🎙️ Post-punk Heartstrings Episode 040
Transmissions from The Church: Steve Kilbey on Obsession, Myth, and Channeling the Music

In this landmark 40th episode, we sit down with Steve Kilbey — bassist, lyricist, and founder of the iconic Australian band The Church. From early musical beginnings to post-punk stardom, Kilbey walks us through the obsessions, mysticism, and myth-making that fuel his prolific output. We talk about Bowie, ambient textures, concept albums, and how songs like Under the Milky Way come to him like transmissions from another place.

• 🎸 Steve’s start in music, early band Baby Grande, and the urge to write more than play

• 🌀 The origin of The Church name — a nod to Bowie’s “Moonage Daydream”

• 🤝 Meeting the original lineup: Peter Koppes, Marty Willson-Piper, Nick Ward

• ⛪ The use of religious and mythological themes in his lyrics (Priest = Aura, “Kings”)

• 🌫️ The evolution of ambient textures in The Church’s music (“Summer,” Forget Yourself)

• 🥁 Drum loops, Richard Ploog’s final recordings (Gold Afternoon Fix)

• 🎧 Collaborations: Isidore with Jeffrey Cain and No Agenda with Hammock

• 📼 Outtakes & B-sides: Beside Yourself, Back With Two Beasts, So Love May Find Us

• 📖 The Hypnogogue saga: Eros Zeta, futuristic concept albums, and the companion novella

• 🛸 New album Lacuna coming late 2025

• 🛤️ The Road to Tibooburra - Steve Kilbey and band The Winged Heels and the theatrical story of Lord Jim.

• 💡 On AI, technology, and disillusionment in lyrics like in the song “Amanita”

• 🗣️ Reflections on legacy, autonomy, and what makes a “Church” record

  Tracks included for critique purposes:

• “Anchorage” – The Church

• “Swan Lake” – The Church

• “There and Back” – Baby Grande

• “Moonage Daydream” – David Bowie

• “Fly” – The Church

• “Field of Mars” – The Church

• “Metropolis” – The Church

• “Kings” – The Church

• “Summer” – The Church

• “No Agenda” – Hammock ft. Steve Kilbey

• “So Love May Find Us” – The Church

• “Musidora” – Isidore

• “Amanita” – The Church

• “The Hypnogogue” – The Church

• “Last Drinks” – Steve Kilbey & The Winged Heels

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In this episode, JimOA and I got an opportunity to chat with legendary musician and film director, Steve Taylor. He is a pioneer of Christian new wave/post-punk music and has had a major influence on me and so many others throughout his career over the past 45 years. He is known for his satirical social commentary, clever lyrics and rapid-fire vocal delivery. This is part one of our conversation so please join us and listen as we talk about his music career from the post-punk perspective. Thanks for joining us!

PLEASE check out the music of Steve Taylor at the below links:

Spotify: Steve Taylor on Spotify

Facebook: Steve Taylor on Facebook

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Post-punk Heartstrings can now be found at Post-punk Heartstrings on YouTube

Please come by and follow the page and say, “Hello!”