Season 2 of The Sound starts this week, feat. Kylie Minogue (!), Midnight Oil, Ruel + more

Header image by Jess Gleeson.

There have been very few positives to the last six months or so, especially from a musical perspective. However, one glimpse of a silver lining has come in the form of recent experimentation with live music, and how companies are bringing live music to people even with across-the-board closures of live music venues which are only just beginning to repair themselves.

One of the bigger, long-standing ones come in the form of The Sound. Airing on ABC and iview (where you can catch up on past episodes, FYI), the series was an early adapter of newfound live music experimentation, with six episodes - all lead by hosts Jane Gazzo and Zan Rowe - earlier in the year capturing brilliant live performances by some of the biggest and best Australian acts there is. It also balanced these large, arena-selling acts with glimpses of the next generation (which were further explored in its Victorian-centric The State Of Music: Introducing off-shoot); the program really grappling with the depths of Australian music and its many facets.

Just look who it hosted within its first six weeks, for example. Episode one welcomed DMA's, BENEE and Nick Cave; Episode 2 brought us Paul Kelly, Cub Sport and San Cisco; Episode 3 spotlighted Amy Shark, John Butler and Angie McMahon; Episode 4 starred Washington, G Flip, Hockey Dad and an interview with Kylie Minogue; Episode 5 featured Ball Park Music, Tkay Maidza, Miiesha and Hatchie, and finally, Episode 6 gave us Tones and I, CXLOE and Electric Fields. It feels almost like a music festival lineup, typing it all out.

Now, they're announcing their second season commencing this Sunday, November 1st on ABC - and it's going to be a big one. Airing at 6PM on ABC / iview (with an encore on Saturday, November 7th at 1:30PM, The Sound Season 2 kicks off with their biggest episode yet, featuring a lineup which even in itself could be a festival worth paying $150 for. It also brings a few changes too, notably triple j's Bridget Hustwaite joining Gazzo as the season's ongoing host this time around.

The Season Two premiere features Kylie Minogue giving an exclusive taste of her forthcoming Infinite Disco live stream event; Midnight Oil celebrating the release of their mini-album this Friday with a performance featuring Jessica Mauboy and Tasman Keith; The Rubens, themselves recently announcing a new record too; the birthday-celebrating Ruel fresh from his latest release, plus other performances by Vera Blue, Alice Skye and Mia Wray - three musicians who each offer different facets of Australian pop's brilliance.

There's also the return of two ongoing segments of The Sound that delve into the past of Australian music, rather than the present and the future. From The Vault - which unearths old live performances from the past - makes a return for season two with Richard Clapton, sharing a performance originally filmed back in 1989. There's also the Tribute section, which celebrates legendary Australian bands from our musical history - season two's premiere spotlighting the work of The Masters Apprentices, with performers including Thirsty Merc, You Am I's Davey Lane, Alex Lahey and Gretta Ray.

It's just the beginning too, with plenty more episodes to come through to the year's end - it's going to be a brilliant end to what's been a rollercoaster of a year for Australian music, and The Sound is going to celebrate that the best they damn can.

The Sound Season Two premieres on ABC and iview this Sunday, November 1st, with an encore the following week on Saturday, November 6th. You can revisit past episodes from the first season via iview here, and find more information in poster-form below:

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