A Deeper Listen

Shawna Potter is the singer of a hardcore, feminist punk band called War on Women. Last year she released a book called Making Spaces Safer: A Guide to Giving Harassment the Boot Wherever You Work, Play, and Gather. She discusses what a safe music venue should look like, how staff should be trained, and how patrons can respond to harassment.  

We also hear from Sadie Dupuis of the bands Speedy Ortiz and Sad13 about putting Potter’s book into practice while on tour. She also talks about her hotline she created for fans to use if they are feeling unsafe at a show.  

“We set up a phone number you could text if you were experiencing harassment at a show and it would forward to every member of our touring party and the hope is we could get someone to safety,” Dupuis says.  

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Blimes and Gab, the rap duo consisting of Seattle MC Gabrielle “Gifted Gab” Kadushin and San Francisco’s Samantha “Blimes Brixton” McDonald, recently released their debut album, 'Talk About It.' They join KEXP’s Gabriel Teodros to discuss the new album, finding alternative income streams during the pandemic, and being authentically themselves in a music industry that wants them to be something else.

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Josiah Johnson released his first solo album on September 4th. This comes five years after he was kicked out of Head and the Heart for his struggles with addiction. They were in the middle of recording 'Signs of Light' and Johnson wasn’t showing up to the studio or answering his phone. 

“They were like, we love you. Go figure your stuff out. We need to focus. We can’t worry whether or not you are alive,” Johnson explains.

After some soul searching, Johnson has found healing in music. He discusses his journey through recovery in his latest album, 'Every Feeling On A Loop.'

Parts of this interview originally aired on the February 4th episode of the Sound & Vision podcast.

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One month ago, a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of Beirut exploded, causing at least 181 deaths and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless. Among those whose homes were destroyed were all members of the band Postcards. One band member was also injured from the impact of the explosion.

KEXP's Owen Murphy catches up with Postcard's lead singer and co-songwriter Julia Sabra to discuss what happened that day. She also shares her perspective on the ongoing civil protests in Lebanon, why it's important not to normalize tragedy, and how the band is taking action to support local musicians.

Where to donate:

• Beirut Musicians' Fund
• Impact Lebanon Relief
• Lebanese Red Cross
• Lebanese Food Bank
• Domestic Workers Fund

Learn more about Postcards' "Fossilized" in KEXP's Song of the Day feature

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Author Mark Ribowsky talks about the legacy of Little Richard, from the surprising story of his first hit single, "Tutti Frutti," to the many comebacks he had later in his career. Ribowsky also discusses the influential singer's struggles and frustrations with navigating a racist music industry, which he captures in his newly released biography, 'The Big Life of Little Richard.'

"I call it rock & roll's original sin. The people who actually made rock & roll, [and were] pivotal to the growth of this whole music industry, never were given a fair share of the financial results," Ribowsky says.

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