Singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson writes intimate music that connects with her fans in a very personal way. Olympia's independent K Records wrote that "her recordings make it feel as though you have a friend there whispering in your ear. And you do because Kimya is your friend." However, Dawson's intimacy can sometimes get her into trouble. She finds herself opening her heart too much and taking in too many friends. At our live event in May, Dawson shared one of her songs and explored how she

A while back, Seattle writer Melanie McFarland reached a point where when she logged on to Facebook and realized that most of the people she was "friends" with, she wasn't all that close to. So she poured a glass of wine, turned on some quiet music, and one by one, unfriended the people that she couldn't tell you what was going on in their life, and they couldn't tell you what was going on in hers. She wanted to narrow it down to friends she could talk to and rely on, and who could rely on her.

On our show, we do strive to get the complexity of this region and capture what it means to live here in all of it's contrasting glory — both the pretty and the gritty. And on our show, when we're doing our job, we're telling stories that have a lot of that. We really believe that a story can be sad and hilarious and heartbreaking and surprising all at once. It's an eclectic thing we are trying to do. When we invited Skerik and his band to perform at "Sound Effect Live: A Friend In Need," we

Seattle photographer Tim Durkin is known for his stunning images of Seattle's skyline. However, he also documents the city's grittier side. He captures intimate images of homelessness and addiction including stark photos of Seattleites shooting up heroin. Durkin has suffered with his own addiction problems and sees these photos as an important reflection of how hard it can be to deal with dangerous habits. At Sound Effect's life event at Town Hall, he talked with Sound Effect's Gabriel Spitzer

This week on Sound Effect, we bring you a special premiere broadcast of the live event we put on in May 2016. At the time, our station was raising money to buy our independence, so the Sound Effect team brought together interesting people from around Washington state to tell stories of friends in need.

If voters in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties approve the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure, they would approve an expansion of not only the light rail system but also the Sounder commuter rail. Sounder trains share the track with freight and Amtrak trains, which is partly why they can't run in both directions all day. The two Sounder lines together see an average of more than 16,000 riders a day. Right now, the North Line runs from Everett to Seattle a few times in the morning and then in the

When voters think of the Sound Transit 3 ballot measure, the first thing that comes to mind is usually light rail. But the people in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties who are voting on the plan will have to consider other modes of transit, too. ST3 would add something called bus rapid transit to Sound Transit's transportation options. What is bus rapid transit? Bus rapid transit is not the same as express buses. These buses have certain features like elevated platforms and ways for passengers

Light rail is the core of Sound Transit 3, the regional transportation plan on the ballot in three Puget Sound counties. The 62 miles of new rail make up the largest part of the $54 billion price tag, but the region wouldn't see most of it until after 2025. One way of looking at why Sound Transit is so focused on light rail is to look at Everett and Snohomish County. Right now, it takes anywhere from 40 minutes to more than an hour to get from downtown Seattle to Everett by bus. If ST3 passes,

November's election is fast approaching, and voters can expect a long ballot. As part of our election coverage, knkx will be looking into many candidates and issues around the state and the region. But starting this week, knkx will focus on Sound Transit Regional Proposition 1, better known as Sound Transit 3. Voters in Pierce, King and Snohomish counties will decide whether to adopt the 25-year, $54 billion transit expansion plan. Voters have a lot of questions about what this proposal will

If you live in Pierce, King or Snohomish Counties, you will see an initiative on November's ballot called Sound Transit Regional Proposition 1. The measure will determine whether the region adopts a $54 billion transit plan called Sound Transit 3, or ST3 for short. When voters open their ballots, they might see a few paragraphs about the plan. But ST3 can't be explained with just one page. In this first piece from Sound Transit 3: The $54 Billion Question, knkx's Simone Alicea talks with host Ed