Music 101 Podcast Options

2:00 PM.The in-demand producer and DJ joins Kara to preview the lineup of the popular festival, which is back after taking a year off. Audio

12:15 PM.New Zealand-based musicians, composers and producers Rhian Sheehan and Arli Liberman have released their collaborative album Traces, eight ambient tracks mixed in Spatial Audio. The pair join Kara to… Read more Audio

4:10 PM.New Zealand-born Samoan tenor Ipu Laga'aia has been immersed in music his whole life. He studied classical voice at the University of Auckland and performed alongside Dame Kiri Te Kanawa at the gala… Read more Audio

3:40 PM.American guitarist and songwriter Steve Gunn has released his first solo instrumental album, Music for Writers.

Gunn describes the album as: "A wordless collection of pieces meant to accompany… Read more Audio

3:15 PM.Crystal Chen invites us into her world which sonically unfolds through her new album You Can Call Me CC.

Crystal is a Chinese-New Zealand singer, musician, and visual artist who has collaborated with… Read more Audio

2:10 PM.Jay Epae is a name that’s often overlooked when people tell the story of New Zealand music.

The first New Zealand singer to have number one records in Sweden and Finland, Epae was also signed to US… Read more Audio

1:25 PM.Reb Fountain has released a new track and is performing at Great Sounds Great Festival later today.

Silver Linings is for the folks that need a little help to get through the day, and comes after her… Read more Audio

1:15 PM.Thousands descend on Wellington Central today for the fourth edition of the multi-venue music festival Great Sounds Great.  Read more Audio

4:10 PM.Our guest this week is music journalist, DJ and broadcaster Martyn Pepperell, sharing an expertly curated selection of songs. Read more Audio

3:40 PM.Mim Jensen talks to Tony Stamp while in Auckland to perform at the Going Global Music Summit, and gives us an exclusive preview listen of upcoming unreleased track Sidekick. Read more Audio

3:15 PM.Mild Orange are a band who met early in life - in fact two of them went to kindy together. They started in Dunedin, then after their first album Foreplay became successful in 2018 - getting tens of… Read more Audio

2:10 PM.This week, international music specialists have congregated for the Going Global Music Summit 2025. The evenings were a showcase of our vibrant emerging talent, and the days were full of the nitty… Read more Audio

1:10 PM.The Beths are back with their fourth album Straight Line Was A Lie. Kara Rickard went along to their studio on Karangahape Road in Auckland to talk with them about the album, the journey it took to… Read more Audio

4:10 PM.Christchurch-born drummer, singer, and songwriter Nick Gaffaney honed his craft at jazz school before becoming one of New Zealand's most in-demand drummers. Over the years, he's played with iconic… Read more Audio

3:30 PM.Tony Stamp reviews the new album by former Doprah singer Indira Force (under the name Aridni Orca), which is hugely ambitious and crammed with sounds, but makes room for some choice vocal hooks. Audio

2:20 PM.Chris Knox was one of New Zealand's most prolific and provocative music makers, before he suffered a serious stroke in 2009. In this episode of Essential New Zealand Albums, Nick Bollinger discusses… Read more Audio

1:15 PM.Kara chats with Fran Kora about staying grounded in kaupapa Māori, their beginnings at a hot air balloon festival, which includes a special waiata dedicated to the late Aaron Tokona. Audio

3:30 PM.Tony Stamp reviews Pikipiki, the debut album by Geneva AM, which mixes English and te reo Maori, uplifting beats with garage rock and neo-classical. Audio

2:20 PM.The Pacific Music Awards are happening in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland next week. So'omalo Iteni Schwalger from the RNZ Tahi team joins us to share some favourites, dark horses, and maybe a few surprises.

1:10 PM.The award-winning musician Tami Neilson joins us to discuss her new album Neon Cowgirl and her recent tour with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Audio

4:00 PM.After her band Handsome Jeffrey won the Smokefree Rockquest back in 1998, our Mixtape guest this week moved into acting, appearing in a long list of well-known TV shows and films. She's also a… Read more Audio

3:30 PM.Tony Stamp reviews a new LP by Dunedin-born musician Paul Cathro, which shares common ground with his band Ha The Unclear, while staking out new territory. Audio

3:15 PM.The Melbourne-based kiwi singer talks about his new single, which takes a biblical approach to climate change. Audio