KGNU Music

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....

On KGNU, Dan Willging interviews Colorado songwriter Martin Gilmore, who recently won a New Folk award at the 2025 Kerrville Folk Festival. Gilmore talks about teaching, his success at Kerrville, Lyons, and Telluride festivals, and his new album Thea Is a Light Blue, inspired by Boulder artist William Stoehr. He performs two original songs, including a Jimmie Rodgers tribute, and reflects on songw...

Bluesman Johnny Sansone joins Dan Willging to share stories of his musical journey from his early Fort Collins days with Jumpin’ Johnny and the Blues Survivors to his decades in New Orleans honing his unique sound on harmonica, accordion, and guitar. He returns to Colorado for a reunion show at Avogadro’s Number in Fort Collins and a solo performance at Goodman’s Gazebo in Denver, bringing songs,...

Jonathan Wilson of the St. Andrew’s Society of Colorado joined host Rodger Hara to preview the Colorado Scottish Festival, happening September 20–21 at the Denver Polo Club in Sedalia. He highlighted the traditions of Scottish heavy athletics such as the caber toss, hammer throw, and stone put, along with pipe band competitions, Highland dancing, and family-friendly cultural events. Wilson also sh...

The Spine Stealers and Ross Thorn stopped by KGNU with DJ Jules ahead of their August 20th show at the Skylark Lounge in Denver. On their first Western tour, the Spine Stealers shared songs from their new EP, due out this week, and talked about their collaborative songwriting process that grew out of the pandemic. Ross Thorn, who just released his album Fitting In, performed his storytelling-rich...

Scottish folk powerhouse Breabach celebrated 20 years together with a vibrant set at RockyGrass 2025. Fiddler and vocalist Megan Henderson discussed the band’s Glasgow roots, their mix of contemporary and traditional Scottish sounds, and the Celtic influences that connect deeply with American bluegrass. Currently touring the U.S., Breabach reflected on the privilege of making music full-time, the...

Colorado bluegrass trio Jake Leg lit up the main stage at RockyGrass 2025 with a set that blended tradition and fresh original material. Band members Dylan McCarthy, Justin Hoffenberg, and Eric Wigg spoke with Matt Malick about the honor of playing RockyGrass, their teaching roles at the Academy, and their upcoming sophomore album, which they’ll record at eTown this fall. With new songs on the hor...

Ani DiFranco joined DJ Jules for a conversation about her recent transition from a six-month run in Hadestown on Broadway back to the open-ended freedom of touring her own music. She talks about the challenges of performing a scripted role every night, the joy of returning to improvisation on stage, and how these experiences inform her ongoing creative work, including her forthcoming record The Te...

Fresh off their big win in the 2025 RockyGrass Band Competition, Slay & Stinson joined Riley Ann backstage to share their excitement and introduce the full band. Known for their strong songwriting, tight harmonies, and energetic performances, the group reflected on their journey from competing at Telluride to finding their voice as a band. With an album already out (Product of Colorado), more musi...