a Telenova live show.Connect with Telenova on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to their latest record "The Warning" on Spotify and Apple Music, or pick up a copy at their online store.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam and Max are taking on income inequality and heavy drops in this week's new music mix, then it's a look back at Sam's pinnacle of the year with Ethel Cain's live show, and a quick recap of the flurry of tours that have been announced over the week.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify PlaylistDiscover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Ninajirachi's debut album defined a new generation of EDM and won the critics hearts the world over. But will it win Sam's heart as part of his homework for this week?Relisten to I Love My Computer on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Joining us at Catalog Music around his recent Brisbane shows, Max chats with U.S. Country singer-songwriter Wyatt Flores. They cover how his hometown pushed him into his career (alongside some other Country and Punk greats), what new music is on the horizon, and how he learned to let music love him again.Connect with Wyatt on Instagram and TikTok, or relisten to his debut record "Welcome to the Plains" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

The Foo Fighters are returning to Australia and bringing a swathe of great local acts to reach the limelight they deserve, Groovin' the Moo is back (kinda), and gig etiquette is back on the agenda after Sam was a medical saviour at a Thornhill gig.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Max is going back to the grunge era with a review of the 2013 debut from the Doylestown outfit Superheaven. He's torn between his love of Triple M sweepers and his dislike of repetition, but where will he land in the end?Relisten to "Jar" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Backstage ahead of their Brisbane show, Sam chats with Landon from The Plot in You. They cover the band's biggest ever headline show right here in Australia, how it feels when the intimate songs get shouted back, and then into the release strategy for business meetings.Connect with The Plot in You on Instagram and TikTok, and listen in to their latest single, "Silence" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

After a wild smooth Jazz coincidence in the new music rundown, Sam and Max dive deep into a quick wrap of some of the stack of tour news for 2026, a hint pointing to the return of one of Australia's most storied festivals, then trial a new game at the end of the podcast (spoiler: it probably won't make a return).Follow along with the songs we discuss in this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam's getting his lip ring polished and donning some three-quarter pants as he reviews Blink-182's huge 2001 release (and their album). He's discovering more about the band's output and finding out that his favourite albums might not be holding their title forever.Relisten to Take Off Your Pants and Jacket on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Behind the scenes before their very first Australian show, Sam and Max sit down with Bert and Tom from UK Nu Gaze outfit Split Chain. They cover the hyper-rapid rise of the band, who to pick in the crowd for a shoey, and why Duran Duran is surprisingly relevant to their sound.Connect with Split Chain on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to their debut record "motionblur" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Max has managed to drag Sam to his first normie festival, so the boys are unpacking Laneway Festival's 2026 Gold Coast edition. They also run through Bad Bunny's Super Bowl show, Max deep dives into a live review of dance duo Sofi Tukker, and then they're going through the Mount Rushmore of co-worker music.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Max is back in the headphones to listen to the 2005 debut record from Dallas Green's solo project, City & Colour's Sometimes. While he may not be the biggest fan of the project, the record makes him realise a human truth about what difference lays between his and Sam's taste.Relisten to City & Colour's "Sometimes" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Backstage before the kick-off of their very first Australian tour, Sam and Max sit down with Will and Jordan from Better Lovers. They cover a two-year horror cycle, that lead to the band, how they separate out their many projects, and which bands inspire their sound.Connect with Better Lovers on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to their album "Highly Irresponsible" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Only days after the Hottest 100 wash up, Sam and Max are back looking at the best of 2025 with analysis of this year's Grammy awards. Then it's a quick look at how triple j could better represent the genres, and finally, a look back at Australian bands that have fallen off the earth.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam's going into a second back-to-back pop gal album with a look back on Olivia Rodrigo's sophomore album from 2023. He's discovering more and more about his inner teenage girl, but will this one resonate?Relisten to "Guts (Spilled)" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Ahead of the fourth iteration, Max dials in with Tom and Jack from Port Noarlunga's Nice Day to Go to The Club Festival. They cover the impact of local festivals on revitalising local scenes, bringing home a second flag in two years, and getting some brackets next to acts' names.Connect with Nice Day to Go to The Club on Instagram and Facebook, and find tickets here.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

It's a bumper episode this week as Sam and Max breakdown the numbers on the weekend's Hottest 100 countdown, analyse Harry Styles' latest album and tour announcement, and then dive deep into the set times for Laneway festival. Then, how to kill a party in eight tracks.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Max's homework was to dive deep into the 2016 chunky big hitter, Promise Everything, from the UK band Basement, but will the non-stop overdriven guitars tick his box, or tick him off?Relisten to Promise Everything on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Off the back of their seventh studio album, Simon from DZ Deathrays dials in with Sam and Max. They cover how two different EPs led to the record, how they're making room backstage for new acts, and a drunken run-in with Chris Lilley.Connect with DZ Deathrays on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to "Easing Out of Control" on Spotify and Apple Music. For tickets to their "Easing Out of Control" Tour, head to their website.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Summer listening is still the the talk of the town for our new songs this week, then we dive into the new line-up drop from Bluesfest, a tour announce from the world's most famous military conscripts, and look back at 2016 like the whole of the internet seems to be doing.Follow along with the songs we discuss in this week's Spotify playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam is dipping into the alt-pop world of the early 2010s for this week's vinyl club. Will his hardened grunge heart open up to the pop life, or will it be a no-thank-you?Relisten to "Night Time My Time" on Spotify or Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Digging back through the archives (because it's January and holidays have made us lazy), Max and Sam revisit one of their earliest favourite chats with Alisa and Thom from The Naked and Famous. They cover the release of their then-new album, "Recover", working alongside L.A.'s creative scene, and how they were reinventing their live set. Hopefully this is ahead of their full-scale return to the game!Connect with The Naked and Famous on Instagram and TikTok, and listen back to "Recover" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

It's 2026, Max is back in the country, and the boys are ready to (poorly) podcast! It's all new songs to kick off the year, discussing rumours swirling around one of the UK's most beloved (or not-so, in Sam's case) exports, and new festivals launching on the Sunshine Coast.Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam has set Max new of his favourite albums from 2025, from the big-hitters at Thornhill. Max is on the move on an overseas holiday, but will he rate Sam's love, or dunk on a modern classic?Re-listen to "Bodies" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

While the industry is taking some time off in the early part of the year, Sam and Max compile a collection of Hottest 100 votes that reflective of the Friends of the Show we've made in 2025.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Max is still jet-setting his way across the world, but that doesn't stop him and Sam from running through some under-exposed hits that they dug up last year, and going through their votes for the Hottest 100, before they look ahead at some artists that they're expecting will have a big 2026Follow along with the songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Sam's taking a trip back in time to one of the biggest landmark albums of the pop-punk era, with Sum 41's 2001 debut record. What will he think of an album that everyone fully agrees stands the test of time?Re-listen to "All Killer, No Filler" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

For the final backstage interview from Good Things Festival, Max chat with Blöthar the Berserker from Gwar. They cover huge and important topics like Gwar's political stances, the proper plurals for human anatomy, and who the band are keen to work with from the modern metal scene.Connect with Gwar on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to their latest album "The Return of Gor Gor" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Over a year of podcasting, Sam and Max have screwed up plenty, and dropped a stack of dumb comments, so in lieu of a full episode on New Year's Eve, we're presenting a short montage of some of the weirdest stuff we've said this year that got cut from the main episodes.Check out a different cut of visual screw-ups on our YouTube channel.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Max is digging through the back of his closet for a flannel shirt as he ventures into the world of the Grunge throwback record from Superheaven; 2015's Ours is Chrome. Will he be rocking it out, or will he find it all is a bit of a Blur?Relisten to Superheaven's "Ours is Chrome" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Backstage at Good Things Festival, Sam and Max catch up with Will and Adam of Lorna Shore. They cover their internal critique of their latest album, what might be coming next for the band, and which band members are pushing Will to achieve those insane vocals. Connect with Lorna Shore on Instagram and TikTok, and listen to their latest album, "I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me" on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

It's the most wonderful time of the Amped year, which means we're looking back at the year that's been, uncovering the artists, albums, songs and trends that we loved the most. Then we'll look ahead to 2026 to see what might be on the horizon in the music industry. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Sam and Max!Follow along with the many songs we discuss with this week's Spotify Playlist.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.

The snow is falling and the chestnuts are roasting as Sam gives us his festive feelings about the collection of holiday hits on the Stax Christmas album. Will he feel the soul of the season, or is he going back to stick to Andy Williams' classics?Relisten to Stax Christmas on Spotify and Apple Music.Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok. Watch episodes on our YouTube channel and don't forget to like and subscribe.