KGNU Music

Frontier Ruckus’ Matthew Milia talks with KGNU’s Indra Raj about the band’s Michigan roots, their eclectic blend of folk, bluegrass and pop influences, and the role of dense, detailed lyricism in their music. Milia reflects on the band’s evolution, his love of ’90s pop, and finding a renewed sense of joy in music after years of touring. Frontier Ruckus returns to Colorado for two intimate shows, i...

Blues guitarist and singer Tommy Castro talks with KGNU’s Dan Willging about his long connection to Colorado audiences, his Bay Area blues influences, and his latest album, Closer to the Bone. Castro reflects on his mentor Johnny Nitro, the San Francisco blues scene, and the musicians who shaped his sound. He also previews his upcoming album, Can’t Stop Now, an all-original project produced with J...

The Zucchini Brothers made their live debut on KGNU’s Old Grass, Gnu Grass from the Boulder Farmers Market, bringing an eclectic mix of bluegrass classics, old-time tunes, and plenty of humor. Nick Forster, Justin Hoffenberg, and James Armington shared songs by artists including Ola Belle Reed, the Stanley Brothers, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, and Jimmy Driftwood, along with stories about KGNU,...

In this interview, Rodger Hara speaks with director andBoulder Ensemble Theater Company (BETC) ensemble member Candace Orino and actor Michael Morgan about The Weir, Conor McPherson’s acclaimed play set in a rural pub in northwestern Ireland. Orino and Morgan discuss the play’s themes of storytelling, community, and connection; the process of casting a company of strong storytellers; and the chall...

KGNU’s Joanne Cole talks with Mary Siurek and Hollis London, two Broomfield high school seniors and songwriting partners who recently won the Colorado High School Songwriters Competition. The students from Holy Family High School discuss their musical backgrounds, how they met through choir, and how their songwriting partnership developed. The duo performs their winning song, “Summer Blues,” as we...

KGNU’s D Rider talks with Anthony Evora of LowDown Brass Band, ahead of the group’s Boulder performance at the Velvet Elk Lounge. Evora discusses the band’s Chicago roots and evolution, its current brass-heavy lineup, and the way hip-hop, funk, soul and jazz come together in their music. He also shares stories from the band’s performances at Montreal Jazz Fest, major venues in the U.S., and recent...

Cellists for Change joined KGNU for an evening of music and conversation centered on the connection between music and peace. Young cellists from the local nonprofit shared what peace means to them and performed works by composers from Colorado and beyond, including pieces inspired by family, resilience, sensory experiences, and connections with students in Guatemala. The program also features a pe...

Boulder singer-songwriter Christopher Morse stopped by the KGNU tent at Mapleton PorchFest to share music from his latest EP and preview new material. Morse performs “Just a Little Closer” and “Long Way to Go,” an unreleased song that will be the first single in an upcoming series of releases. In conversation with Greg Schultz, Morse talks about songwriting, recording in Nashville, his musical inf...

Boulder singer-songwriter Derek Dames Ohl stopped by the KGNU tent at Mapleton Hill Porch Fest to share a few new, unreleased songs and talk about his music and life on the road. Dames Ohl performs two new songs, including “Song Angel on My Single Wide” and “The CIA Tried to Take My Mind,” and explains the stories and inspiration behind each. He also talks about his long-running “never-ending tour...

DJ Jules welcomes Bonnie Paine of Colorado’s Elephant Revival into the KGNU Boulder studio for a conversation and live performance. Paine discusses the release of her first solo album, her experience collaborating with artists including T Bone Burnett, Gregory Alan Isakov, Rising Appalachia, Brittney Haas, and Ben Sollee, and the evolution of her music alongside Elephant Revival. The conversation...

Doug Gertner sits down with legendary Colorado folk musician and Denver Folklore Center founder Harry Tuft for a wide-ranging conversation about his life in folk music. Tuft reflects on his early musical influences, the folk scene that brought him from Philadelphia to Colorado, and the founding of the Denver Folklore Center and Swallow Hill Music. Along the way, he shares stories of encounters wit...

Local CU Boulder band Abernathy Shagnaster joins KGNU's Ari Lubin to talk about the group’s origins, musical influences, and growing presence in Boulder’s music scene. The band discusses how they came together, the story behind their unique name, and the community of local musicians that has supported them along the way. They also reflect on winning CU Boulder’s Battle of the Bands, their upcoming...

In this KGNU interview, two-time Grammy nominee Samantha Fish talks about her new album, Paper Doll, the unique way it was recorded between tour dates, and the live album Paper Doll Live, recorded at The Bijou in Knoxville. Fish also reflects on growing up in a musical family in Kansas City, picking up the guitar after starting on drums, and discovering at a young age that performing was what she...

Irish musician and songwriter David Howley joins KGNU’s Kathleen Gilgannon to talk about his new band, Howley, a four-piece featuring his brother Martin, their wives Caitlin and Kiana, and a shared love of traditional and original music. Howley reflects on growing up playing music with his brother, touring for 15 years with We Banjo 3, and the creative freedom that comes from making music simply b...

Violinist Maria Dueñas joins KGNU’s Sanford Baran to discuss her new album, Homage to Heifetz, inspired by the legendary violinist Jascha Heifetz, whose recordings she heard as a child growing up in Granada, Spain. The album revisits Heifetz’s celebrated pairing of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole and Korngold’s Violin Concerto, recorded with conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orch...

New Orleans roots, Fort Collins connections, and decades of musical camaraderie come together in this lively KGNU studio session with The Iguanas. The band talks about its origins, its longtime ties to the Colorado music scene, and members Joe Cabral, Rene Coman, Rod Hodges, and Doug Garrison’s years playing in the Alex Chilton band. They also share the secret to surviving decades on the road, dis...

Singer-songwriter Scott Seskind joins KGNU for a live studio session ahead of his upcoming performance in Boulder. Scott shares several original songs and talks about his longtime connection to the local music scene, his songwriting process, and his work at the jail, where he leads writing groups and teaches guitar. In conversation with Greg Schultz, Scott reflects on self-expression, community, a...

Australian folk ensemble The Heart Collectors joined KGNU’s Wendy Mills in the studio during their 2026 U.S. tour. The group shared music from their Space Between album, including “Hold On” and “Kite Song,” and talked about their love of harmony, Celtic and Irish musical traditions, songwriting, and their evolving sound. The band also reflected on the joy of connecting with audiences and communiti...

Four Mile Fest organizer and Boulder musician Zach Hedstrom joins KGNU’s Uncle Jeff to discuss the second annual festival in Four Mile Canyon. Hedstrom talks about the event’s roots in Boulder County’s rich mountain music community, the local musicians featured across two days, and the volunteer effort that made the festival possible. The conversation also highlights the festival’s wide-ranging mu...

Fin Greenall of Fink joins KGNU’s Jessica Numbers for an acoustic studio session ahead of the band’s Denver show at the Bluebird Theater. Greenall discusses Fink’s evolution from his beginnings as a DJ to the band’s current acoustic indie-folk sound, as well as the making of the latest album, The City Is Coming to Erase It All, in Cornwall. Greenall also reflects on his long relationships with his...

Sixteen-year-old New Orleans pianist River Eckert speaks with KGNU’s Joanne Cole ahead of his Colorado debut at the Nederland Wine & Jazz Fest. He talks about growing up surrounded by New Orleans musicians and music and his early start on piano. He also mentions his father’s influence and the musicians who have shaped his playing, including Fats Domino, Huey “Piano” Smith, Dr. John, James Booker,...

Reggae Bloodlines host Dj Soul Rock speaks with Ansel Cridland of The Meditations ahead of the group’s September 12th performance at the Caribou Room in Nederland. Cridland reflects on more than five decades in reggae, from his early recordings and the formation of The Meditations to working with artists and producers including Bob Marley, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Dobby Dobson, and The Congos. Cridlan...

Alex Ammons and Laura Goldhamer of Bathtub Mary join Indra Raj in KGNU’s new studios for a live session featuring songs by Ammons, including “The Thread,” “The Canticle of Consent,” and “Crone.” The two musicians also talk about their musical journeys and their connections to Colorado’s vibrant music community. Ammons shares the story behind the Honey House Concert Series, an intimate backyard con...

Colorado singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Katie Mintle joins KGNU’s Doug Gertner for a live studio session featuring songs by Bob Dylan, Sierra Ferrell, Willie Nelson, and an original, “Paradigm.” Katie talks about her musical roots, from discovering Celtic music and learning the harp as a child to busking on Boulder’s Pearl Street at age 11, and how the pandemic helped shift her focus...

Denver artist Jenèe Donelson of Macheté Mouth joins KGNU’s Bruce Trujillo to discuss the band’s forthcoming album, Grimoire. Donelson describes the record as a collection of spells exploring ancestry, survival, transformation, and resistance. She talks about the evolution of the songs “Solomon” and “Abacus,” the making of the “Solomon” music video, and her approach to combining music with visual a...