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Rod Whitfield, Journalist

Rod Whitfield

Rod Whitfield is a retired musician and long-time music writer. He joined his first band on drums way back in 1987, playing in myriad original rock acts before hanging up the sticks and retiring in 2015. In 1995, he joined Forte Magazine, Geelong’s premier street press magazine, as a journalist and has not stopped writing about music since. He has written for The Music, UK Prog Magazine, Beat, was The Buzz Magazine’s chief rock and metal writer for eight years, and has worked for countless online publications and zines. 

Since retiring from the original band scene, he has become a novelist, and at the time of writing he is completing work on his fourth book, the third work in a trilogy based on an upcoming fantasy/combat/adventure video game, as well as designing the narrative of the game itself. Keep an eye out for the release of Brides of Vampira in the coming years. 

Features / Music
How Last Dinosaurs Found Their "Own Sound" In A Remote Japanese Studio
Turns out dinosaurs are far from extinct. Ahead of the release of Last Dinosaurs' first LP since 2015 and a national tour, Rod Whitfield discovered from frontman Sean Caskey how the group embraced the DIY approach and found their "own sound" in a remote Japanese studio.
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Intervals, Polyphia, I Built The Sky
"Marshall and his band take the robust crowd on a wild and wonderful, 75-minute instrumental ride."
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Dead Letter Circus - Dead Letter Circus
"As part of this band's illustrious canon of work, it is unlikely to be looked upon as either a true shining light or a low point."
Features / Music
Intervals: Never Taking Breaks & Never Fearing the Niche
Rod Whitfield catches up with Aaron Marshall of Intervals to discuss the reality of the grind, not fearing the niche bracket and calling Dad from odd places.
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Plini, Mestis, David Maxim Micic
"If the Corner isn’t sold out it is damn close to it, and everywhere you look there are huge grins on happy punters’ faces."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: TesseracT, Circle, Orsome Welles
"The setlist is a career-spanning dream."
Features / Music
Skeggs: Making Surf Punk Records At A Country Cowboy Ranch
Skeggs vocalist and guitarist Ben Reed and bass player Toby Cregan talk with Rod Whitfield about going full cowboy to make their debut record.
Features / Music
Unknown Mortal Orchestra: From Introverted Albums To Celebratory Live Shows
With a new album out and an Aussie tour on the way, Ruban Nielson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra chats politics, paranoia and scheduling with Rod Whitfield.
Features / Music
Plini's Heading Off The Beaten Path
Guitarist and composer Plini chats with Rod Whitfield about heading to Russia for the first time and his continued experiments.
Features / Music
Erin Kelly-Burkett: BIGSOUND Keynote On The Art Of Treating Bands With Respect
Erin Kelly-Burkett, co-founder of the legendary American punk rock label Fat Wreck Chords, speaks to Rod Whitfield about her upcoming appearance as a BIGSOUND keynote speaker, '90s punk and the future of her business.
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Skyharbor - Sunshine Dust
"We know they are capable of greatness, so why does 'Sunshine Dust' fall a little short?"
Features / Music
Lagwagon's Joey Cape Ticks Another Achievement Off The List At BIGSOUND
Punk legend Joey Cape of Lagwagon fame certainly has some stories to tell. Ahead of his appearance at BIGSOUND this week, the man himself had a chat with Rod Whitfield.