A Deeper Listen

KEXP’s Fall Fundraising Drive is happening right now. Our goal this week is to raise $1.1 million to help make up for the loss of funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This podcast — as well as all our programming on the air, online, and in our communities — relies primarily on financial contributions from individuals. Our amplifiers give money to the station on a monthly basis, and we couldn’t do what we do without you.

Between the loss of CPB funding and the questions raised by streaming platforms and artificial intelligence, we’re at a critical juncture to determine the future of the music industry. It’s in your hands. Please give now at kexp.org/deeper!

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The photographer Bootsy Holler is releasing a book next month called “Making It: an intimate documentary on the Seattle indie rock and punk scene, 1992 to 2008.” Those were the years when Bootsy was living in the city.

She captures behind-the-scenes moments with artists who have defined Seattle’s reputation, from Nirvana to Fleet Foxes. In addition to revealing moments with lesser-known artists, Bootsy also shares pieces of own life as a photographer trying to “make it” in this creative business.

“Part of what I love about Seattle is that everyone is making their own art,” Bootsy says in the interview. “There’s nobody telling you what to do. Once I realized that, I started to look at myself even differently — like, ‘yeah, you have lived on your own terms.’”

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper

photo by Bootsy Holler/Seth Gordon

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Algernon Cadwallader is a midwest emo band originally from Pennsylvania. They took a hiatus back in 2012, and now they’re officially back with their first full-length album in more than a decade, Trying Not to Have a Thought.

KEXP’s Meerah Powell spoke with some of the members about the band’s revival, their newfound connections to the Pacific Northwest, and how their lyrics leave little room for ambiguity.

“I think we’re at a point where there needs to be a little more ‘get pissed’ in everything that people are making,” drummer Nick Tazza says in the interview. “Everyone feels it, and I think we need to stop shying away from it.”

On this record, Algernon Cadwallader directly confronts complicated events in America’s political history, from the 1985 bombing of the Philadelphia organization MOVE to the more recent placement of boulders under freeway bridges in Portland to deter homeless people from camping there.

“We used to spend so much time in between songs talking about [political issues],” vocalist Peter Helmis says. “Well, now, it just comes along with the music. Anytime someone plays it, they’re hearing the message.”

Tazza adds: “We’ve all put a record together that stands for something and it means something. All the bands we loved growing up were super political, and that’s what we cut our teeth on, so to see it come full circle is kind of cool.”

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper

Photo credit: Scott Troyan

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two composers walk into a room (actually, they walk into different rooms) and record an album focused on the serendipity of live performance. Fittingly, it’s titled Different Rooms.

The composers in question are Jeremiah Chiu, who plays the synth, and Marta Sofia Honer, a violist. KEXP contributor Isabel Khalili spoke with them about how this latest album is an experimental dance between acoustic and electric, in some ways paying tribute to experimental composers from more than 50 years ago.

“Something that we talk about a lot is leaving little to chance and letting it be a little chaotic because that’s the actual experience that we’re having as we’re navigating through this world,” Chiu says in the interview. “It’s not overly careful and considered — all things happen at the same time, and we’re walking through it. If things are overly perfect when we listen to music, everyone’s always like, ‘Where’s the human in this?’”

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper

Photo Credit: Charlie Weinmann

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before this year, Ivy last released new music in 2011 with the album All Hours. Now, 14 years later, Ivy has reassembled to share Traces of You, which came out September 5 on Bar/None Records.

What makes this album extra special is that it includes parts from one of the late members, Adam Schlessinger, who died from complications of COVID-19 in 2020. The other surviving members — Andy Chase, Dominique Durand, and Bruce Driscoll — wrote 10 brand-new songs that all incorporate parts from Schlesinger.

KEXP’s Roddy Nikpour spoke with Ivy about their collaborative approach, how Chase and Durand’s marriage may or may not be affected by a love of Tetris and a self-described “flute fetish,” and ultimately how the band had fun putting this record together.

“We couldn’t just leave [the demos] in a storage room,” Durand says in the interview. “We had to do something about it.” When it comes to writing around parts from their late bandmate, Chase adds, “You try every idea. That’s the wonderful thing about the digital era — there’s no limit. We pretty much exhaust all our creativity on every song, and then it’s a matter of subtraction.”

This is why the band adopted a “less is more” approach.

“There were songs where we would try to add a bunch of stuff and then realize we’d gone too far,” Driscoll says. “We’d realize that the first thing we’d done was the best thing.”

Related: Janice Headley talked with the band in 2023 about one of their iconic reissued albums, Apartment Life, which originally came out in 1997.

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper

photo by Michelle Shiers

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesse Beaman, an ambient composer based in Mexico City, joins a growing number of artists who are no longer making their music available on Spotify. He cites the platform’s requirement for musicians to have 1,000 yearly streams to receive royalties, as well as CEO Daniel Ek’s investments in Helsing, a company that makes AI-powered defense weaponry.

While his platform may not be as big as other Spotify protestors like Deerhoof, Beaman’s career is marked with tours across four continents, video production, and collaborations with members of Interpol and M83. These connections have proven vital for his success.

KEXP’s Roddy Nikpour talks with Beaman about his complicated Latinx identity, his prolific network, and his stance against Spotify.

“Spotify is killing people’s attention span,” Beaman says in the interview. “Before you can even get connected to a certain artist, they’re trying to sell you on another artist.”

When it comes to distributing his music, Beaman is turning to Bandcamp and physical media like vinyl. No matter how you listen, he hopes fans will practice intentional listening: “If you can give music the focus it deserves, I’ll be happy.”

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper

photo by Kate Meyer

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will Toledo, vocalist for Seattle-based Car Seat Headrest, wanted the band’s latest release to be a concept album in the tradition of a rock opera. The Scholars delivers just that: strong storytelling within each of its nine tracks, inventing characters in a “fictional America,” attesting to the human search for meaning inside and outside of ourselves.

Toledo stopped by KEXP earlier this year to speak with Midday Host Cheryl Waters. He opens up about going back on tour after suffering from the effects of long COVID and the album's collaborative songwriting process.

“There’s only so much you can say about yourself before it stops getting interesting,” Toledo says in the interview. “Having this concept of characters helped a lot. It’s me giving a sincere portrait of someone I can relate to rather than it being me.”

Car Seat Headrest is one of the headlining bands at Bumbershoot 2025, taking place August 30 and 31 at Seattle Center.

Photo credit: Carlos Cruz

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seiji Oda pays respect to his Oakland roots in his 2025 album HUMAN + NATURE. He not only samples Bay Area titans like Mac Dre and Trunk Boiz — the record also features numerous collaborations with local artists making waves in the scene today, like the producer ClayDough. 

KEXP’s Dusty Henry spoke with Oda about his signature “lofi hyphy” sound, blending raw nature sounds with party-ready beats. 

“Starting with the natural environment first, I’m like, ‘Okay, what fits there?’” Oda says of his creative process in the interview. “What chords do I hear in this environment? What drums do I hear in this environment? Whose vocal sound could sound good in this environment? It doesn’t have to be perfect. As long as it feels right and people are moving, that’s what matters.” 

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper 

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Open Mike Eagle’s tenth studio album, Neighborhood Gods Unlimited, continues the rap legacy that he started in the late 2000s when he cofounded the trio Thirsty Fish. From there, he made a bigger name for himself as a solo artist, starting with his 2010 debut, Unapologetic Art Rap. Along the way, he even appeared in the cartoon Adventure Time as a rapping gingerbread cookie.

On top of his music career, Open Mike Eagle has also started multiple multimedia endeavors, like the artist collective Hellfyre Club and an alt-comedy TV series called The New Negroes (both of which have since ended). These days, he’s running his own podcast network, Stony Island Audio.

KEXP’s Martin Douglas spoke with Open Mike Eagle about the years leading up to his newest album, which included a divorce and various collaborations with other rappers. Neighborhood Gods Unlimited draws heavily on Black surrealism, similar to movies like Sorry to Bother You and Get Out.“

I felt challenged and inspired by these pieces of media,” Open Mike Eagle says in the interview. “I want to tell an absurd story in a rap album. I want people to feel the depths where it might be trying to go emotionally and the questions it might be trying to ask — but I don't want to say all the answers.” He continues, “At every step of that process, I have to deal with self-doubt. I want to make art that is able to contend with that.”

Photo credit: Robert Adam Mayer

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper 

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Kay Redden moved to Seattle from Garland, Texas, she made it her mission to connect with her newly adopted home through music. So, in searching for meaning after mother’s death in April 2015, she launched Den Tapes, spending countless hours hand-dubbing cassettes. It wasn’t long before local bands gravitated toward her down-to-earth, community-oriented approach to music distribution. 

This year, she’s marking the label’s tenth birthday with a compilation titled What Else is Sacred? A Compilation of Grief, as well as a curated two-day lineup at Den Fest on August 8 and 9 at Sunset Tavern. 

KEXP’s Dusty Henry spoke with Redden to explore the label’s ten-year history through five standout albums. 

“I am anti Seattle Freeze,” Redden says in the interview. “I don't believe in it. There are too many transplants here now for it to be real. I want to make a community that actually welcomes you with open arms.” On that note, when it comes to Den Fest, she advises showgoers: “Come and be prepared to dance a little bit. If you don't like dancing, stand at the back,” she laughs. 

Support the show: kexp.org/deeper  

Redden's picks for must-listen Den Tapes albums:

New Album by Happy Times Sad Times

Switch Hits by Various Artists

Skin by Wild Powwers

Passe by Oruã

Pistons of the Ages by M.A. Sampson

Photo Credit: Ashley Dickerson

Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.