About Us

Rhythms would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work and live—the Boon Wurrung/Bunurong peoples and Wurrundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. 

Over 30 years and more than 300 issues, Rhythms Magazine has established a reputation as The Bible of roots music in Australia. Hungrily exploring almost anything to do with blues, roots, folk, Americana, jazz, country, and world music, Rhythms is totally unique. It is cherished by its readers for its authority, credibility and diversity.

The bi-monthly glossy print magazine distributes over 120,000 copies a year through newsagents, selected music stores, and an ever-growing tribe of devoted subscribers. Issues are January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October and November/December. Each issue is between 100 and 128 pages and is accompanied by an exclusive download card or CD (in the case of our May/June 2022 30th anniversary edition).

Rhythms is available in a digital version also allowing us to fulfill international electronic subscriptions and the ever-growing interest in the digital format.

Special issues have included the annual Official Program for the Byron Bluesfest as well as specials on WOMADelaide, Port Fairy Folk Festival, Sydney Blues & Roots Festival, Great Southern Blues Festival, Australasian World Music Expo, and more.

Online, www.rhythms.com.au earns 400,000 hits and 12,000 unique visitors per month. A regular email newsletter sent to over 2,500 subscribers, publicists and online readers. Updated daily, www.rhythms.com.au publishes breaking news, reviews, as well as a sample of longer features from the print magazine.

HISTORY

Rhythms was founded by (and is still edited by) Brian Wise O.A.M. in 1992, the very same Brian Wise you can hear weekly on RRR radio’s top rating show Off The Record every Saturday morning in Melbourne.

Brian Wise and Martin Jones, Senior Contributing Editor, first joined forces on Australia’s first national music specialist website Addicted To Noise. The website twice won the national ONYA award for Best Online Music Magazine. Martin, who had completed a Masters degree in psychology and literature, drifted into music journalism some twenty-five years ago and never looked back, writing for The Age, The Australian and editing Melbourne’s Inpress magazine.

Martin began working on Rhythms with Brian and soon introduced in the artistic design skills of his wife Verity. Verity and Martin purchased Rhythms from Brian in 2007 and ran it from an office in the beautiful Brunswick Heads. Martin and Verity carried Rhythms into the future and sold the magazine to Australian Singer/Songwriter/Radio host Catherine Britt and her husband James.

UNDER ‘OLD’ MANAGEMENT

In July 2018, Brian Wise again took over Rhythms which has now retuned to its original home base in Melbourne. The current editorial crew remains but has been supplemented by new writers. The first edition of the new Rhythms was in September/October 2018. Since then the magazine has increased its profile and subscriber base and remains one of the only Australian music magazines still in print.

Rhythms continues to have a strong presence at Bluesfest and also at other festivals such as Womadelaide, Port Fairy and more.

You can subscribe here: Rhythms Subscription