We were honored to host a Firehouse Session with Shadowlands on September 30, 2025, featuring John Raymond and S. Carey. It was instant goosebumps — the kind of session that quietly takes over the room.

Bloomington-based, John Raymond is an associate professor of music (jazz studies: trumpet) at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. A Grammy-nominated trumpeter, Raymond is widely regarded as one of today’s most promising, genre-bending voices in jazz, moving fluidly between composition, improvisation, and collaboration.

S. Carey brought his unmistakable sense of restraint and emotional depth to the session — a musician known not only for his work as a longtime member of Bon Iver, but also for his own expansive solo catalog that blends folk, ambient textures, and subtle rhythmic experimentation. His approach to songwriting and arrangement added a quiet gravity to the performances, creating space for nuance, silence, and feeling to do their work.

Ahead of their show that night at The Bishop, Raymond and Carey talked about their longstanding friendship, years of creative collaboration, touring, and the deep trust that shapes their work together. The performances were intimate and expansive all at once — patient, emotionally rich, and deeply felt.

A rare, generous Firehouse Session, and a powerful reminder of what live radio can hold when musicians meet in real time.

Host: Abby Noroozi

The Firehouse welcomed Giant Day on November 15, 2025 for a very cool session ahead of their stunning show at The Orbit Room that night. Part of the extended Elephant 6 Collective family, the duo brought something special into the room.

Experimental without losing the thread, packed with pop hooks and delightfully unusual melodies — the session felt playful, curious, and perfectly balanced between structure and surprise.

Giant Day is the latest project from multi-instrumentalist Derek Almstead and singer Emily Growden, drawing on years of pop and psychedelic exploration in the vibrant Athens, Georgia music scene. Now based on a farm in Pennsylvania, the duo carries that deep well of collaboration and creativity into every performance.

A beautiful, mind-opening Firehouse Session — and the perfect lead-in to an unforgettable night at The Orbit Room.

Host: Abby Noroozi

We welcomed artist and political activist Erica Dawn Lyle into the Firehouse on November 14, 2025 for her second visit to the station — and her first-ever Firehouse Session. What unfolded was unlike anything we’ve hosted before.

Experimental, improvisational, and completely unguarded, the session pushed at the edges of what a live radio performance can be. It was raw, surprising, and thrilling in its unpredictability — a reminder that the Firehouse is a space where risk and curiosity are always welcome. This was a special one that will stay with us for a long time.

Host: Adriane Pontecorvo

We loved welcoming Esther Rose back into the Firehouse on October 19, 2025 for her second visit — her first was way back in 2019. The New Mexico–based artist played songs from her incredible 2025 album Want, filling the studio with warmth, wit, and that unmistakable Esther Rose ease.

Playful, open, and genuinely fun to chat with, Esther brought a lightness to the room that made the conversation flow just as beautifully as the songs. One of those sessions where everything clicks — the performances, the laughs, the feeling. Such a special session.

Extra love to Anna Denton Powell for joining us to photograph the session and capture portraits afterward.

Host: Abby Noroozi

We were thrilled to welcome Caley Conway into the WFHB studio for a Firehouse Session on September 23, just ahead of her show that night at Orbit Room. The session offered an intimate glimpse into Conway’s songwriting — emotionally direct, quietly powerful, and delivered with a presence that immediately fills the room.

Hosted by Nicki Seven, the session captures Caley letting the songs speak for themselves, highlighting the nuance and vulnerability that have been drawing audiences in on stages across the Midwest and beyond. A perfect lead-in to a night of live music, this Firehouse Session is a reminder of how special it is to hear an artist up close, before the lights go up and the room fills.

Host: Nicki Seven

We wrapped up our 2025 Firehouse Sessions with a bang on December 3rd, welcoming Delaney Bailey to WFHB for the final session of the year — and going out with a full band felt exactly right.

This was easily one of the coolest sessions of the year. Delaney and her band showed up locked in and bringing their A-game to the Firehouse and filling the room with a performance that felt both powerful and intimate. We’re especially proud to say this marked Delaney Bailey’s very first live radio session — a milestone we don’t take lightly. There’s no question this is just the beginning of many future radio sessions — and we’re proud that WFHB was where it all started.

Chicago-based but Indiana-born, Delaney is an IU alum who began building her audience by posting original songs from her dorm room during the COVID era. That honest, stripped-down approach struck a nerve, and she’s since grown a devoted following of over 70,000 followers on Instagram— with momentum that continues to build.

Enjoy this Firehouse Session, and keep an ear out for Delaney Bailey’s forthcoming album, concave, arriving in early 2026.

Host: Abby Noroozi

Our Firehouse Session with Bonny Light Horseman on September 12th was nothing short of magical. The trio — known for their stunning harmonies, expansive folk vision, and rare musical chemistry — joined us for an in-studio performance that felt intimate, generous, and deeply human.

Hosted by Abby Noroozi, this session was extra special for WFHB: it helped us kick off our record-breaking Fund Drive, setting the tone with warmth, community, and breathtaking music. The band could not have been kinder — parking their tour bus out front, hanging out at the station, chatting with volunteers and staff, and making everyone feel at ease.

They joined us ahead of their sold-out show at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater that night, and we’re so grateful they carved out time to share songs and conversation with us. Moments like this remind us why community-powered radio matters.

Host: Abby Noroozi

We were thrilled to have Bartees Strange in the Firehouse on November 4th for a strikingly intimate in-studio session hosted by Abby Noroozi. Known for bending genres with fearless creativity, Bartees brought a deeply personal set that blended vulnerability, grit, and the boundary-pushing sound he’s become celebrated for.

In conversation, he talked about influences, songwriting, his expansive approach to production, and the brand-new EP Shy Bairns Get Nowt — now in rotation on WFHB. Between songs, Bartees opened up about where his music is headed and the themes that continue to shape his evolving catalog.

He joined us ahead of his solo show that night at The Bishop, and this Firehouse Session captures Bartees at his most distilled: warm, thoughtful, and fully in command of his craft.

Stay tuned for the full session premiere on the WFHB YouTube channel. This one is truly special.

Host: Abby Noroozi

Photo by Anna Powell Denton

We were thrilled to welcome Buffalo Nichols and Sunny War into the Firehouse on September 4th for an unforgettable in-studio session hosted by Abby Noroozi. Two of the most compelling voices in modern roots music, Nichols and War brought a mix of blues, folk, and raw emotional power that filled the room from the first note.

Both artists are celebrated for pushing tradition forward — Nichols with his deeply resonant, contemporary take on the blues, and War with her singular, finger-picking style and piercingly honest songwriting. Hearing them side by side in such an intimate space was a rare treat.

They joined us ahead of their co-headlining show that night at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, and this Firehouse Session captures a glimpse of what makes their pairing so special: masterful musicianship, generous storytelling, and songs that stay with you long after they end.

Stay tuned for the full session premiere on the WFHB YouTube channel — you won’t want to miss this one.

Host: Abby Noroozi

On July 30, WFHB welcomed Gordi, the Australian folktronica artist also known as Sophie Payten, for a Firehouse Session. In this special acoustic solo session, Gordi stripped her songs down to their core, showcasing the intimacy and honesty at the heart of her music.

Host Adriane Pontecorvo talked with her about songwriting, her experience returning to work as a doctor during the pandemic, and the themes behind her new album Like Plasticine.

That night at The Bishop, Gordi expanded her sound with the full band and electronic textures, offering the Bloomington audience a dynamic contrast to her stripped-down Firehouse performance. Don’t miss this special session!

Video from No Guru Media

Host: Adriane Pontecorvo