KGNU Music

Ingrid Avison and Jeff Dean joined KGNU’s Meredith Carson in the studio for a live performance. Ingrid discussed her upcoming EP release dedicated to her late father. She also mentioned an upcoming KGNU Presents show on October 11th at the Chautauqua Community House, where she will open for Reed Foehl (Interview date: 9/20/2024)

Mark from Desert Atlas joined KGNU’s Indra Raj live from the Mapleton Hill Porchfest. He shared his appreciation for the event and the community and discussed his songwriting inspirations. Mark performed two songs, including one titled Lakeside, inspired by Denver's historic amusement park (Interview date: 9/22/2024)

Angel Corsi, a local musician, recently performed at PorchFest and joined Indra Raj for a live session on KGNU. Known as the "Chicano Bruce Springsteen" for his socially conscious folk music, Corsi discussed his influences, including soul, hip hop, and Americana. He emphasized the importance of storytelling in his music, drawing inspiration from artists like Ice Cube, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin G...

Reuben Kebede, first violinist of the Ivalas Quartet, speaks with KGNU’s Sanford Baran. Reuben shares insights about the group's journey, mission, and dedication to spotlighting underrepresented composers. He emphasizes the importance of engaging younger audiences to ensure the longevity of classical music. The Ivalas Quartet is performing on September 24th at Dazzle in Denver.

Local musician Kayla Marque talks with KGNU’s Indra Raj about her new album "Midheaven", released on August 29th. She also discusses her recent tour, which began in London, and her musical journey. Kayla performs several songs from Midheaven, including "Slow Burn" and "Insecurious” (Interview date: 9/18/2024)

KGNU’s Doug Gertner hosts musicians Zoë Aqua and Nani Vazana. Zoë, a Denver native and recent Fulbright scholar, shares her experiences studying Transylvanian folk music and klezmer traditions in Romania. She reflects on learning from rural musicians in Transylvania, where she found influences from Jewish, Romanian, Hungarian, and Roma cultures. Nani, based in Amsterdam with roots in Israel and Mo...

KGNU’s Neil Smart hosts musicians Tony Furtado and John Reischman, who talk about their show at Swallow Hill in Denver along with Eric Thorin. They play a few songs and discuss their musical backgrounds (Interview date: 9/14/2024)

Steve Hoffman, also known as Tales of Hoffman, joins KGNU’s Meredith Carson in the studio. Steve discusses his participation in the upcoming Mapleton Hill Porchfest in Boulder. The event, taking place on Sunday, September 22nd from noon to 4:00 p.m., is a community gathering where local musicians perform on porches around the neighborhood. Hoffman shares the history of the Porchfest, which started...

Elana Brody discusses her recent performances and her new album "The Garden" with KGNU’s Cameron Henderson. She performs several songs and reflects on her musical journey, contrasting the gritty experience of busking in New York subways with the natural inspiration of her upbringing in nature. She also touches on her spiritual connection to liturgy and the healing power of music, expressing how he...

Lindsay Lou talks with KGNU’s Dave McIntyre. She reflects on her latest album, "Queen of Time", which she’s been performing in full as a way to celebrate its one-year anniversary. Lindsay Lou, based in Nashville, shares her love for the city's bluegrass, folk, and Americana community. She highlights her collaboration with Billy Strings on the track “Nothing’s Working” and discusses the personal si...

Kim Richey discusses her music and upcoming performances with KGNU’s Dave McIntyre. They talk about her latest album, "Every New Beginning", which was released in May. Kim plays a couple songs from the album, discussing her songwriting process and the stories behind the music. She also mentions her performances in Colorado (Interview date: 9/6/2024)

5 Foot Betty, a "woman-powered sunny Americana" trio, chats with KGNU’s Dave McIntyre. The band discusses their origins and influences. With a mix of harmonies and instruments like upright bass, cajón, and ukulele, they bring a fresh take to classic songs, alongside originals. They emphasize fun and connection with their audience and mention upcoming gigs (Interview date: 8/30/2024)

Violinist Ross Snyder of the Tesla Quartet chats with KGNU’s Iris Berkeley and guest interviewer Braintree Jim of WOMR. Ross discusses the group's upcoming performance in Denver on September 12th as part of the MAS Presents series. He reflects on the Tesla Quartet's evolution and their diverse repertoire, ranging from traditional Viennese composers to modern pieces focused on climate change (Inter...

Christopher Clauss of Phoebe Nix spoke with KGNU’s Iris Berkeley. Christopher shared insights about the group’s new music and creative process. They premiered a track, “She’s So Wild,” from a new EP titled "Late Summer's Moon". Christopher also discussed their show at the Velvet Elk Lounge featuring Charlie Berry (Interview date: 8/29/2024)

Mad Dog Friedman chats with KGNU’s Joanne Cole about his upcoming show and new CD. Mad Dog will open for Joe Waters, a celebrated blues artist, at the Roots Music Project in Boulder on August 31. Mad Dog highlights Waters' unique skills on both harmonica and guitar. He discusses his new CD All The Way, and talks about his plans for an upcoming live instrumental CD. (Interview date: 8/27/2024)

Blues icon Robert Cray speaks with Braintree Jim about his long career, upcoming performance, and musical journey. Cray discusses his songwriting and how he prefers improvising guitar solos live rather than practicing them. He also describes his excitement for live performances, where the unpredictability keeps things fresh. Cray closes by talking about his new album project and his show at Chauta...

Boulder musician Ngoc CC chats with KGNU’s Anya Sanchez. Ngoc discusses their journey into music, and shares how day-to-day life and personal experiences fuel their songwriting, emphasizing the therapeutic and cathartic nature of music. Ngoc also talks about their recent EP "Out the Texas Heat," which reflects their experiences and emotions tied to leaving Texas (Interview date: 7/16/2024)

Melvin Seals, keyboardist of the Jerry Garcia Band, speaks with KGNU’s DJ Jules. Melvin discusses his excitement about returning to Colorado, mentioning their performance at Levitt Pavilion on August 24th. He teases new material and emphasizes his love for surprising audiences with unexpected song choices. Melvin reflects on his musical influences, particularly organists like Billy Preston, and ho...

The Non-Renewed, a queer indie rock duo from Denver, joins KGNU’s Hannah Taub for a studio session. Meghan Mallan and Mellik Gorton of The Non-Renewed discuss their recent U.S. tour and their first album. They share details of their upcoming show at Bread Bar in Silver Plume, CO (Interview date: 8/20/2024)

Sister Sadie chats with KGNU's Robin Claire behind the scenes at RockyGrass. The band discusses their excitement about returning to RockyGrass with a refreshed lineup. Founding members Deanie Richardson and Gena Britt are now joined by Maddie Dalton, Dani Flowers, Rainy Miatke, and Jaelee Roberts. They talk about the band's evolving energy and sound, with their upcoming album featuring original so...

The Fretliners speak with KGNU Old Grass GNU Grass DJ Shawna Sprowls. They mention their current work on a new EP titled Three of a Kind, which was a result of winning the Telluride band competition. The band talks about their upcoming performances at Rapidgrass in Idaho Springs and Rhythms on the Rio in Del Norte, emphasizing the distinct flavors of these Colorado festivals (Interview date: 7/28/...

Dan Tyminski speaks with KGNU Old Grass GNU Grass DJ Neil Smart ahead of his RockyGrass 2024 performance. They discuss Dan's new album, God Fearing Heathen, particularly the track “Ode to Jimmy,” which pays tribute to Jimmy Martin, a significant influence on Dan. Dan talks about his talented band members and his excitement to be closing out the festival (Interview date: 7/30/2024)

Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius chat with KGNU’s Robin Claire at the RockyGrass festival. Tim and Jan discuss their musical journey and the creation of their recent albums. The duo talks about collaborating on new songs, testing them in live performances before recording, and their ongoing work with Tom Paxton. Tim shares insights into his songwriting process, particularly during the pandemic, and h...

Jack Hadley, a blues guitarist based in Boulder, spoke with KGNU’s Joanne Cole. Jack discussed his new album, The St. Louis Sessions, Vol. II, released in April. Jack explained the album’s connection to St. Louis and its rich blues history. He also talked about his upcoming performance with Mike Maurer Band on September 7th at the Roots Music Project and his collaboration with R&B artist Hazel Mil...

KGNU’s Shawna Sprowls chats with Sarah Jarosz, RockyGrass headliner, at the festival. They discuss her latest album, Polaroid Lovers, released in January, and her ongoing tour. Sarah talks about her journey from Texas to Nashville, her band lineup, her first RockyGrass experience at 12 years old, and the inspiration she draws from the bluegrass community (Interview date: 7/28/2024) Photo: Josh Woo...