Duane Frew on Music, Anxiety & Heavy Metal

In this episode, I sit down with Duane Frew from Hades Drudge to talk about the underground NZ metal scene, growing up as a metalhead in Whanganui, and what it’s really like playing in DIY bands across New Zealand.We get into everything from discovering Sepultura and Slayer as teenagers, playing shows at Wellington venues like Valhalla, surviving mosh pits, recording albums independently, and dealing with stage anxiety as a live vocalist. Duane also shares his thoughts on AI-generated music, streaming platforms, and why original music still matters in today’s music industry.This episode is a raw look into NZ heavy metal culture, local music communities, creative survival, and the passion that keeps underground musicians going after decades in the scene.Topics include:NZ metal sceneWellington live music cultureDIY music recordingAI music and SpotifyPerformance anxietyUnderground metal bandsOriginal music vs coversNew Zealand Music MonthLife in touring and local bands