WTTS In Conversation

Rick Mitarotonda and Peter Anspach of Goose spoke with Matt Pelsor last year right after the release of their acclaimed album Dripfield. They talked about recording the album, and the band’s process of recording and releasing nearly every live show they do. Later, they comment on a piece of fan-made merch that has become a source of delight, and confusion, among some fans (including Matt).

Crystal McKenzie talked with Dave Depper of Death Cab for Cutie around the time of their show in Indy last month. They spoke about his early career, as well as his first gig playing with Ray Lamontagne, which happened to be The Late Show with David Letterman, a show he ended up playing again with Death Cab for Cutie just before Letterman retired. He also spoke about his passion for running which h...

Morning host Matt Pelsor asks Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz about a great “lost” Counting Crows song that only exists on the end credits of the movie Rounders . He also asks Adam about his focus on the sequence of songs on Counting Crows albums, and the songs that were casualties of that obsession. Adam also shares the great rock & roll story about the recording of "Mrs. Potter’s Lu...

Crystal McKenzie talks with blues/rock guitar great Kenny Wayne Shepherd about how radio shaped his career by allowing him to meet his hero, Stevie Ray Vaughan at a very young age. He also talks about playing David Gilmour’s priceless strat on stage at Lucas Oil Stadium with the Jim Irsay Band, and about that band’s curious beginnings more than 15 years ago. Kenny Wayne Shepherd plays Brown County...

Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls will bring a solo show to the HiFi on May 20th, so she sat down with Matt Pelsor to talk about her latest album If It All Goes South, including her collaboration with Brandi Carlile on the song “Subway.”  For more on the May 20th show, click here: ​​https://www.wttsfm.com/events/amy-ray/

Goo Goo Dolls singer Johnny Rzeznik talked with Matt Pelsor about their latest album Chaos in Bloom, and one particularly great song from their 2019 album Miracle Pill. He also reflected on staying sober through the pandemic, and 25 years of "Iris." Goo Goo Dolls play TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park with O.A.R. on August 23rd. Details and a link to tickets here:  https://www.w...

Keyboardist Ben Wilson of Blues Traveler called up Matt Pelsor to talk about the tour that will bring them to Brown County Music Center at the end of April. He also talked about their annual show at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater, the hits and misses of his era of the band over the last 23 years, and what it was like joining the band right after the tragic loss of bassist Bobby Sheehan. Blue...

Shawn Colvin talked to morning host Matt Pelsor about how the tour she’s doing with Marc Cohn has evolved since its initial pre-pandemic iteration, including the involvement of the late David Crosby. She also reflects on her acoustic 30th anniversary edition of her debut album Steady On, and her breakthrough album A Few Small Repairs, including a few details on the song “I Want It Back,” and the b...

Norah Jones spoke with morning host Matt Pelsor about her album Pick Me Up Off The Floor, as well as her 2008 indie rock one-off album El Madmo . They also spoke about her rooftop performance at the Empire State Building, and her return to touring following the pandemic. He also informed her of an obscure Norah Jones movie reference she wasn’t aware of!

The music of The Talking Heads will be performed by those who did it first on February 26th at Old National Centre. Former touring member Adrian Belew called up to talk about the tour with Jerry Harrison, working with Bowie, Zappa, King Crimson, and the recent hip-hop revival of another song he co-wrote with Tom Tom Club, the immortal 1981 single “Genius of Love.”

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ann Wilson of Heart spoke with Morning host Matt Pelsor ahead of her Indy appearance with the Jim Irsay Band last Fall. They talked about the then forthcoming show, her latest album Fierce Bliss, and how she’s able to sound just as good as she did decades ago.

The Big Head Todd and the Monsters frontman spoke with morning host Matt Pelsor last week ahead of their Brown County Music Center show about their work with NASA, their Monsters Music Monthly songs, and a new album likely arriving this year.

Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins talks about how Pandemic made them scrap an entire album and write a new one, 2021’s Our Bande Apart. He also teases yet another album that may drop this year, and reflects on the band’s enduring influence on a fanbase that somehow stays the same age as the years progress.

Indiana singer/songwriter/guitarist Strand of Oaks (Timothy Showalter) spoke with morning host Matt Pelsor about touring Europe with Magnolia Electric Company following the death of friend and fellow musician Jason Molina. He also talked about cast in the television show Mayans MC, as well as what it was like to work with Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha on his most recent album “In Heaven.”...

Founding member of the Beach Boys Mike Love explores the moment that the Beach Boys’ later albums (1969-1979) are having among Indie Rock and New Wave fans who have been lauding them as highly influential and essential to the sounds that came afterward. This era is explored in the new box set Sail On Sailor along with unreleased outtakes, live recordings, and bonus demo material. He also touches o...

Chad and Brad from Dispatch talk with Matt Pelsor about the inspiration for the title track on their latest album “Break Our Fall,” as well as their recent tour with OAR, and their choice to record a signature song of theirs in Russian in an attempt to inspire peace on the other side of the world. WTTS In Conversation is sponsored by IndyGo. Apply at https://www.indygo.net/employment/

Melissa Etheridge talks with Matt Pelsor about her latest release One Way Out , which is a collection of older songs that were never released, plus two live recordings. She shares how she keeps her voice fit for touring, and talks about her relationship with her spouse who happens to be her exact same age. WTTS In Conversation is sponsored by IndyGo. Apply at https://www.indygo.net/employment/

The band Cannons have enjoyed another banner year with the release of their album Fever Dream, a headlining tour, and multiple festivals; so it’s hard to imagine them being anxious about being on stage. But they talk about how nervous they were to play their first big crowd, Lollapalooza 2021. They also get into their writing process, and what life on the road has been like. WTTS In Conversation i...

Frontman Matty Healy of The 1975 talks with morning host Matt Pelsor about their new album Being Funny in a Foreign Language, which just dropped on October 14th. Matty talks about working with mega-producer Jack Antonoff on the record, and about how he sounds different now compared to their breakthrough single “Chocolate.”

The legendary Jackson Browne chats with morning host Matt Pelsor about his latest album and subsequent tour that brought him through Indianapolis in June. Browne talks about working with his son Ryan on the video for the song “Minutes to Downtown,” and about the decades-long inspiration for the album’s closer “Song for Barcelona,” as well as the album’s ocean-inspired title, Downhill from Everywhe...

Jonathan talks to morning host Matt Pelsor about how making the new album, Every Shade of Blue , felt like the band’s earlier days because of the unique and healthy way the band came together during the pandemic. He goes into detail on the single “Virginia,” and reveals the superstar he was trying to emulate in part of his performance. He also shares who he feels is the best songwriter in the band...

The National drummer talks about 2019’s I am Easy to Find , and the film that goes along with it, as well as the new music coming out later this year. He also talks about what has kept him in his home city of Cincinnati ahead of their concert date at Indy’s TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park on Sunday, September 18th.

Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson plays the HiFi Annex on August 30! He joins morning host Matt Pelsor to talk about his new album, Boston Accent , as well as passion project Achtung Matty, his U2 tribute released around the 30th anniversary of the iconic Achtung Baby .

The Gov’t Mule frontman joins morning host Matt Pelsor to talk about their latest album, Heavy Load Blues. He explains how the recording process was unlike any other album they’ve done, and hints at the next record–both of which they recorded simultaneously. He also shares the unique way they decide what to play on any given night. Gov’t Mule plays the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater on Friday,...

Wilco guitarist Nels Cline joins morning host Matt Pelsor to talk about how the new album Cruel Country came together, and compares its process to Matt’s favorite Wilco album Sky Blue Sky . Wilco plays TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park on August 14th.