A Deeper Listen

By KEXPMusic Music Interviews

A Deeper Listen episodes

October 22, 2020 Kevin Morby's 'Sundowner' Puts Midwest Twilight Into Sound
Kevin Morby feels a sense of melancholy when the sun goes down. That feeling inspired his latest album, ‘Sundowner.’ The album was written after Morby moved from LA to his hometown of Kansas City. He says this record was his “attempt to put the Middle American twilight—its beauty profound, though not always immediate— into sound.”
Many of the songs paint a picture of campfires, stars, dead deer on an open road and storms. And while the sunsets mark a darkening chapter of his day, he says they are particularly beautiful in the Midwest.
“They say it’s 'God’s country' or 'big sky country' and the clouds are so big out here and the clouds sort of act as these projectors for the light and just kind of hold on for a really long time,” Morby says.
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
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9 min
October 20, 2020 The Fight to Keep Music Live
It’s now been seven months since music venues have been able to hold shows. Steven Severin of the Seattle venue, Neumos, talks about the efforts to rally for federal and state aid as well as the recent #KeepMusicLiveWA fundraising campaign to save independent music venues.

“If we don't get some type of funding, and soon, the venues are going to go away and they're not coming back,” Severin says.

Sound & Vision also hears from folks who worked in live music before the pandemic hit and have had to find jobs in different industries altogether—from wine to welding. For some, the switch is for good.
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16 min
October 20, 2020 The Fight to Keep Music Live
It’s now been seven months since music venues have been able to hold shows. Steven Severin of the Seattle venue, Neumos, talks about the efforts to rally for federal and state aid as well as the recent #KeepMusicLiveWA fundraising campaign to save independent music venues.
“If we don't get some type of funding, and soon, the venues are going to go away and they're not coming back,” Severin says.
Sound & Vision also hears from folks who worked in live music before the pandemic hit and have had to find jobs in different industries altogether—from wine to welding. For some, the switch is for good.
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16 min
October 16, 2020 Deep Sea Diver's Journey of Healing and Empathy on 'Impossible Weight'
Seattle’s Deep Sea Diver is out with their third album, 'Impossible Weight.' The album was written after frontwoman Jessica Dobson's experience with depression.

“I just hit this crazy wall where everything turned black and I couldn’t see a foot in front of me,” Dobson says.

On the journey to heal and overcome that sadness, Dobson started volunteering with a non-profit that works with unhoused, drug dependent Seattle-area residents. Conversations with folks there inspired the song, "Switchblade." Dobson says those conversations helped her tap into a stronger compassion for herself and empathy for others.
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9 min
October 16, 2020 Deep Sea Diver's Journey of Healing and Empathy on 'Impossible Weight'
Seattle’s Deep Sea Diver is out with their third album, 'Impossible Weight.' The album was written after frontwoman Jessica Dobson's experience with depression.
“I just hit this crazy wall where everything turned black and I couldn’t see a foot in front of me,” Dobson says.
On the journey to heal and overcome that sadness, Dobson started volunteering with a non-profit that works with unhoused, drug dependent Seattle-area residents. Conversations with folks there inspired the song, "Switchblade." Dobson says those conversations helped her tap into a stronger compassion for herself and empathy for others.
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
9 min
October 15, 2020 Bob Mould’s 'Blue Hearts’ Beats With Protest
Bob Mould has been making music for more than 40 years. His career started when he played in the punk band, Hüsker Dü, which was prominent in the 80s. Mould is now out with his 14th solo record, 'Blue Hearts.'

Mould discusses some prominent themes from the new album, as well as parallels he sees in politics of the 80s and today, and the importance of music as protest. He also talks about the role of musicians to use their platforms to speak out on issues like climate change. In the song "Next Generation," he urges listeners to actively engage with politics and their communities with the lyrics, "Please pay attention, take to the streets for your rights."
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16 min
October 15, 2020 Bob Mould’s 'Blue Hearts’ Beats With Protest
Bob Mould has been making music for more than 40 years. His career started when he played in the punk band, Hüsker Dü, which was prominent in the 80s. Mould is now out with his 14th solo record, 'Blue Hearts.'
Mould discusses some prominent themes from the new album, as well as parallels he sees in politics of the 80s and today, and the importance of music as protest. He also talks about the role of musicians to use their platforms to speak out on issues like climate change. In the song "Next Generation," he urges listeners to actively engage with politics and their communities with the lyrics, "Please pay attention, take to the streets for your rights."
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16 min
October 13, 2020 The Cheater's Guide to Spotify
The Cheater’s Guide to Spotify is a series on Medium by OneZero author, Peter Slattery. In the series, Slattery lays out various ways people game the Spotify system to rack up streams. In this episode, he talks about some of those methods, like creating playlists of popular soundtracks and adding in music that wasn’t part of the soundtrack to give a song more streams, faking a big name featured artist on a track, and increasing search optimization by using an artist name like “White Noise” or “Stress Relief.”
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20 min
October 13, 2020 The Cheater's Guide to Spotify
The Cheater’s Guide to Spotify is a series on Medium by OneZero author, Peter Slattery. In the series, Slattery lays out various ways people game the Spotify system to rack up streams. In this episode, he talks about some of those methods, like creating playlists of popular soundtracks and adding in music that wasn’t part of the soundtrack to give a song more streams, faking a big name featured artist on a track, and increasing search optimization by using an artist name like “White Noise” or “Stress Relief.”
Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
20 min
October 08, 2020 Fleet Foxes on the Significance of Nature in 'Shore'
Fleet Foxes recently released a surprise album at the exact moment of the fall equinox, 6:31am PT on September 22.

Frontman Robin Pecknold discusses the significance of the equinox on the record, tells stories behind some of the songs, and shares how he found a renewed appreciation for music during the pandemic.

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Support the show: https://www.kexp.org/sound/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17 min

About A Deeper Listen

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On A Deeper Listen, host Emily Fox and other storytellers from KEXP talk with artists about the stories behind their songs and the experiences that inform their work. Through each conversation, we…