The Music’s Local Journalism Project Announces Writers

The Music’s Local Music Journalism Project has today announced its five successful journalists from each Australian state. These journalists will be tasked with delving into their local state communities to reveal the scenes, bands, venues, clubs, studios, and other stories that will define the future of grassroots Australian music.

Our journalists will hit the ground running at BIGSOUND next week to support their local acts before kicking off their regular rounds on September 9.

As the industry grapples with large-scale disruption, the new music industry will be in the hands of communities, not just multinationals. The Music’s new team of local journalists will shine a light on local news that matters to each state. The Music’s Local Journalism Project, created in conjunction with assistance from Creative Australia, is a way to focus on hyper-local content to create a pathway for new initiatives and new artists to find support and audiences through having their stories told. 

You’ll also see some changes to our site over the coming weeks and may be asked to lock in your location when visiting it. You can get the jump on that now by registering for a free profile here. You’ll automatically start receiving content on our site that’s tailored to your location and genre preferences. Pretty cool, huh?

So, without further ado, it’s time to get to know your local music champions.

Adele Luamanuvae - New South Wales nsw@themusic.com.au

Adele 'Del' Luamanuvae is a Samoan/Maori-Australian music writer based in Western Sydney. Adele kickstarted her radio show 'The Snacc Pacc' on Sydney community radio station FBi Radio in 2020 as a response to the lack of accurate, well-rounded and celebratory coverage of Western Sydney's ever-evolving music scene. Her championing of 'the Area' is paramount in all that she does, and her passion for platforming the underdog in Australian music has led her to work with Acclaim Magazine, Junkee, and, most recently, be appointed as the last music reporter for VICE Australia.

Tyler Jenke - Victoria vic@themusic.com.au

Tyler Jenke is a music journalist, author, lecturer, podcast host, and musician based in Melbourne, Victoria. Originally from Adelaide, Tyler has written for a number of music publications over the years, most notably including time spent as the Editor of Rolling Stone Australia from 2019 to 2022. Alongside lecturing on Professional Content and Writing at Melbourne’s Box Hill Institute, hosting the Trusty Chords podcast, and playing guitar in Melbourne alt-punk outfit Dental Plan, Tyler also serves as the Content Manager for Singapore-based Gig Life Pro and will release their first book in May 2025.

Tione Zylstra - Queensland qld@themusic.com.au

Tione Zylstra is a music journalist, editor, and content creator based in Brisbane, Queensland. Always a fan of culture, Tione started out as a writer for Urban List but quickly moved into the music world as a freelancer for Purple Sneakers. Balancing this with working as an editor for QUT student publication Glass Magazine and spearheading campus music initiatives, she has been creating cross-platform content for The Music, Countrytown and Purple Sneakers in 2024. 

Emily Wilson - South Australia sa@themusic.com.au

Born and educated in Tokyo, Japan, Emily Wilson moved to Australia at the age of eighteen to study literature at the University of Adelaide, from which she graduated in 2023. At the end of 2023 Emily created the substack ‘slow babes,’ an online publication dedicated to personal essays including pieces detailing addiction and recovery from trauma and profiles promoting the lives and art of emerging Adelaide-based artists. Emily contributes regularly to The Note. She also frequently writes pieces for Scarleteen Mag, the sexual health publication based in Chicago. Her short fiction has been published online and in print in Overland and Hobart Pulp, to name a few. In 2024, she was the youngest finalist selected for the MIKI Prize for Short Stories.

Madeleine Mitchell - Western Australia wa@themusic.com.au 

Born and raised in Perth/Boorloo, Madeleine has always had a great appreciation for all things local. This passion led her to community radio, where she has spent the last three years as both a producer and presenter at iconic Perth station RTR. In these roles, she has had the opportunity to spotlight local artists, musicians, and events, helping to amplify voices and stories that might otherwise go unheard.

How To Get In Contact

Our local writers are ready to hear and potentially write about your news, but there are a few things to know: 

1. We’re looking for new and unique stories. Don’t just tell us your band is playing a show or is releasing a single…. Tell us why it’s important and the real story readers want to hear.

2. If you’re a publicist, that’s great, but don’t add our state writers to mailing lists or press releases UNLESS the only things you promote are relevant to the state. We want to hear original and individual pitches from and about artists, venues, and industry working at the grassroots. 

3. Our state-based writers will not be covering national tours or artists not from their state. We’re still keen to hear from you, but please check our contact page for our national editorial details. 

4. We’ll be selecting the best pitches each week regardless of whether they are sent from a publicist, label, venue or artist themselves. You don’t need to hire someone to get to us, you just need to sell us on a great yarn. Our story choices will be made between the state writers and our editor. We won’t be able to cover everything that is pitched and will not be able to get back to every email (you should see our inbox!). 

5. Our journalists will be working across platforms, so consider video, audio or other content we may also be interested in. Our goal is to tell the stories of our artists and industry in as many ways as possible.

The Music’s Local Journalism Project hopes to push the boundaries of local storytelling and give a voice to those that deserve a platform. Thanks for coming on the journey with us!