Features Assistant Director Ari Mejia chats with local band Practical Flats. In this interview we get their innate friendship is the special sauce of their music making.

Produced by Ari Mejia

Interviewer Bradley Morgan chats with Leo Duncan of Ten Fe at their Schubas show. They discuss Ten Fe's origins as a band, creating a foundation built on selflessness, and blending genres from traditional Irish music to psychedelia to jazz.

Produced by Brian Szpak

Jacqui Shine is a writer and historian whose work has appeared in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the Boston Review, Slate, and The Atlantic. She's read, taught, and performed at The Marrow, the Therapy Sessions with Seth Vanek, the Chautauqua Institution, the Dikeou Reading Series, and Bad Advice from Bad Women. After six years in Chicago, she's experimenting with not taking the weather personally.

The First Time is CHIRP Radio’s live lit and music series. Created in 2010, The First Time pairs a reader’s personal story about a specific "first time" - a different "first" for each show - with a song performance. This unique structure allows the story to resonate with audience members as they experience the accompanying song covered by The First Time Four (Gerald Dowd, Steve Frisbie, Liam Davis and Scott Stephenson.

Event produced and directed by Julie Mueller with Assistant Producer Bobby Evers and Host Jenn Sodini. Podcast recorded by Brian Heath, produced and edited by Jenn Rourke.

Interviewer Marites Velasquez hangs at the Chirp studio with local Chicago band Impulsive Hearts. They chat about their new EP, Girls Rock Chicago, and using music as a way to make a difference. 

Produced by Joseph Griffin

Photo credit: J. Del Dotto

FURY was born in Chicago Illinois. As a child she attended her grandfather’s church where she gained a very strong moral foundation as well as an appreciation of soulful music. Growing up she expressed her feelings through art and grew very fond of poetry and spoken word. Her biggest inspirations growing up were Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, Eve, Left Eye and Talib Kweli. At the age of 13 she began to embrace the notion of becoming a rapper. Due to the loss of many loved ones she used writing to deal with the pain and loneliness we all deal with growing up. In high school she performed in several talent shows and began to gain more confidence as a rapper. At the age of 22 she became a mother and gained an even stronger drive to be a positive female role model. The music FURY writes is very intense and heart felt. She is very aware of the decline in positive messages in hip hop especially from female artists. She is inspired by music from all walks of life as long as it attempts to connect people and helps others to deal with life. She hopes to continue the legacy of the great female emcees who paved the way for her and motivate the emcees of the future.

The First Time is CHIRP Radio’s live lit and music series. Created in 2010, The First Time pairs a reader’s personal story about a specific "first time" - a different "first" for each show - with a song performance. This unique structure allows the story to resonate with audience members as they experience the accompanying song covered by The First Time Four (Gerald Dowd, Steve Frisbie, Liam Davis and Scott Stephenson.

Event produced and directed by Julie Mueller with Assistant Producer Bobby Evers and Host Jenn Sodini. Podcast recorded by Brian Heath, produced and edited by Jenn Rourke.

Lowland Hum hails from Virginia and their new record ‘Glyphonic’ carries intention in its narrative lyrics and relatable imagery. Features Director Amanda Roscoe Mayo sat down with Lauren and Daniel to discuss their decision to end a 3 month tour with the record release, how they approach art and writing, and what they are doing to provide emotional access to their music.

Produced by Amanda Roscoe Mayo

You can hear Jenn Rourke on the air at CHIRP as DJ Ninja on Fridays from 6 to 8 PM Jenn has been a DJ for 17 years at various community and college stations across Illinois. She also serves as a CHIRPRadio production director and on the station's programming committee. Jenn has also worked on the First Time show in various capacities for 8 years, currently as producer of the First Time podcast. By day, she works at ABC7 Chicago, and in previous lives worked at WGN Radio,   Second City, and as a gymnastics instructor.

The First Time is CHIRP Radio’s live lit and music series. Created in 2010, The First Time pairs a reader’s personal story about a specific "first time" - a different "first" for each show - with a song performance. This unique structure allows the story to resonate with audience members as they experience the accompanying song covered by The First Time Four (Gerald Dowd, Steve Frisbie, Liam Davis and Scott Stephenson.

Event produced and directed by Julie Mueller with Assistant Producer Bobby Evers and Host Jenn Sodini. Podcast recorded by Brian Heath, produced and edited by Jenn Rourke.

Interviewer Mick Reed goes deep with Mykele Deville, local Chicago musician, poet, playwright and actor.  Mick gets to the heart of Mykele's prolificity and what drives his unyielding creativity. 

Produced by Eugene Cabanban

Photo Credit: Zakkiyyah Najeebah

Features & Production Director Amanda Roscoe Mayo chats with Will Marsh of Gold Connections about community found in college radio versus as a touring musician, the new EP Like a Shadow, and more.

Produced by Amanda Roscoe Mayo

Jennifer Rogers chats in our studio with local band Deeper. They discuss their first album that released last May, touring, how the cold of the midwest can influence songwriting, and more. 

Produced by Linh Nguyen