Asher White is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, visual artist, and writer whose prolific creative practice began in her early teens. She started releasing music on Bandcamp at 14, and by her mid-20s, had self-released more than a dozen albums. Her pop vision marries disparate sounds—skittering noise with swooping strings, lively banjo with blasts of feedback—across genres including drone, folk, Tropicalia, noise rock, and chamber pop. Deeply informed by her trans identity, and Jewish spirituality, White’s work is both intimate and expansive. White’s 2024 album “Home Constellation Study” was praised by Pitchfork for its “imagination, complexity, and feeling.” Her sixteenth LP “8 Tips for Full Catastrophe Living“ was released in 2025 by the Indianapolis label Joyful Noise Recordings. White will perform at State Street Pub on October 1.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by listening to Kyle Long’s 2024 interview with Omar Apollo. Born in Hobart, Indiana in 1997, Apollo is a Grammy-nominated Mexican-American singer-songwriter whose music blends R&B, pop, funk, and Latin influences. His 2022 debut album “Ivory” earned widespread critical praise, landing him on the Billboard 200, and securing a nomination for Best New Artist at the 65th Grammy Awards. In his wide-ranging interview for Cultural Manifesto, Apollo reflected on his roots in Indiana and the pressures he faced growing up gay and Latino in the Midwest.

Gonzalo Rubalcaba is a Grammy-winning Cuban pianist and composer celebrated as one of the most innovative voices in modern jazz. He’ll be performing at Indy Jazz Fest on September 19. Born in Havana in 1963 to a musical family, Rubalcaba was classically trained before emerging as a prodigy of the city’s vibrant jazz scene. His virtuosic technique quickly drew international attention, leading to collaborations with legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Haden, and Herbie Hancock. In his conversation with WFYI’s Kyle Long, Rubalcaba discusses his connection to Dizzy Gillespie and his latest album, “A Tribute to Benny Moré and Nat King Cole.”

Pahua is the musical project of Mexico City–based producer, singer, and DJ Paulina Sotomayor, known for weaving electronic beats with Latin American folk traditions. Pahua will be giving a free performance on September 20 for West Lafayette, Indiana’s Global Fest. Pahau rose to prominence in 2015 with Sotomayor, an electronic music duo featuring her brother Raul. She launched her solo career in 2020, quickly gaining attention for her ability to blend hip hop and house, with traditional sounds from Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina and Colombia. Pahua has carved out a unique space in the international electronic music scene, earning festival appearances and collaborations across Latin America and beyond.

Brandee Younger is a groundbreaking harpist who has redefined the instrument’s place in contemporary music. Younger will perform at Indy Jazz Fest on September 17. 

A classically trained musician, Younger has cultivated a unique sound that fuses her classical training with elements of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. Younger has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Common, John Legend, Kanye West, Meshell Ndegeocello and many others.

In 2021, Younger released “Somewhere Different” on the historic Impulse! label, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Composition — the first Black woman ever recognized in that category. Her 2023 album “Brand New Life” celebrated the legacy of harp pioneer Dorothy Ashby and won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album. Throughout her career, Younger has worked to promote and celebrate the work of jazz musician Alice Coltrane and on her new album “Gadabout Season” Younger is performing on Coltrane’s harp.

Listen to Younger’s interview with WFYI’s Kyle Long this week on Cultural Manifesto.

The guitarist and vocalist Roger McGuinn is among the most critically acclaimed and influential American musicians. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991 and in 2023 he was named one of the “250 Greatest Guitarist” by Rolling Stone magazine.  

McGuinn is a co-founder of The Byrds and he’s often associated with the West Coast rock scene of the 1960s. But McGuinn is a native of the Midwest and he grew up immersed in the vibrant folk music scene of Chicago during the 1950s. McGuinn began his career recording and performing with folk groups like The Limelighters and Chad Mitchell Trio. 

McGuinn rose to national prominence in 1964 when he co-founded The Byrds with David Crosby and Gene Clark. McGuinn’s 12 string Rickenbacker guitar was a defining element of the group’s sound. The Byrds’ 1965 version of Bob Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” hit #1 on the American charts. That same year, their recording of Pete Seeger’s “Turn, Turn, Turn” also hit #1, ushering in the folk-rock movement of the mid 1960s.  

Over the next few years McGuinn continued to set new trends in rock music. The Byrds’ 1966 single “Eight Miles High” brought psychedelic music to the pop charts, and their1968 album “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” sparked the development of country rock.

The Byrds broke up in 1973, but McGuinn has continued to record and tour as a solo artist. McGuinn will bring his “Storied and Songs” tour to Carmel, Indiana’s Tarkington Theatre on September 13. 

In this conversation with WFYI’s Kyle Long, McGuinn reflects on his roots in the Chicago folk scene.

Listen to a conversation with Durand Jones, Aaron Frazer and Blake Rhein of the soul band Durand Jones and The Indications. They joined WFYI’s Kyle Long for an in-depth discussion of their roots in Bloomington, Indiana and how projects including the IU Soul Revue and Charlie Patton’s War brought the band together. The Indications’ latest album is titled “Flowers”, and they’ll be performing in Indianapolis on September 30 at the Hi-Fi Annex. 

Durand Jones and the Indications formed in Bloomington in 2012, while its members were studying at Indiana University. The band’s sound was built around a mutual love for classic soul, funk and R&B. Their reputation spread beyond Bloomington in 2016, when Ohio’s Colemine Records issued their debut album. The Indication’s second album “American Love Call” was issued in 2019 and praised by critics for its lush arrangements and socially conscious lyrics, earning comparisons to The Impressions and The Delfonics. Two years later, their album “Private Space” debuted in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. Their latest album “Flowers” builds on the band’s distinct blend of vintage soul sounds and contemporary production techniques.

Since launching in Bloomington over a decade ago, The Indications have grown into an international force, racking up millions of streams online, and touring across North America and Europe.

Listen to an interview with Oltanie, a Haitian-American vocalist based in Indianapolis. Her music featured a dynamic fusion of Caribbean and Afro-pop sounds.

Also hear a conversation with the Indianapolis keyboardist and bandleader Rodney Stepp, best known for his work with The Spinners. During the late 1970s, Stepp left The Spinners to form Rapture, a legendary Indianapolis funk band. A new compilation of Rapture’s music was released earlier this year by Now Again Records.

Over the last few years, rapper 4200Kory has emerged as one of the most compelling artistic voices in the Indianapolis hip-hop scene. His name, 4200Kory, is an homage to the Indianapolis neighborhood where he grew up, 42 and Post Road. The music of 4200Kory channels the spirit of golden age ‘90s hip-hop with poetic lyrics, chronicling his life and experiences in Naptown. His debut album “Cobra Son” is a mediation on his early family life. 4200 Kory is the oldest of seven children and he crafted the album as a tribute to his mother and late father. 

Listen to an interview with 4200Kory, as he shares the inspiration behind “Cobra Son”. He will also discuss his upcoming performance at Chreece, an all-day hip-hop festival happening in the Fountain Square neighborhood.

Rapper Jessica Garrett is better known to Indianapolis music fans as Joosi Got Bars. She was born and raised on the west side of Indianapolis. Joosi has been recording and releasing music for over a decade. She’s performed at events like Indy Black Expo and venues including The Vogue and The HI-FI. Joosi recently launched a clothing brand called PLUSH (Pushing Limits Until Something Happens.) On August 23, Joosi will be performing at Chreece, an all-day hip-hop festival held in the Fountain Square neighborhood.