KGNU Music

KGNU’s Joanne Cole talks with Mary Siurek and Hollis London, two Broomfield high school seniors and songwriting partners who recently won the Colorado High School Songwriters Competition. The students from Holy Family High School discuss their musical backgrounds, how they met through choir, and how their songwriting partnership developed.

The duo performs their winning song, “Summer Blues,” as well as “Corner Store,” a song they wrote together at a summer music camp. They also talk about their plans to pursue music in college, with hopes of continuing to write and perform together (Air Date 9/22/26).

KGNU’s D Rider talks with Anthony Evora of LowDown Brass Band, ahead of the group’s Boulder performance at the Velvet Elk Lounge. Evora discusses the band’s Chicago roots and evolution, its current brass-heavy lineup, and the way hip-hop, funk, soul and jazz come together in their music.

He also shares stories from the band’s performances at Montreal Jazz Fest, major venues in the U.S., and recent European tours, including opening for Australia’s Cat Empire. Evora describes how years on the road have helped the band refine its sound and connect with audiences (Air Date 9/22/26).

Cellists for Change joined KGNU for an evening of music and conversation centered on the connection between music and peace. Young cellists from the local nonprofit shared what peace means to them and performed works by composers from Colorado and beyond, including pieces inspired by family, resilience, sensory experiences, and connections with students in Guatemala.

The program also features a personal story of childhood illness and recovery, the organization’s scholarship and music education programs, and a performance of the Catalan folk song “Song of the Birds,” which was famously used by cellist Pablo Casals as a symbol of peace.

Founder and executive director Psyche Dunkhouse and composer and board chair Kari Clifton also discuss Cellists for Change’s community work, its young musicians, and its upcoming “Roots and Wings” performance at Boulder Public Library (Air Date 9/21/26).

Boulder singer-songwriter Christopher Morse stopped by the KGNU tent at Mapleton PorchFest to share music from his latest EP and preview new material. Morse performs “Just a Little Closer” and “Long Way to Go,” an unreleased song that will be the first single in an upcoming series of releases.

In conversation with Greg Schultz, Morse talks about songwriting, recording in Nashville, his musical influences, and making a living as a full-time musician. He also discusses his performances around the Front Range, including sets at Boulder Theater and the Tulagi Festival, and his first time performing at PorchFest.

Morse closes the session with “Nobody Else,” another song from his latest EP. (Air Date 9/20/26).

Boulder singer-songwriter Derek Dames Ohl stopped by the KGNU tent at Mapleton Hill Porch Fest to share a few new, unreleased songs and talk about his music and life on the road. Dames Ohl performs two new songs, including “Song Angel on My Single Wide” and “The CIA Tried to Take My Mind,” and explains the stories and inspiration behind each.

He also talks about his long-running “never-ending tour,” his upcoming trip to England with Wyoming singer-songwriter Shaun Hess, and his plans to continue recording new material. To close out the session, Dames Ohl performs “Dreamin’,” a song dating back more than a decade to his former band, Flash Flood (Air Date 9/20/26).

DJ Jules welcomes Bonnie Paine of Colorado’s Elephant Revival into the KGNU Boulder studio for a conversation and live performance. Paine discusses the release of her first solo album, her experience collaborating with artists including T Bone Burnett, Gregory Alan Isakov, Rising Appalachia, Brittney Haas, and Ben Sollee, and the evolution of her music alongside Elephant Revival. The conversation also looks ahead to Elephant Revival’s upcoming Colorado shows in Aspen, Dillon, and Denver, including an intimate benefit performance for Swallow Hill Music. Paine performs “Ashes” and “More To It” live before being joined by Ryan Dart for a final performance of George Gritzbach’s “Over the River.” (Air Date 9/15/26).

Doug Gertner sits down with legendary Colorado folk musician and Denver Folklore Center founder Harry Tuft for a wide-ranging conversation about his life in folk music. Tuft reflects on his early musical influences, the folk scene that brought him from Philadelphia to Colorado, and the founding of the Denver Folklore Center and Swallow Hill Music. Along the way, he shares stories of encounters with artists including Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, his years performing with Grubstake, and his experiences as a radio host. The conversation also celebrates Tuft’s 90th birthday and his new album, Friends, Lovers and Other Strangers, with stories and songs spanning more than six decades of Colorado music history (Air Date 9/7/26).

Local CU Boulder band Abernathy Shagnaster joins KGNU's Ari Lubin to talk about the group’s origins, musical influences, and growing presence in Boulder’s music scene. The band discusses how they came together, the story behind their unique name, and the community of local musicians that has supported them along the way. They also reflect on winning CU Boulder’s Battle of the Bands, their upcoming September 12 headlining show at the Fox Theatre, and the release of their first single, “Spiral.” Listen to the full interview to hear more from Abernathy Shagnaster about their music, creative process, and life as a student band (Air Date 9/8/26).

In this KGNU interview, two-time Grammy nominee Samantha Fish talks about her new album, Paper Doll, the unique way it was recorded between tour dates, and the live album Paper Doll Live, recorded at The Bijou in Knoxville.

Fish also reflects on growing up in a musical family in Kansas City, picking up the guitar after starting on drums, and discovering at a young age that performing was what she wanted to do. She discusses her current touring band, her approach to building an energetic and dynamic set, and why nothing can replace the experience of live music (Air Date 9/4/26)

Irish musician and songwriter David Howley joins KGNU’s Kathleen Gilgannon to talk about his new band, Howley, a four-piece featuring his brother Martin, their wives Caitlin and Kiana, and a shared love of traditional and original music. Howley reflects on growing up playing music with his brother, touring for 15 years with We Banjo 3, and the creative freedom that comes from making music simply because you love doing it.

David also discusses the band’s new album, including their distinctive take on the classic “Caledonia” and the unexpected inspiration that turned their arrangement into a jig. He talks about songwriting, collaboration, the importance of women’s voices in music, and why he believes a little “magic mayhem” is what makes a great band. (Air Date 8/26/26).