KGNU Music

The Global Roots Ensemble joined Iris Berkeley on Mundi for a live in-studio session ahead of their concert on Sunday, October 5th at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder. Supported by a recent arts grant, the group aims to bring together diverse communities through storytelling and music that blends traditions from around the world. They previewed new works, including Benes to Brandenburg, imagining...

Cellist Wilhelmina Smith and composer-vocalist Dawn Avery (Mohawk) joined Sanford Baran to discuss their new album, Sweetgrass. The collaboration began during the pandemic, when Smith sought out indigenous composers and was drawn to Avery’s music, which connects deeply with nature and Mohawk traditions. Their work together, including pieces like Gratitude and Decolonization, blends cello and voice...

Avourneen, a talented Irish-influenced band from Colorado, visited KGNU for a local gold performance, showcasing their Celtic roots and multi-genre influences. The band members—Kieran, Adam, and Alice—shared their musical journeys, discussed their instruments, including fiddle, guitar, bass, and the Irish bouzouki, and performed both traditional tunes and Leonard Cohen tributes. They also talked a...

Colby T. Helms, a bluegrass and country musician from Southern Virginia, stopped by KGNU to share his music and stories from his life and career. He performed songs from his debut album Tales and Misfortune, including his heartfelt tribute Daddy’s Pocket Knife, and his upbeat homage to his hometown, Mountain Brandy. Colby discussed his band, the Virginia Creepers, his upcoming album recorded in Na...

Interview: Richie Flores (The Blind Cafe) by KGNU Music

Amy and George, promoters of Blues on the Mesa in Colorado Springs, joined Dan Willging on KGNU to preview the September 27th festival, featuring Grammy winner Ruthie Foster, Mike Zito, Jack Hadley with Peaches, and more. They highlighted the festival’s mountain setting, diverse food and drink options, and community activities. Special guest Eden Brent called in from Greenville, Mississippi, shari...

Bonnie Paine of Elephant Revival joined Meredith Carson live on KGNU for a rare solo performance, sharing new songs including Ashes and More to It. She spoke about Small Town for a Cause, a two-day festival in Salida on September 19–20, featuring Elephant Revival, Moontricks, Lindsay Lou, and more. The event raises awareness for community causes, including the preservation of Hutchinson Ranch and...

This KGNU interview features Monica LaBonte and Courtlyn Carpenter, organizers of the Sound Post Sessions in Longmont. They describe the series as a twice-monthly concert series at the Times Collaborative, showcasing both touring and local artists in a listening-room setting. Courtlyn shares details about the season kickoff party at Dry Land Distillers and the schedule running September through Ma...

In this KGNU Afternoon Sound Alternative session, host Bruce Trujillo talks with Connie Hong of Fair Elle, who performs intimate, piano-driven songs from her solo project and reflects on her shift from band work with Ivory Circle to more personal songwriting. She discusses the vulnerability of performing solo, the inspiration behind the name Fair Elle, and her excitement to play at SarahFest, a fe...

This KGNU interview features California-based mandolinist, composer, and teacher Marla Fibish, who shares stories about discovering Irish music, playing her grandfather’s Gibson mandolin, and creating her new album Play Date with Rebecca Richman during the pandemic. She discusses her creative process, including how tunes often emerge quickly and organically, and the playful way beats were added an...

In this KGNU studio session, Maui-based duo Desert Hollow join host Aaron Benko to share songs from their upcoming album Music for the Folks, out December 6th. They talk about their move from Los Angeles to Hawaii, the challenges and inspiration of island life, and recording 14 tracks in just three days with producer Matt Linesch. Between stories from their four-month tour, they perform live rendi...

In this interview, producer Yvette Rollins joins KGNU’s Indra Raj to talk about the upcoming Melanin Funk Festival 2025, taking place on Friday, September 12th in downtown Boulder. Rollins shares how the festival began three years ago as her “love letter” to Boulder, highlighting community, music, and culture. This year’s event will feature DJ Barry, SSI and the Fafa Family, and hip-hop duo The Re...

Prairie Wolf joined DJ Jules live in the KGNU Boulder studio to share music and talk about their upcoming shows with pedal steel player Luke Schneider—September 12 at The Neighbor in Fort Collins and September 13 at Glob in Denver. The band performed songs including Common Exotic, Burning Edges, and Modifications, discussed their psychedelic lounge-inspired sound, and highlighted influences rangin...

Dave McIntyre welcomed Jeb and Tara from Donna the Buffalo to KGNU for a conversation about the band’s long career, their role in starting the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival, and how festival culture has evolved into a broader Americana community. They discussed writing socially conscious songs, balancing positivity with commentary, and their ongoing work with culture camp workshops. The band pe...

This KGNU interview features legendary Jamaican dancehall artist King Yellowman ahead of his headlining performance at the 23rd annual Soul Rebel Festival in Denver. Yellowman shares his early life story, from growing up at Alpha Boys School in Kingston to winning the Tasty Talent Competition, joining sound systems, and becoming the first Jamaican reggae artist signed to Columbia Records. He refle...

On September 1’s edition of A Classic Monday, Iris Berkeley speaks with Denver composer Loretta Notareschi, who is among the composers highlighted at a chamber music concert titled “Within Reach: New Music from Denver and Beyond” September 15 at Regis University.

B. Smith talks with Noah Lennox this week, better known as Panda Bear, about his new album Sinister Grift, his first solo release in five years. Lennox reflects on his lifelong creative process, the joy of making music, and the collaborative role of his Animal Collective bandmates and his daughter on the record. He also discusses how life in Lisbon has shaped his work, the energy of touring with a...

In this studio session, Oregon singer-songwriter Joel Chadd joined host Dave McIntyre to share music and stories from his life and career. He discussed upcoming Colorado shows, including performances at Stone Cottage Studios, Swallow Hill, and the Velvet Elk, as well as his roots in a musical family and his journey into songwriting at age 23. Chadd performed two originals, “It’ll All Come Back” an...

In the first half of this multi-airing interview, Laurie Pepper recalls her artistic upbringing in Los Angeles, her early love of jazz, and how struggles with addiction led her to Synanon, where she met saxophonist Art Pepper. She describes their relationship, the seven-year process of creating his autobiography Straight Life, and Art’s constant reinvention as a musician. Laurie also reflects on h...

In this KGNU interview, singer-songwriter Finn O’Sullivan joined Morning Sound Alternative to share songs from her new self-produced EP Dog Days. She performed live in studio, including tracks like Museum, Someone in Texas, and Cherry Pop Rocks, while discussing her creative process, inspirations from fictional characters and artists like Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers, and her journey from chil...

In this KGNU interview, Scotty Stoughton, founder of Small Town for the Cause, shared details about the new festival happening September 19–20 in downtown Salida. He explained that the event is an evolution of Camp Out for the Cause, blending live music, yoga, late-night sets, and family-friendly activities. The festival will feature local and national acts, including Elephant Revival, Clay Street...

In this KGNU interview, pianist and composer Caili O’Doherty discussed her new album Bluer Than Blue: A Tribute to Lil Harden Armstrong. She shared how her discovery of Lil’s music during graduate school at Queens College inspired the project and led her to highlight Harden’s overlooked contributions as a pianist, composer, and bandleader. O’Doherty reflected on Lil’s role alongside Louis Armstron...

In this KGNU interview, pianist and composer Ryan Benthall discussed his new album Sovereign Mind, released on Octave Records and recorded locally in Boulder. He shared insights into his musical journey from growing up in St. Louis to settling in Colorado, his shift from violin and voice to piano, and his process of balancing composition with improvisation. Benthall performed live in the studio, i...

In the interview, Ras Marcus joined KGNU to talk about his upcoming Denver concert and his mission as a reggae artist. He reflected on his musical journey, the inspiration behind his songs, and the role reggae plays in spreading unity and resilience. The conversation also touched on his connection with fellow reggae artist Mighty Mystic, highlighting their shared commitment to uplifting music and...

Sister Sadie, the Grammy-nominated, award-winning bluegrass band, joined Meredith Carson live in KGNU’s Cabaret Studios to share music from their new album All Will Be and talk about their Colorado tour. The group performed several songs and an original instrumental, discussed their IBMA nominations, and reflected on their busy touring schedule, including opening for the SteelDrivers at Mishawaka....