KCSU Music

KCSU had the opportunity to interview The Crane Wives about the upcoming third act of their tour. We discussed all things about life on the road, dream venues, and the importance of the fans!

In this podcast we discuss the history and community behind Fools Fest, an annual local music show held by KCSU on CSU's campus. 
Featuring the voices of: Asher Korn, Andrew Di Tirro Pat Mathews, Trey DuFauchard, Gideon Aigner, and Gus Arnold

5 Local bands headline Lovers Fest at the Aggie Theater for Valentine's Day. Find out more as Ria and Mia from the KCSU music department interview members of Kevin?, Ember, Snow Day, Planet Claire, and Freaky Stella. 

KCSU music director Ria sat down with Jared Swilley of Black Lips ahead of their Dever show at the Mission Ballroom on October 28th, 2025. On this tour the band is supporting Viagra Boys whilst performing songs from their latest album “Season of the Peach”. The two discuss the excitement of touring, the juxtaposition of telling intense stories with a lighthearted sound, and how aliens might react to bird sounds.

Ria Janapati

We are here at the Mission Ballroom, October 2[7]th, [2025]. You are Jared of the Black Lips-

Jared Swilley

Jared, and you are?

Ria  

I am Ria, Music Director of KCSU; I've got some questions. 

Jared  

Cool. 

Ria  

First one being: You've been doing this music thing for a hot minute now, are there things about being on the road specifically that change for you excitement level wise? 

Jared  

Oh sure, yeah. There's a different, like, excitement level. I've been touring since I was 16. We drove- the first like US tour we ever did was pretty miserable, but it was still the funnest thing; like, by my standards today, it would be pretty miserable, but I remember  seeing the desert for the first time, and that's like, that excitement- I can remember the excitement I felt, like, the first time I saw a cactus. But like, now, you know, I slept on a pretty drive today because I've seen a lot of that stuff. So that changes. I still love being on stage and stuff. But yeah, I mean, just like, anything you do forever, things get boring. 

Ria  

Are there any cities that you visited a first time and you, like, couldn't wait to go back? Or maybe the opposite, you were really excited, but it wasn't your fav. 

Jared  

Oh, I won't mention any cities I didn't like, because I figure it's best not to say negative things about people or places. But there's... like, yeah, a lot of cities. I mean, talk about [the] excitement of being someplace. I remember the feeling of the first time we went to Europe to play; I couldn't believe it, like, because it was, it felt really cool. And I wanted to go back to all those cities, and I have been back to pretty much all of them. Or, like, you know, like Tokyo, like going there, I was like, "I have to come back here. It's awesome." So most, most places I would like, I, you know, there's, there's very few places I'd be like, “I never want to go there again.” So, yeah, I like most places.

Ria  

I've seen that you guys have come to be known for pulling some antics during live shows, especially more in the DIY spaces. Has there been anything you've really wanted to do during a live show that would just be like a fun little act that no one saw coming? 

Jared  

There is one that we've been talking about doing... because we've done, like, all sorts of crazy stuff, and we're, like, older now, so I'm not trying to, like, make anyone upset anymore, like, do anything crazy. But like, have you ever seen the Wizard of Oz? 

Ria  

Absolutely. 

Jared  

So you know, like, when the Munchkins, like those guys come out as, like, the lollipop... the old guys? We want to- I guess I'm spilling the beans here, but it'll surprise people when we do it. But like, we kind of, like… We have this song that's about eating candy on our new record, and we want to just like, stop in the middle, hopefully, at a really huge show, like something like this [Mission Ballroom], or at a big festival, and, like, drop our instruments and go into the lollipop guild dance and then just start playing again. That's kind of like what we want to do.

Ria  

Nice. A little surprise, a little dance break. 

Jared  

Yeah

Ria  

Yeah, awesome. You just have to get the choreography down. 

Jared  

Yeah.

Ria  

And then your newest album, Season of the Peach, I noticed it takes on a lot of different genre influences. There's some rockabilly sound, there's some 60s stuff, some folk stuff going on, just all over the place. So when you're taking inspiration to create something new like that, where do you find yourself looking?

Jared  

I'm always looking in the past, and that's just for me. Fortunately, in this band, like all five members [contribute equally], right? So that's why it can kind of seem like it's all over the place, like musically. But, I mean, I only listen to, like, very old music, so that's kind of really what I'm pulling from; I listen to, like, old country and doo-wop and rockabilly and blues and stuff like that, so that's usually... I'm just trying to recreate stuff in a kind of, like, not as good way as the stuff I really like.

Ria  

Back on your 2020 album, there's a song called "Angola Rodeo", and that song really interested me in the storytelling of it. It seemed like a bit of a silly take on, like, real life events. So-

Jared  

Yeah

Ria  

When you're going about doing that. Where do you draw the line between like, not taking yourself too seriously?

Jared  

Well, you want to like, not like... or at least with me, I want to be like, if I'm talking about something very serious, and that's a very serious thing... Do you know the story of, like, the Angola rodeo? 

Ria  

Yeah, it's a prison rodeo.

Jared  

Yeah, prison rodeo, and we actually went to it. I'd always wanted to go, and we went, and it's like, you know, it's pretty controversial. I happen to be in favor of it, just because it's like, if you're doing life in prison, or if you're on death row, like, it's the best day of your life when you get to do... They actually do it for like, a few months of the year. But you know, you don't want to be too preachy or too sappy, so you got to have your tongue firmly in cheek. My theory has always been, if you have, like, a really sad subject matter, make it a very poppy sounding song. And if you have really happy sounding stuff, it should be like, darker. That's kind of like how I like to do things. 

Ria  

Yeah, just flip them on their head. 

Jared  

And it's still, like... The lyrics are still like, kind of serious; but it's like a fun kind of sounding song. But you know, the Angola Prison is, like, one of the darkest places in the United States. It's pretty rough there.

Ria  

I just thought that was really interesting, because on a first listen, if you're not really paying attention, it'll just be like, "Oh, this is a fun little tune-

Jared  

There is, like, a big, like, stark contrast when you go to that rodeo, because you are in this just incredibly dark place. You drive in and you see death row, and you see the fields they're all working in, but then you go in there, and it's like, a really happy environment; like the prisoners... It's like, all guys on best behavior, but they've been working; like, they sell their arts and crafts that day. Their families are allowed to come in. They can actually have like, conjugal visits with their family in there. So it's like, it's super dark, ...

KCSU Music Directors Ria Janapati and Mia Templien return to the station for their first podcast of the 2025-2026 school year! Although our music team was on break over the summer, their love of music never took a vacation; Listen as Ria and Mia break down their favorite songs, albums, and artists of the summer. With picks including but not limited to new releases like Clipse's Let God Sort Em' Out and Joey Valence & Brae's Hyperyouth as well as pre-1996 gems like 10cc's Bloody Tourists and (The London) Suede's Coming Up.

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Grocery Bag is a ragtag group consisting of Bella Martinez, Jimmy Mercado, Dillon Aitala, and Logan Kerman. Each member had a unique upbringing with music: Martinez played in bands or various genres, including a church band; Aitala picked up guitar in high school and kept at it after COVID-19 hit; Mercado's dad played drums while he was growing up, so he picked up a pair of drumsticks; and Kerman's mother threw a guitar into his lap when he was just 2 years old, sparking a new passion. Mercado and Aitala went to high school together, Mercado being a part of multiple bands at the same time while Aitala admired from the sidelines, wanting to join in. The two met Martinez and Kerman through some of Mercado's projects; Martinez booked a show and didn't have a band, so she asked the other three to hop in. Martinez's father has a bunch of vintage signs in his garage, and when the band played a house show at his house, Martinez looked up at a sign that said "Grocery Bag", and the rest is history. Grocery Bag have been best friends forever, hanging out every day when Aitala and Mercado were still in high school, driving around to malls and guitar stores. They pen nonsense lyrics and emphasize on the guitar riff as their basis for songs. They opened for Psychedelic Porn Crumpets April 28th at The Aggie Theatre, and their next show is at Third Man Records Cass Corridor on May 18th. 

"Hot Boyz" is a duo hip hop/rap group consisting of DvNeHppy and JG. DvNeHppy hails from southern Louisiana and JG from Denver, the two meeting when they "opened" for rapper Twista in 2022; Twista was a no show, so the two performed anyway and were dazzled by each other's sets. The two began collaborating not long after, even starting their own respective production companies all the while: W.O.A.H Network by DvNe, and Prolific Posse by JG. Hot Boyz is always trying new things and making their money's worth as independent artists. They want to make music that they want to listen to, and if they gain an audience through that, it's just a bonus. Hot Boyz works hard at the events they play at, saying they're like art curations, providing people with experience they won't forget. They find inspiration from artists like Childish Gambino, KAYTRANADA, Potatohead People, Kendrick Lamar, and many more artists. Opening for their first sold-out show with Soulja Boy on April 17th, DvNeHppy and JG are prepared to show you what they can do. Hot Boyz will also play at FoCoMX at Wolverine Farm at 11pm on April 18th, and are playing The Black Buzzard in Denver on May 23rd.

https://kcsufm.com/2025/04/franz-ferdinand-and-telescreens-rock-boulder-theatre-to-its-core-on-april-fools-day/

Fools Fest is KCSU's annual punk festival, always set to happen around April Fools Day! Every year, KCSU gathers local punk and punk-adjacent bands to play on Colorado State University's campus, creating a unique and exciting event for all to enjoy. KCSU's music directors, Mia Templien and Ria Janapati, had the opportunity to sit down with a few of the bands performing for some in-depth interviews.

Slag got their name from an unhoused man repeating the word "slag" as he walked by Clay Childress at The Atrium; after having a conversation with him, Childress decided it was fate. This spacey/shoe gaze/noise rock/indie band consists of twins Clay and Coleman Childress, Caleb Shaver, and Andrew Jussila. Much of their inspiration comes from the DIY scene, with bands like Duster, Fugazi, and Built To Spill being some of their favorites. Slag's next show will be at the FoCoMX music festival at the Art Lab at 8pm on 4/19. 

Fools Fest is KCSU's annual punk festival, always set to happen around April Fools Day! Every year, KCSU gathers local punk and punk-adjacent bands to play on Colorado State University's campus, creating a unique and exciting event for all to enjoy. KCSU's music directors, Mia Templien and Ria Janapati, had the opportunity to sit down with a few of the bands performing for some in-depth interviews.

Dry Ice is a project that started when Pierre Booth and Ethan Rovno were in high school; Booth watched "School Of Rock" and was hooked instantly. Mazzy Madeira and Catherine joined a few years ago, making the band what it is today. Dry Ice is described with a wide variety of genres, but the ones that stick out are riot grrrl, punk, and "Limp Biskit Nickelback-Core". Many of their inspirations include bands in metal and punk bands like Hole and Destiny Bond, a local band from Denver. Dry Ice is going on an East Coast tour starting in May, and has new music coming out soon!