KEXP's Sound & Vision

Sharp Pins is the solo project of 20-year-old Kai Slater, who also runs a zine called Hallogallo. Based in Chicago, he started the zine during the height of the coronavirus pandemic as a teenager, overwhelmed and frustrated with a life dominated by screens. So, both his music and zine are analog, made with tape recorders, photo copiers, and type writers. KEXP’s Dusty Henry talks with Slater about his music and the thriving DIY scene in Chicago. “The way that you remain young is by staying in touch with your creative side,” Slater says in the interview. “If I were to stop that, I would surely die,” he adds with a chuckle. Sharp Pins’s album Radio DDR came out March, 21 2025 on Perennial Records. Support the show: kexp.org/deeper Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Kronos Quartet — founded in Seattle, now based in San Francisco — has shaped modern classical music for more than 50 years. Their 2024 album Outer Spaceways Incorporated reimagines the work of the trailblazing American jazz pianist, Sun Ra, featuring covers and collaborations with artists like Jlin, Armand Hammer, and others. In addition to recorded testimonials from Laraaji, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and longtime Arkestra leader Marshall Allen, KEXP’s Larry Mizell, Jr. spoke with one of the Kronos Quartet’s founding members, David Harrington. “The more I’ve learned of Sun Ra, the more I’ve realized we’re like brothers or something,” Harrington laughs in the interview. “The question I have been asking all these years is: What’s next? What can music be that it hasn’t been so far? How might I become a better musician? How might I learn more about the world through music, with music, because of music?” Support the show: kexp.org/deeper photo via Impulse! Records and ABC/Dunhill RecordsSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Owain Davies received a message from a stranger in 2020 asking if he might have been the singer of a band called Panchiko more than two decades ago. As it turns out, he was — but they never put their music online. They just had seven demo tracks on CDs, but Panchiko never really broke out of their scene in central England at the time. Fast forward to 2025: Panchiko is back in action with their second album since the band’s revival, Ginkgo, out on Nettwerk Music Group. Now, thanks to a devoted fanbase, Panchiko is embarking on a tour to play in front of thousands of people. KEXP’s Roddy Nikpour spoke with Davies and his bandmate Andy Wright about being “rediscovered.” “Just say yes to opportunities — I almost didn’t,” Davies says in the interview. “Because we said yes to a simple thing of, ‘Yeah, we’ll start talking to you about this weird album you’ve discovered,’ it led to this. Try things out. You never know where it’ll go.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeper Photo Credit: Adam Alonzo Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merrill Garbus says the lyrics simply poured out of her mouth on several tracks for the new Tune-Yards album, Better Dreaming. This time, she and her partner Nate Brenner trusted their gut more in the writing process. The record is heavily inspired by current events domestically and abroad, the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and unexpected lessons from unexpectedly becoming a parent. “I'm not a maker of sad music generally,” Garbus says in the interview. “My general take on music is: Let's sweat this out because we have to keep moving on. I love music for that. It allows that kind of movement through grief, through trauma, through hardship.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeperSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hiro Ama, born in Japan and based in London, plays drums in the indie pop band Teleman. In late 2024, he released his debut solo album, Music for Peace and Harmony, which leans heavily into the sounds of a 1980s Japanese synthesizer called Waraku, which literally means “peace and harmony” in Japanese. KEXP's Dusty Henry spoke with him shortly after the release. “I used to be quite a perfectionist,” Ama says in the interview. “Then again, when you listen to old jazz records, you can hear a lot of mistakes, the bad notes, and people chanting in the background, and that becomes part of the character of the music. Once I realized it, I started putting in a lot of field recordings and embracing the imperfection.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeper Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this bonus episode, we hear from Martin Oldgoth, cofounder of World Goth Day, in conversation with Sharlese, host of Mechanical Breakdown, about the holiday’s origin in 2009. What started as a sort of joke on BBC Radio 6 Music rapidly spread across the world as a celebration of goth culture, which is constantly evolving. And, no, you don’t have to wear black. “The goth scene is very inclusive,” Oldgoth says in the interview. “There are no rules. If someone tells you, ‘You’ve got to listen to this band’ or ‘You’ve got to dress like that,’ they’re wrong. It’s as simple as that. It’s gone from being an offshoot of the post-punk scene in the early 80s to being a global family of misfits.” Oldgoth’s music recommendations as heard in the episode: Harsh Symmetry (Los Angeles, California)Night in Athens (United Kingdom)CORIN (United Kingdom)Bambara (Brooklyn, New York)HAPAX (Italy)Octavian Winters (San Francisco, California)KĀVE (Poland)Soft Scent (Italy) Support the show: kexp.org/deeperSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seattle-based musician Rocky Votolato has formed a new band called Suzzallo, who put out their debut album The Quiet Year earlier this year on Thirty Something Records. Through loud guitars and cathartic screaming, Suzzallo offers an outlet to help him grieve the loss of his child, Kienan, who died in a car accident in 2021. “Without a way to express this pain, it probably would have killed me,” Votolato says in the interview. “Being able to turn it into this rock band and all this noise, light, pain, carnage, and everything that’s coming out in the record, I’m really happy that some of the light made it into the lyrics, too. I tried not to just focus on the darkness of the tragedy.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeperSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Denver-based punk group Dead Pioneers recently released their second album, PO$T AMERICAN, on Hassle Records. They’ve been opening for Pearl Jam on their U.S. tour this spring. KEXP’s Dusty Henry caught up with lead vocalist Gregg Deal to discuss the band’s rapid success, how their new album portrays disillusionment with modern America, and how the band reclaims and recontextualizes Indigenous representation seen in media – from Dances with Wolves through One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. In a divided moment in history, PO$T AMERICAN feels perfectly timed for imperfect times. “I know that there are different mediums out there that exist to create places of safety and understanding and articulation of frustration,” Deal says in the interview. “I know music is one of those places, I know art is one of those places, and I am grateful to have any part in either of those things.” Support the show: kexp.org/deeper Photo by Carlos CruzSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily Fox, host of A Deeper Listen and Sound & Vision, is taking maternity leave form now until the fall. Before she left, shared an essay about why she went to Las Vegas sober and 8 months pregnant to see Pitbull in concert and why she thinks Pitbull deserves “a deeper listen.” Best wishes to Emily and her family! In the meantime, the A Deeper Listen feed will continue to stay active with stories from the editorial team and guest host Roddy Nikpour. Keep it tuned in here and thanks for supporting A Deeper Listen. Photo by Scott Legato Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SASAMI has just released a new pop album called Blood on the Silver Screen. While her first record fell in the indie rock realm and her second album had a lot of metal influence, this album represents another left turn. SASAMI talks with Emily Fox about what draws her to make music from so many different genres, and how her family’s story of immigration and involvement in unconventional religious communities might have impacted her self-described identity as a “weirdo outsider.” “As long as they're okay with me finding my own path, which they have really been supportive of as I've gotten older," SASAMI says. "For them, it was getting mass married in Madison Square Garden. For me, it's playing with a metal band." Photo by Andrew Thomas HuangSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week’s episode, songwriter Ela Minus talks with KEXP's Albina Cabrera about her new album, DÍA—a fully nomadic project with songs written and recorded between Mexico, Seattle, and her native Colombia. With DÍA, she steps away from her analog era and embraces everything at hand: broken microphones, acoustic instruments, and digital synths. It’s a search for freedom that began the moment she left her comfort zone. The album is out now via Domino Records. Photo by Alvaro ArisoSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Hadreas of Perfume Genius talks with Emily Fox about how his inner fears, struggles with mental health, paranoid fantasies and reflections on gay lust and love show up on his latest album, Glory. “I think I was just really afraid and I felt really tender and mortal and the world felt really fragile and scary and I couldn't figure out how to move through it very well,” Hadreas says speaking writing through depression. "And I didn't really know how to hold all of these things that I was feeling and move towards getting out of my head. I was just kind of stuck.” Photo by Cody CritcheloeSupport the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz Pelly, author of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist talks through the many practices at Spotify over the years that have impacted independent musicians-- from outsourcing stock music Spotify pays a lower royalty rate for and flooding Spotify's in-house playlists with that stock music, to paying artists a 30% lower royalty rate in exchange for promotion on Spotify. Then, guitarist and independent musician Lance Allen talks about how he was able to pay off his mortgage and buy a car off Spotify royalties and how he’s continued to find success on the music streaming service.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Songwriter Lucy Dacus talks about her new album, Forever Is A Feeling. In conversation with Emily Fox, she discusses everything from love, lyricism, and making conscious decisions to step away from boygenius and her solo work to find balance and stillness. She also breaks down some of her favorite songs and lyrical moments on the new record. “I keep saying this, how you spend your time is how you spent your life. And that has been a really profound cliche to remember,” Dacus says. “You're in charge of your time more than you realize.”Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Valerie and Veronica Tapacio left their corporate day jobs to dedicate their time to their Seattle band, La Fonda and their vintage clothing shop, Delusional Bird, which is named after one of their songs. Last year was the first year they made more money doing music and running their business than they did at their 8-5 desk jobs. The sisters talk about how their father’s detainment by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2008 forced them into corporate work early and how the pandemic helped them reevaluate their life and priorities. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For years, Lupe Flores was primarily known as the drummer for a number of Seattle rock bands, including Wild Powwers. But as something to do to keep herself sane during pandemic lockdown, she reconnected with a childhood tradition. “I feel like a lot of musicians are like, 'Oh, I sang whatever in church' or 'My parents always had music,’” Flores says. “There was literally no music. There has always been food.” She started making tacos using her Lebanese-Mexican grandmother's recipe and began Lupe's Situ Tacos. (Situ is Arabic for "grandmother.") In an interview at her restaurant with KEXP’s Martin Douglas, Flores spoke of going from picking cilantro leaves in her grandmother's kitchen to starting a business in the heart of one of Seattle's coolest neighborhoods.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Los Angeles-based DJ and producer, TOKiMONSTA is out with a new album called Eternal Reverie. The album was written while TOKiMONSTA’s best friend was diagnosed with cancer and ultimately passed away a few months later. TOKiMONSTA talks about how her friend informed this latest record, why it was important to delay this record and cancel her initial tour to be with her friend in her final months of life, and TOKiMONSTA shares the story of her own health crisis she faced 10 years that resulted in two brain surgeries. “My career, these things can come back,” TOKiMONSTA says. “There’s always a possibility that if I made a poor decision in that regard, I could figure out a way. But I was never going to get my friend back. At the point that I had made that decision to cancel my tour, I already knew we weren’t going to have her for much longer.”Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Montreal-based electronic artist Marie Davidson is concerned about the rise of big tech and intrusion of privacy. In this episode, host Emily Fox talks with Davidson about her latest album City of Clowns, how these themes show up on the record, and the inspiration it took from Shoshana Zuboff’s book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. “I would say that I don't believe yet that we are doomed,” Davidson says. “I believe we're in a very tricky position right now, and that there's a lot of uncertainty, and there's still a lot of ignorance around everything that's happening with technology and and information privacy. But we all have a choice… to keep nurturing critical thinking.”Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trevor Powers of Youth Lagoon talks about how rediscovering home videos inspired his latest album, Rarely Do I Dream. He also discusses songwriting, meditation, and about a health crisis that gave him new life.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neko Case recently put out a memoir called “The Harder I Fight the More I Love You.” It’s a story largely about neglect and abandonment. KEXP's Emily Fox reviews the book and shares her personal connection to Neko Case. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bartees Strange talks with Emily Fox about his album, Horror. He talks about how his parents raised him on scary stories to showcase the fear and issues of being black in America, what his opera singing mother taught him about being a black performer in mostly white spaces, and how he’s feeling more comfortable, more empowered and more himself than ever through the process of making this record.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Flung is the moniker of Seattle-raised and Oakland-based multi-instrumentalist Kashika Kollaikal. Her 2024 album, 'All Heartbeat,' is the result of listening deeply to her surroundings, tuning into what she calls the “hum of the world.”Kollaikal joins KEXP’s Isabel Khalili to talk about her approach to the record and how she finds inspiration in her physical environment. They also discuss the field recordings that made it onto the record, the making of her own music box, and how her mother's harmonium became the central hum of the record.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year’s Superbowl halftime show features Kendrick Lamar, who is in a long running beef with Drake. Seattle hip hop historian Daudi Abe talks with contributor Hans Anderson about the history of hip-hop beefs and how Kendrick Lamar’s beef made its way into the biggest music event of the year. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The English electronic duo Maribou State released a new album, Hallucinating Love on January 31st. KEXP's Tia Ho talked with the band about the hardships they faced during the recording process, including getting diagnosed with a rare brain condition, and how it's all reflected in their most personal album to date. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Cameron is the drummer for Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Before then he played in the influential Seattle bands Bam Bam, Skin Yard, and Temple of the Dog. Cameron talks about his career and how he’s been able to keep at it for more than 40 years. Learn more about Bam Bam: https://www.kexp.org/podcasts/sound-vision/2021/3/2/tina-bell-unsung-goddess-grunge/Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twin sisters Kehinde and Yeye Taiwo Lijadu performed as The Lijadu Sisters from the 1960s to the 1980s in Nigeria, but their influence is still felt globally today. Their hits include songs like "Come On Home" and "Life's Gone Down Low." The surviving sister of the duo, Yeye Taiwo Lijadu, joins A Deeper Listen to talk about being one of the only female groups making music in Nigeria in the late 1960s and into the 1970s, and how they addressed issues of government corruption in their music. She also shares how, despite being on a major label, she has never seen profits from her recordings, and how meaningful it is that Numero Group is now reissuing the entire Lijadu Sisters catalog.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

OMBIIGIZI is a collaboration between Daniel Monkman (of the band Zoon) and Adam Sturgeon (of the band Status/Non-Status). They are Anishinaabe artists who explore their cultural histories through sound. Kevin Sur, co-host of KEXP's Sounds of Survivance, talks with OMBIIGIZI about their new album, 'SHAME,' which explores Indigenous shame and healing, and how they tap into ancestral traditions through music. We also get a history lesson on how Native American musicians helped form the genre of rock.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Artificial Intelligence is making its way into the music industry — not just through production tools, but also on streaming platforms like Spotify. KEXP’s Roddy Nikpour tells us the story of a former Seattle band that was listed as a collaborator on an album they didn’t write. They claim it was A.I.-generated. Read the story here: https://www.kexp.org/read/2024/11/27/ai-generated-music-is-siphoning-streams-from-artists-in-seattle-and-beyond/Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Larry Crane is a recording engineer, founder of Tape Op magazine, and official archivist for the Elliott Smith estate. In late 2024, Crane gave a new remaster to Smith’s final album, 'From a Basement on the Hill.' Smith died during the making of the album and the record was finished by his friends and released posthumously. In conversation with KEXP's Dusty Henry, Crane reflects on his friendship with Smith coming up together in Portland, the songwriter’s prowess, and the process of revisiting and remastering this heavy but monumental album.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we wrap up the year, we highlight our interviews with some of the artists who have topped the KEXP charts in 2024. The top played songs on KEXP in 2024 were: "Starburster" by Fontaines D.C. "Like I Say (I runaway)" by Nilüfer Yanya "My Fun" by Suki Waterhouse "Favourite" by Fontaines D.C. "Sepricon" by Brittany Davis Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We hear from L’Rain, Hand Habits, Perfume Genius and Ahya Simone on their contributions to the compilation album called TRANSA that celebrates trans and LGBTQ lives. The compilation also features songs from Sade, Sam Smith, Adrianne Lenker, Jeff Tweedy, Julien Baker, Sharon Van Etten, Fleet Foxes and more.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Gits were an early 90s Seattle band. Seattle's Sub Pop records has recently launched a campaign to rerelease remastered versions of The Gits' catalogue. So much of the band's story has been wrapped around the 1993 rape and murder of The Gits frontwoman Mia Zapata. In a conversation at KEXP's Gathering Space, Emily Fox speaks with The Gits guitarist Andy Kessler and bassist, Matt Dresner about the band's story, legacy and the life of Mia.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Deep Sea Diver is a beloved band in Seattle and at KEXP. Deep Sea Diver's most recent album, Impossible Weight was voted best album of 2020 by KEXP listeners. In a live event at KEXP, Emily Fox spoke with frontwoman Jessica Dobson about the fun and innovative things she and her band did during the COVID-19 pandemic to create and engage a loyal fanbase and put out an album without the help of a label. Dobson also shared wisdom on how to make it as an indie band in Seattle and make a name for yourself on a national level.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Teresa Suydam was adopted by a white family at birth. It wasn't until college that they were able to begin a journey to better understand their Filipino and Native American lineage. In an interview with Stephanie Wolf, Suydam shares how their upcoming album, 'Lost Bird,' is what helped them find their way back to these communities.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nilüfer Yanya released her latest album, “My Method Actor” this fall. Emily Fox speaks with Yanya about the new record, her family's story, including the organization she and her sister started to bring art to refugee communities, and her thoughts around identity while creating these songs.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Merce Lemon is a singer-songwriter based in Pittsburgh. In an interview with Emily Fox, we get to know her and her musical background and hear how stepping away from music and immersing herself in nature allowed her to make her latest record.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christopher Owens, formerly of the San Francisco indie band, Girls, talks about his first album in nearly a decade. It arrives after a tumultuous time in his life. In recent years he got in a motorcycle accident, went through a breakup and became homeless after he moved out. Then in 2020, his Girls bandmate and collaborator, Chet “JR” White died at the age of 40. He talks about those moments, his new album, and about growing up in the Children of God cult. Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Marling's new album, Patterns in Repeat was mostly written after becoming a mother. Motherhood and family come up a lot on the new record. Marling breaks down the record with Emily Fox as they both reflect on how their view on family has changed since becoming moms.  Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martín Selasco is an Argentine producer and composer based in Washington state. He speaks with KEXP's Albina Cabrera about the musical diary of his life that led him to create the project Terror/Cactus. His music blends Latin American folk traditions with electronic beats, dark cumbia, and psychedelic sounds. In his latest album, 'Forastero,' Selasco explores his identity, displacement, and the influence of his family on his musical journey. He also shares the story of his father and grandfather, key figures in Argentina's musical history and founders of the record company, Sicamericana, and the label, Music Hall Records.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia's Miss Kaninna (Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Kalkadoon, and Yirendali) talks about the themes of colonialism in her song Blak Britney, about Aboriginal history and life in Australia, how her family has played a role in Indigenous activism and policy, and how she uses her platform as a musician to speak about Indigenous issues.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

KEXP's Albina Cabrera sits down with Christine Gutierrez, the mastermind behind Dark Chisme. Gutierrez blends darkwave, post-punk, and synthpop to tell powerful stories of identity, resilience, and growing up in a bicultural space. With her self-titled debut album, she channels her personal journey through music, exploring painful episodes like her father's deportation and the feeling of not fully belonging anywhere, transforming these experiences into musical strength and fire on stage.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

omu DJ is an electronic artist from the Bay Area. She's out with a new album called I Want To Be. Tomu DJ speaks with Emily Fox about her new album, her experience in the music industry as a trans woman and how a near death car accident impacted her sense of rhythm and inspired her to become a solo artist.“I had this renewed or newfound motivation to explore myself and kind of my own mental landscape and the things that I've experienced through music,” she says.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MIKE is a rapper who's gained a following in part because of his vulnerable writing. He lost his mother just as his rap career was taking off. Throughout his career, he has used voice notes from her in his songs. In an interview with KEXP's Martin Douglas, MIKE speaks about losing his mother, working through the loss, and eventually getting to the other side of grief.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Suki Waterhouse talks with Emily Fox about how starring in the Amazon Prime series 'Daisy Jones and the Six' inspired her to make her new record, 'Memoir of a Sparklemuffin,' and how she finished the record in the final weeks of her pregnancy and played Coachella a few weeks after birth.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aramis Johnson of Enumclaw talks about the band's recent move to L.A. because they needed to get out of their hometown of Tacoma, about the joys of going off social media and reading more and the themes of loss on the band's new album.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Memphis-based soul label Stax Records is home to The Staples Singers, Otis Redding and many soul hitmakers. David Porter, writer of the hit songs “Soul Man” and “Hold On I'm Comin',” joins this episode to share the story portrayed in the Emmy-nominated documentary, 'Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.' Porter talks about how Stax was first a country label and switched to soul music after allowing him and other youth from the neighborhood to audition. He talks about how music unified both Black and white musicians at the label, in a town that was segregated at the time. He also discusses the trials and tribulations of getting acquired by larger labels, how the deaths of both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Otis Redding impacted the label, and the successes and legacy of Stax.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunny Day Real Estate came out of the hardcore scene in Seattle in the 90s and eventually became a major influence on “emo” music. KEXP's Dusty Henry talks with guitarist Dan Hoerner and drummer William Goldsmith about the band's history, their take on "emo," their recent reunion tour, and the re-release of their 1994 debut album, 'Diary.'Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Canadian hardcore band, F*cked Up is out with a new record, called Another Day. The band's last three records were all written and recorded in a total of 24 hours. Emily Fox speaks with F*cked Up's frontman Damian Abraham about these 24-hour projects, how Toronto marijuana politics comes up on Another Day and how medical marijuana has helped his panic attacks.  Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aoife O'Donovan of the bluegrass bands Crooked Still and I'm With Her released a solo album this year about the suffrage movement. To honor the 104th anniversary of women's right to vote in the U.S., Emily Fox caught up with O'Donovan to get a history lesson on the movement and discuss where we've come and the work that still needs to be done.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alisa Amador grew up touring the US and singing in her parents' Latin folk band, Sol y Canto. She then went on to start a solo career and in 2022 she won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest. But when she got the call from NPR that she had won, she almost told them to give the award to another contestant. Amador had stopped writing music in 2020 following the death of a close friend. In the end, she did accept the award and is now out with her first album since winning the Tiny Desk Contest. It's called 'Multitudes.' Emily Fox caught up with Amador to talk about grief, struggles with mental health, and how winning the contest allowed her to start a new, refreshed chapter of her music career.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex Henry Foster of the band Your Favorite Enemies talks about how his new ambient record, 'Kimiyo,' was formed after a health crisis that left him unable to speak for months. The album also shares the stories of people he met in Japan during his travels, finding connection between their struggles and his own, and gaining a renewed outlook on life.Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.