Steve Kilbey - Interviews

Steve Kilbey talks to the press

Triple M - July 19, 2019 - Interview Clip - "The Church's Steve Kilbey has shared some real insight into how much he pissed off Michael Hutchence and INXS back in their glory days, and how much he personally underestimated and under-appreciated the genius of the late, great Aussie legend."

The Guitar Colonel - May 23, 2019 - Podcast video - "Steve Kilbey was nice enough to stop by and have a chat today. An odd feeling for me to be sitting with one of my heroes, but no let downs here. A great intellect, talent and sense of humour, one of Australia's musical treasures. Steve talks about The Church, future tours and projects, plus he demos how to correctly play 'Under The Milk Way' on acoustic!"

Riff Magazine - Apr 15, 2019 - Q&A: Steve Kilbey of The Church on never facing writer’s block and hating grunge

Read Interview - "Kilbey fell into a pit with heroin abuse, which he said has affected his finances to this day, but he has continued writing songs—roughly 750 in all, including with The Church, in collaboration with others and by himself. And he credits this successful streak without writer’s block to marijuana.

“Never had a block, never will have, thanks to marijuana,” the 64-year-old told RIFF in an email exchange. “I’m ready to go at any minute you like—an unending portal into creativity. Cool, huh?”"

The Void Report - Apr 14, 2019 - Steve Kilbey Talks Songwriting & The Church’s “Starfish” LP 30th Anniversary Tour.

Read Interview - "The Church likely struggled to find mainstream success in the States due to their own originality. Sometimes called alternative, post-punk, or psychedelic rock, aside from “Milky Way” the band never comfortably fit on college radio or MTV. Perhaps the most mind-boggling comparison the band ever earned was that they weren’t unlike REM. Which is like saying Kenny G and Miles Davis are both jazz musicians. All that said, there’s nothing holding you back from discovering them now."

Elsewhere NZ - Nov 11, 2018 - STEVE KILBEY OF THE CHURCH INTERVIEWED (2018): Having to go through all these things again.

Read Interview - "In popular music the wish is often that Big Hit which can lift a band or artist from the wings and place them on centre-stage where those things they've yearned for – money, fame and acclaim – all follow.

But having that wished-for hit can bring with it as many curses as blessings."

Radio13 NZ - Jul 9, 2018 - Steve Kilbey of The Church: The Radio 13 Interview Read interview - "It's been a while since we heard from The Church. The venerable Australian band last played in NZ in 2012 on a bill with Simple Minds and Devo. Now they're returning to headline a show at Auckland's Spark Arena, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their Starfish album.

Radio 13's Marty Duda spoke to Church-leader Steve Kilbey about what the band has been up to lately. The conversation eventually got around to Kilbey's worst gig ever. As it turns out, it took place in New Zealand. As Kilbey tells it, the show was simultaneously soul-crushing and hilarious. 

Ian Haug (The Church) - Interviews

Ian Haug, of The Church, talks to the press

Chaos Control: April 19, 2019 - Read Interview - Ian Haug of The Church talks about the “Starfish” 30th anniversary tour - "The Church recently kicked off the second leg of a US tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of their "Starfish" album. We interviewed frontman Steve Kilbey before the first leg, and recently had the chance to speak with guitarist Ian Haug, as well. Haug is the newest member of The Church, having joined in 2013. Previously, he was best known for being part of the long-running and highly successful Australian band Powderfinger."

Noctorum - The Afterlife (2019)

The Afterlife | Releases | Discogs

Marty Willson-Piper’s project Noctorum The 4th album with Dare Mason was released on February 15, 2019 on Schoolkids Records.

“We wrote, recorded and mixed the album at Dare’s VIP Lounge studio in Penzance, Cornwall (also home of the In Deep Music Archive) using local musicians to augment the songs where needed – mainly drummers and other more obscure instrumentalists as we found them.

The album has me singing most of the lead vocals, playing guitar and bass, Dare sings two songs (High Tide / Low Tide and Show) and has been responsible for any programming and mixing and also plays extra guitar, bass and keyboards. Olivia duets with me on the song Head On. She also plays violin, cellolin and any needed string parts as well as singing backing vocals. See track listing below.”

REVIEWS:

CRYPTIC ROCK: 4/5 - Read review - “His career may not be as stellar as that of many of his contemporaries, but Willson-Piper has carved an equally memorable, respectable, and influential niche in the Alternative music scene via his slew of solo and collaborative works. The Afterlife is just the latest proof of this—an apt title to characterize the resurgence of his sonic and creative vitality; a worthy addition to his prolific discography.”

SPILL MAGAZINE: 4/5 - Read review - “Though not a concept album, The Afterlife functions as a cohesive whole and should be consumed in one sitting. The album might be difficult to absorb because of all the territory it covers: musical styles range from hard rock (“A Girl with No Love”) to songs with a more melodic, psychedelic approach. There is not a single moment, however, that could be described as boring; Noctorum captures and maintains the listener’s attention.”

IN THE PRESS: (Print/Podcasts)

HIGHWIRE DAYS: - Read press - “Noctorum is guitarist/singer-songwriter Marty Willson-Piper and producer Dare Mason. The duo present their new single ‘Piccadilly Circus in the Rain‘, following up the first single ‘A Girl With No Love‘. Named for the village Noctorum, located near to their childhood homes on The Wirral (near Liverpool), Dare and Marty liked its association with night and its Latin derivation. This collaboration has an eclectic focus, making the quiet loud and vice-versa, singing words that might be spoken and playing indoor instruments that should be heard outside. It has to be imagined to exist.”

LOUDER THAN WAR - Read Press - “Everything we’ve heard from the new Noctorum album gives every indication that this is a smashing album and that Marty Willson-Piper is still at his pinnacle as far songwriting and performance goes. He’s also found a beautiful tandem with Olivia Willson-Piper on backing vocals (and electric violin). Here we also find Dare Mason’s production up to par with his past works for The Church, Placebo, The Grid, Brix Smith (ex The Fall) and Cinerama.”

SMELLS LIKE INFINITE SADNESS: - Read press / Play podcast - “On our latest podcast, Willson-Piper discussed his recent UK acoustic tour (performing alongside his wife, violinist Olivia Willson-Piper), the creative process and musical inspirations behind ‘The Afterlife’, recollections of ‘Hanging Out In Heaven’, the perils of crowdfunding, upcoming musical projects and much more.”

ALEX GREEN ONLINE: - Play Podcast - In this entertaining, hilarious and discursive chat, Willson-Piper talks to Alex about how he envisions the concert experience, the Pledge Music debacle and the imagination behind superstition. He also tells Alex he’s mystified by Maroon 5’s success, why criticism shouldn’t be taken personally and why he buys every new U2 album. And speaking of new music, Noctorum’s new album The Afterlife is nothing short of stunning. A stirring song cycle that’s awash in mystery, jangling pop gems and swirling psychedelia, the album is further proof that Willson-Piper just keeps getting better and better.

PLAYER FM: - Play Podcast - “Marty Willson-Piper, formerly of The Church and All About Eve, talks about key tracks from four decades of writing music. Listen to material from his brilliant new album as part of Noctorum – The Afterlife, and revered fifth solo album Hanging Out In Heaven, an LP seeing an exclusive vinyl release for Record Store Day 2019.”

INTERVIEWS:

CULTURE SONAR: Read Interview - “As a singer-songwriter and as a guitarist, Marty Willson-Piper has quite a nice list of bands to his credit including The Church, All About Eve, MOAT, The Saints, and Anekdoten. Now he’s back with the fourth album under his pseudonym Noctorum and with producer-collaborator Andy “Dare” Mason (who’s worked with everyone from Paul McCartney to Tina Turner to Soul II Soul). “

SPILL MAGAZINE: - Read Interview - “We have always had a tendency to be eclectic, and the new album follows that pattern”, says Willson-Piper during our recent discussion. “There is a thread running through it. But we write what we write. Dare tends to be more pop oriented, he lightens up the mood to my darker side. The new album is kind of set up with the more moody, darker songs on side two, and more lighter songs on side one. But overall the album is a bit more pop. We are still left of centre.”

SINGLES:

A Girl With No Love

Piccadilly Circus in the Rain

The Moon Drips

• Online Purchase and Stream Links